1941–42 Western Kentucky State Teachers Hilltoppers basketball team

The 1941–42 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 1941-42 NCAA basketball season. The team was led by future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Edgar Diddle.[1] The Hilltoppers won the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association championships, led NCAA in wins,[2] and received an invitation to the 1942 National Invitation Tournament, where they advanced to the championship game.[3] During this period, the NIT was considered to be the premiere college basketball tournament, with the winner being recognized as the national champion.[4][5] This was the first Kentucky team to participate in the NIT.[6] 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.[7]

1941–42 Western Kentucky State Teachers Hilltoppers basketball
SIAA Champions
KAIC Champions
NIT Tournament, Finals
National Runner-up
ConferenceKentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Record29–5 (7–2 KIAC)
Head coach
Assistant coachTed Hornback
Home arenaHealth & Physical Education Building

Schedule

[8]

Date
time, TV
Opponent Result Record Site
city, state
Regular Season
12/6/1941*
Camp Shelby W 52–18  1–0
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
12/8/1941*
at Austin Peay W 42–34  2–0
 
Clarksville, TN
12/13/1941*
Wichita W 36–9  3–0
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
12/15/1941
vs. Georgetown (KY) W 48–38  4–0
 
Madisonville, KY
12/18/1941*
at Southeast Missouri W 47–36  5–0
Houck Field House 
Cape Girardeau, MO
12/19/1941*
at Southern Illinois W 48–37  6–0
Davies Gym 
Carbondale, IL
12/29/1941*
Washington and Lee W 52–24  7–0
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
1/3/1942*
vs. Illinois Wesleyan W 60–41  8–0
 
Owensboro, KY
1/5/1942*
vs. Great Lakes Training L 37–64  8–1
 
Jeffersonville, KY
1/7/1942*
Austin Peay W 46–34  9–1
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
1/10/1942*
Evansville W 69–48  10–1
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
1/17/1942
Murray State W 29–27  11–1
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
1/21/1942*
Tennessee Tech W 32–31  12–1
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
1/23/1942
at Morehead State L 49–56  12–2
Button Auditorium 
Morehead, KY
1/31/1942
Eastern Kentucky W 45–31  13–2
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
2/3/1942*
at Indiana State W 41–35  14–2
Indiana State Gym 
Terre Haute, IN
2/5/1942*
at Tennessee Tech L 34–45  14–3
Memorial Gymnasium 
Cookeville, TN
2/7/1942
at Murray State L 37–43  14–4
Lovett Auditorium 
Murray, KY
2/9/1942
Morehead State W 64–31  15–4
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
2/11/1942
at Louisville W 62–39  16–4
Belknap Gymnasium 
Louisville, KY
2/14/1942
at Eastern Kentucky W 43–40  17–4
Weaver Gymnasium 
Richmond, KY
2/16/1942*
Indiana State W 53–48  18–4
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
2/19/1942*
at Evansville W 41–40  19–4
 
Evansville, IN
2/21/1942
Union (KY) W 59–50  20–4
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
1942 Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament
2/26/1942
vs. Murray State
KIAC Tournament
W 46–44  21–4
Weaver Gymnasium 
Richmond, KY
2/27/1942
vs. Kentucky Wesleyan
KIAC Tournament Quarterfinal
W 49–41  22–4
Weaver Gymnasium 
Richmond, KY
2/28/1942
vs. Berea
KIAC Tournament Semifinal
W 53–34  23–4
Weaver Gymnasium 
Richmond, KY
3/1/1942
vs. Union (KY)
KIAC Tournament Final
W 43–41  24–4
Weaver Gymnasium 
Richmond, KY
1942 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament
3/6/1942
Tennessee Tech
SIAA Tournament
W 61–35  25–4
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
3/7/1942
Southwestern Louisiana
SIAA Tournament Semifinal
W 49–43  26–4
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
3/8/1942
Delta State
SIAA Tournament Final
W 49–37  27–4
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
1942 National Invitation Tournament
3/19/1942*
vs. CCNY
NIT Quarterfinal
W 49–46  28–4
Madison Square Garden 
New York, NY
3/23/1942*
vs. Creighton
NIT Semifinal
W 49–38  29–4
Madison Square Garden 
New York, NY
3/25/1942*
vs. West Virginia
NIT Final
L 45–47  29–5
Madison Square Garden 
New York, NY
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.

References

  1. Ruby, Earl (1979). Red Towel Territory : A History of Athletics at Western Kentucky University. American National Bank and Trust Co.
  2. E. A. Diddle CBB Records, Sports Reference, retrieved October 6, 2018
  3. 2019-2020 WKU Basketball Media Guide retrieved 21 April 2020
  4. "NCAA Tournament History". Archived from the original on May 14, 2013. Retrieved February 12, 2013. The tournament now determines the national champion, but that wasn't always the case. Until the 1950s, the NIT was just as big a tournament as the NCAA, and teams often chose to enter the NIT and bypass the NCAA tourney
  5. Davies, Richard O. (2007). "Sports in American Life: A History." Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated. p. 155. ISBN 9781405106474
  6. Tournament Results (1940s) at nit.org, URL accessed December 9, 2009. 11/7/09
  7. Harrison, Lowell (1987). Western Kentucky University. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0813116204.
  8. Western Kentucky Men's Basketball Archive, retrieved 14 May 2020


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