Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
	2024–25 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball team
University	Western Kentucky University
Head coach	Hank Plona (1st season)
Conference	C-USA
Location	Bowling Green, Kentucky
Arena	E. A. Diddle Arena ; (capacity: 7,500)
Nickname	Hilltoppers
Colors	Red and white;
Uniforms
Home	Away ;
NCAA tournament Final Four
	1971
NCAA tournament Elite Eight
	1940, 1971
NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen
	1940, 1960, 1962, 1966, 1971, 1978, 1993, 2008
NCAA tournament round of 32
	1940, 1960, 1962, 1966, 1967, 1970, 1971, 1976, 1978, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1995, 2008, 2009
NCAA tournament appearances
	1940, 1960, 1962, 1966, 1967, 1970, 1971, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2024
Conference tournament champions
	1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1965, 1966, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1993, 1995, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2024
Conference regular season champions
	1949, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1966, 1967, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1987, 1994, 1995, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009
Conference division season champions
	Sun Belt East: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009,; C-USA East: 2021
	* - vacated by NCAA

Last updated October 05, 2024

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.^[2]

The men's basketball program has the 16th most victories in the history of the NCAA ^[3] and has attained the eighth best winning percentage in NCAA history.^[3] The school made an NCAA Final Four appearance in 1971, which was later vacated, and has made four NIT Final Four appearances, including three in the early days of the NIT when it was on par with the NCAA tournament. The program has won numerous Ohio Valley Conference championships and was very competitive in its previous conference, the Sun Belt Conference, regularly finishing near the top of the conference and competing for the conference championship. In 2014, the Hilltoppers joined Conference USA following conference realignment.

Street & Smith's publication "100 Greatest Programs", ranked WKU #31. WKU has had 30 All Americans and 56 Hilltoppers have played professionally following their collegiate careers.^[4]

Conference affiliation history

1914–15 to 1925–26 – Independent
1926–27 to 1947–48 – Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Association & Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
1948–49 to 1981–82 – Ohio Valley Conference
1982–83 to 2013–14 – Sun Belt Conference
2014–15 to present – Conference USA

Postseason

WKU has appeared in 41 national postseason tournaments and in five national final fours. The school currently has a policy of only accepting invitations to the NCAA or NIT tournaments, which precludes participation in other tournaments such as the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament and College Basketball Invitational.^[5]

NCAA tournament results

The Hilltoppers have appeared in the NCAA tournament 24 times. Their combined record is 19–25. Their appearance in the 1971 NCAA Tournament and third-place finish were later vacated by the NCAA due to a player, Jim McDaniels, having signed a professional contract and accepted money during the season.^[6]

Year	Seed	Round	Opponent	Result
1940		Elite Eight	Duquesne	L 29–30
1960		First Round Sweet Sixteen Regional 3rd Place Game	Miami (FL) Ohio State Ohio	W 107–84 L 79–98 W 97–87
1962		First Round Sweet Sixteen Regional 3rd Place Game	Detroit Ohio State Butler	W 90–81 L 73–93 L 86–87
1966		First Round Sweet Sixteen Regional 3rd Place Game	Loyola (IL) Michigan Dayton	W 105–86 L 79–80 W 82–62
1967		First Round	Dayton	L 67–69 ^OT
1970		First Round	Jacksonville	L 96–109
1971*		First Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National 3rd Place Game	Jacksonville Kentucky Ohio State Villanova Kansas	W 74–72 W 107–83 W 81–78 ^OT L 89–92 ^2OT W 77–75
1976		First Round	Marquette	L 60–79
1978		First Round Sweet Sixteen	Syracuse Michigan State	W 87–86 ^OT L 69–90
1980	No. 10	First Round	No. 7 Virginia Tech	L 85–89 ^OT
1981	No. 10	First Round	No. 7 UAB	L 68–93
1986	No. 8	First Round Second Round	No. 9 Nebraska No. 1 Kentucky	W 67–59 L 64–71
1987	No. 10	First Round Second Round	No. 7 West Virginia No. 2 Syracuse	W 64–62 L 86–104
1993	No. 7	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen	No. 10 Memphis No. 2 Seton Hall No. 3 Florida State	W 55–52 W 72–68 L 78–81 ^OT
1994	No. 11	First Round	No. 6 Texas	L 77–91
1995	No. 8	First Round Second Round	No. 9 Michigan No. 1 Kansas	W 82–76 ^OT L 70–75
2001	No. 14	First Round	No. 3 Florida	L 56–69
2002	No. 9	First Round	No. 8 Stanford	L 68–84
2003	No. 13	First Round	No. 4 Illinois	L 60–65
2008	No. 12	First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen	No. 5 Drake No. 13 San Diego No. 1 UCLA	W 101–99 ^OT W 72–63 L 78–88
2009	No. 12	First Round Second Round	No. 5 Illinois No. 4 Gonzaga	W 76–72 L 81–83
2012	No. 16	First Four First Round	No. 16 Mississippi Valley State No. 1 Kentucky	W 59–58 L 66–81
2013	No. 16	First Round	No. 1 Kansas	L 57–64
2024	No. 15	First Round	No. 2 Marquette	L 69–87

