# 1941–42 Western Kentucky State Teachers Hilltoppers basketball team

The 1941–42 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 1941-42 NCAA basketball season. The team was led by future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Edgar Diddle. The Hilltoppers won the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association championships, led NCAA in wins, and received an invitation to the 1942 National Invitation Tournament, where they advanced to the championship game. During this period, the NIT was considered to be the premiere college basketball tournament, with the winner being recognized as the national champion. This was the first Kentucky team to participate in the NIT. Oran McKinney, Earl Shelton, and Wallace “Buck” Sydnor were selected to the All-SIAA team, while the All-KIAC Team included Howard “Tip” Downing, Shelton, and Sydnor.

## Schedule

| Date time, TV | Opponent | Result | Record | Site city, state |
| Regular Season |||||
| 12/6/1941* | Camp Shelby | W 52–18 | 1–0 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 12/8/1941* | at Austin Peay | W 42–34 | 2–0 | Clarksville, TN |
| 12/13/1941* | Wichita | W 36–9 | 3–0 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 12/15/1941 | vs. Georgetown (KY) | W 48–38 | 4–0 | Madisonville, KY |
| 12/18/1941* | at Southeast Missouri | W 47–36 | 5–0 | Houck Field House Cape Girardeau, MO |
| 12/19/1941* | at Southern Illinois | W 48–37 | 6–0 | Davies Gym Carbondale, IL |
| 12/29/1941* | Washington and Lee | W 52–24 | 7–0 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 1/3/1942* | vs. Illinois Wesleyan | W 60–41 | 8–0 | Owensboro, KY |
| 1/5/1942* | vs. Great Lakes Training | L 37–64 | 8–1 | Jeffersonville, KY |
| 1/7/1942* | Austin Peay | W 46–34 | 9–1 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 1/10/1942* | Evansville | W 69–48 | 10–1 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 1/17/1942 | Murray State | W 29–27 | 11–1 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 1/21/1942* | Tennessee Tech | W 32–31 | 12–1 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 1/23/1942 | at Morehead State | L 49–56 | 12–2 | Button Auditorium Morehead, KY |
| 1/31/1942 | Eastern Kentucky | W 45–31 | 13–2 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/3/1942* | at Indiana State | W 41–35 | 14–2 | Indiana State Gym Terre Haute, IN |
| 2/5/1942* | at Tennessee Tech | L 34–45 | 14–3 | Memorial Gymnasium Cookeville, TN |
| 2/7/1942 | at Murray State | L 37–43 | 14–4 | Lovett Auditorium Murray, KY |
| 2/9/1942 | Morehead State | W 64–31 | 15–4 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/11/1942 | at Louisville | W 62–39 | 16–4 | Belknap Gymnasium Louisville, KY |
| 2/14/1942 | at Eastern Kentucky | W 43–40 | 17–4 | Weaver Gymnasium Richmond, KY |
| 2/16/1942* | Indiana State | W 53–48 | 18–4 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/19/1942* | at Evansville | W 41–40 | 19–4 | Evansville, IN |
| 2/21/1942 | Union (KY) | W 59–50 | 20–4 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 1942 Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament |||||
| 2/26/1942 | vs. Murray State KIAC Tournament | W 46–44 | 21–4 | Weaver Gymnasium Richmond, KY |
| 2/27/1942 | vs. Kentucky Wesleyan KIAC Tournament Quarterfinal | W 49–41 | 22–4 | Weaver Gymnasium Richmond, KY |
| 2/28/1942 | vs. Berea KIAC Tournament Semifinal | W 53–34 | 23–4 | Weaver Gymnasium Richmond, KY |
| 3/1/1942 | vs. Union (KY) KIAC Tournament Final | W 43–41 | 24–4 | Weaver Gymnasium Richmond, KY |
| 1942 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament |||||
| 3/6/1942 | Tennessee Tech SIAA Tournament | W 61–35 | 25–4 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 3/7/1942 | Southwestern Louisiana SIAA Tournament Semifinal | W 49–43 | 26–4 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 3/8/1942 | Delta State SIAA Tournament Final | W 49–37 | 27–4 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 1942 National Invitation Tournament |||||
| 3/19/1942* | vs. CCNY NIT Quarterfinal | W 49–46 | 28–4 | Madison Square Garden New York, NY |
| 3/23/1942* | vs. Creighton NIT Semifinal | W 49–38 | 29–4 | Madison Square Garden New York, NY |
| 3/25/1942* | vs. West Virginia NIT Final | L 45–47 | 29–5 | Madison Square Garden New York, NY |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. |||||