Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball

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 2013. Steve Lutz was announced as the team's current head coach on March 18, 2023.[2]

This article is about men's basketball team. For women's basketball team, see Western Kentucky Lady Toppers basketball.
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
2022–23 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball team
UniversityWestern Kentucky University
Head coachSteve Lutz (1st season)
ConferenceC-USA
LocationBowling Green, Kentucky
ArenaE. A. Diddle Arena
(Capacity: 7,500)
NicknameHilltoppers
ColorsRed and white[1]
   
Uniforms
Home jersey
Team colours
Home
Away jersey
Team colours
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
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
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

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

Postseason

WKU has appeared in 40 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 23 times. Their combined record is 19–24. 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
1940Elite EightDuquesneL 29–30
1960First Round
Sweet Sixteen
Regional 3rd Place Game		Miami (FL)
Ohio State
Ohio		W 107–84
L 79–98
W 97–87
1962First Round
Sweet Sixteen
Regional 3rd Place Game		Detroit
Ohio State
Butler		W 90–81
L 73–93
L 86–87
1966First Round
Sweet Sixteen
Regional 3rd Place Game		Loyola (IL)
Michigan
Dayton		W 105–86
L 79–80
W 82–62
1967First RoundDaytonL 67–69 OT
1970First RoundJacksonvilleL 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
1976First RoundMarquetteL 60–79
1978First Round
Sweet Sixteen		Syracuse
Michigan State		W 87–86 OT
L 69–90
1980No. 10First RoundNo. 7 Virginia TechL 85–89 OT
1981No. 10First RoundNo. 7 UABL 68–93
1986No. 8First Round
Second Round		No. 9 Nebraska
No. 1 Kentucky		W 67–59
L 64–71
1987No. 10First Round
Second Round		No. 7 West Virginia
No. 2 Syracuse		W 64–62
L 86–104
1993No. 7First 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
1994No. 11First RoundNo. 6 TexasL 77–91
1995No. 8First Round
Second Round		No. 9 Michigan
No. 1 Kansas		W 82–76 OT
L 70–75
2001No. 14First RoundNo. 3 FloridaL 56–69
2002No. 9First RoundNo. 8 StanfordL 68–84
2003No. 13First RoundNo. 4 IllinoisL 60–65
2008No. 12First 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
2009No. 12First Round
Second Round		No. 5 Illinois
No. 4 Gonzaga		W 76–72
L 81–83
2012No. 16First Four
First Round		No. 16 Mississippi Valley State
No. 1 Kentucky		W 59–58
L 66–81
2013No. 16First RoundNo. 1 KansasL 57–64

* Vacated by the NCAA

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
1942Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Finals		CCNY
Creighton
West Virginia		W 49–46
W 49–36
L 45–47
1943QuarterfinalsFordhamL 58–60
1948Quarterfinals
Semifinals
3rd Place Game		La Salle
Saint Louis
DePaul		W 68–61
L 53–60
W 61–59
1949QuarterfinalsBradleyL 86–95
1950First Round
Quarterfinals		Niagara
St. John's		W 79–72
L 46–65
1952First Round
Quarterfinals		Louisville
St. Bonaventure		W 62–59
L 69–70
1953QuarterfinalsDuquesneL 61–69
1954Quarterfinals
Semifinals
3rd Place Game		Bowling Green
Holy Cross
Niagara		W 95–81
L 69–75
L 65–71
1965First Round
Quarterfinals		Fordham
Army		W 57–53
L 54–58
1982First RoundPurdueL 65–72
1992First RoundKansas StateL 74–85
2005Opening Round
First Round		Kent State
Wichita State		W 88–80
L 81–84
2006First RoundSouth CarolinaL 55–74
2018First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals		Boston College
USC
Oklahoma State
Utah		W 79–62
W 79–75
W 92–84
L 64–69
2021First 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)
1914–1915First winBethel (Ky.)38–21 (W)
1/28/1932100th winBirmingham Southern37–25 (W)
12/5/1949500th winKentucky Wesleyan89–45 (W)
2/19/19771,000th winMurray State82–81 (W)
2/5/20051,500th winArkansas State76–72 (W)
2/6/1943500th gameLaSalle52–44 (W)
12/6/19601,000th gameLamar74–71 (W)
1/25/19972,000th gameNew Orleans70–66 (L)