* Vacated by the NCAA

NCAA Tournament seeding history

The NCAA began seeding the tournament with the 1979 edition.

Years→	'80	'81	'86	'87	'93	'94	'95	'01	'02	'03	'08	'09	'12	'13	'24
Seeds→	10	10	8	10	7	11	8	14	9	13	12	12	16	16	15

NIT results

The Hilltoppers have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) 15 times. When the NIT started, it was considered the premiere national college basketball tournament and remained on par with the NCAA Tournament through the mid-1950s, until the NCAA began giving automatic bids to conference champions in 1956.^[7] Western Kentucky's first eight appearances occurred during this early period, including their 2nd-place finish in 1942, 3rd place in 1948, and 4th place in 1954. WKU also made the NIT Final Four in 2018.^[8] Their combined record is 13–16.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
1942	Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals	CCNY Creighton West Virginia	W 49–46 W 49–36 L 45–47
1943	Quarterfinals	Fordham	L 58–60
1948	Quarterfinals Semifinals 3rd Place Game	La Salle Saint Louis DePaul	W 68–61 L 53–60 W 61–59
1949	Quarterfinals	Bradley	L 86–95
1950	First Round Quarterfinals	Niagara St. John's	W 79–72 L 46–65
1952	First Round Quarterfinals	Louisville St. Bonaventure	W 62–59 L 69–70
1953	Quarterfinals	Duquesne	L 61–69
1954	Quarterfinals Semifinals 3rd Place Game	Bowling Green Holy Cross Niagara	W 95–81 L 69–75 L 65–71
1965	First Round Quarterfinals	Fordham Army	W 57–53 L 54–58
1982	First Round	Purdue	L 65–72
1992	First Round	Kansas State	L 74–85
2005	Opening Round First Round	Kent State Wichita State	W 88–80 L 81–84
2006	First Round	South Carolina	L 55–74
2018	First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals	Boston College USC Oklahoma State Utah	W 79–62 W 79–75 W 92–84 L 64–69
2021	First Round Quarterfinals	Saint Mary's Louisiana Tech	W 69–67 L 65–72

Other tournament results

In 1936 Western Kentucky was invited to the National Olympic Playoffs representing the South. They played two games against the Southwest representative, Arkansas, in Little Rock, AK, losing both games by scores of 36–43 and 30–38.^[9]

The Hilltoppers were scheduled to appear in the 1938 National Intercollegiate Basketball tournament;^[10] however, the team was unable to make the trip and withdrew from the tournament.^[11] The NAIA lists the game as a forfeit, but Western Kentucky does not recognize the contest as part of their official record.^[12]

The Hilltoppers appeared in the 1951 National Campus Basketball Tournament where they were defeated by Bradley 71–75 in the first round.^[13]

