# 1939–40 Western Kentucky State Teachers Hilltoppers basketball team

The 1939–40 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 1939-40 NCAA basketball season. The team was led by future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Edgar Diddle and All-American center Carlisle Towery. The Hilltoppers won the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association championships, and received an invitation to the 1940 NCAA basketball tournament. This was the first team from Kentucky to participate in the NCAA tournament Herb Ball and Howard “Tip” Downing were selected to the All-SIAA team, while Towery made the All-KIAC Team.

## Schedule

| Date time, TV | Opponent | Result | Record | Site city, state |
| Regular Season |||||
| 12/9/1939* | Culver–Stockton | W 47–35 | 1–0 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 12/15/1939* | at Bradley | L 38–39 | 1–1 | Peoria Armory Peoria, IL |
| 12/18/1939* | at St. Ambrose | W 40–32 | 2–1 | Davenport, IA |
| 12/18/1939* | at Southern Illinois | L 32–38 | 2–2 | Davies Gym Carbondale, IL |
| 12/19/1939* | at Southeast Missouri | W 39–33 | 3–2 | Houck Field House Cape Girardeau, MO |
| 12/22/1939* | Washington and Lee | L 34–44 | 3–3 | Lexington, VA |
| 1/2/1940* | Xavier | W 40–39 | 4–3 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 1/6/1940 | at Cumberland (KY) | W 40–30 | 5–3 | Williamsburg, KY |
| 1/8/1940* | Evansville | W 52–45 | 6–3 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 1/12/1940* | at Tennessee Tech | W 41–29 | 7–3 | Memorial Gymnasium Cookeville, TN |
| 1/13/1940* | at Middle Tennessee | W 60–26 | 8–3 | Murfreesboro, TN |
| 1/17/1940 | at Louisville | W 55–40 | 9–3 | Belknap Gymnasium Louisville, KY |
| 1/20/1940 | Murray State | W 39–30 | 10–3 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 1/27/1940 | Eastern Kentucky | L 32–45 | 10–4 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 1/29/1940 | Morehead State | W 44–34 | 11–4 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/2/1940 | at Eastern Kentucky | W 53–33 | 12–4 | Weaver Gymnasium Richmond, KY |
| 2/3/1940 | at Berea | W 46–28 | 13–4 | Berea, KY |
| 2/6/1940* | Tennessee Tech | W 38–28 | 14–4 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/9/1940 | Louisville | W 54–40 | 15–4 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/10/1940 | at Murray State | L 30–36 | 15–5 | Lovett Auditorium Murray, KY |
| 2/13/1940* | at Evansville | W 55–36 | 16–5 | Evansville, IN |
| 2/16/1940* | Vanderbilt | W 36–25 | 17–5 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/17/1940* | Middle Tennessee | W 76–41 | 18–5 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 1940 Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament |||||
| 2/23/1940 | vs. Union (KY) KIAC Tournament | W 44–39 | 19–5 | Weaver Gymnasium Richmond, KY |
| 2/24/1940 | vs. Georgetown (KY) KIAC Tournament Semifinal | W 45–39 | 20–5 | Weaver Gymnasium Richmond, KY |
| 2/24/1940 | vs. Morehead State KIAC Tournament Final | W 36–33 | 21–5 | Weaver Gymnasium Richmond, KY |
| 1940 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament |||||
| 3/1/1940 | Wofford SIAA Tournament | W 55–21 | 22–5 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 3/2/1940 | Murray State SIAA Tournament Semifinal | W 25–23 | 23–5 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 3/2/1940 | Louisiana Normal SIAA Tournament Final | W 39–33 | 24–5 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 1940 NCAA basketball tournament |||||
| 3/23/1940* | vs. Duquesne NCAA Elite Eight | L 29–30 | 24–6 | Butler Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. |||||