Season 2, Episode 18 feat. Jimmy Borendame and Topper Talk

[00:00:07] Thanks for tuning in to another episode of the Blue Raider Podcast hosted by Jake Bolden and presented by the Canseco Group General Contracting and Mighty Dog Roofing. Don't miss another Tuesday episode by subscribing to the podcast on all streaming platforms or catch our visual presentation uploaded every week on YouTube. Don't miss our next ticket giveaways by subscribing and following on all Blue Raider Podcast social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok at Blue Raider Pod.

[00:00:40] Welcome back to the Blue Raider Podcast. I'm your host, Jake Bolden. Today's episode, we are getting ready for men's tennis season. We have head coach Jimmy Borendame joining the show to talk all things men's tennis as they prepare for their big top 25 matchup this Thursday at the Adams Tennis Complex against the Tennessee Volunteers.

[00:01:00] It's the first time the Tennessee Volunteers have come into Murfreesboro to play the Blue Raiders, so look forward to that matchup. And of course, we will be previewing the 100 Miles of Hate Hoops edition this Saturday with Stephen Moffitt, co-host of the Topper Talk, to talk everything about the Hilltoppers basketball program and preview a little bit about this upcoming rivalry matchup on both sides of the basketball, men's and women.

[00:01:21] Big game for both programs alike. Ladies try to stay undefeated, and the men try to improve to 4-1, and of course, stay perfect in Conference USA at home. But before we get into today's episode, I want to take just a second to thank today's sponsors. Since 1987, the Conseco Group has been turning dreams into reality. Whether it's pre-construction consulting, construction management, design build, or renovations and improvements, we are here to exceed your expectations.

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[00:02:13] And of course, thanks to our other sponsor, Mighty Dogs Roofing of Nashville East. When it comes to your home, trust Mighty Dog Roofing Nashville East for all your needs. As a veteran and locally owned business, we're honored to be one of just 11 Owens Corning contractors nationwide to win their prestigious service award. From roofing and gutters to windows and siding, our expert team delivers top quality craftsmanship and unmatched service. We're here to protect your home with pride and precision.

[00:02:41] Choose Mighty Dog Roofing Nashville East where excellence is a tradition. Call us today at 615-MD-ROOFS. That's 615-M-D-R-O-O-F-S. Or visit their website at mightydogroofing.com to schedule your free quote today. Again, to get into today's episode, right before that interview with Coach Boren Dame, I want to take just a second, give you a little monologue about the Blue Raiders basketball season ahead.

[00:03:07] Because as I got your attention now, there's a huge week across MTSU athletics. Of course, starting with the tennis program's home matchup at the Adams Tennis Complex at 5 p.m. this Thursday. You can't miss it. It'll be indoors. So weather's no longer an excuse for you to be there. It's free admission. There will be food trucks. There will be music. There's tons of giveaways. And I look forward to seeing a lot of those Blue Raider faces there. But really, also, the other one to show out for is Saturday at home at the Murphy Center.

[00:03:36] Men's basketball needs all the support they can garner. They've had the turnaround we all wanted them to have. Now, it's your opportunity, Blue Raider fans, to show that pride that you have for your Raiders and be there this Saturday at Murphy Center. That tip-off is at 6 p.m. against the Toppers. No bigger game thus far in the season than this one this Saturday. So I want to see all the Blue Raiders there showing out in their blue, of course, to drown out as much red as we possibly can. So be there. Be loud. Be proud. And as always, go blue.

[00:04:05] And without further ado, let's get into that interview with Coach Borendame. Joining the Blue Raider podcast is the head men's tennis coach, Jimmy Borendame. Going for another title. Jimmy, how's it going? Hey, Jake. How you doing? Thanks for having me on the show. I'm excited to have you on. As always, one of the more successful programs here at MTSU, given, again, the five straight titles. You've got to make room in that new facility. You built that nice brand new facility to fit all these trophies. And now you're going for a six.

[00:04:34] I know you're really high on this team. But I want to know from you firsthand, one year, I guess technically one year going into the spring, in the new facility. How's the moving in process going for you? Oh, I mean, it's amazing. I mean, every day, super excited to get here. And, you know, it's so nice. You know, I'm spoiled. I mean, I'm really, really spoiled with the eight Adams Tennis Complex and now this guy.

[00:05:03] Yeah, just would like it to warm up a little bit. It's been cold the past couple days. But thank goodness for the Adams Tennis Complex. Absolutely. Beautiful complex. If you haven't already seen it, obviously you're going to have plenty of opportunities. And we'll dig into all those great games that are going to be showcased there this upcoming spring. But really, I want to dig into the whole championship aspect of it. You know, every single one, as we talked about last spring, every single one has its own special thing that makes it tough to get to it.

[00:05:32] And one thing about this year, you're going to lose your top guy. But you have plenty of core pieces that are returning this year. When you talk about the challenges that are ahead for you this season and your team, what is kind of some things that you're hoping to learn or maybe that you've already learned in this fall as you look to trying to repeat once again as Conference USA champions? You know, I don't ever say repeat.

[00:05:56] I look at every season as completely new because, you know, so many different pieces to the team. And it's not about doing it again. It's it's a whole all new pieces, new assistant coach, new players to the to the squad. But the thing that that's been big for us for me is that realizing that, you know, we are a developmental program.

[00:06:22] I mean, our guys get better and it shows, you know, and it's it's the the secret sauce. The secret sauce is is is making the guy get good guys in here, good people that want to be coached and then get them better. And and that's what we do. And Kareem El Amin is a perfect example. This guy was battling last year to be in the top six.