Milestones

Date	Milestone	Opponent	Result (Won/Loss)
1914–1915	First win	Bethel (Ky.)	38–21 (W)
1/28/1932	100th win	Birmingham Southern	37–25 (W)
12/5/1949	500th win	Kentucky Wesleyan	89–45 (W)
2/19/1977	1,000th win	Murray State	82–81 (W)
2/5/2005	1,500th win	Arkansas State	76–72 (W)
2/6/1943	500th game	LaSalle	52–44 (W)
12/6/1960	1,000th game	Lamar	74–71 (W)
1/25/1997	2,000th game	New Orleans	70–66 (L)

E.A. Diddle Arena

The E.A. Diddle Arena is a 7,326-seat multi-purpose arena in Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States. The arena, built in 1963 is named after legendary WKU men's coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Edgar "E.A." Diddle.

Current coaching staff

Hank Plona - Head Coach

Former Head Coaches

L.T Smith (1922–1922)
E. A. Diddle (1923–1964)
John Oldham (1965–1971)
Jim Richards (1972–1978)
Gene Keady (1979–1980)
Clem Haskins (1981–1986)
Murray Arnold (1987–1990)
Ralph Willard (1991–1994)
Matt Kilcullen (1995–1998)
Al Seibert (1998)
Dennis Felton (1999–2003)
Darrin Horn (2004–2008)
Ken McDonald (basketball) (2009–2012)
Ray Harper (2012–2016)
Rick Stansbury (2017–2023)
Steve Lutz (2023–2024)

All-Americans

Year	Name	Position	Notes
1938	Red McCrocklin	Center	(Chuck Taylor)
1940	Carlisle Towery	Center	(Chuck Taylor)
1941	Carlisle Towery	Center	(Chuck Taylor)
1943	Oran McKinney	Center	(Helms Foundation)
1948	Dee Gibson	Guard	(Associated Press***)
1948	Don Ray	Forward	(Helms Foundation*)
1948	Odie Spears	Forward	(Associated Press***)
1949	Bob Lavoy	Center	(Associated Press***)
1949	John Oldham	Guard	(United Press, Associated Press*)
1950	Buddy Cate	Forward	(Associated Press***)
1950	Bob Lavoy	Center	(Chuck Taylor, Associated Press**)
1953	Tom Marshall	Forward	(Look Magazine, Associated Press*)
1953	Art Spoelstra	Center	(Associated Press***)
1954	Tom Marshall	Forward	(Associated Press, United Press, Look Magazine*)
1958	Ralph Crosthwaite	Center
1962	Bobby Rascoe	Guard
1964	Darel Carrier	Guard	(Helms Foundation)
1965	Clem Haskins	Forward	(Associated Press*, United Press*)
1966	Clem Haskins	Forward	(Associated Press, United Press, Converse*)
1967	Clem Haskins	Forward	(USBWA, Associated Press,United Press,Helms Foundation, NABC*)
1969	Jim McDaniels	Center	(Helms Foundation, Associated Press*, United Press, Converse**)
1970	Jim McDaniels	Center	(Helms Foundation, Associated Press*, United Press, Converse)
1971	Jim McDaniels	Center	(NABC, USBWA, Associated Press, Sporting News, United Press, NBA)
1976	Johnny Britt	Guard	(Associated Press***)
1984	Kannard Johnson	Forward	(Sporting News All-Freshman)
1987	Tellis Frank	Forward	(Associated Press*, Sporting News*)
1989	Brett McNeal	Guard	(Associated Press*, Basketball Times*)
1993	Darnell Mee	Guard	(Associated Press***)
1996	Chris Robinson	Forward-Guard	(Basketball Weekly***)
2001	Chris Marcus	Center	(Associated Press***, Lindy's Basketball Annual)^[14]
2002	Chris Marcus	Center	(Associated Press*, Basketball America*)
2004	Mike Wells	Guard	(Associated Press***)
2006	Anthony Winchester	Guard	(Associated Press***)
2008	Courtney Lee	Guard	(Associated Press*,The NBA Draft Report, Basketball Times**)
2009	Orlando Mendez-Valdez	Guard	(Associated Press***)
2021	Charles Bassey	Center	(Associated Press**, Basketball Times, USBWA**, Lute Olsen)
Second team – Third team – **Honorable mention

^[15]

Retired jerseys

The first jerseys retired in honor of Hilltopper basketball greats were hung in E.A. Diddle Arena during the 1999–2000 season. Also even though the jerseys are retired current and future players can and do use the numbers of the players whose jerseys are retired.

