1980–81 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball team

The 1980–81 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky University during the 1980–81 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Hilltoppers were members of the Ohio Valley Conference and led by OVC Coach of the Year Clem Haskins, in his first season as head coach.[1] WKU won the OVC regular season and tournament championships and received the conference's automatic bid to the 1981 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament.[2] Craig McCormick and Tony Wilson made the All-OVC Team, and Wilson and Percy White were selected to the OVC Tournament Team.[3]

1980–81 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball
OVC Tournament Champion
Ohio Valley Conference Champion
NCAA Tournament, First Round
ConferenceOhio Valley Conference
Record21–8 (12–2 OVC)
Head coach
Home arenaE. A. Diddle Arena
Seasons
1980–81 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Western Kentucky 12 2   .857 21 8   .724
Murray State 10 4   .714 17 10   .630
Middle Tennessee 9 5   .643 18 9   .667
Austin Peay 7 7   .500 14 13   .519
Eastern Kentucky 7 7   .500 10 16   .385
Akron 5 9   .357 8 18   .308
Morehead State 4 10   .286 11 15   .423
Tennessee Tech 2 12   .143 6 20   .231
1981 OVC tournament winner
Rankings from AP poll

Cultural relevance

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Haskins broke the color barrier this season at Western Kentucky, becoming the first African American head coach in school history. This came 16 years after he, and Dwight Smith, became the first African Americans to play Hilltopper basketball.[4]

Schedule

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[5]

Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site
city, state
Regular season
11/28/1980*
South Carolina
Wendy’s Classic
W 73–69  1–0
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
11/29/1980*
Vanderbilt
Wendy’s Classic
L 76–78  1–1
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
12/1/1980*
Alabama–Huntsville W 83–73  2–1
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
12/4/1980*
at Texas Tech L 58–68  2–2
Lubbock Municipal Coliseum 
Lubbock, TX
12/6/1980*
at Rice W 76–63  3–2
Tudor Fieldhouse 
Houston, TX
12/9/1980*
at Dayton L 70–74  3–3
UD Arena 
Dayton, OH
12/13/1980*
Evansville L 70–73  4–3
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
12/29/1980*
vs. Saint Louis
Connecticut Mutual Classic
W 57–54  5–3
Hartford Civic Center 
Hartford, CT
12/30/1980
at Connecticut
Connecticut Mutual Classic
L 58–84  5–4
Hartford Civic Center 
Hartford, CT
1/3/1981*
District of Columbia W 86–84 3OT 6–4
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
1/5/1981
at Akron W 68–62  7–4 (1-0)
James A. Rhodes Arena 
Akron, OH
1/10/1981
at Tennessee Tech W 65–51  8–4 (2-0)
Eblen Center 
Cookeville, TN
1/15/1981
at Murray State L 57–59 OT 8–5 (2-1)
Racer Arena 
Murray, KY
1/17/1981
Austin Peay W 70–58  9–5 (3-1)
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
1/22/1981
Middle Tennessee W 67–55  10–5 (4-1)
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
1/24/1981
Morehead State W 75–68  11–5 (5-1)
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
1/29/1981
at Eastern Kentucky W 84–80  12–5 (6-1)
Alumni Coliseum 
Richmond, KY
1/31/1981
at Morehead State W 77–65  13–5 (7-1)
Ellis Johnson Arena 
Morehead, KY
2/5/1981
Akron W 83–61  14–5 (8-1)
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
2/7/1981
Tennessee Tech W 72–59  15–5 (9-1)
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
2/12/1981
at Austin Peay W 62–59  16–5 (10-1)
Dunn Center 
Clarksville, TN
2/14/1981
Murray State W 66–44  17–5 (11-1)
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
2/19/1981
at Middle Tennessee L 54–62  17–6 (11-2)
Murphy Center 
Murfreesboro, TN
2/21/1981
Eastern Kentucky W 78–62  18–6 (12-2)
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
2/27/1982*
Northern Iowa W 69–64  19–6
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
2/28/1981*
at No. 20 Louisville L 75–90  19–7
Freedom Hall 
Louisville, KY
1981 Ohio Valley Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
3/6/1981
(1) (4) Austin Peay
Semifinals
W 82–71  20–7
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
3/7/1981
(1) (2) Murray State
Championship
W 71–67  21–7
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
1981 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament
3/13/1981*
(10 ME) vs. (7 ME) UAB
First Round
L 68–93  21–8
Memorial Coliseum 
Tuscaloosa, AL
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.

References

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  1. ^ Clem Haskins 1996 USA Men's Olympic Team Assistant Coach, Washington Post online, retrieved 5 May 2020
  2. ^ 2019-2020 OVC Basketball Media Guide, retrieved 4 May 2020
  3. ^ 2019-2020 WKU Basketball Media Guide retrieved 21 April 2020
  4. ^ Lowell H. Harrison (1987). Western Kentucky University. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0813116204.
  5. ^ 1980-81 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Schedule and Results, Sports Reference, retrieved 4 May 2020