# 1937–38 Western Kentucky State Teachers Hilltoppers basketball team

The 1937–38 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 1937-38 NCAA basketball season. The team was led by future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Edgar Diddle and the school's first player recognized as an All-American, William “Red” McCrocklin. The Hilltoppers won the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association championships, were the first NCAA team to win 30 games in a season, and received an invitation to the 1938 National Intercollegiate Basketball tournament; however, the team was unable to make the trip and withdrew from the tournament. The NAIA lists the game as a forfeit, but Western Kentucky does not officially recognize the contest. Ralph Dudgeon, Harry Saddlerand, and McCrocklin were selected to the All-SIAA and All-KIAC teams.

## Schedule

| Date time, TV | Opponent | Result | Record | Site city, state |
| Regular season |||||
| 12/9/1937* | at McKendree | W 51–33 | 1–0 | Lebanon, IL |
| 12/10/1937* | at Bradley | L 33–39 | 1–1 | Peoria Armory Peoria, IL |
| 12/11/1937* | at Illinois College | W 38–36 | 2–1 | Jacksonville, IL |
| 12/15/1937* | McKendree | W 37–28 | 3–1 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 12/16/1937* | at New Albany CCC | W 36–19 | 4–1 | New Albany, IN |
| 12/17/1937* | at Edantide AC | W 34–28 | 5–1 | |
| 12/18/1937* | Ft. Knox Ind | W 38–32 | 6–1 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 12/20/1937* | Beechmont AC | W 60–48 | 7–1 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 1/3/1938* | at Southeast Missouri | W 27–25 | 8–1 | Houck Field House Cape Girardeau, MO |
| 1/8/1938* | at Vanderbilt | W 39–25 | 9–1 | Old Gymnasium Nashville, TN |
| 1/13/1938* | at Tennessee Tech | W 40–33 | 10–1 | Memorial Gymnasium Cookeville, TN |
| 1/15/1938* | Evansville | W 44–30 | 11–1 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 1/19/1938 | at Louisville | W 62–42 | 12–1 | Belknap Gymnasium Louisville, KY |
| 1/22/1938 | Murray State | W 29–26 | 13–1 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 1/24/1938* | Vanderbilt | W 38–18 | 14–1 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 1/28/1938 | Eastern Kentucky | W 51–34 | 15–1 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/1/1938 | at Morehead State | W 38–30 | 16–1 | Button Auditorium Morehead, KY |
| 2/3/1938 | Louisville | W 53–32 | 17–1 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/5/1938 | at Murray State | L 18–30 | 17–2 | Lovett Auditorium Murray, KY |
| 2/8/1938* | Tennessee Tech | W 31–19 | 18–2 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/11/1938* | Bradley | L 24–32 | 18–3 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/12/1938 | at Eastern Kentucky | W 34–21 | 19–3 | Weaver Gymnasium Richmond, KY |
| 2/14/1938 | at Berea | W 53–23 | 20–3 | Berea, KY |
| 2/16/1938 | Morehead State | W 42–25 | 21–3 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/17/1938* | at Evansville | W 52–42 | 22–3 | Evansville, IN |
| 2/18/1938 | Cumberland (KY) | W 49–36 | 23–3 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 1938 Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament |||||
| 2/25/1938 | vs. Union (KY) KIAC Tournament | W 28–22 | 24–3 | Weaver Gymnasium Richmond, KY |
| 2/26/1938 | vs. Morehead State KIAC Tournament Semifinal | W 46–25 | 25–3 | Weaver Gymnasium Richmond, KY |
| 2/26/1938 | vs. Murray State KIAC Tournament Final | W 35–23 | 26–3 | Weaver Gymnasium Richmond, KY |
| 1938 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament |||||
| 3/3/1938 | Louisiana Normal SIAA Tournament | W 45–30 | 27–3 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 3/4/1938 | Union (KY) SIAA Tournament Quarterfinal | W 49–28 | 28–3 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 3/5/1938 | Delta State SIAA Tournament Semifinal | W 59–40 | 29–3 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 3/5/1938 | Murray State SIAA Tournament Final | W 44–39 | 30–3 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 1938 National Intercollegiate Basketball tournament |||||
| 3/8/1938* | vs. Simpson First Round | L 0–2 $^{Forfeit}$ | * | Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, MO |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. |||||
* Western Kentucky does not recognize the NIBT game as part of their official records