Fltr: Clem Haskins, Courtney Lee, and Jim McDaniels, whose jerseys were retired by Western Kentucky

No.	Player	Years	Jer. ret.	Ref.
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers retired jerseys
22	Clem Haskins	1964–1967	2017	^[16]
32	Courtney Lee	2004–2008	2017	^[17]
35	Darel Carrier	1961–1964	2014	^[18]^[19]
41	Tom Marshall	1951–1954		^[20]
42	John Oldham	1942–1943; 1947–1949	2011	^[21]
42	Carlisle Towery	1938–1941	2003	^[22]
44	Jim McDaniels	1968–1971	2000	^[23]
45	Bobby Rascoe	1959–1962
—	E. A. Diddle	Coach, 1922–1964		^[24]
—	Wes Strader	Radio voice

Season-by-season results

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edgar Diddle</span> American college mens basketball coach

Edgar Allen Diddle was an American college men's basketball coach, who also coached college football and baseball teams. He is known for coaching at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky from 1922 to 1964. Diddle became the first coach in history to coach 1,000 games at one school. Diddle was known as one of the early pioneers of the fast break and for waving a red towel around along the sidelines. During games he would wave, toss, and chew on this towel, and even cover his face in times of disappointment. His red towel is now part of WKU's official athletic logo. Diddle experienced only five losing seasons in 42 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">E. A. Diddle Arena</span> Sports venue in Bowling Green, Kentucky

E. A. Diddle Arena is a 7,326-seat multi-purpose arena in Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States. The arena, built in 1963, is home to the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers men's basketball team and Lady Toppers basketball and volleyball teams. It is also known as Academic-Athletic Building #1. It also holds Military Science and Physical Education & Recreation classes and offices.

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.

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.

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 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 2018–19 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky University during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Hilltoppers, led by head coach Rick Stansbury in his third season, played their home games at E. A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Kentucky as fifth-year members of Conference USA. The team finished the season tied for 2nd place in the conference and were defeated in the championship game of the conference tournament.

The 1953–54 Western Kentucky State Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky State College during the 1953-54 NCAA University Division Basketball season. The Hilltoppers were led by future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Edgar Diddle and consensus All-American, Tom Marshall. The Hilltoppers won the Ohio Valley Conference championship, and were invited to the 1954 National Invitation Tournament, where they were seeded as the number 2 team and advanced to the semifinals. For the NIT consolation game against fourth seeded Niagara, Coach Diddle looked to build experience for the next year’s team, only allowing his freshman and sophomores to play. During this period, the NIT was considered on par with the NCAA tournament. This was one of the finest teams in Western Kentucky history, they led the NCAA in wins and Marshall averaged more than 25 points and nearly 15 rebounds per game, setting school records for scoring and rebounding. Art Spoelstra, Jack Turner and Lynn Cole joined Marshall on the All-Conference and OVC Tournament teams.

The 1947–48 Western Kentucky State Teachers Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky State Teachers College during the 1947-48 NCAA basketball season. The team was led by future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Edgar Diddle. The Hilltoppers won the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship, were NCAA Annual Team Champions, and received an invitation to the 1948 National Invitation Tournament, where they advanced to the semifinals. During this period, the NIT was considered by many to be the premiere college basketball tournament, with the winner being recognized as the national champion. This was one of the finest teams in Western Kentucky history, they had the best winning percentage in the NCAA, all five starters were named to the All-KIAC Team and three players were listed on various All-American teams, Spears, Ray, and Gibson.

