1937–38 Western Kentucky State Teachers Hilltoppers basketball team

1937–38 Western Kentucky State Teachers Hilltoppers basketball
SIAA Champions
KAIC Champions
NIBT Tournament, Withdrew / Forfeit
ConferenceKentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Record30–3 (9–1 KIAC)
Head coach
Home arenaHealth & Physical Education Building
Seasons

The 1937–38 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 1937-38 NCAA basketball season. The team was led by future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Edgar Diddle and the school's first player recognized as an All-American, William “Red” McCrocklin.[1] The Hilltoppers won the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association championships, were the first NCAA team to win 30 games in a season,[2] and received an invitation to the 1938 National Intercollegiate Basketball tournament;[3] however, the team was unable to make the trip and withdrew from the tournament.[4] The NAIA lists the game as a forfeit, but Western Kentucky does not officially recognize the contest.[5] Ralph Dudgeon, Harry Saddlerand, and McCrocklin were selected to the All-SIAA and All-KIAC teams.[6]

Schedule

[7]

Date
time, TV 		Opponent Result Record Site
city, state
Regular season
12/9/1937*
 at McKendree W 51–33  1–0
  
Lebanon, IL
12/10/1937*
 at Bradley L 33–39  1–1
 Peoria Armory 
Peoria, IL
12/11/1937*
 at Illinois College W 38–36  2–1
  
Jacksonville, IL
12/15/1937*
 McKendree W 37–28  3–1
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
12/16/1937*
 at New Albany CCC W 36–19  4–1
  
New Albany, IN
12/17/1937*
 at Edantide AC W 34–28  5–1
  
 
12/18/1937*
 Ft. Knox Ind W 38–32  6–1
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
12/20/1937*
 Beechmont AC W 60–48  7–1
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
1/3/1938*
 at Southeast Missouri W 27–25  8–1
 Houck Field House 
Cape Girardeau, MO
1/8/1938*
 at Vanderbilt W 39–25  9–1
 Old Gymnasium 
Nashville, TN
1/13/1938*
 at Tennessee Tech W 40–33  10–1
 Memorial Gymnasium 
Cookeville, TN
1/15/1938*
 Evansville W 44–30  11–1
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
1/19/1938
 at Louisville W 62–42  12–1
 Belknap Gymnasium 
Louisville, KY
1/22/1938
 Murray State W 29–26  13–1
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
1/24/1938*
 Vanderbilt W 38–18  14–1
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
1/28/1938
 Eastern Kentucky W 51–34  15–1
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
2/1/1938
 at Morehead State W 38–30  16–1
 Button Auditorium 
Morehead, KY
2/3/1938
 Louisville W 53–32  17–1
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
2/5/1938
 at Murray State L 18–30  17–2
 Lovett Auditorium 
Murray, KY
2/8/1938*
 Tennessee Tech W 31–19  18–2
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
2/11/1938*
 Bradley L 24–32  18–3
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
2/12/1938
 at Eastern Kentucky W 34–21  19–3
 Weaver Gymnasium 
Richmond, KY
2/14/1938
 at Berea W 53–23  20–3
  
Berea, KY
2/16/1938
 Morehead State W 42–25  21–3
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
2/17/1938*
 at Evansville W 52–42  22–3
  
Evansville, IN
2/18/1938
 Cumberland (KY) W 49–36  23–3
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
1938 Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament
2/25/1938
 vs. Union (KY)
KIAC Tournament 		W 28–22  24–3
 Weaver Gymnasium 
Richmond, KY
2/26/1938
 vs. Morehead State
KIAC Tournament Semifinal 		W 46–25  25–3
 Weaver Gymnasium 
Richmond, KY
2/26/1938
 vs. Murray State
KIAC Tournament Final 		W 35–23  26–3
 Weaver Gymnasium 
Richmond, KY
1938 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament
3/3/1938
 Louisiana Normal
SIAA Tournament 		W 45–30  27–3
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
3/4/1938
 Union (KY)
SIAA Tournament Quarterfinal 		W 49–28  28–3
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
3/5/1938
 Delta State
SIAA Tournament Semifinal 		W 59–40  29–3
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
3/5/1938
 Murray State
SIAA Tournament Final 		W 44–39  30–3
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
1938 National Intercollegiate Basketball tournament
3/8/1938*
 vs. Simpson
First Round 		L 0–2 Forfeit *
 Municipal Auditorium 
Kansas City, MO
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
  • Western Kentucky does not recognize the NIBT game as part of their official records

References

  1. ^ Harrison, Lowell (1987). Western Kentucky University. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0813116204.
  2. ^ E. A. Diddle CBB Records, Sports Reference, retrieved October 6, 2018
  3. ^ NAIA Through the Decades, NAIA.org retrieved May 20, 2020
  4. ^ The Historical NAIA Tournament VSN (admin) Published Wednesday, July 04, 2018, retrieved May 20, 2020
  5. ^ Ruby, Earl (1979). Red Towel Territory : A History of Athletics at Western Kentucky University. American National Bank and Trust Co.
  6. ^ 2019-2020 WKU Basketball Media Guide retrieved 21 April 2020
  7. ^ Western Kentucky Men's Basketball Archive, retrieved 14 May 2020


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