[00:06:51] And now he's nationally ranked in singles and doubles making the national tournament. And, you know, he's he's I'm proud of him. And I think it just shows, you know, that our guys get better. What do you think that that secret is within your program? Someone like Kareem, as you mentioned, a guy who might have been left off the radar last spring, but now is kind of in the national headlines. Tell me, like, what about your program is is allowing these guys to develop so quickly?

[00:07:19] Well, I think it's a it's a it's a lot of different things. I mean, I'd like to say our coaching staff is is is 100 percent committed. I know I work my my my tail off. Coach Josh, Coach John. We have new trainer. We have strength coach, Coach Tony that that are all in. But but really, it boils down to the student athletes that we get here.

[00:07:42] We've been fortunate to get coachable kids, good kids and kids that really, you know, kind of is our motto is, you know, a chip on our shoulder. That that that really want to get a lot more out of their tennis. You know, I I always like to say, you know, looking for guys that maybe weren't aren't weren't number one.

[00:08:04] They were like number two or number three, you know, and they just kind of kind of pissed off that they weren't, you know, the number one player from their their age group or whatever it is. So it's a combination of those things, I think. And now we're spoiled. We've got all these nice facilities, too. So it's kind of a win win thing kind of going on. Well, let's dig into some of these guys, if you will. We know you lose Leo, your top guy last year.

[00:08:30] The one name that comes up to me as far as as guys that could definitely be competing for that top spot this year. And I'm sure you have your input on this, but this is just my take. Or it comes off of a second team finish in all conference USA. Is it kind of a foregone conclusion that he slides in there? I know you talk about Rossi as a guy. Kareem, as you've already spoken on, it seems like there really is a battle for that number one spot. Have you even kind of identified that? Or is that something that, again, as we've talked about in the past, you may be feeling your way through? You know, it's fluid.

[00:09:01] We've got we've got a lot of pieces. You know, Kareem had a very strong fall. Crosslack has been playing really well. Shoe's been playing well and shown that he got injured. But I mean, if you watch the guy play, he's just, you know, out of this world, athletic and talented. So there's a lot of pieces there. They're they're they're they're they're almost the same level.

[00:09:28] I'm actually going to feel, you know, I'm going to have a hard time, you know, looking at some of them in the face and saying, all right, you're playing, you know, two, three, four or five. Because they're all very, very tight. Close and level. And the good news is, is, you know, those guys in at three, four and five or they in six should should be pretty successful, in my opinion, in the matches.

[00:09:56] But, you know, we did we did put together quite the schedule. So and that's that's part of what we want to do. We want to be tested. Arguably, we've got to think that our schedule's got to be that, if not the toughest non-conference schedule in the country. I don't know. So, I mean, I was counting the other day. We may have more top 25 and top 30 teams than most powerful programs have on their schedule.

[00:10:25] So those are going to be great opportunities and tests. And so, you know, we'll see. It always sorts itself out. The cream rises to the top. So one of the guys in particular that I was impressed with as a freshman year was Kroslak, especially as how strong he came on there at the end of the year. Got freshman conference player of the year, 12 and three finish in the spring and singles. Even made the regional quarterfinals in the fall.

[00:10:51] Tell me about Kroslak, his development over this fall, as well as what you look forward to him this upcoming spring. Yeah, I mean, Jacob made big jumps. I mean, winning that clinching match at the end of the season in the conference and then some big win against Georgia Tech and the NCAAs. You know, he was right there with Mississippi State. And, you know, this fall, you know, you typically see a big jump, especially a January freshman. You know, he's been here a year now. He kind of knows what's going on.

[00:11:20] I mean, the guy is the big guy on campus now. I mean, he's 6'5". He's super tight with Dr. McPhee and Mrs. McPhee's family. His family is real. Actually, that's how we got to Middle Tennessee. Jacob's family, Jacob's mom and stepmom were on vacation in Italy. And Dr. McPhee found Kroslak. Wow. Okay. Yeah, pretty cool story.

[00:11:48] So, I mean, yeah, Dr. McPhee is a fan of the program and obviously real close with Jacob. But big game. He's made some adjustments. And he's coming forward to the net more, which has been huge with that big frame. And, yeah, I mean, he's – and he serves cannons.

[00:12:15] So, in the ATC, I think he's going to be a big crowd favorite this season. Obviously, seeing his development and how he likes to use the crowd, too. And a guy that was his doubles partner a lot last year, Matsuoka. I know that they – them collectively as a group went 4-1. But Matsuoka was another guy that I know this time last year you had a little issue. They had an earthquake there in Japan trying to get him here. It took him a little while to get his feet underneath himself. But he finished really strong.

[00:12:43] I think it was something like 6-2 in his last eight matches and singles. So, he's a guy that I feel really strongly about who he could be developing now a full year here. Yeah, I mean, Shoes made big strides. You know, he's really committed to playing pro tennis when he's done with school. The guy goes above and beyond to play extra, which is amazing. He actually had a huge summer. He actually, on paper, has the most professional points on the team.

[00:13:15] And, yeah, he made a couple technical changes on his game, which, you know, he rolled his ankle in the fall, so we didn't get to really see as much of it. But he's kind of coming on at the right time. Him and Kroslak are super tight. It's a dangerous doubles team. Two big servers. They're buddies.

[00:13:38] Yeah, that's a very dangerous team that I believe is just as good as Horak and Alameen. But we'll see. I really like that team together moving forward. And, you know, obviously then they can play together another year if, you know, we keep them together. So I like to keep that continuity between partners.