The 1941–42 Western Kentucky State Teachers Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky State Normal School and Teachers College during the 1941-42 NCAA basketball season. The team was led by future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Edgar Diddle. The Hilltoppers won the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association championships, led NCAA in wins, and received an invitation to the 1942 National Invitation Tournament, where they advanced to the championship game. During this period, the NIT was considered to be the premiere college basketball tournament, with the winner being recognized as the national champion. This was the first Kentucky team to participate in the NIT. Oran McKinney, Earl Shelton, and Wallace “Buck” Sydnor were selected to the All-SIAA team, while the All-KIAC Team included Howard “Tip” Downing, Shelton, and Sydnor.

The 1939–40 Western Kentucky State Teachers Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky State Normal School and Teachers College during the 1939-40 NCAA basketball season. The team was led by future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Edgar Diddle and All-American center Carlisle Towery. The Hilltoppers won the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association championships, and received an invitation to the 1940 NCAA basketball tournament. This was the first team from Kentucky to participate in the NCAA tournament Herb Ball and Howard “Tip” Downing were selected to the All-SIAA team, while Towery made the All-KIAC Team.

The 1935–36 Western Kentucky State Teachers Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky State Normal School and Teachers College during the 1935-36 NCAA basketball season. The team was led by future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Edgar Diddle and leading scorer Brad Mutchler. The Hilltoppers won the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, led NCAA in wins for the 3rd consecutive year, and received an invitation to the National Olympic Playoff representing the South. Mutchler, Max Reed, Elmo Meacham, and William “Red” McCrocklin were selected to the All-SIAA team. Mutchler, Reed, and Meacham were also named to the All-State team.

The 1952–53 Western Kentucky State Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky State College during the 1952-53 NCAA University Division Basketball season. The Hilltoppers were led by future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Edgar Diddle and All-American player Tom Marshall. The Hilltoppers won the Ohio Valley Conference tournament and were invited to the 1953 National Invitation Tournament. During this period, the NIT was considered on par with the NCAA tournament. Art Spoelstra joined Marshall on the All-Conference and OVC Tournament teams.

The 1948–49 Western Kentucky State Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky State College during the 1948-49 NCAA University Division Basketball season. The Hilltoppers were led by future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Edgar Diddle and All-American guard John Oldham. This was the inaugural season for the newly established Ohio Valley Conference and Western Kentucky won the conference championships, and appeared in the 1949 National Invitation Tournament. During this period, the NIT was considered by many to be the premiere college basketball tournament, with the winner being recognized as the national champion. Oldham and Center Bob Lavoy were named to the All-Conference team as well as the OVC All-Tournament team. This was the first year that a widely distributed, national poll was published by the Associated Press, and Western Kentucky was ranked 3rd in the initial poll and finished the season ranked 5th.

The 1949–50 Western Kentucky State Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky State College during the 1949-50 NCAA University Division Basketball season. The Hilltoppers were led by future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Edgar Diddle and All-American center Bob Lavoy. The team then won the Ohio Valley Conference season championship and appeared in the 1950 National Invitation Tournament. During this period, the NIT was considered to be on par with the NCAA tournament. Lavoy and Johnny Givens were named to the All-Conference team, Lavoy was also selected to the OVC All-Tournament team.

The 1951–52 Western Kentucky State Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky State College during the 1951-52 NCAA University Division Basketball season. The Hilltoppers were led by future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Edgar Diddle and leading scorer, forward Tom Marshall. The Hilltoppers won the Ohio Valley Conference season and tournament championships, and were invited to the 1952 National Invitation Tournament. During this period, the NIT was considered on par with the NCAA tournament. Marshall, Art Spoelstra, Gene Rhodes, and Richard White were named to the All-Conference and OVC Tournament teams.

The 1942–43 Western Kentucky State Teachers Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky State Normal School and Teachers College(now known as Western Kentucky University) during the 1942-43 NCAA basketball season. The team was led by future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Edgar Diddle and Helms Foundation All-American center Oran McKinney. The Hilltoppers won the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship and were invited to the 1943 National Invitation Tournament. During this period, the NIT was considered to be the premiere college basketball tournament, with the winner being recognized as the national champion. Dero Downing and Wallace “Buck” Sydnor were team captains and Don “Duck” Ray led the team in scoring. There were several military teams on Western Kentucky's schedule, which was not uncommon during World War II.

