# 1952–53 Western Kentucky State Hilltoppers basketball team

The 1952–53 Western Kentucky State Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky State College (now known as Western Kentucky University) during the 1952-53 NCAA University Division Basketball season. The Hilltoppers were led by future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Edgar Diddle and All-American player Tom Marshall. The Hilltoppers won the Ohio Valley Conference tournament and were invited to the 1953 National Invitation Tournament. During this period, the NIT was considered on par with the NCAA tournament. Art Spoelstra joined Marshall on the All-Conference and OVC Tournament teams.

## Schedule

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | Site city, state |
| Regular Season ||||||
| 11/29/1952* | | at Kentucky Wesleyan | W 76–62 | 1–0 | Owensboro Sportscenter Owensboro, KY |
| 12/2/1952 | | at Middle Tennessee | W 87–57 | 2–0 (1-0) | Alumni Memorial Gym Murfreesboro, TN |
| 12/8/1952 | | Morehead State | W 56–33 | 3–0 (2-0) | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 12/13/1952 | | at Morehead State | W 79–66 | 4–0 (3-0) | Button Auditorium Morehead, KY |
| 12/16/1952* | No. 11 | at Cincinnati | W 77–76 | 5–0 | Cincinnati Gardens Cincinnati, OH |
| 12/18/1952* | No. 11 | vs. No. 4 Seton Hall | L 74–77 | 5–1 | Madison Square Garden New York, NY |
| 12/20/1952* | No. 11 | at Saint Joseph's (PA) | W 88–83 | 6–1 | Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse Philadelphia, PA |
| 12/29/1952* | No. 10 | vs. No. 20 Idaho All-College Tournament | L 60–75 | 6–2 | Oklahoma City, OK |
| 12/30/1952* | No. 10 | vs. No. 8 Tulsa All-College Tournament | W 79–70 | 7–2 | Oklahoma City, OK |
| 12/31/1952* | No. 10 | vs. Penn State All-College Tournament | W 91–78 | 8–2 | Oklahoma City, OK |
| 1/3/1953* | No. 10 | vs. No. 15 St. Bonaventure | W 94–63 | 9–2 | Jefferson County Armory Louisville, KY |
| 1/8/1953* | No. 10 | Cincinnati | W 84–76 | 10–2 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 1/10/1953 | No. 10 | Murray State | W 62–57 | 11–2 (4-0) | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 1/13/1953 | No. 10 | Tennessee Tech | W 99–61 | 12–2 (5-0) | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 1/17/1953 | No. 10 | at Eastern Kentucky | L 69–78 | 12–3 (5-1) | Weaver Gymnasium Richmond, KY |
| 1/22/1953* | No. 12 | at Miami | W 98–56 | 13–3 | Miami, FL |
| 1/24/1953* | No. 12 | at Loyola (LA) | W 84–75 | 14–3 | New Orleans, LA |
| 1/26/1953* | No. 12 | Tampa | W 117–58 | 15–3 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 1/31/1953* | No. 9 | Tampa | W 104–56 | 16–3 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/2/1953* | No. 9 | Bowling Green State | W 71–60 | 17–3 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/4/1953* | No. 8 | Dayton | W 88–77 | 18–3 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/7/1953 | No. 8 | No. 15 Eastern Kentucky | W 86–76 | 19–3 (6-1) | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/9/1953* | No. 8 | Loyola (LA) | W 92–67 | 20–3 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/14/1953 | No. 9 | at Murray State | L 67–77 | 20–4 (6-2) | Carr Health Building Murray, KY |
| 2/17/1953 | No. 9 | Middle Tennessee | W 95–57 | 21–4 (7-2) | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/19/1953 | No. 9 | at Tennessee Tech | W 74–61 | 22–4 (8-2) | Memorial Gymnasium Cookeville, TN |
| 2/21/1953* | No. 9 | Kentucky Wesleyan | W 108–69 | 23–4 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/23/1953* | No. 8 | vs. Bowling Green State | L 82–86 | 23–5 | Bowling Green, OH |
| 1953 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament ||||||
| 2/27/1953 | No. 8 | vs. Morehead State OVC Tournament Semifinal | W 76–65 | 24–5 | Jefferson County Armory Louisville, KY |
| 2/28/1953 | No. 8 | vs. No. 20 Eastern Kentucky OVC Tournament Final | W 70–60 | 25–5 | Jefferson County Armory Louisville, KY |
| 1953 National Invitation Tournament ||||||
| 3/10/1953* | No. 9 | vs. No. 11 Duquesne NIT Quarterfinal | L 61–69 | 25–6 | Madison Square Garden New York, NY |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. ||||||