# 1980–81 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball team

The 1980–81 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky University during the 1980–81 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Hilltoppers were members of the Ohio Valley Conference and led by OVC Coach of the Year Clem Haskins, in his first season as head coach. WKU won the OVC regular season and tournament championships and received the conference's automatic bid to the 1981 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament. Craig McCormick and Tony Wilson made the All-OVC Team, and Wilson and Percy White were selected to the OVC Tournament Team.

## Cultural relevance

Haskins broke the color barrier this season at Western Kentucky, becoming the first African American head coach in school history. This came 16 years after he, and Dwight Smith, became the first African Americans to play Hilltopper basketball.

## Schedule

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | Site city, state |
| Regular season ||||||
| 11/28/1980* | | South Carolina Wendy’s Classic | W 73–69 | 1–0 | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 11/29/1980* | | Vanderbilt Wendy’s Classic | L 76–78 | 1–1 | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 12/1/1980* | | Alabama–Huntsville | W 83–73 | 2–1 | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 12/4/1980* | | at Texas Tech | L 58–68 | 2–2 | Lubbock Municipal Coliseum Lubbock, TX |
| 12/6/1980* | | at Rice | W 76–63 | 3–2 | Tudor Fieldhouse Houston, TX |
| 12/9/1980* | | at Dayton | L 70–74 | 3–3 | UD Arena Dayton, OH |
| 12/13/1980* | | Evansville | L 70–73 | 4–3 | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 12/29/1980* | | vs. Saint Louis Connecticut Mutual Classic | W 57–54 | 5–3 | Hartford Civic Center Hartford, CT |
| 12/30/1980 | | at Connecticut Connecticut Mutual Classic | L 58–84 | 5–4 | Hartford Civic Center Hartford, CT |
| 1/3/1981* | | District of Columbia | W 86–84 $^{3OT}$ | 6–4 | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 1/5/1981 | | at Akron | W 68–62 | 7–4 (1-0) | James A. Rhodes Arena Akron, OH |
| 1/10/1981 | | at Tennessee Tech | W 65–51 | 8–4 (2-0) | Eblen Center Cookeville, TN |
| 1/15/1981 | | at Murray State | L 57–59 $^{OT}$ | 8–5 (2-1) | Racer Arena Murray, KY |
| 1/17/1981 | | Austin Peay | W 70–58 | 9–5 (3-1) | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 1/22/1981 | | Middle Tennessee | W 67–55 | 10–5 (4-1) | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 1/24/1981 | | Morehead State | W 75–68 | 11–5 (5-1) | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 1/29/1981 | | at Eastern Kentucky | W 84–80 | 12–5 (6-1) | Alumni Coliseum Richmond, KY |
| 1/31/1981 | | at Morehead State | W 77–65 | 13–5 (7-1) | Ellis Johnson Arena Morehead, KY |
| 2/5/1981 | | Akron | W 83–61 | 14–5 (8-1) | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/7/1981 | | Tennessee Tech | W 72–59 | 15–5 (9-1) | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/12/1981 | | at Austin Peay | W 62–59 | 16–5 (10-1) | Dunn Center Clarksville, TN |
| 2/14/1981 | | Murray State | W 66–44 | 17–5 (11-1) | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/19/1981 | | at Middle Tennessee | L 54–62 | 17–6 (11-2) | Murphy Center Murfreesboro, TN |
| 2/21/1981 | | Eastern Kentucky | W 78–62 | 18–6 (12-2) | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/27/1982* | | Northern Iowa | W 69–64 | 19–6 | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/28/1981* | | at No. 20 Louisville | L 75–90 | 19–7 | Freedom Hall Louisville, KY |
| 1981 Ohio Valley Conference Men's Basketball Tournament ||||||
| 3/6/1981 | (1) | (4) Austin Peay Semifinals | W 82–71 | 20–7 | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 3/7/1981 | (1) | (2) Murray State Championship | W 71–67 | 21–7 | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY |
| 1981 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament ||||||
| 3/13/1981* | (10 ME) | vs. (7 ME) UAB First Round | L 68–93 | 21–8 | Memorial Coliseum Tuscaloosa, AL |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. ||||||