1952–53 Western Kentucky State Hilltoppers basketball team

1952–53 Western Kentucky State Hilltoppers basketball
OVC Tournament Champion
NIT Tournament, Quarterfinals
ConferenceOhio Valley Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 11
APNo. 17
Record25–6 (8–2 OVC)
Head coach
Assistant coachTed Hornback
Home arenaHealth & Physical Education Building
Seasons

The 1952–53 Western Kentucky State Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky State College (now known as Western Kentucky University) during the 1952-53 NCAA University Division Basketball season. The Hilltoppers were led by future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Edgar Diddle and All-American player Tom Marshall.[1] The Hilltoppers won the Ohio Valley Conference tournament and were invited to the 1953 National Invitation Tournament.[2] During this period, the NIT was considered on par with the NCAA tournament.[3][4] Art Spoelstra joined Marshall on the All-Conference and OVC Tournament teams.[5]

Schedule

[6]

Date
time, TV 		Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site
city, state
Regular Season
11/29/1952*
 at Kentucky Wesleyan W 76–62  1–0
 Owensboro Sportscenter 
Owensboro, KY
12/2/1952
 at Middle Tennessee W 87–57  2–0 (1-0)
 Alumni Memorial Gym 
Murfreesboro, TN
12/8/1952
 Morehead State W 56–33  3–0 (2-0)
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
12/13/1952
 at Morehead State W 79–66  4–0 (3-0)
 Button Auditorium 
Morehead, KY
12/16/1952*
 No. 11 at Cincinnati W 77–76  5–0
 Cincinnati Gardens 
Cincinnati, OH
12/18/1952*
 No. 11 vs. No. 4 Seton Hall L 74–77  5–1
 Madison Square Garden 
New York, NY
12/20/1952*
 No. 11 at Saint Joseph's (PA) W 88–83  6–1
 Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse 
Philadelphia, PA
12/29/1952*
 No. 10 vs. No. 20 Idaho
All-College Tournament 		L 60–75  6–2
  
Oklahoma City, OK
12/30/1952*
 No. 10 vs. No. 8 Tulsa
All-College Tournament 		W 79–70  7–2
  
Oklahoma City, OK
12/31/1952*
 No. 10 vs. Penn State
All-College Tournament 		W 91–78  8–2
  
Oklahoma City, OK
1/3/1953*
 No. 10 vs. No. 15 St. Bonaventure W 94–63  9–2
 Jefferson County Armory 
Louisville, KY
1/8/1953*
 No. 10 Cincinnati W 84–76  10–2
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
1/10/1953
 No. 10 Murray State W 62–57  11–2 (4-0)
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
1/13/1953
 No. 10 Tennessee Tech W 99–61  12–2 (5-0)
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
1/17/1953
 No. 10 at Eastern Kentucky L 69–78  12–3 (5-1)
 Weaver Gymnasium 
Richmond, KY
1/22/1953*
 No. 12 at Miami W 98–56  13–3
  
Miami, FL
1/24/1953*
 No. 12 at Loyola (LA) W 84–75  14–3
  
New Orleans, LA
1/26/1953*
 No. 12 Tampa W 117–58  15–3
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
1/31/1953*
 No. 9 Tampa W 104–56  16–3
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
2/2/1953*
 No. 9 Bowling Green State W 71–60  17–3
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
2/4/1953*
 No. 8 Dayton W 88–77  18–3
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
2/7/1953
 No. 8 No. 15 Eastern Kentucky W 86–76  19–3 (6-1)
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
2/9/1953*
 No. 8 Loyola (LA) W 92–67  20–3
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
2/14/1953
 No. 9 at Murray State L 67–77  20–4 (6-2)
 Carr Health Building 
Murray, KY
2/17/1953
 No. 9 Middle Tennessee W 95–57  21–4 (7-2)
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
2/19/1953
 No. 9 at Tennessee Tech W 74–61  22–4 (8-2)
 Memorial Gymnasium 
Cookeville, TN
2/21/1953*
 No. 9 Kentucky Wesleyan W 108–69  23–4
 Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
2/23/1953*
 No. 8 vs. Bowling Green State L 82–86  23–5
  
Bowling Green, OH
1953 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament
2/27/1953
 No. 8 vs. Morehead State
OVC Tournament Semifinal 		W 76–65  24–5
 Jefferson County Armory 
Louisville, KY
2/28/1953
 No. 8 vs. No. 20 Eastern Kentucky
OVC Tournament Final 		W 70–60  25–5
 Jefferson County Armory 
Louisville, KY
1953 National Invitation Tournament
3/10/1953*
 No. 9 vs. No. 11 Duquesne
NIT Quarterfinal 		L 61–69  25–6
 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. ^ 2019-2020 OVC Basketball Media Guide, retrieved 4 May 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. ^ 2019-2020 WKU Basketball Media Guide retrieved 21 April 2020
  6. ^ 1952-53 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Schedule and Results, Sports Reference, retrieved 12 May 2020


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