E.A. Diddle Arena
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
  • Steve Lutz - Head Coach
  • Nakita Johnson - Assistant Coach
  • Hank Plona - Assistant Coach
  • Talvis Franklin - Director of Basketball Operations
  • Bob Hubbard - Academic Coordinator
  • Martin Cross - Associate Director of Basketball Operations
  • Erien Watson - Program Manager

All-Americans
Year Name Position Notes
1938Red McCrocklinCenter(Chuck Taylor)
1940Carlisle ToweryCenter(Chuck Taylor)
1941Carlisle ToweryCenter(Chuck Taylor)
1943Oran McKinneyCenter(Helms Foundation)
1948Dee GibsonGuard(Associated Press***)
1948Don RayForward(Helms Foundation*)
1948Odie SpearsForward(Associated Press***)
1949Bob LavoyCenter(Associated Press***)
1949John OldhamGuard(United Press**, Associated Press***)
1950Buddy CateForward(Associated Press***)
1950Bob LavoyCenter(Chuck Taylor*, Associated Press***)
1953Tom MarshallForward(Look Magazine**, Associated Press***)
1953Art SpoelstraCenter(Associated Press***)
1954Tom MarshallForward(Associated Press*, United Press*, Look Magazine*)
1958Ralph CrosthwaiteCenter
1962Bobby RascoeGuard
1964Darel CarrierGuard(Helms Foundation)
1965Clem HaskinsForward(Associated Press***, United Press***)
1966Clem HaskinsForward(Associated Press, United Press, Converse*)
1967Clem HaskinsForward(USBWA, Associated Press,United Press,Helms Foundation, NABC*)
1969Jim McDanielsCenter(Helms Foundation, Associated Press***, United Press***, Converse***)
1970Jim McDanielsCenter(Helms Foundation, Associated Press***, United Press***, Converse*)
1971Jim McDanielsCenter(NABC, USBWA, Associated Press, Sporting News, United Press, NBA)
1976Johnny BrittGuard(Associated Press***)
1984Kannard JohnsonForward(Sporting News All-Freshman)
1987Tellis FrankForward(Associated Press***, Sporting News***)
1989Brett McNealGuard(Associated Press***, Basketball Times***)
1993Darnell MeeGuard(Associated Press***)
1996Chris RobinsonForward-Guard(Basketball Weekly***)
2001Chris MarcusCenter(Associated Press***, Lindy's Basketball Annual)[14]
2002Chris MarcusCenter(Associated Press***, Basketball America***)
2004Mike WellsGuard(Associated Press***)
2006Anthony WinchesterGuard(Associated Press***)
2008Courtney LeeGuard(Associated Press***,The NBA Draft Report**, Basketball Times**)
2009Orlando Mendez-ValdezGuard(Associated Press***)
2021Charles BasseyCenter(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
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers retired jerseys
No. Player Years Jer. ret. Ref.
22Clem Haskins1964–19672017[16]
32Courtney Lee2004–20082017[17]
35Darel Carrier1961–19642014[18][19]
41Tom Marshall1951–1954[20]
42John Oldham1942–1943; 1947–19492011[21]
42Carlisle Towery1938–19412003[22]
44Jim McDaniels1968–19712000[23]
45Bobby Rascoe1959–1962
—E. A. DiddleCoach, 1922–1964[24]
—Wes StraderRadio voice

Season-by-season results
Main article: List of Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball seasons

See also

References
  1. "WKU Colors". WKU Communication & Branding Manual (PDF). August 21, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
  2. "Steve Lutz Named Western Kentucky Head Men's Basketball Coach".
  3. "NCAA All Time Winningest Teams at ncaa.org" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-08-12.
  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
  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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