[00:14:06] I feel like they kind of, you know, grow old together, as I like to say, like a married couple. But we'll see. We'll see. Big upside on Kroslak. I'm really excited to see him this year. One of your few seniors this year, actually the only senior on your roster is going to be Rostislav Halfinger, the South Alabama transfer also by way of South Carolina State, kind of a guy that's flown under the radar. But since arriving on campus, you know, barring a little off-court issue on campus,

[00:14:35] but he seems to have recovered well from that injury, and he seems to be taken off and a lot to be impressed about. Yeah, I mean, my guy Rosti, man, poor guy's gone through like a roller coaster. I mean, you know, a couple different programs. Really good kid. You know, it was interesting. You know, I don't know. You know, I coached the guys hard.

[00:15:01] I coach him hard, and I don't know if he wasn't really ready for it at the beginning, I don't think. But he's improved so much. Then he gets hit by a car on his scooter on campus, and, you know, we kind of have to deal with that. And he's gotten healthy. He's figured it out. He's another big man on campus. I mean, the kid's like 6'5". And, you know, the kid's got a heart of gold, and I think he's going to do some damage.

[00:15:31] I know he's super excited about playing in front of the big ATC crowds this spring because I don't think they had any fans at his previous two stops. So, you know, I see him kind of being a key piece that the crowd really likes to cheer for. And he'll figure it out really fast as well because he's a pretty intelligent guy.

[00:15:53] So, yeah, big things there, very interesting type of game, more aggressive, which I really like. And, you know, we've got to kind of figure out, see if we can find him a doubles partner. So we're experimenting with Thomas, Casper, the new guy, and Igor. So kind of looking at some different options there. Well, as we wrap up the singles talk there, you've got a few guys, as you mentioned there at the end.

[00:16:23] You've got Igor, Christian Thomas, Casper, your newest freshman addition. Some of these guys that are vying for that fifth, sixth court time. What are you looking to see out of those younger guys trying to earn more playing time, more court time? Are there any guys in particular that may surprise us that we don't already know about? I mean, we've only had practice for two days with Casper. I mean, the new Polish guy is very solid. You know, he's a mature 20-year-old freshman.

[00:16:50] You don't see that very often coming in in January. And very similar to, like, Kroslak from last year, also was a 20-year-old freshman. I see a lot of good things in his game. He's just going to get better. It's just a matter of kind of him acclimating to U.S. life. You know, his crazy coach, me, and Coach Josh and Coach John and all these things.

[00:17:19] But he's already fitted in really well with the team. So, you know, we didn't say anything about Igor. I mean, Igor, so much talent. I mean, the kid is like a gazelle on the court. So it's going to be interesting. There's going to be some interesting challenge matches coming up in practice, which are going to kind of, you know, help us kind of figure out, you know, the pecking order. And, you know, then throughout the season, we've got tons of tests.

[00:17:47] So I'm just excited. I'm excited every day. I'm excited for every practice. I haven't been sleeping much. So I'm just a lot of upside coming up this way. Well, I'm glad you bring up the scheduling, as you touched on earlier as well. At the time of the release of this episode, you're going to be at the end of this week in your first matchup with top 25 ranked 13th ranked Tennessee. But I want to go over some numbers. And you talked about how tough this upcoming schedule is.

[00:18:16] I just want to give some sort of context to those that don't know. 25 total matches on the schedule. You have 15 of them at home. Five, possibly six are against current top 25 teams. You're actually going to potentially face a defending singles champion out of Columbia. You've got 16 matches against previous top 75 schools. And eight teams of the 25, that's eight.

[00:18:40] I'm not a math magician, but that's almost a third, if not already over a third, of your games are against teams that won in the first round of last year's NCAA tournament. So there's genuinely no break in this schedule, much as we've experienced in years past. But you're coming out the gate hot with Tennessee. You've got a lot of these at home, out the gate in particular. I look at this stretch where you go Auburn, Vanderbilt, Indiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma State, all within a matter of two weeks.

[00:19:09] All of those schools are, again, top 75 last year. You skipped one. It's Auburn, Alabama, Vandy, Indiana, Arkansas. Right. Yeah. And then you've got a road game mixed in there with Alabama. That's right. Yeah, that's the one I was missing. Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt you. I just – that little stretch of matches right there is going to be pretty power-packed. So, yeah, that one's on my brain. Yeah.

[00:19:39] I mean, and to your benefit, though, it's all at home. And I think one thing I'm impressed about, one, is you're able to get these top programs to respect MTSU enough that they want to come here and play your team. But when you're setting up this challenge in front of your guys, how much do you actually have that conversation with them of like, hey, we're having this schedule to challenge you? Or you've laid it out in front of them and you expect them to go out and win these games? I mean, again, I go back to the developmental aspect of our program.

[00:20:07] I mean, there's a lot of teams out there. We know we've got a strong team. And I have kind of came to the conclusion last year that you really only gain confidence by beating a quality opponent. You know, beating up on the Panera Bread State University and the School of the Blind and Deaf. You know, yeah, it's a win for your win-loss record or whatever. But, no, we're not getting better.

[00:20:37] And, I mean, my athletic director and my president don't even know those schools. And my team doesn't get excited about it. And also our fans don't get excited. And I've always looked at myself as someone that I want to bring teams to Murfreesboro that, you know, people want to come out and see. I mean, this is the first time Tennessee has come to Murfreesboro. And that match is going to be packed.

