1942–43 Western Kentucky State Teachers Hilltoppers basketball team explained

Mode:Basketball
Sex:none
Year:1942–43
Prev Year:1941–42
Next Year:1943–44
Team:Western Kentucky State Teachers Hilltoppers
Conference:Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Short Conf:KIAC
Record:24–3
Conf Record:6–1
Hc Year:21st
Asst Coach1:Ted Hornback
Stadium:Health & Physical Education Building
Champion:KAIC Champions
Bowl:NIT Tournament
Bowl Result:Quarterfinal

The 1942–43 Western Kentucky State Teachers Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky State Normal School and Teachers College(now known as Western Kentucky University) during the 1942-43 NCAA basketball season. The team was led by future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Edgar Diddle and Helms Foundation All-American center Oran McKinney.[1] The Hilltoppers won the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship and were invited to the 1943 National Invitation Tournament.[2] During this period, the NIT was considered to be the premiere college basketball tournament, with the winner being recognized as the national champion.[3] [4] Dero Downing and Wallace “Buck” Sydnor were team captains and Don “Duck” Ray led the team in scoring. There were several military teams on Western Kentucky's schedule, which was not uncommon during World War II.[5]

Schedule

[6] |-!colspan=6| Regular Season|- |-!colspan=6| 1943 Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament|-!colspan=6| 1943 National Invitation Tournament

Notes and References

  1. Book: Harrison, Lowell. Western Kentucky University. University Press of Kentucky. 1987. 978-0813116204 .
  2. https://wkusports.com/documents/2019/10/7/2019_20_WKU_Hilltopper_Basketball_Media_Guide.pdf 2019-2020 WKU Basketball Media Guide retrieved 21 April 2020
  3. Web site: NCAA Tournament History . 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 . 2013-05-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130514220356/http://www.tourneytravel.com/history/index.htm . dead .
  4. Davies, Richard O. (2007). "Sports in American Life: A History." Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated. p. 155.
  5. Book: Ruby, Earl. Red Towel Territory : A History of Athletics at Western Kentucky University. American National Bank and Trust Co.. 1979.
  6. https://wkusports.com/sports/2018/4/30/mens-basketball-archive.aspx Western Kentucky Men's Basketball Archive, retrieved 14 May 2020