BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Western Kentucky men's basketball coach Ray Harper has been saying for a while that next year's team could be special.
The message from Harper and his team didn't change Friday, when the eighth-seeded Hilltoppers (18-16) were eliminated in the Conference USA Tournament semifinals with an 89-77 loss to No. 5 seed Old Dominion at Legacy Arena.
"Next year, everybody better watch out because we're going to be ready to go," sophomore forward Justin Johnson said.
The Tops brought nine new scholarship players onto the roster this season, moving on from a pair of four-year stars in T.