Division I · Conference USA
Western Kentucky University Men's Basketball
Bowling Green, KY · the Hilltoppers · Western Kentucky University overview
18
Roster
3 over the D-I cap of 15
$3M
Team budget
49th percentile in Division I
$165,373
Per roster spot
median $196,319
6
Coaches
1 head · 5 assistant
948
APR
92% of players retained
97%
Admitted
bottom quarter for selectivity
Western Kentucky University fields a men's basketball team in the Conference USA (NCAA Division I). In 2024–25 the roster carried 18 players, above the median of 16, with 1 head coach and 5 assistants. Team expenses were $2,976,729, about the median of $3M — $165,373 per roster spot, lower half of Division I men's basketball programs. Under the Division I roster cap of 15 in force from 2025-26, that is 3 over — cuts or attrition are likely, though players already on the roster may stay (221 of 362 Division I programs carried more than the cap). The team's multi-year Academic Progress Rate is 948, about the median of 967, with 92% of players retained year to year. The school gave $3,800,875 in athletic aid across its men's teams, about $14,618 per roster spot.
Among Division I men's basketball programs
Where this program sits against its 362 peers (percentile; the tick is the median).
#186Team budgetof 362 · Division I#223Spend per playerof 362 · Division I#28Roster sizeof 362 · Division I#287APRof 362 · Division I
Team budgets across the division
this programevery Division I men's basketball program
Roster sizes (cap 15)
this programevery Division I roster
The program
- Roster18 2024–25 season
- Division I roster cap15 3 over last season
- Coaching staff1 head, 5 assistant
- Team expenses$2,976,729 for the year
- Operating expenses$893,655 game-day and travel
- Spend per roster spot$165,373 division median $196,319
- Academic Progress Rate948 multi-year; 956 latest
- Players retained92% year to year
- Eligible94% of player-terms
- Athletic aid, men's teams$3,800,875 school-wide
- Aid per roster spot$14,618 across men's teams
- Recruiting spend, men's$715,751 school-wide
Coaching staff
| Name | Title | |
|---|---|---|
| Hank Plona head coach | Head Coach | On file · sign in |
| Martin Cross | Assistant Coach | On file · sign in |
| Josh Newman | Assistant Coach | On file · sign in |
| Eric Murphy | Assistant Coach | On file · sign in |
| Nate Laing | Assistant Coach | On file · sign in |
| Darryl Jackson | Assistant Coach / Operations | On file · sign in |
| Wyatt Battaile | Director of Player Development and Video | On file · sign in |
| Devontae Lane | Director of Player Personnel | not on file |
Put Western Kentucky University on a target list, address the whole staff at once, and send each email yourself from Gmail — nothing goes out without you pressing Send.Start your board
Recruiting timing
- Coaches may first contact youJune 15 after sophomore year
- Your own emailsAny time the rule limits what coaches send back
- High-school basketball players540,704 2024-25
- Division I roster spots5,786 362 programs
- Odds of a spot1 in 93 1.1% of high-school players hold a Division I roster spot
General NCAA rule for Division I; the men's basketball recruiting guide has the date for each grad year, the eligibility checklist and what to put in a first email.
About the school
What an athlete asks first — each panel opens the full picture.Campus
Full picture →14,590undergraduates · 16,759 students in all
Women 62% Men 38%
- Setting
- City
- Type
- Public · Doctoral/professional university
- Affiliation
- None
Getting in
Full picture →97%admitted · of 7,720 applicants
SAT middle 50%820 – 1010
ACT middle 50%16 – 20
- Test scores
- Test-optional
- Graduate in 6 yrs
- 56%
Men's Basketball
Full picture →18on the roster · 2024–25 season
Roster vs the D-I cap of 1518
3 over — players already on the roster may stay
Academic Progress Rate948
92% of players kept year to year
- Team expenses
- $2,976,729 $165,374 per roster spot · lower half of Division I
- Coaches
- 1 head · 5 assistant
- Athletic aid, men's teams
- $3,800,875
- Recruiting spend, men's
- $715,751
Cost
Full picture →$12,054net price · after grants, aided first-years
Net price by family income
- Tuition & fees
- $11,436 in-state · $27,000 out
Campus safety
Full picture →0.78violent offences per 1,000 · students a year, 2022–2024
- In residence halls
- 14 burglaries · 25 sex offences over 2022–2024
- Residence-hall fires
- 4 over 2022–2024
Majors
Full picture →20%of bachelor's degrees in business · 27 fields · Associate's, Bachelor's, Doctorate, Master's
Research Western Kentucky University
School pages built around what an athlete needs to know — the program's money and roster room, admissions fit, what a family really pays, majors, campus life and safety.
