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Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It was founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a few decades earlier. It operates regional campuses in Glasgow, Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, and Owensboro. The main campus sits atop a hill overlooking the Barren River valley.
Clem Smith Haskins is an American former college and professional basketball player and college basketball coach. In the fall of 1963, he and fellow star player Dwight Smith became the first black athletes to integrate the Western Kentucky University (WKU) basketball program. This put Western Kentucky at the forefront to integrate college basketball in the South.
Richard Lee Stansbury, is an American college basketball coach who most recently was an assistant coach at the University of Memphis. He was the head coach at Western Kentucky from 2016 to 2023 and at Mississippi State from 1998 to 2012. He is a member of the Campbellsville University Athletics Hall of Fame.
Clarence Glover is a retired American National Basketball Association (NBA) player, who played in college at Western Kentucky (1968–1971). Glover was a forward at 6'8" and 210 lb.
Darrin McKinley Horn is an American college basketball head coach at Northern Kentucky, having previously served as an assistant coach at the University of Texas and a head coach for the Division I (NCAA) programs at Western Kentucky University and at the University of South Carolina.
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football program is a college football team that represents Western Kentucky University. The team competes at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level and represents the university as a member of Conference USA in the Eastern division. The 2002 team was the FCS national champion. The program has 13 conference championships and 7 FBS-level bowl game victories. The Hilltoppers play their home games at Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green, Kentucky and the team's head football coach is Tyson Helton.
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball team is the men's basketball team that represents Western Kentucky University (WKU) in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The Hilltoppers currently compete in Conference USA. The team's most recent appearance in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament was in 2024. Hank Plona was announced as the team's current head coach on April 2, 2024.
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and Lady Toppers are the athletic teams that represent Western Kentucky University (WKU), located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division I ranks, competing in the Conference USA (C-USA) since the 2014–15 academic year. The Hilltoppers and Lady Toppers previously competed in the Sun Belt Conference from 1982–83 to 2013–14; and in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) from 1948–49 to 1981–82.
Kenneth Michael McDonald is an American professional basketball coach, currently working as the Director of Student-Athlete Development at the University of Tennessee. He previously served as a head coach with the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League and at Western Kentucky University.
John Oldham was an American college and professional basketball player, college basketball coach and athletic director. Oldham interrupted his studies at Western Kentucky University (WKU) to serve in the US Navy during World War II. He was on the university's basketball team and after graduation in 1949 played for the Fort Wayne Pistons. Oldham went into coaching in 1952 at College High School in Bowling Green, Kentucky. In 1955 he became coach of the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles men's basketball and led the team to three conference championships. He returned to WKU in 1964 to coach the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball team, leading them to four NCAA tournaments, one NIT, and winning four Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) championships. In 1971 Oldham was promoted to athletic director at WKU, a position he held until 1986. During his tenure the university won six OVC and one Sun Belt Conference All-Sports Championship. After retirement he was elected to the Bowling Green City Commission.
The 2011–12 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky University during the 2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Hilltoppers were led by fourth year head coach Ken McDonald for the first 16 games of the season before he was fired and were then led by former assistant and new head coach Ray Harper for the remainder of the year. They played their home games at E. A. Diddle Arena and are members of the East Division of the Sun Belt Conference. They finished the season 16–19, 7–9 in Sun Belt Play to finish in a tie for third place in the East Division. The Hilltoppers were champions of the Sun Belt Basketball tournament to earn the conference's automatic bid into the 2012 NCAA tournament. It was their 22nd tournament appearance and first since 2009. WKU was also the first sub-.500 team to make the NCAA Tournament since Coppin State in 2008. They defeated Mississippi Valley State in the First Four round before falling in the second round to eventual national champion Kentucky. Derrick Gordon made the All-Conference Team; Gordon and Kahil McDonald were selected to the SBC Tournament Team, and George Fant was tournament MVP.
The 2012 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, the 16th edition of the game, was a post-season American college football bowl game that was held on December 26, 2012 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan as part of the 2012–13 NCAA football bowl season.