[00:21:07] I mean, I'm contemplating selling tickets and bringing some revenue for the department. I mean, Alabama, well, that's next year. Alabama's coming next year. Auburn, Indiana, Oklahoma State, Utah. I mean, those are names that people are like, all right, wow, what's Born Day and Men's Tennis doing over there? Like, are we, you know, and the same thing with the guys.

[00:21:32] I mean, they get all fired up for all these opportunities. And, yeah, that's my take on it. So, you know, we're going to win or we're going to learn. That's it. But, I mean, if we take the loss, we're going to get a little bit better.

[00:21:52] Well, I will assuredly say, although I'm a bit of a homer, I think that the team is in great hands, obviously led by a coach that is willing the team to what potentially could be a six straight Conference USA championship. Again, back to the conversation with the team. When you talk about the goals throughout the year, I'm sure the conference championship is on there. But would you admit that this team just has a higher standard than just the conference championship by now? Well, yeah, the conference championship is not a goal. We set process goals.

[00:22:23] You know, like, of course, you're putting me on the spot. But our process goals are more focused on being coachable, you know, being respectful, having integrity, being a good teammate, things like this. It's our result-oriented goal is to make the Sweet 16 because no men's tennis team at MTSU has ever gotten that far. We've done three years in a row, round of 32.

[00:22:51] Coach Short got two times, got to the round of 32. And so, you know, the conference tournament, yes, we want to do well there. We do. But, I mean, we're not playing Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee. I mean, those are all going to be prepping us and getting us ready. But our expectation is to be in the NCAA tournament and do damage there and climb that ladder.

[00:23:18] So, yeah, the conference tournament is part of that. But I don't look at it like, you know, I'm not thinking I got to beat this team or that team. It's part of the process. Each one is going to help us get a little tougher, get a little bit better, and, you know, do damage in the NCAAs. Absolutely. Well, the quest for that begins this week, again, on the 16th of Thursday night at 5 p.m.

[00:23:47] at the Adams Indoor Tennis Complex. Again, fingers crossed the weather's better, but at least it doesn't matter. You're going to be inside. So we expect a lot of Blue Raider faithful to be there in support of the Raiders. Coach Borndame, this is always a pleasure to have you on. I appreciate you taking the time to talk a little tennis with us. And, of course, best of luck this year. Hey, thanks for having me. And I hope our Blue Raiders will come out Thursday, January 16th, 5 o'clock. The Vol's in town. It is free.

[00:24:17] The fire marshal has already got a limit on how many people can go sit up top in the area. And I have to look up the promotions, but I know we're giving out free T-shirts. We got beer sales, wine sales. We got food trucks. I mean, all the home matches are going to be very exciting. So I appreciate all of your support and hope our Blue Raider faithful will come out.

[00:24:48] Did you know the Blue Raider podcast has an online store? You can now support your favorite podcast by checking out our selection at our website, blueraderpodcast.com. And stay tuned for new merchandise releases as we collaborate with athletes in NIL partnerships. Joining us now on the Blue Raider podcast is long friend, I guess you could say, of the show. But really, this week we're enemies. It is Stephen Moffitt of Topper Talk. Stephen, how's it going? Man, it's good. I appreciate you for having me on. Absolutely.

[00:25:18] Big week for the both programs here. I think this time last year, both of our programs were in really different locations than where they are now. Last year, MTSU was kind of trending down. We ended the season on a high note. And then, of course, where we are today, sitting atop second in the conference right now. And really, Western was kind of a team that we're vying that position for. And you guys, the Hilltoppers themselves, have kind of had a little bit of surprise themselves in the last calendar year.

[00:25:44] You know, Coach Lutz goes on to Oklahoma State, takes one of your top players, Brandon Newman, along with them. And now, again, as we were just talking about off-air, non-conference play went really well for you guys. And then, these first two weekends, much like we thought Conference USA would be, a big surprise. So, tell me a little bit about what the feelings are like there in Bowling Green, surrounded around Hank Plona and the Toppers basketball program. Yeah, I was thinking about how the seasons played out before we jumped on air.

[00:26:11] And it really, it almost feels like we've kind of had a little bit of role reversal. You know, last year, it felt like we were really hitting our stride as we got into conference play. Conference play was tough on the road last year, whereas you all were experiencing a lot of injuries and trying to move guys into new positions and just playing without two, you know, viable starters. You know, really good players. And it kind of feels like that's where we're at this year. You know, Babacar Fah has been out for nearly a month now.

[00:26:37] And Teagan Moore is missing the whole season due to an injury he had over the summer that he had a surgery for. So, you know, we still have good basketball ahead of us. We can still get healthy. You know, hopefully Babacar Fah comes back real soon. There hasn't been any official word on if or when that will happen. I know we're waiting to hear the status on another MRI, some imaging getting done to make sure that's healing correctly and properly without surgery being needed.

[00:27:05] But, you know, the season so far, like you said, non-conference was really good to us. You know, we only dropped the games that, you know, if you held a gun to my head, you know, said we probably would have lost those games. So, UK and Michigan, Grand Canyon and Wichita State. And then we've gotten into non-conference play. And, you know, we knock off Liberty in a comeback thrilling fashion. Then we turn around and, you know, get blasted by FIU down in Miami.

