1941–42 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball team

The 1941–42 Western Kentucky 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.[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 Hilltoppers basketball
SIAA Champions
KAIC Champions
NIT Tournament, Finals
National Runner-up
ConferenceKentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
1941–42 record29–5 (7–2 KIAC)
Head coachEdgar Diddle (20th season)
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.
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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". Retrieved 2013-02-12. 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. Archived 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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