2008–09 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball team

The 2008–09 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky University during the 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Hilltoppers were led by first year head coach Ken McDonald and team captain Orlando Mendez-Valdez. They played their home games at E. A. Diddle Arena and were members of the East Division of the Sun Belt Conference. They finished the season 25–9 and 15–3 in Sun Belt Play to finish first in the East Division.[1] One of the highlights of the season was a victory over in-state rival, 3rd ranked Louisville. The Hilltoppers won the Sun Belt Basketball Tournament and earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.[2] They defeated Illinois in the first round before falling tenth ranked Gonzaga. Mendez-Valdez was SBC Player of the year and was joined by A.J. Slaughter on the All SBC team. Slaughter was SBC Tournament Most Valuable Player and was joined on the All-Tournament team by Mendaz-Valdez and Sergio Kerusch.[3]

2008–09 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball
Sun Belt Conference Tournament Champion
Sun Belt Conference East Division Champion
NCAA Tournament, Second Round
ConferenceSun Belt Conference
DivisionEast Division
2008–09 record25–9 (15–3 Sun Belt)
Head coach
Assistant coachRay Harper
Home arenaE. A. Diddle Arena
2008–09 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L PCT  W L PCT
East
Western Kentucky153 .833  259  .735
Troy144 .778  1913  .594
Middle Tennessee108 .556  1814  .563
South Alabama108 .556  2013  .606
Florida International711 .389  1320  .394
Florida Atlantic216 .111  626  .188
West
Arkansas-Little Rock153 .833  238  .742
North Texas117 .611  2012  .625
Denver99 .500  1516  .484
Louisiana–Lafayette711 .389  1020  .333
Louisiana–Monroe612 .333  1020  .333
New Orleans612 .333  1119  .367
Arkansas State513 .278  1317  .433
2009 Sun Belt Conference Tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll

Schedule

[4]

Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site
city, state
Regular Season
11/15/2008*
at Houston L 64–73  0–1
Hofheinz Pavilion 
Houston, TX
11/18/2008*
Campbellsville W 62–48  1–1
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
11/22/2008*
at Murray State L 61–89  1–2
CFSB Center 
Murray, KY
11/26/2008*
Southern Illinois W 79–70  2–2
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
11/30/2008*
vs. No. 3 Louisville W 68–54  3–2
Sommet Center 
Nashville, TN
12/2/2008*
Georgia W 67–63  4–2
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
12/6/2008*
at Tulane W 82–67  5–2
Devlin Fieldhouse 
New Orleans, LA
12/13/2008*
at Evansville L 40–72  5–3
Roberts Municipal Stadium 
Evansville, IN
12/18/2008
at South Alabama W 69–66  6–3 (1–0)
Mitchell Center 
Mobile, AL
12/21/2008*
Alabama A&M W 83–60  7–3
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
12/28/2008*
vs. Florida State
MetroPCS Orange Bowl Classic
L 69–82  7–4
BankAtlantic Center 
Sunrise, FL
1/1/2009
Troy W 99–76  8–4 (2–0)
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
1/3/2009
Arkansas–Little Rock W 79–47  9–4 (3–0)
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
1/5/2009*
at Mississippi State L 67–95  9–5
Humphrey Coliseum 
Starkville, MS
1/8/2009
at FIU L 79–81  9–6 (3–1)
Ocean Bank Convocation Center 
University Park, FL
1/10/2009
at Florida Atlantic W 78–57  10–6 (4–1)
FAU Arena 
Boca Raton, FL
01/15/2009
Middle Tennessee W 63–61  11–6 (5–1)
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
01/17/2009
New Orleans W 70–60  12–6 (6–1)
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
01/22/2009
Louisiana–Lafayette W 73–68  13–6 (7–1)
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
01/24/2009
at Denver L 74–78  13–7 (7–2)
Magness Arena 
Denver, CO
01/31/2009
North Texas W 71–67  14–7 (8–2)
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
02/2/2009
at Arkansas State W 68–63  15–7 (9–2)
Convocation Center 
Jonesboro, AR
02/5/2009
at ULM W 64–55  16–7 (10–2)
Fant–Ewing Coliseum 
Monroe, LA
02/07/2009
South Alabama W 67–59  17–7 (11–2)
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
02/14/2009
at Troy L 82–87  17–8 (11–3)
Trojan Arena 
Troy, AL
2/19/2009
at Arkansas–Little Rock W 78–69  18–8 (12–3)
Jack Stephens Center 
Little Rock, AR
02/21/2009
FIU W 79–66  19–8 (13–3)
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
02/26/2009
Florida Atlantic W 87–67  20–8 (14–3)
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
02/28/2009
at Middle Tennessee W 68–49  21–8 (15–3)
Murphy Center 
Murfreesboro, TN
2009 Sun Belt Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
03/08/2009
No. (1) vs. No. (9) FIU
Second Round
W 66–48  22–8
Summit Arena 
Hot Springs, AR
03/09/2009
No. (1) vs. No. (4) North Texas
Semifinals
W 77–70  23–8
Summit Arena 
Hot Springs, AR
03/10/2009
No. (1) vs. No. (6) South Alabama
Championship Game
W 64–56  24–8
Summit Arena 
Hot Springs, AR
2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
03/19/2009*
No. (S 12) vs. No. (S 5) Illinois
First Round
W 76–72  25–8
Rose Garden Arena 
Portland, OR
03/21/2009*
No. (S 12) vs. No. 10 (S 4) Gonzaga
Second Round
L 81–83  25–9
Rose Garden Arena 
Portland, OR
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll (S) during NCAA Tournament is seed with Region
. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.

References


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