[00:27:32] You know, choke at home to Jacksonville State, which is kind of personal because former coach Ray Harper is there. But then turn around this last Saturday and beat, you know, Kennesaw State pretty soundly. They're, you know, they were kind of an unknown team in my eyes. I didn't know a lot about them. I know they had a couple good young players and they look good on the floor. You know, it just seems like they might be a year or two away from putting it all together and being really competitive in this league. But, yeah, it's been a little bit of a roller coaster of a, you know, early season

[00:28:00] and definitely some injuries have played a factor into that. But like you said, this is the big one. You know, the 100 miles of hate, it's always an intense game. Very rarely is it a blowout. So, yeah, I'm expecting just a slugfest out in Murfreesboro this weekend. When you put it under a microscope about what this team has kind of, I say, devolved, and that's kind of a negative term. But really when I say what has this team turned into with FIU being out?

[00:28:28] Because when you look at it, you beat Liberty on the road, as you said, in a thrilling fashion. I think the deficit was 16. And you win in a very tough place that I don't imagine anyone else is probably going to win there. You might think some Louisiana Tech or even UTEP or New Mexico State will give them a run for their money. But I'll digress. That's a big win without FIU being in the presence there with a good frontcourt and Aquino and Zach Cleveland that they have at Liberty. So you're thinking things are fine when it comes to conference play. Things are fine.

[00:28:56] And then you drop the two against FIU and then Jacksonville State last Thursday. So when you put them under a microscope, how do you kind of answer for the inconsistencies? What are you seeing when this team is playing their best ball, like you said, against Kennesaw and Liberty? And what are you seeing when they're losing these games that they should be winning against Jacksonville and FIU? It's really tough. Without Babakar Fai, we really haven't had a consistent big man. We've also dealt with some injuries with Blaise Keita, who's our backup center.

[00:29:25] It's kind of forced us to play Leroy Odehi, who's somebody who should not be getting 20, 25 minutes a game. And yet he's out there starting ballgames and getting a lot of run. So really, you know, it comes down to effort. You know, are we getting on the board and staying competitive in the rebound margin? You know, the last couple games that we've lost, we've gotten just absolutely blitzed in the rebound margin. You know, we're leaning on, you know, Tyrone Marshall at 6'7", 6'8", to be our leading rebounder. Braxton Bayless, a guard. Christian Lander, a guard.

[00:29:56] Enid Kalambe, you know, a hybrid kind of a wing player. You know, those guys have to really be crashing the boards. And then just inconsistent-wise, I mean, it sounds 101. It's really simple. But, you know, when the shots are going in, we play a really fast pace and brand of basketball. We have, you know, two years in a row now. So when the shots are falling, you know, threes are going in. We're getting good looks. We're taking, you know, just, you know, I guess I want to say high percentage threes, you know, not contested.

[00:30:26] Moving the ball and just getting good looks at the rim. And those are going in. Man, we look really good. You know, that's what happened against Liberty. We started that game, I think it was 1 for 12 from 3 and dug that big hole while they were making threes. We ended that game 5 out of 17. So, you know, ended the game really hot. You know, getting hot, making shots when we need to make them to bring us back into that game. You know, obviously defensively, we had to lock down and get some stops as well.

[00:30:52] But really, I mean, it's just as simple as playing good basketball, taking care of the ball, and making shots. I mean, that's as 101 as it gets with this team, even without Babakar Phi. You know, we still can play good basketball. We still can be competitive. We still can win ball games. But we just have to do those basic sort of things on the court. One guy in particular that I feel like has been in Bowling Green for what feels like forever is Don McHenry.

[00:31:21] And he's a big part of a lot of those things you talk about, especially the shot volume. One thing on paper with your guard there is the numbers are up a little bit, but the shooting percentage is down. Now, I would have to assume, again, I haven't watched every Western Kentucky game. However, with Phi being out, I'm sure a lot of that volume has had to increase because your offense runs through McHenry. And for good reason, because he is a great and skilled shooter. Tell me a little bit about how his game has continued to grow this year.

[00:31:49] How heavily are you guys kind of leaning on him with Phi being out? And, you know, how vital is his success to the overall team's success? You know, he is really vital. Again, looking back to that Liberty game, he started out really slow. I think he didn't have a field goal the entire first half going into the second half before he finally got on the scoring sheet with a made field goal. And then once he turned it on, he made a couple threes and helped us get back into that game.

[00:32:15] You know, I always just – I kind of jokingly call him the straw that stirs the drink. You know, that's what he has been now for all of his one year plus now on the hill. He's a really streaky shooter. You know, he has a ton of confidence. He'll go to the hole, you know, get in the paint and take a lot of tough shots. You know, sometimes drawing fouls, sometimes not drawing fouls.

[00:32:38] And you almost can kind of see his body language fluctuate depending on how those drives, those floaters, those layups go. So, but once he gets hot, man, once he sees a couple of those balls go through the net, you know, he can fill it up and put, you know, 10, 12 points on the board really quick between media timeouts. So, you know, he's one of those ones, and I'll definitely talk about in the preview on our side of things that, you know, he has to get his.

[00:33:05] You know, he's a player that is our MVP, I'd say. You know, he's our most important player. We've got several pieces around him that can support and pick up slack when he's not putting points up on the board. But he's definitely the guy that has to come out, has to get his. Like you said, he controls the ballgame. He's tough on both ends. You know, he just has to come out and continue to do what he can do.

[00:33:30] And that's, you know, lead this team just really with his offense first and make plays, you know, let the offense come to him when it needs to. But also, you know, there's times where you just have to go get a bucket, and he is that guy. A hundred percent. I remember I did watch the Grand Canyon game at the beginning of the season, and I did tell you at the end of that game, there was a few opportunities where McHenry 1v1. I feel like that's the guy that's got to have the ball in his hand in those situations. And I can only imagine if the game comes down to that in Murfreesboro this Saturday,

[00:33:59] that he's going to be the guy that more than likely is going to take that shot. And just to kind of portray, again, from MTSU's perspective, how much of a headache McHenry can be, in your two wins last season in Bowling Green, he had 22. In the Conference USA Tournament, he had 18. And then in Murfreesboro, the one game that MTSU won, he scored 11. So it just goes to show how, again, talk about a scouting report would be, obviously, Don McHenry. He's a guy you've got to guard.

