# 1986–87 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball team

The 1986–87 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky University during the 1986–87 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Hilltoppers were led by Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year Murray Arnold and SBC Player of the Year Tellis Frank. The Hilltoppers started the season by advancing to the finals of the Preseason NIT and then being ranked in the top 10 of both major polls. WKU won the SBC championship and received a bid to the 1987 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. This team was one of the most talented in school history with three players being drafted in the early rounds of the NBA draft: Frank in the 1st round, Kannard Johnson in the 2nd, and Clarence Martin in the 3rd. Frank and Johnson were selected to the All-Conference Team; Frank and Brett McNeal made the SBC All-Tournament Team.

## Schedule

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | Site city, state |
| Regular Season ||||||
| 11/21/1986* | | at Notre Dame Preseason NIT | W 80–63 | 1–0 | Edmund P. Joyce Center South Bend, IN |
| 11/24/1986* | | Texas Christian Preseason NIT | W 96–90 | 2–0 | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 11/28/1986* | | vs. Memphis State Preseason NIT Semifinals | W 68–67 | 3–0 | Madison Square Garden New York, NY |
| 11/29/1986* | | vs. No. 5 UNLV Preseason NIT Finals | L 95–96 $^{2OT}$ | 3–1 | Madison Square Garden New York, NY |
| 12/2/1986* | No. 14 | Kentucky State | W 90–58 | 4–1 | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 12/5/1986* | No. 14 | Mercer Wendy’s Classic | W 98–67 | 5–1 | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 12/6/1986* | No. 14 | USC Wendy’s Classic | W 82–52 | 6–1 | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 12/10/1986* | No. 8 | Louisville | L 58–60 | 6–2 | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 12/11/1986* | No. 8 | Central Michigan | L 65–73 | 6–3 | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 12/13/1986* | No. 8 | at Samford | W 94–57 | 7–3 | Seibert Hall Homewood, AL |
| 12/19/1986* | | Armstrong State | W 68–48 | 8–3 | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 12/25/1986* | | vs. Hawaii Pacific Chaminade Classic | W 89–74 | 9–3 | Neal S. Blaisdell Center Honolulu, HI |
| 12/26/1986* | | at Chaminade Chaminade Classic | W 71–70 | 10–3 | Neal S. Blaisdell Center Honolulu, HI |
| 12/30/1986* | | Tennessee Tech | W 102–46 | 11–3 | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 1/3/1987* | | at Butler | W 74–73 $^{OT}$ | 12–3 | Hinkle Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN |
| 1/7/1987* | | at Eastern Kentucky | L 66–68 | 12–4 | Alumni Coliseum Richmond, KY |
| 1/10/1987 | | UAB | W 85–67 | 13–4 (1-0) | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 1/12/1987 | | at VCU | W 79–70 | 14–4 (2-0) | Richmond Coliseum Richmond, VA |
| 1/14/1987 | | at Jacksonville | L 71–80 | 14–5 (2-1) | Swisher Gymnasium Jacksonville, FL |
| 1/17/1987 | | VCU | W 90–71 | 15–5 (3-1) | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 1/19/1987 | | at South Florida | W 61–46 | 16–5 (4-1) | USF Sun Dome Tampa, FL |
| 1/24/1987* | | at LSU | L 62–67 | 16–6 | LSU Assembly Center Baton Rouge, LA |
| 1/26/1987 | | at South Alabama | W 68–60 | 17–6 (5-1) | Mitchell Center Mobile, AL |
| 1/29/1987 | | South Florida | W 76–59 | 18–6 (6-1) | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 1/31/1987 | | UNCC | W 88–69 | 19–6 (7-1) | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/3/1987 | | ODU | W 94–53 | 20–6 (8-1) | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/8/1987 | | at UNCC | W 74–71 $^{OT}$ | 21–6 (9-1) | Belk Gymnasium Charlotte, NC |
| 2/12/1987 | | at ODU | W 75–59 | 22–6 (10-1) | Norfolk Scope Norfolk, VA |
| 2/14/1987 | | South Alabama | W 85–70 | 23–6 (11-1) | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/16/1987 | | Jacksonville | W 87–74 | 24–6 (12-1) | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/18/1987* | | at Southern Illinois | W 78–58 | 25–6 | Banterra Center Carbondale, IL |
| 2/21/1987 | | at UAB | L 73–86 | 25–7 (12-2) | Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex Birmingham, AL |
| 1987 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament ||||||
| 2/26/1987 | (1) | (8) ODU Quarterfinals | W 60–58 | 26–7 | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/27/1987 | (1) | (5) UNCC Semifinals | W 99–95 $^{2OT}$ | 27–7 | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/28/1987 | (1) | vs. (3) UAB Finals | L 70–72 | 27–8 | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| Regular Season ||||||
| 3/3/1987* | | at Dayton | W 78–72 | 28–8 | UD Arena Dayton, OH |
| 1987 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament ||||||
| 3/13/1987* | (10 E) | vs. (7 E) West Virginia First Round | W 64–62 | 29–8 | Carrier Dome Syracuse, NY |
| 3/15/1987* | (10 E) | at (2 E) No. 10 Syracuse Second Round | L 86–104 | 29–9 | Carrier Dome Syracuse, NY |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll (E#) during NCAA Tournament is seed. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. ||||||