Men's Basketball program18 on the rosterPeers, percentiles, nearby programs, comparisonsRankingsWhere it standsEvery list this school is on, nationally and in its divisionAdmissions97% admittedSAT/ACT ladders, test policy, graduationCost & aid$12,054 net priceSticker vs net price by family income, athletic aidMajorsBusiness · 20%Every field and program with degrees awardedCampusCity · 14,590Setting, who is on campus, housing costs, servicesCampus safety0.78 violent / 1,000Three years of reported offences against the divisionAthleticsEvery teamThe whole department: every team, staff and aid
Men's Basketball programs within 150 miles
| School | Miles | Roster | Budget | APR | Admitted | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Peay State University Division I · United Athletic Conference | 59 | 15 | $2.6M | 946 | 96% | |
| Tennessee State University Division I · Ohio Valley Conference | 60 | 13 | $1.6M | 955 | 93% | |
| Trevecca Nazarene University Division II · Gulf South Conference | 61 | 32 | $735k | — | 70% | |
| Vanderbilt University Division I · Southeastern Conference | 61 | 18 | $13M | 989 | 6% | |
| Belmont University Division I · Missouri Valley Conference | 62 | 16 | $4.3M | 1000 | 96% | |
| Lipscomb University Division I · Atlantic Sun Conference | 64 | 15 | $2.8M | 986 | 67% | |
| Kentucky Wesleyan College Division II · Great Midwest Athletic Conference | 64 | 16 | $855k | — | 67% | |
| Tennessee Technological University Division I · Southern Conference | 77 | 18 | $1.8M | 950 | 83% | |
| Middle Tennessee State University Division I · Conference USA | 79 | 15 | $3.3M | 957 | 68% | |
| University of Evansville Division I · Missouri Valley Conference | 90 | 16 | $3.2M | 966 | 78% | |
| University of Louisville Division I · Atlantic Coast Conference | 93 | 17 | $15M | 994 | 81% | |
| Bellarmine University Division I · Atlantic Sun Conference | 95 | 16 | $2.5M | — | 94% |
Other men's basketball programs in the Conference USA
| School | Roster | Budget | Per player | APR | Compare | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty University at cap | 15 | $5.6M | $371,117 | 970 | vs | |
| Missouri State University 2 over cap | 17 | $3.8M | $220,704 | 938 | vs | |
| New Mexico State University 1 over cap | 16 | $3.4M | $210,572 | 972 | vs | |
| University of Delaware at cap | 15 | $3.3M | $223,251 | 970 | vs | |
| Middle Tennessee State University at cap | 15 | $3.3M | $218,898 | 957 | vs | |
| Kennesaw State University room for 2 | 13 | $3M | $233,844 | 948 | vs | |
| Western Kentucky University 3 over cap | 18 | $3M | $165,373 | 948 | vs | |
| Florida International University 1 over cap | 16 | $2.8M | $177,914 | 976 | vs | |
| Jacksonville State University 2 over cap | 17 | $2.3M | $137,575 | 939 | vs | |
| Sam Houston State University at cap | 15 | $2.1M | $141,827 | 980 | vs |
Every Conference USA men's basketball program · Men's Basketball budgets ranked