The 1937–38 Western Kentucky State Teachers Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky State Normal School and Teachers College during the 1937-38 NCAA basketball season. The team was led by future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Edgar Diddle and the school's first player recognized as an All-American, William “Red” McCrocklin. The Hilltoppers won the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association championships, were the first NCAA team to win 30 games in a season, and received an invitation to the 1938 National Intercollegiate Basketball tournament; however, the team was unable to make the trip and withdrew from the tournament. The NAIA lists the game as a forfeit, but Western Kentucky does not officially recognize the contest. Ralph Dudgeon, Harry Saddlerand, and McCrocklin were selected to the All-SIAA and All-KIAC teams.

References

↑ "WKU Colors". WKU Communication & Branding Manual (PDF). August 21, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
↑ "Hank Plona Named Western Kentucky Head Men's Basketball Coach". Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. April 2, 2024.
1 2 "NCAA All Time Winningest Teams at ncaa.org" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-08-12.
↑ 100 Greatest College Basketball Programs of All Time. Smith & Street. January 25, 2005.
↑ "HILLTOPPER FOCUS: WKU would not accept bid to CBI, CIT". Bowling Green Daily News. Retrieved 2017-08-15.
↑ Pratt, Elliott. "Standing Alone: WKU's 1971 Final Four team remains in a league of its own". College Heights Herald. Retrieved 2017-08-15.
↑ Miller, Ralph (1990). "Ralph Miller: Spanning the Game." Sagamore Publishing LLC. p. 56. ISBN 0915611384. "Had the Aggies lost one, we would have been forced to have a playoff, and that was the problem. We had already accepted a bid to play in the [1954] National Invitation Tournament (NIT). The tournament picture was much different then. There was no announcement of NIT teams following the selection of the NCAA field as exists today. The reason was that the NIT was still considered a premier tournament."
↑ "Bracket, times, scores for 2018 National Invitation Tournament". NCAA.com. 2018-03-31. Retrieved 2022-05-07.
↑ "2019-20 Hilltopper Basketball Media Guide" (PDF).
↑ NAIA Through the Decades, NAIA.org retrieved May 20, 2020
↑ The Historical NAIA Tournament VSN (admin) Published Wednesday, July 04, 2018, retrieved May 20, 2020
↑ Ruby, Earl (1979). Red Towel Territory : A History of Athletics at Western Kentucky University. American National Bank and Trust Co.
↑ "National Campus Tournament 1951".
↑ Marcus honored by publication, WKU center lands on All-America team, By Justin Willis, Bowling Green Daily News, Aug 3, 2001 retrieved 27 April 2020
↑ 2011–12 WKU media guide
↑ #21 RETIRED UNIFORM
↑ Courtney Lee Jersey Retirement, 8 Jun 2017
↑ Former Hilltopper sharpshooter Carrier to have jersey number retired at halftime, 22 Feb 2014 at bgdailynews.com
↑ Darel Carrier’s No. 35 jersey retired at College Heights Herald by Tyler Lashbrook - February 25, 2014
↑ MJ to honor legendary Tom Marshall, 9 Feb 2011 at Wilson Post
↑ John Oldham, coach of WKU's 1971 Final Four basketball team, dies at age 97 by Jason Frakes at Louisville Courier Journal, 23 Nov 2020
↑ All-American Towery dies at bgdailynews.com, 27 Nov 2012
↑ Jim McDaniels, 69, Dies; Led Western Kentucky to Final Four at The New York Times, 8 Sep 2017
↑ E. A. Diddle coach's jersey retired at bgdailynews.com

External links

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[1] "WKU Colors". WKU Communication & Branding Manual (PDF). August 21, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2018.

[2] "Hank Plona Named Western Kentucky Head Men's Basketball Coach". Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. April 2, 2024.

[web1.ncaa.org-3] 1 2 "NCAA All Time Winningest Teams at ncaa.org" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-08-12.

