1948–49 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball team
The 1948–49 Western Kentucky 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.[1] 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.[2] 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.[3][4] Oldham and Center Bob Lavoy were named to the All-Conference team as well as the OVC All-Tournament team.[5] 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[6] and finished the season ranked 5th.[7]
1948–49 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball | |
---|---|
OVC Tournament Champion Ohio Valley Conference Champion | |
NIT Tournament, Quarterfinals | |
Conference | Ohio Valley Conference |
Ranking | |
AP | No. 5 |
1948–49 record | 25–4 (8–2 OVC) |
Head coach | Edgar Diddle (27th season) |
Assistant coach | Ted Hornback |
Home arena | Health & Physical Education Building |
Schedule
Date time, TV |
Rank# | Opponent# | Result | Record | Site city, state | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Regular Season | |||||||||||
12/6/1948* |
Kentucky Wesleyan | W 62–51 | 1–0 |
Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
12/9/1948* |
Emporia State | W 61–34 | 2–0 |
Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
12/11/1948* |
Bowling Green State | W 60–51 | 3–0 |
Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
12/13/1948 |
at Morehead State | W 66–51 | 4–0 (1-0) |
Button Auditorium Morehead, KY | |||||||
12/15/1948 |
at Eastern Kentucky | W 56–53 | 5–0 (2-0) |
Weaver Gymnasium Richmond, KY | |||||||
12/18/1948* |
vs. Washington and Lee | W 89–43 | 6–0 |
Jefferson County Armory Louisville, KY | |||||||
12/27/1948* |
at Canisius | W 65–55 | 7–0 |
Buffalo, NY | |||||||
12/30/1948* |
vs. Long Island | W 83–58 | 8–0 |
Madison Square Garden New York, NY | |||||||
1/1/1949* |
at Saint Joseph's (PA) | W 86–69 | 9–0 |
Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse Philadelphia, PA | |||||||
1/8/1949* |
Berea | W 77–36 | 10–0 |
Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
1/10/1949 |
Louisville | W 56–44 | 11–0 (3-0) |
Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
1/13/1949 |
at Evansville | W 72–66 | 12–0 (4-0) |
Evansville, IN | |||||||
1/18/1949* |
No. 3 | at Memphis State | W 78–51 | 13–0 |
Memorial Fieldhouse Memphis, TN | ||||||
1/21/1949* |
No. 3 | at Miami | W 78–45 | 14–0 |
Miami, FL | ||||||
1/22/1949* |
No. 3 | at Miami | W 63–47 | 15–0 |
Miami, FL | ||||||
1/29/1949 |
No. 4 | Eastern Kentucky | L 40–42 | 15–1 (4-1) |
Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY | ||||||
1/31/1949* |
No. 4 | Kentucky Wesleyan | W 80–74 | 16–1 |
Owensboro Sportscenter Owensboro, KY | ||||||
2/2/1949 |
No. 6 | at Louisville | L 64–70 | 16–2 (4-2) |
Jefferson County Armory Louisville, KY | ||||||
2/5/1949 |
No. 6 | Murray State | W 61–47 | 17–2 (5-2) |
Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY | ||||||
2/8/1949 |
No. 6 | Evansville | W 71–47 | 18–2 (6-2) |
Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY | ||||||
2/11/1949* |
No. 6 | vs. Baldwin Wallace | W 67–58 | 19–2 |
Cleveland Arena Cleveland, OH | ||||||
2/12/1949* |
No. 6 | No. 14 Bowling Green State | L 58–72 | 19–3 |
Bowling Green, OH | ||||||
2/14/1949 |
No. 6 | at Murray State | W 73–54 | 20–3 (7-2) |
Carr Health Building Murray, KY | ||||||
2/17/1949 |
No. 7 | Morehead State | W 69–48 | 21–3 (8-2) |
Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY | ||||||
2/19/1949* |
No. 7 | East Tennessee | W 90–53 | 22–3 |
Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY | ||||||
1949 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament | |||||||||||
2/24/1949 |
No. 7 | vs. Tennessee Tech OVC Tournament |
W 73–42 | 23–3 |
Jefferson County Armory Louisville, KY | ||||||
2/26/1949 |
No. 7 | vs. Eastern Kentucky OVC Tournament Semifinal |
W 70–54 | 24–3 |
Jefferson County Armory Louisville, KY | ||||||
2/26/1949 |
No. 7 | at Louisville OVC Tournament Final |
W 74–68 | 25–3 |
Jefferson County Armory Louisville, KY | ||||||
1949 National Invitation Tournament | |||||||||||
3/14/1949* |
No. 5 | vs. No. 7 Bradley NIT Quarterfinal |
L 86–95 | 25–4 |
Madison Square Garden New York, NY | ||||||
References
- Ruby, Earl (1979). Red Towel Territory : A History of Athletics at Western Kentucky University. American National Bank and Trust Co.
- 2019-2020 OVC Basketball Media Guide, retrieved 4 May 2020
- "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
- Davies, Richard O. (2007). "Sports in American Life: A History." Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated. p. 155. ISBN 9781405106474.
- 2019-2020 WKU Basketball Media Guide retrieved 21 April 2020
- January 17, 1949 AP Men's Basketball Poll, College Poll Archive, retrieved 17 May 2020
- 1949 Final AP Men's Basketball Poll, College Poll Archive, retrieved 17 May 2020
- Western Kentucky Men's Basketball Archive, retrieved 14 May 2020