1953–54 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball team

The 1953–54 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky State College during the 1953-54 NCAA University Division Basketball season. The Hilltoppers were led by future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Edgar Diddle and consensus All-American, Tom Marshall.[1] The Hilltoppers won the Ohio Valley Conference championship, and were invited to the 1954 National Invitation Tournament, where they were seeded as the number 2 team[2] and advanced to the semifinals.[3] During this period, the NIT was considered on par with the NCAA Tournament.[4][5] This was one of the finest teams in Western Kentucky history, they led the NCAA in wins[6] and Marshall averaged more than 25 points and nearly 15 rebounds per game, setting school records for scoring and rebounding.[7] Art Spoelstra, Jack Turner and Lynn Cole joined Marshall on the All-Conference and OVC Tournament teams.[8]

1953–54 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball
OVC Tournament Champion
Ohio Valley Conference Champion
Kentucky Invitation Champion
NIT Tournament, Semifinals
National 4th Place
ConferenceOhio Valley Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 6
APNo. 8
1953–54 record29–3 (9–1 OVC)
Head coach
Assistant coachTed Hornback
Home arenaHealth & Physical Education Building

Schedule

[9]

Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site
city, state
Regular Season
11/25/1953*
at Belmont W 108–75  1–0
 
Nashville, TN
11/28/1953*
at Kentucky Wesleyan W 86–74  2–0
Owensboro Sportscenter 
Owensboro, KY
12/4/1953*
Gustavus Adolphus W 90–73  3–0
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
12/5/1953*
Southeastern Louisiana W 84–60  4–0
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
12/8/1953
No. 11 at Middle Tennessee W 88–80  5–0 (1-0)
Alumni Memorial Gym 
Murfreesboro, TN
12/12/1953
No. 11 Morehead State W 98–77  6–0 (2-0)
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
12/15/1953*
No. 10 at Cincinnati W 74–71  7–0
Cincinnati Gardens 
Cincinnati, OH
12/17/1953*
No. 10 vs. Saint Francis (NY) W 97–67  8–0
Madison Square Garden 
New York, NY
12/19/1953*
No. 10 vs. St. Bonaventure W 82–76  9–0
Butler Memorial Gym 
Buffalo, NY
12/28/1953*
No. 6 vs. Houston
Kentucky Invitation Tournament
W 91–61  10–0
Jefferson County Armory 
Louisville, KY
12/29/1953
No. 7 vs. Eastern Kentucky
Kentucky Invitation Tournament
W 81–78  11–0
Jefferson County Armory 
Louisville, KY
12/30/1953*
No. 7 at Louisville
Kentucky Invitation Tournament
W 89–71  12–0
Jefferson County Armory 
Louisville, KY
1/5/1954
No. 5 Middle Tennessee W 98–67  13–0 (3-0)
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
1/9/1954
No. 5 at Murray State W 57–43  14–0 (4-0)
Carr Health Building 
Murray, KY
1/13/1954*
No. 5 at No. 17 Dayton W 79–75 3OT 15–0
The Frericks Center 
Dayton, OH
1/16/1954
No. 5 Eastern Kentucky W 122–78  16–0 (5-0)
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
1/20/1954
No. 4 at Tennessee Tech W 62–51  17–0 (6-0)
Memorial Gymnasium 
Cookeville, TN
1/23/1954*
No. 4 at Memphis State W 63–53  18–0
Memorial Fieldhouse 
Memphis, TN
1/29/1954*
No. 4 Regis W 87–72  19–0
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
2/1/1954*
No. 4 vs. Bowling Green State W 94–82  20–0
Jefferson County Armory 
Louisville, KY
2/4/1954*
No. 4 at Stetson W 81–63  21–0
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
2/6/1954
No. 4 at Eastern Kentucky L 54–63  21–1 (6-1)
Weaver Gymnasium 
Richmond, KY
2/8/1954
No. 4 at Morehead State W 88–75  22–1 (7-1)
Button Auditorium 
Morehead, KY
2/13/1954
No. 5 Murray State W 104–68  23–1 (8-1)
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
2/15/1954*
No. 5 Kentucky Wesleyan W 81–65  24–1
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
2/20/1954
No. 4 Tennessee Tech W 108–63  25–1 (9-1)
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
2/22/1954*
No. 4 Cincinnati W 92–77  26–1
Health & Phys Ed Building 
Bowling Green, KY
1954 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament
2/25/1954
No. 4 vs. Morehead State
OVC Tournament Semifinal
W 97–79  27–1
Jefferson County Armory 
Louisville, KY
2/26/1954
No. 4 vs. Eastern Kentucky
OVC Tournament Final
W 85–69  28–1
Jefferson County Armory 
Louisville, KY
1954 National Invitation Tournament
3/8/1954*
No. 3 (N2) vs. Bowling Green State
NIT Quarterfinal
W 95–81  29–1
Madison Square Garden 
New York, NY
3/11/1954*
No. 4 (N2) vs. No. 6 (N3) Holy Cross
NIT Semifinal
L 69–75  29–2
Madison Square Garden 
New York, NY
3/13/1954*
No. 4 (N2) vs. No. 16 (N4) Niagara
NIT Consolation
L 65–71  29–3
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. "ST. FRANCIS BEATS LOUISVILLE, 60-55". New York Times. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  3. 2019-2020 WKU Basketball Media Guide retrieved 21 April 2020
  4. "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
  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. 2019-2020 OVC Basketball Media Guide, retrieved 4 May 2020
  9. 1953-54 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Schedule and Results, Sports Reference, retrieved 12 May 2020


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