1947–48 Western Kentucky State Teachers Hilltoppers basketball team

1947–48 Western Kentucky State Teachers Hilltoppers basketball
NCAA Annual Team Champions
KAIC champion
NIT Tournament, Semifinals
National 3rd Place
ConferenceKentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Record28–2 (10–0 KIAC)
Head coach
Assistant coachTed Hornback
Home arenaHealth & Physical Education Building
Seasons

The 1947–48 Western Kentucky State Teachers Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky State Teachers College (now known as Western Kentucky University) during the 1947-48 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 championship, were NCAA Annual Team Champions,[2] and received an invitation to the 1948 National Invitation Tournament, where they advanced to the semifinals.[3] 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.[4][5] This was one of the finest teams in Western Kentucky history, they had the best winning percentage in the NCAA,[6] all five starters were named to the All-KIAC Team (Odie Spears, John Oldham, Don “Duck” Ray, Dee Gibson, and Oran McKinney) and three players were listed on various All-American teams, Spears, Ray, and Gibson.[7]

Schedule

[8]

Date
time, TV 		Opponent Result Record Site
city, state
Regular Season
12/2/1947
 Kentucky Wesleyan W 51–31  1–0
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
12/5/1947*
 vs. Canterbury W 82–34  2–0
 Jefferson County Armory 
Louisville, KY
12/10/1947*
 at Evansville W 58–42  3–0
  
Evansville, IN
12/13/1947
 Morehead State W 78–40  4–0
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
12/15/1947*
 at Fort Knox W 101–68  5–0
  
Fort Knox, KY
12/27/1947*
 vs. Utah State W 80–49  6–0
 Jefferson County Armory 
Louisville, KY
12/29/1947*
 at Bowling Green State L 64–75  6–1
  
Bowling Green, OH
1/2/1948*
 Georgetown (DC) W 58–37  7–1
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
1/5/1948*
 Evansville W 67–44  8–1
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
1/10/1948*
 Maryville W 77–37  9–1
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
1/14/1948
 at Louisville W 71–44  10–1
 Jefferson County Armory 
Louisville, KY
1/17/1948*
 at Canisius W 74–52  11–1
  
Buffalo, NY
1/20/1948*
 vs. Long Island W 62–47  12–1
 Madison Square Garden 
New York, NY
1/24/1948*
 at Saint Joseph's (PA) W 84–73  13–1
  
Philadelphia, PA
1/29/1948*
 Arkansas State W 76–37  14–1
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
1/31/1948
 at Eastern Kentucky W 49–42  15–1
 Weaver Gymnasium 
Richmond, KY
2/2/1948
 at Kentucky Wesleyan W 83–52  16–1
  
Owensboro, KY
2/4/1948*
 Bowling Green State W 66–52  17–1
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
2/7/1948
 at Murray State W 59–46  18–1
 Lovett Auditorium 
Murray, KY
2/10/1948*
 North Dakota W 62–47  19–1
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
2/14/1948
 Murray State W 76–65  20–1
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
2/17/1948
 Louisville W 77–55  21–1
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
2/19/1948
 at Morehead State W 43–40  22–1
 Button Auditorium 
Morehead, KY
2/21/1948
 Eastern Kentucky W 65–51  23–1
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
1948 Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament
2/26/1948
 vs. Berea
KIAC Tournament Quarterfinal 		W 87–51  24–1
 Jefferson County Armory 
Louisville, KY
2/27/1948
 vs. Eastern Kentucky
KIAC Tournament Semifinal 		W 62–52  25–1
 Jefferson County Armory 
Louisville, KY
2/28/1948
 at Louisville
KIAC Tournament Final 		W 63–62  26–1
 Jefferson County Armory 
Louisville, KY
1948 National Invitation Tournament
3/12/1948*
 vs. La Salle
NIT Quarterfinal 		W 68–61  27–1
 Madison Square Garden 
New York, NY
3/15/1948*
 vs. Saint Louis
NIT Semifinal 		L 53–60  27–2
 Madison Square Garden 
New York, NY
3/17/1948*
 vs. DePaul
NIT Consolation 		W 61–59  28–2
 Madison Square Garden 
New York, NY
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.

References

  1. ^ Ruby, Earl (1979). Red Towel Territory : A History of Athletics at Western Kentucky University. American National Bank and Trust Co.
  2. ^ 2011 NCAA Division I Basketball Records, retrieved 30 April 2020
  3. ^ 2019-2020 WKU Basketball Media Guide retrieved 21 April 2020
  4. ^ "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
  5. ^ Davies, Richard O. (2007). "Sports in American Life: A History." Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated. p. 155. ISBN 9781405106474.
  6. ^ E. A. Diddle CBB Records, Sports Reference, retrieved May 13, 2020
  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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