1948–49 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball team

The 1948–49 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky State College during the 1948-49 NCAA University Division Basketball season. The Hilltoppers were led by future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Edgar Diddle and All-American guard John Oldham.[1] This was the inaugural season for the newly established Ohio Valley Conference and Western Kentucky won the conference championships, and appeared in the 1949 National Invitation Tournament.[2] 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.[3][4] Oldham and Center Bob Lavoy were named to the All-Conference team as well as the OVC All-Tournament team.[5] This was the first year that a widely distributed, national poll was published by the Associated Press, and Western Kentucky was ranked 3rd in the initial poll[6] and finished the season ranked 5th.[7]

1948–49 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball
OVC Tournament Champion
Ohio Valley Conference Champion
NIT Tournament, Quarterfinals
ConferenceOhio Valley Conference
Ranking
APNo. 5
1948–49 record25–4 (8–2 OVC)
Head coach
Assistant coachTed Hornback
Home arenaHealth & Physical Education Building

Schedule

[8]

Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site
city, state
Regular Season
12/6/1948*
Kentucky Wesleyan W 62–51  1–0
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
12/9/1948*
Emporia State W 61–34  2–0
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
12/11/1948*
Bowling Green State W 60–51  3–0
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
12/13/1948
at Morehead State W 66–51  4–0 (1-0)
Button Auditorium 
Morehead, KY
12/15/1948
at Eastern Kentucky W 56–53  5–0 (2-0)
Weaver Gymnasium 
Richmond, KY
12/18/1948*
vs. Washington and Lee W 89–43  6–0
Jefferson County Armory 
Louisville, KY
12/27/1948*
at Canisius W 65–55  7–0
 
Buffalo, NY
12/30/1948*
vs. Long Island W 83–58  8–0
Madison Square Garden 
New York, NY
1/1/1949*
at Saint Joseph's (PA) W 86–69  9–0
Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse 
Philadelphia, PA
1/8/1949*
Berea W 77–36  10–0
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
1/10/1949
Louisville W 56–44  11–0 (3-0)
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
1/13/1949
at Evansville W 72–66  12–0 (4-0)
 
Evansville, IN
1/18/1949*
No. 3 at Memphis State W 78–51  13–0
Memorial Fieldhouse 
Memphis, TN
1/21/1949*
No. 3 at Miami W 78–45  14–0
 
Miami, FL
1/22/1949*
No. 3 at Miami W 63–47  15–0
 
Miami, FL
1/29/1949
No. 4 Eastern Kentucky L 40–42  15–1 (4-1)
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
1/31/1949*
No. 4 Kentucky Wesleyan W 80–74  16–1
Owensboro Sportscenter 
Owensboro, KY
2/2/1949
No. 6 at Louisville L 64–70  16–2 (4-2)
Jefferson County Armory 
Louisville, KY
2/5/1949
No. 6 Murray State W 61–47  17–2 (5-2)
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
2/8/1949
No. 6 Evansville W 71–47  18–2 (6-2)
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
2/11/1949*
No. 6 vs. Baldwin Wallace W 67–58  19–2
Cleveland Arena 
Cleveland, OH
2/12/1949*
No. 6 No. 14 Bowling Green State L 58–72  19–3
 
Bowling Green, OH
2/14/1949
No. 6 at Murray State W 73–54  20–3 (7-2)
Carr Health Building 
Murray, KY
2/17/1949
No. 7 Morehead State W 69–48  21–3 (8-2)
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
2/19/1949*
No. 7 East Tennessee W 90–53  22–3
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
1949 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament
2/24/1949
No. 7 vs. Tennessee Tech
OVC Tournament
W 73–42  23–3
Jefferson County Armory 
Louisville, KY
2/26/1949
No. 7 vs. Eastern Kentucky
OVC Tournament Semifinal
W 70–54  24–3
Jefferson County Armory 
Louisville, KY
2/26/1949
No. 7 at Louisville
OVC Tournament Final
W 74–68  25–3
Jefferson County Armory 
Louisville, KY
1949 National Invitation Tournament
3/14/1949*
No. 5 vs. No. 7 Bradley
NIT Quarterfinal
L 86–95  25–4
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". 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
  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. January 17, 1949 AP Men's Basketball Poll, College Poll Archive, retrieved 17 May 2020
  7. 1949 Final AP Men's Basketball Poll, College Poll Archive, retrieved 17 May 2020
  8. Western Kentucky Men's Basketball Archive, retrieved 14 May 2020


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