[00:34:26] But he's a great player at creating his own shots because he's going to be at the top of everyone's scouting report. But I want to push this to you now because now we've spoken about Fi being out, who is the pieces that would kind of alleviate some of that pain for McHenry on the scouting report. But are there any other names that we should look forward to on Saturday that could kind of arise as that second piece along with McHenry? Yeah, definitely. It had to start and end with freshman Julius Stedford.

[00:34:52] You know, he has been really, really just invaluable at kind of picking up the slack when Don's not there, not getting his. Plays with just a crazy amount of confidence, you know, has the green light, or at least if he doesn't have the green light, he's putting up shots. I mean, that kid, he can shoot. He can get to the rim. He kind of reminds me of, you know, last year's Tegan Moore. You know, Tegan was kind of that sixth, seventh player last year. We had some injuries, kind of forced him into the starting lineup.

[00:35:21] Then once he got into the starting lineup, you're like, man, you can't take this kid out of the starting lineup. Like, he's, you know, he can go get a bucket whenever you need a bucket. That's kind of exactly what Julius has brought to this team is just a really tough player. He's really good on defense. He's very locked down on that side of the court for a true freshman. It's kind of crazy. And then he can just go out and get his shot. And then I also have to highlight Tyrone Marshall.

[00:35:46] You know, he finished last season with a really strong performance against Marquette in the NCAA tournament. Decided to come back this year. We were really excited for what he hopefully would bring to the team. You know, he's been a little up and down. He's been quiet at times. You know, we've got several guards that are really, really good. He's that wing player that can be just a mismatch nightmare and a problem. And he really showed that against Kennesaw State.

[00:36:12] He probably had his best game of the season this last Saturday where he just stepped up, you know, got to the bucket a lot. You know, created his own shot. And then he can step out and make the three as well. So I think he's almost kind of that X-factor player that, you know, just as a mismatch nightmare, the size he is, the athleticism he has, defensively and offensively. You know, he can impact the game in a lot of ways. And he's our leading rebounder right now. He's really leaning on heavily in that area as well.

[00:36:42] You know, I think himself and then the last guy, Enoch Colombe, you know, also another second-year player here at Western. You know, also played with Hank Plona there at Indian Hills. You know, he's kind of in that same mold. He's that bigger guard, can rebound, can defend really well, generally comes off the bench. And he can be a spark plug. You know, he's had a couple games. Two games ago, I think it was Jacksonville State, where he led us in scoring with 24 points.

[00:37:10] So, you know, he can put the ball in the cup. You know, we've got several guys that can score and step up, you know, if Dawn or Julius or somebody is not getting theirs. But that also, like you said, it helps alleviate that pressure of Babakar Fai not being down in the paint. Or if, you know, somebody else has shot it and fallen, you know, we've got several other guys that can fill it up and pick up that slack quickly. Now, when we look to the game on Saturday, last year it came down to the wire.

[00:37:37] A questionable timeout might have been, may have been called. Who knows? I'm not the one to decide. But when you look at the game this Saturday, what do you kind of see happening there on the court? I mean, do you feel good going into this game, getting that win on Saturday against Kennesaw State? Is this another season where we're going to see a one-and-one split? You know, what do you kind of see this rivalry happening? What is happening with this rivalry this year? Yeah, I think it's going to be a dogfight. Like we, like I said earlier, I think going on the road is going to be tough.

[00:38:08] We've shown, you know, here in conference play that we've had several slow starts, especially on the road. You know, where we get behind, you know, 10, 12, 16 points early. And we're trying to dig out of that hole and come back. We dug out of that hole and came back versus Liberty when we started making shots. But we weren't able to do that against FIU. We just, we weren't making anything. For some reason, they shot the best game of their season, likely, and just really took care of us.

[00:38:35] So I really think it's going to come down to how we start this game. We have to set a tone early, play good defensively, and then let the defensive pressure turn into offensive success for us. Because I think we have plenty of shot makers. But at the end of the day, we have to get some stops. You know, if you all, you know, get that momentum, get the crowd behind you, and start seeing the ball go through the net a lot.

[00:39:00] You know, those, that momentum and those runs are just hard to stop, especially when you're the visiting team. So, you know, I expect a tough game. You know, I'm not sitting here and going to be, you know, red tinted glasses enough to say, I think that we go in there and pull an upset. You know, I think, and I've said it all season, life on the road is going to be tough. If you can split your road games, your road weekends, I think you're doing pretty well. You know, try to hold serve at home, win all those games, and split your road games,

[00:39:26] and you can be in contention for the conference championship or, you know, the one seed heading into the tournament at least. So, you know, I'm not going to be foolish enough to say I think we can go in. But I think if we play to the best of our ability, we can put ourselves in position to be right there at the end of the game. And that's the scary thing about Conference USA, and then you add in the 100 miles of hate. Everyone in this conference is right there, in my opinion.

[00:39:52] But let's move it over to the dichotomy of the 100 miles of hate with the Lady Raiders, Lady Toppers. They'll be in Bowling Green this Saturday and, of course, make the switch later in February. We talked preseason with Conference USA Roundtable, a lot about Greg Collins going into year seven, I believe that's right. A guy that you kind of labeled as a make-or-break year for Coach Collins. He hit the portal hard, but for the most part, a lot of that starting lineup stayed intact.

