1942–43 Western Kentucky State Teachers Hilltoppers basketball team

1942–43 Western Kentucky State Teachers Hilltoppers basketball
KAIC Champions
NIT Tournament, Quarterfinal
Conference	Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Record	24–3 (6–1 KIAC)
Head coach	Edgar Diddle (21st season)
Assistant coach	Ted Hornback
Home arena	Health & Physical Education Building

The 1942–43 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 1942-43 NCAA basketball season. The team was led by future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Edgar Diddle and Helms Foundation All-American center Oran McKinney.^[1] The Hilltoppers won the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship and were invited to the 1943 National Invitation Tournament.^[2] During this period, the NIT was considered to be the premiere college basketball tournament, with the winner being recognized as the national champion.^[3][4] Dero Downing and Wallace “Buck” Sydnor were team captains and Don “Duck” Ray led the team in scoring. There were several military teams on Western Kentucky's schedule, which was not uncommon during World War II.^[5]

Schedule

^[6]

Date time, TV	Opponent	Result	Record	Site city, state
Regular Season
12/4/1942*	Western Carolina	W 64–35	1–0	Health & Phys Ed Building  Bowling Green, KY
12/8/1942*	at Fort Knox	W 54–46	2–0	Fort Knox, KY
12/11/1942*	at Southeast Missouri	W 50–33	3–0	Health & Phys Ed Building  Bowling Green, KY
12/12/1942	at Campbellsville	W 55–15	4–0	Campbellsville, KY
12/12/1942	at Lindsey Wilson	W 74–15	5–0	Columbia, KY
12/18/1942*	at Southern Illinois	W 57–30	6–0	Davies Gym  Carbondale, IL
1/6/1943*	Fort Knox	W 72–24	7–0	Health & Phys Ed Building  Bowling Green, KY
1/9/1943	at Eastern Kentucky	W 61–47	8–0	Weaver Gymnasium  Richmond, KY
1/13/1943*	Fort Knox Company E	W 86–30	9–0	Health & Phys Ed Building  Bowling Green, KY
1/15/1943*	at Tennessee Tech	W 60–24	10–0	Memorial Gymnasium  Cookeville, TN
1/20/1943	Murray State	W 56–33	11–0	Health & Phys Ed Building  Bowling Green, KY
1/23/1943	Eastern Kentucky	W 62–38	12–0	Health & Phys Ed Building  Bowling Green, KY
1/31/1943*	at St. Bonaventure	W 65–32	13–0	Butler Gym  Allegany, NY
2/3/1943*	at CCNY	W 69–49	14–0	New York, NY
2/6/1943*	at La Salle	W 52–44	15–0	Wister Hall  Philadelphia, PA
2/10/1943	Campbellsville	W 86–24	16–0	Health & Phys Ed Building  Bowling Green, KY
2/10/1943*	Berry Field	W 79–23	17–0	Health & Phys Ed Building  Bowling Green, KY
2/13/1943	at DePaul	L 40–44	17–1	University Auditorium  Chicago, IL
2/15/1943*	at Evansville	W 52–48	18–1	Evansville, IN
2/17/1943	at Murray State	L 28–41	18–2	Lovett Auditorium  Murray, KY
2/20/1943*	Goldman Field	W 69–19	20–2	Health & Phys Ed Building  Bowling Green, KY
2/23/1943*	Evansville	W 62–39	21–2	Health & Phys Ed Building  Bowling Green, KY
1943 Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament
2/26/1943	vs. Berea KIAC Tournament Quarterfinal	W 54–37	22–2	Weaver Gymnasium  Richmond, KY
2/27/1943	vs. Murray State KIAC Tournament Semifinal	W 42–39	23–2	Weaver Gymnasium  Richmond, KY
2/27/1943	vs. Morehead State KIAC Tournament Final	W 46–35	24–2	Weaver Gymnasium  Richmond, KY
1943 National Invitation Tournament
3/22/1943*	vs. Fordham NIT Quarterfinal	L 58–60	24–3	Madison Square Garden  New York, NY
*Non-conference game. ^#Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.

References

1. Harrison, Lowell (1987). Western Kentucky University. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0813116204.
2. 2019-2020 WKU Basketball Media Guide retrieved 21 April 2020
3. "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
4. Davies, Richard O. (2007). "Sports in American Life: A History." Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated. p. 155. ISBN 9781405106474
5. Ruby, Earl (1979). Red Towel Territory : A History of Athletics at Western Kentucky University. American National Bank and Trust Co.
6. Western Kentucky Men's Basketball Archive, retrieved 14 May 2020