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1953–54 Western Kentucky State Hilltoppers basketball team

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The 1953–54 Western Kentucky State Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky State College (now known as Western Kentucky University) 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] For the NIT consolation game against fourth seeded Niagara, Coach Diddle looked to build experience for the next year’s team, only allowing his freshman and sophomores to play.[1] 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 State 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
Record29–3 (9–1 OVC)
Head coach
Assistant coachTed Hornback
Home arenaHealth & Physical Education Building
Seasons

Schedule

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[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

edit
  1. ^ a b 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 January 13, 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. ^ 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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