[00:40:19] You added Sophia Telegdi from Kansas, who maybe hasn't necessarily been there on the scoring side of the box score, but she's a big presence down low that has been missing from this team. And, of course, you've got Alexis Meade back out of the transfer portal. So, great non-conference schedule, similar to the men's basketball team. Kind of a rocky conference start to the season, but you got two big road wins this last week. Tell me about the Lady Toppers' situation going into this Saturday.

[00:40:46] Yeah, so the Lady Toppers, like you said, they've been really good so far this year. The non-conference slate, they performed and won a lot of games. Alexis Meade coming back has been solid. You know, Keisha Hayes. Josie Gilvin has really stepped up over the last couple games. You talked about Zofia Telgi from Kansas has been a huge addition. Destiny Salary, McKenzie Chatfield. I really like the depth of this roster.

[00:41:14] You know, I think Greg Collins has taken a step in the right direction with who he's added and the direction he's going. But I also think the top of this league is really, really good. When you look at what MTSU has been for the last, you know, four, five, six years, where they're at and where they're still at currently, I think Liberty is really good. I think we've taken a step in the right direction to get better. You know, I did call this a make or break year for Greg Collins with how last year ended.

[00:41:41] Just so many toss-up games where we had to lead, you know, at halftime or even the end of the third quarter into the fourth quarter, and we would just lose the game down the stretch. You know, it felt like we need to learn how to win ballgames. We need to add some size. And hopefully some of that experience coming back is going to start to translate into more conference wins. You know, it's early in the season. It's hard to get that read on it right now. Like you said, two and two on the season.

[00:42:06] You know, lost our home games, won our road games, which is, you know, kind of odd at Conference USA. But I think we are taking steps in the right direction. And I like what Greg Collins is doing on the women's side. That's the one thing that caught my attention. You talk about the depth that the Lady Toppers have this year. When you go and look at the game highs for everyone, it's always someone different, it seems, on a nightly basis. Last year was typically either salary or mead. And now you've kind of spread the wealth a little bit.

[00:42:35] So tell me about this game in particular. I know that it's tough, let's be honest. The 2 o'clock start in Bowling Green, the 6 o'clock start in Murfreesboro, it can happen. You can make the trip happen for Raider fans, Topper fans alike. But it's not easy. So you always have to worry a little bit about what kind of fan base you're going to have. And I would think for both teams in particular, because our women's tends to travel pretty well. And I would imagine a lot of them are going to be at that 2 o'clock game in Bowling Green. And your men's program tends to travel pretty well.

[00:43:04] And I imagine a good majority of them will be down in Murfreesboro at 6. So I bring that up. But really, I want to know, what does this team have to do well to kind of put themselves in contention with MTSU, as well as back into contention at the top of this conference? Because, again, these pieces that you talk about, salary, Sophia, Mead, and I will forget to mention Hayes, who obviously has that all-star potential. How does this team kind of put themselves back in the top of this league? Yeah.

[00:43:33] Talking about the scheduling part of it first, I hate the mirror scheduling just for the fact that usually you can't make both games. Now, I was talking to the information director for the Lady Toppers yesterday, and she's like, you can make both of them this year because I was promoting the men's having a get-together, a pregame thing at Toots there on Broad Street. So I also put it out there for the women as well. 2 o'clock, you can definitely make the 2 o'clock game in Diddle. It should be over by 4.

[00:44:01] It's an hour and a half to Murfreesboro. You can be there. You're not going to make Toots pregame, I'm sorry, but you can go after the game. I know a lot of BG people miss that establishment, but it would be tough to make both games. Like you said, the Lady Raiders, their fan base travels really well. From what I recall correctly, you all probably had more blue in our arena last year than we had red. That's how well you traveled. Plus, you're having a really good season.

[00:44:30] We were kind of floundering a little bit in some mediocrity. I don't want to say I'd expect more of that the same this year, but you all do travel really well. It is going to be tough with likely a lot of our fan base heading to Murfreesboro for the men's side of things. But I just think we have to continue as a team. If we want to put ourselves, kind of get out of that middle of the pack in the conference, I just think we have to continue to put together good wins.

[00:44:59] This coming Saturday is going to be tough. It's not one that I would ever pencil in as an upset against a team like Middle Tennessee that's been so successful in conference, even in the NCAA tournament. But I think we have to take gradual baby steps as we improve this roster. We have to win ballgames that historically we've lost over the last two or three years. And I've seen some of that this season.

[00:45:24] But with the leadership that we have, we have a lot of pieces, like you said earlier, that have come back this year. And then we've added a couple good transfer pieces. And then we have a couple second-year players in Chatfield and Gilben that are adding to now what this roster can be and help stepping up on nights when Alexis or Acacia or Destiny, when somebody's having an off night. It's nice to have that depth that someone else can step up and fill the role of the leading scorer

[00:45:53] or the shooter that needs to be there and fill that gap. So I think it's going to come down to consistency on the women's side. That's really what we saw last year was a lot of inconsistency, getting early leads in games and just letting it slip away at the end. We just have to learn how to close out ballgames. And that's defensively, continuing to rebound the ball in this and just not coming to a halt on offense. And I think we have plenty of players now that can help us score

[00:46:20] and hopefully kind of solve that riddle going forward. That is Stephen Moffitt, co-host of Topper Talk. Stephen, before I let you go, I know one of the few of us in conference, USA Roundtable group that is really in tune with where the conference is. And I'll take the conversation back to men's basketball. And just something that I always really like to talk about every week on this podcast is how good Conference USA really is in terms of men's basketball.