[Smith_&_Street_Magazine-4] 100 Greatest College Basketball Programs of All Time. Smith & Street. January 25, 2005.

[5] "HILLTOPPER FOCUS: WKU would not accept bid to CBI, CIT". Bowling Green Daily News. Retrieved 2017-08-15.

[6] Pratt, Elliott. "Standing Alone: WKU's 1971 Final Four team remains in a league of its own". College Heights Herald. Retrieved 2017-08-15.

[7] Miller, Ralph (1990). "Ralph Miller: Spanning the Game." Sagamore Publishing LLC. p. 56. ISBN 0915611384. "Had the Aggies lost one, we would have been forced to have a playoff, and that was the problem. We had already accepted a bid to play in the [1954] National Invitation Tournament (NIT). The tournament picture was much different then. There was no announcement of NIT teams following the selection of the NCAA field as exists today. The reason was that the NIT was still considered a premier tournament."

[8] "Bracket, times, scores for 2018 National Invitation Tournament". NCAA.com. 2018-03-31. Retrieved 2022-05-07.

[9] "2019-20 Hilltopper Basketball Media Guide" (PDF).

[10] NAIA Through the Decades, NAIA.org retrieved May 20, 2020

[11] The Historical NAIA Tournament VSN (admin) Published Wednesday, July 04, 2018, retrieved May 20, 2020

[Ruby-12] Ruby, Earl (1979). Red Towel Territory : A History of Athletics at Western Kentucky University. American National Bank and Trust Co.

[13] "National Campus Tournament 1951".

[14] Marcus honored by publication, WKU center lands on All-America team, By Justin Willis, Bowling Green Daily News, Aug 3, 2001 retrieved 27 April 2020

[15] 2011–12 WKU media guide

[16] #21 RETIRED UNIFORM

[17] Courtney Lee Jersey Retirement, 8 Jun 2017

[18] Former Hilltopper sharpshooter Carrier to have jersey number retired at halftime, 22 Feb 2014 at bgdailynews.com

[19] Darel Carrier’s No. 35 jersey retired at College Heights Herald by Tyler Lashbrook - February 25, 2014

[20] MJ to honor legendary Tom Marshall, 9 Feb 2011 at Wilson Post

[21] John Oldham, coach of WKU's 1971 Final Four basketball team, dies at age 97 by Jason Frakes at Louisville Courier Journal, 23 Nov 2020

[22] All-American Towery dies at bgdailynews.com, 27 Nov 2012

[23] Jim McDaniels, 69, Dies; Led Western Kentucky to Final Four at The New York Times, 8 Sep 2017

[24] E. A. Diddle coach's jersey retired at bgdailynews.com

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v t e Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball
Venues	Red Barn (1920–1931) Health & Physical Education Building (1931–1963) E. A. Diddle Arena (1963–present)
Culture & lore	Big Red
People	Head coaches Statistical leaders
Seasons	List of seasons 1914–15 1915–16 1916–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25
NCAA Final Four appearance in italics

v t e Western Kentucky University
Located in: Bowling Green, Kentucky
Academics	Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky
Athletics	Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Football Men's basketball Women's basketball Baseball Hilltopper Sports Network Hilltopper Sports Satellite Network Western Kentucky Big Red Marching Band Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium E. A. Diddle Arena Conference USA
Campus	College Heights Herald Henry Hardin Cherry Hall Kentucky Museum Van Meter Hall Western Kentucky University Heating Plant
Life	Big Red VAMPY WKU Public Radio WKYU-TV WWHR WKUE
People	List of Western Kentucky University people
Founded: 1906 Students: 21,048 Endowment: 109.9 million

v t e Conference USA men's basketball
Current teams	FIU Panthers Jacksonville State Gamecocks Kennesaw State Owls Liberty Flames Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders New Mexico State Aggies Sam Houston Bearkats UTEP Miners Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Future teams	Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens (joining in 2025) Missouri State Bears (joining in 2025)
Championships & awards	Conference USA men's basketball tournament Player of the Year
Seasons	1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24