1953–54 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball team
The 1953–54 Western Kentucky 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.[1] 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[2] and advanced to the semifinals.[3] During this period, the NIT was considered on par with the NCAA Tournament.[4][5] This was one of the finest teams in Western Kentucky history, they led the NCAA in wins[6] and Marshall averaged more than 25 points and nearly 15 rebounds per game, setting school records for scoring and rebounding.[7] Art Spoelstra, Jack Turner and Lynn Cole joined Marshall on the All-Conference and OVC Tournament teams.[8]
1953–54 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball | |
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OVC Tournament Champion Ohio Valley Conference Champion Kentucky Invitation Champion | |
NIT Tournament, Semifinals National 4th Place | |
Conference | Ohio Valley Conference |
Ranking | |
Coaches | No. 6 |
AP | No. 8 |
1953–54 record | 29–3 (9–1 OVC) |
Head coach | Edgar Diddle (32nd season) |
Assistant coach | Ted Hornback |
Home arena | Health & Physical Education Building |
Schedule
Date time, TV |
Rank# | Opponent# | Result | Record | Site city, state | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Regular Season | |||||||||||
11/25/1953* |
at Belmont | W 108–75 | 1–0 |
Nashville, TN | |||||||
11/28/1953* |
at Kentucky Wesleyan | W 86–74 | 2–0 |
Owensboro Sportscenter Owensboro, KY | |||||||
12/4/1953* |
Gustavus Adolphus | W 90–73 | 3–0 |
Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
12/5/1953* |
Southeastern Louisiana | W 84–60 | 4–0 |
Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
12/8/1953 |
No. 11 | at Middle Tennessee | W 88–80 | 5–0 (1-0) |
Alumni Memorial Gym Murfreesboro, TN | ||||||
12/12/1953 |
No. 11 | Morehead State | W 98–77 | 6–0 (2-0) |
Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY | ||||||
12/15/1953* |
No. 10 | at Cincinnati | W 74–71 | 7–0 |
Cincinnati Gardens Cincinnati, OH | ||||||
12/17/1953* |
No. 10 | vs. Saint Francis (NY) | W 97–67 | 8–0 |
Madison Square Garden New York, NY | ||||||
12/19/1953* |
No. 10 | vs. St. Bonaventure | W 82–76 | 9–0 |
Butler Memorial Gym Buffalo, NY | ||||||
12/28/1953* |
No. 6 | vs. Houston Kentucky Invitation Tournament |
W 91–61 | 10–0 |
Jefferson County Armory Louisville, KY | ||||||
12/29/1953 |
No. 7 | vs. Eastern Kentucky Kentucky Invitation Tournament |
W 81–78 | 11–0 |
Jefferson County Armory Louisville, KY | ||||||
12/30/1953* |
No. 7 | at Louisville Kentucky Invitation Tournament |
W 89–71 | 12–0 |
Jefferson County Armory Louisville, KY | ||||||
1/5/1954 |
No. 5 | Middle Tennessee | W 98–67 | 13–0 (3-0) |
Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY | ||||||
1/9/1954 |
No. 5 | at Murray State | W 57–43 | 14–0 (4-0) |
Carr Health Building Murray, KY | ||||||
1/13/1954* |
No. 5 | at No. 17 Dayton | W 79–75 3OT | 15–0 |
The Frericks Center Dayton, OH | ||||||
1/16/1954 |
No. 5 | Eastern Kentucky | W 122–78 | 16–0 (5-0) |
Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY | ||||||
1/20/1954 |
No. 4 | at Tennessee Tech | W 62–51 | 17–0 (6-0) |
Memorial Gymnasium Cookeville, TN | ||||||
1/23/1954* |
No. 4 | at Memphis State | W 63–53 | 18–0 |
Memorial Fieldhouse Memphis, TN | ||||||
1/29/1954* |
No. 4 | Regis | W 87–72 | 19–0 |
Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY | ||||||
2/1/1954* |
No. 4 | vs. Bowling Green State | W 94–82 | 20–0 |
Jefferson County Armory Louisville, KY | ||||||
2/4/1954* |
No. 4 | at Stetson | W 81–63 | 21–0 |
Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY | ||||||
2/6/1954 |
No. 4 | at Eastern Kentucky | L 54–63 | 21–1 (6-1) |
Weaver Gymnasium Richmond, KY | ||||||
2/8/1954 |
No. 4 | at Morehead State | W 88–75 | 22–1 (7-1) |
Button Auditorium Morehead, KY | ||||||
2/13/1954 |
No. 5 | Murray State | W 104–68 | 23–1 (8-1) |
Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY | ||||||
2/15/1954* |
No. 5 | Kentucky Wesleyan | W 81–65 | 24–1 |
Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY | ||||||
2/20/1954 |
No. 4 | Tennessee Tech | W 108–63 | 25–1 (9-1) |
Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY | ||||||
2/22/1954* |
No. 4 | Cincinnati | W 92–77 | 26–1 |
Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY | ||||||
1954 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament | |||||||||||
2/25/1954 |
No. 4 | vs. Morehead State OVC Tournament Semifinal |
W 97–79 | 27–1 |
Jefferson County Armory Louisville, KY | ||||||
2/26/1954 |
No. 4 | vs. Eastern Kentucky OVC Tournament Final |
W 85–69 | 28–1 |
Jefferson County Armory Louisville, KY | ||||||
1954 National Invitation Tournament | |||||||||||
3/8/1954* |
No. 3 (N2) | vs. Bowling Green State NIT Quarterfinal |
W 95–81 | 29–1 |
Madison Square Garden New York, NY | ||||||
3/11/1954* |
No. 4 (N2) | vs. No. 6 (N3) Holy Cross NIT Semifinal |
L 69–75 | 29–2 |
Madison Square Garden New York, NY | ||||||
3/13/1954* |
No. 4 (N2) | vs. No. 16 (N4) Niagara NIT Consolation |
L 65–71 | 29–3 |
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.
- "ST. FRANCIS BEATS LOUISVILLE, 60-55". New York Times. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
- 2019-2020 WKU Basketball Media Guide retrieved 21 April 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.
- E. A. Diddle CBB Records, Sports Reference, retrieved May 13, 2020
- Harrison, Lowell (1987). Western Kentucky University. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0813116204.
- 2019-2020 OVC Basketball Media Guide, retrieved 4 May 2020
- 1953-54 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Schedule and Results, Sports Reference, retrieved 12 May 2020