The 2013–14 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky University during the 2013–14 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Hilltoppers were led by head coach Ray Harper in his second full year after coaching the final 19 games in 2011–12. They played their home games at E. A. Diddle Arena and were members of the Sun Belt Conference. They finished the season 20–12, 12–6 in Sun Belt play to finish in second place. They lost in the semifinals of the Sun Belt Conference tournament where they lost to Louisiana–Lafayette. Despite having 20 wins, they did not play in a postseason tournament.
The 2015–16 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky University during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Hilltoppers were led by head coach Ray Harper in his fourth season. They played their home games at E. A. Diddle Arena and were second year members of Conference USA. They finished the season 18–16, 8–10 in C-USA play to finish in eighth place. They defeated North Texas and UAB to advance to the semifinals of the C-USA tournament where they lost to Old Dominion. Despite having 18 wins and a better they .500 record, they did not participate in a postseason tournament.
The 2016–17 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky University during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Hilltoppers were led by head coach Rick Stansbury in his first season. They played their home games at E. A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Kentucky and were third-year members of Conference USA. They finished the season 15–17, 9–9 in C-USA play to finish in a tie for seventh place. They lost to UTSA in the first round of the C-USA tournament.
The 2017–18 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky University during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Hilltoppers were led by head coach Rick Stansbury in his second season and played their home games at E. A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Kentucky as fourth-year members of Conference USA.
The 2004–05 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky University during the 2004–05 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Hilltoppers were led by head coach Darrin Horn and All Sun Belt Conference guard, Anthony Winchester. They finished 2nd in the SBC East Division and were invited to the 2005 National Invitation Tournament. Future NBA player Courtney Lee was SBC Freshman of the Year and was named to the SBC All Tournament team.
The 2012–13 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky University during the 2012–13 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Hilltoppers were led by head coach Ray Harper which was his first full year after coaching the final 19 games in 2011–12. They played their home games at E. A. Diddle Arena and were members of the East Division of the Sun Belt Conference. They finished the season 20–16, 10–10 in Sun Belt play to finish in fourth place in the East Division. They were champions of the Sun Belt tournament, winning the championship game over FIU, to earn an automatic bid to the 2013 NCAA tournament where they lost in the second round to Kansas. T. J. Price and George Fant made the All-Conference Team; Fant and Brandon Harris were selected to the SBC Tournament Team, and Price was tournament MVP.
The 1970–71 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky University during the 1970–71 NCAA University Division men's basketball season. The Hilltoppers were led by Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year John Oldham and consensus All-American player Jim McDaniels. WKU won the OVC season championship, as well as the conference's automatic bid to the 1971 NCAA University Division basketball tournament. No conference tournament was held, so the conference bid was awarded to the season champion. The Hilltoppers advanced to the NCAA Final Four, though the tournament games were later vacated by the NCAA due to McDaniels having signed a contract with an agent.
The 2023 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team represented Western Kentucky University in the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Hilltoppers played their home games at Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and competed members of Conference USA. They were led by fifth-year head coach Tyson Helton.
References
- 1 2 3 "USA Basketball: Ray Harper Bio". USA Basketball . May 7, 2003. Archived from the original on December 30, 2006. Retrieved May 18, 2007.
- ↑ West, Gary P. (February 20, 2013). "King of the Hill". Kentucky Monthly. Archived from the original on July 15, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
- 1 2 "Ray Harper Bio". Oklahoma City University . 2006. Archived from the original on March 25, 2007. Retrieved May 18, 2007.
- ↑ Western Kentucky Hilltoppers fire Ken McDonald – ESPN
- ↑ Western Kentucky Hilltoppers remove interim tag from coach Ray Harper – ESPN
- ↑ "WKU's Ray Harper resigns following suspension of three players after university disciplinary hearing". March 18, 2016.
- ↑ "Gamecocks Tab Ray Harper Next Men's Basketball Head Coach". jsugamecocksports.com. Jacksonville State Gamecocks. April 6, 2016. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved November 2, 2012.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - 1 2 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Basketball 2011–12 Schedule – Hilltoppers Home and Away – ESPN
- ↑ Sun Belt Conference Standings – College Basketball – ESPN
- ↑ https://admin.xosn.com/fls/5400/2012-13%20Men's%20Basketball/Game%20Notes/2013%20WKU%20NCAA%20Tournament%20Guide.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
- ↑ School plans no appeal to NCAA infractions – College Sports – ESPN