[00:46:50] They've definitely taken a step ahead. If you go to Kim Palm, they've moved ahead of the Missouri Valley Conference. They've moved ahead of the American Athletic Conference. And they're kind of, I say, on the heels in terms of metrics. They've still got a ways to go to catch up to the Atlantic 10, but it's a good conference. From your perspective, as what we've seen through two weeks now, where do you see this conference heading? Maybe not necessarily predicting a winner, but when you talk about who is going to win regular season, because it is kind of a coveted thing with the NIT nowadays, although we all want to win the tournament.

[00:47:18] But now that the regular season kind of has something to go along with it, how do you see this season unfolding? Is it still too early to tell? Yeah, I definitely think it is too early to tell. I think coming in, I would have penciled in LaTex as probably the prohibited favorite. With Daniel Batcho coming back, he's just a force down low. I was really surprised when they had him come back. But I'm really proud overall of the entire conference

[00:47:46] and how the non-conference scheduling and results went for basically every team, short of FIU. And I'm not going to talk about FIU too much, because we just went down to Miami and got blasted down there. So maybe they're turning things around and figuring it out. I don't know. But like you said, the conference as a whole has been really strong. Every metric shows and proves that. And I think it's been that way for several years,

[00:48:10] even going back to pre-realignment when we had two NIT Final Four teams. We had a CBI champion. We had a NCAA Final Four participant. And even though those teams kind of all scattered and went elsewhere, we added a lot of new teams, a lot of unknowns, Sam Houston's, Jacksonville's, Liberty, and now Kennesaw State. And I think we've just continued to just add the right pieces.

[00:48:38] And even though other conferences on the outside are looking in and making fun of these FCS call-ups and these teams that they don't know and they haven't heard of, I think we've made some really good selections. And not just focused on only football or only basketball. I think we've selected teams that are pretty competitive across the board. They're in good recruiting areas so they can continue to get better. We've seen different schools. New Mexico State last year in football.

[00:49:08] Jacksonville State this year in football. New Mexico State looking really, really good early in this basketball season. I just think there's a lot of parity in this league. It might come down to who gets hot down the wire. I never would have predicted last year when we lost our four final regular season games heading to Huntsville. I truly was questioning.

[00:49:35] With my trip was already booked, everything was already reserved, I was going. Credentials approved. I started to question, am I going down to Huntsville to be one and done? But we got hot. The fans showed up, got behind Western. And we end up winning that tournament. So it's definitely too early in my opinion to say who is going to come out of this thing and win Conference USA.

[00:50:00] But you can make a case and an argument for, I'd say, four to six teams that are at the top of the league right now. And it may come down to some luck. It may come down to just health. I think it's definitely going to come down to who can win those road games. I think being consistent and being able to steal on the road and then hold serve at home, I think that's going to be vital to winning that regular season championship here in Conference USA.

[00:50:30] Yeah, well put. The road is going to be the most important thing. And, of course, the toppers are on the road this Saturday at the Murphy Center. So expect Raider fans alike for men's and women's to be there. Steven, I appreciate you taking the time and joining us. And, of course, as we previewed earlier, I will be on Topper Talk for this week's episode as well to preview the Raiders side from the WKU lens. So, of course, check out his episode this week and let the fans know when that release is.

[00:50:58] It should be either Tuesday morning or Wednesday morning. Just depends on whenever Tyler and I can link up. It'll be within the next couple days. So you have two, three days to listen to it before the game tips. And, like I always say, it makes for good road trip material as you head down to Murfreesboro and for Blue Raider fans heading up to Bowling Green. So, of course, once again, Steven, thanks for taking the time. And we'll see you this Saturday. Yes, sir. I appreciate you for having me.

[00:51:26] The BRP is proudly partnered with Rivals Network affiliate GoMiddle.com. Subscribe for premium content for all the inside scoop on MTSU athletics, recruiting, or join our free forums to discuss today's episode in all things Blue Raiders. The BRP is also partnered with the College Huddle, a nationwide collaborative effort with over 80 Division I programs represented. Check out the website at thecollegehuddle.com to catch up on all college football content with daily articles and episodes provided by the largest college podcast community on the Internet.

[00:51:58] I appreciate our guests today, head men's tennis coach Jimmy Bourndame, as well as co-host of the Topper Talk podcast, all things Western Kentucky athletics with Steven Moffitt. I appreciate all of you tuning in to today's episode. If you're not already following us on YouTube, make sure that you're doing so at Blue Raider Podcast. We're getting closer and closer to the 100 subscriber milestone. So I appreciate those that have already subscribed. And if you are, make sure you pass it along to other Blue Raider faithful. Get them involved.

[00:52:25] I appreciate everyone for tuning in, as always. I look forward to next week's episode where we're going to be doing a little bit more hoops talk after the 100 miles of hate, reflecting on what could be or what already has been with the upcoming matchups on Saturday. If you're not already following the podcast on social media, make sure you're doing so as well. Twitter, X, Instagram, TikTok, at Blue Raider Pod. Don't want to miss anything there. Of course, with baseball and softball season coming up shortly, we'll have previews on those seasons as well as a ticket giveaway.

[00:52:56] So make sure you're following us on social so you don't miss your opportunity to enter that season ticket giveaway. Again, thank you for listening and subscribing. I appreciate that. Don't forget to like this video wherever you're listening to us. And until next time, Go Blue!