# 1951–52 Western Kentucky State Hilltoppers basketball team

The 1951–52 Western Kentucky State Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky State College (now known as Western Kentucky University) during the 1951-52 NCAA University Division Basketball season. The Hilltoppers were led by future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Edgar Diddle and leading scorer, forward Tom Marshall. The Hilltoppers won the Ohio Valley Conference season and tournament championships, and were invited to the 1952 National Invitation Tournament. During this period, the NIT was considered on par with the NCAA tournament. Marshall, Art Spoelstra, Gene Rhodes, and Richard White were named to the All-Conference and OVC Tournament teams.

## Schedule

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | Site city, state |
| Regular Season ||||||
| 11/30/1951* | | Southeastern Louisiana | W 77–57 | 1–0 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 12/1/1951 | | Tennessee Tech | W 89–62 | 2–0 (1-0) | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 12/6/1951 | | at Evansville | W 69–56 | 3–0 (2-0) | Evansville, IN |
| 12/8/1951* | | Bowling Green State | W 89–57 | 4–0 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 12/10/1951 | | at Morehead State | W 65–54 | 5–0 (3-0) | Button Auditorium Morehead, KY |
| 12/15/1951* | | at Cincinnati | W 76–71 | 6–0 | Cincinnati Gardens Cincinnati, OH |
| 12/17/1951* | | Central Missouri | W 76–56 | 7–0 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 12/19/1951* | No. 16 | vs. Xavier | W 92–82 | 8–0 | Jefferson County Armory Louisville, KY |
| 12/29/1951* | No. 11 | vs. St. Bonaventure | L 60–73 | 8–1 | Memorial Auditorium Buffalo, NY |
| 1/1/1952* | No. 11 | at No. 13 La Salle | L 58–67 | 8–2 | Wister Hall Philadelphia, PA |
| 1/3/1952* | | vs. No. 11 Seton Hall | L 65–77 | 8–3 | Madison Square Garden New York, NY |
| 1/12/1952 | | at Murray State | W 77–64 | 9–3 (4-0) | Carr Health Building Murray, KY |
| 1/16/1952 | | at Tennessee Tech | W 64–55 | 10–3 (5-0) | Memorial Gymnasium Cookeville, TN |
| 1/19/1952 | | Eastern Kentucky | W 69–63 | 11–3 (6-0) | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 1/25/1952* | | at Miami | W 102–74 | 12–3 | Miami, FL |
| 1/28/1952* | | at Tampa | W 82–77 | 13–3 | Tampa, FL |
| 1/30/1952* | | Cincinnati | W 79–63 | 14–3 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/2/1952 | | Marshall | W 76–65 | 15–3 (7-0) | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/5/1952 | No. 20 | at Morehead State | W 80–72 | 16–3 (8-0) | Button Auditorium Morehead, KY |
| 2/7/1952* | No. 20 | Tampa | W 79–70 | 17–3 | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/9/1952 | No. 20 | at Eastern Kentucky | L 62–73 | 17–4 (8-1) | Weaver Gymnasium Richmond, KY |
| 2/12/1952 | | at Marshall | W 86–82 | 18–4 (9-1) | Veterans Memorial Fieldhouse Huntington, WV |
| 2/16/1952 | | Murray State | W 97–63 | 19–4 (10-1) | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/18/1952 | | Evansville | W 92–58 | 20–4 (11-1) | Health & Phys Ed Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 1952 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament ||||||
| 2/21/1952 | | vs. Evansville OVC Tournament | W 83–63 | 21–4 | Jefferson County Armory Louisville, KY |
| 2/22/1952 | | vs. Marshall OVC Tournament Semifinal | W 89–74 | 22–4 | Jefferson County Armory Louisville, KY |
| 2/23/1952 | | vs. Murray State OVC Tournament Final | W 47–45 | 23–4 | Jefferson County Armory Louisville, KY |
| Regular Season ||||||
| 2/27/1952* | No. 18 | at Kentucky Wesleyan | W 94–68 | 24–4 | Owensboro Sportscenter Owensboro, KY |
| 3/3/1952* | No. 18 | at Bowling Green State | W 82–75 | 25–4 | Bowling Green, OH |
| 1952 National Invitation Tournament ||||||
| 3/8/1952* | No. 18 | vs. No. 17 Louisville NIT First Round | W 62–59 | 26–4 | Madison Square Garden New York, NY |
| 3/10/1952* | No. 18 | vs. No. 15 St. Bonaventure NIT Quarterfinal | L 69–70 | 26–5 | Madison Square Garden New York, NY |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. ||||||