# 1959–60 Western Kentucky State Hilltoppers basketball team

The 1959–60 Western Kentucky State Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky State College (now known as Western Kentucky University) during the 1959-60 NCAA University Division Basketball season. The Hilltoppers were led by future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Edgar Diddle. The Hilltoppers won the Ohio Valley Conference championship, as well as the conference's automatic bid to the 1960 NCAA University Division basketball tournament, where they advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.
This team was very balanced, with four players being named to the All-Conference Team: Charlie Osborne, Bobby Rascoe, Al Ellison, and Don Parsons.

## Schedule

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | Site city, state |
| Regular Season ||||||
| 12/3/1959* | | Union (TN) | W 123–71 | 1–0 | Health & Physical Education Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 12/5/1959* | | Northwest Louisiana | W 89–60 | 2–0 | Health & Physical Education Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 12/10/1959* | | vs. Seton Hall | W 78–69 | 3–0 | Madison Square Garden New York, NY |
| 12/12/1959* | | at Illinois | L 80–93 | 3–1 | Huff Hall Champaign, IL |
| 12/15/1959 | | Morehead State | W 70–68 | 4–1 (1-0) | Health & Physical Education Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 12/19/1959 | | at East Tennessee | W 103–77 | 5–1 (2-0) | Brooks Gymnasium Johnson City, TN |
| 12/29/1959* | | vs. Mississippi State Sugar Bowl Tournament | W 61–50 | 6–1 | Tulane Gym New Orleans, LA |
| 12/30/1959* | | at Tulane Sugar Bowl Tournament | W 71–67 | 7–1 | Tulane Gym New Orleans, LA |
| 1/6/1960* | No. 18 | at DePaul | W 86–65 | 8–1 | Health & Physical Education Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 1/9/1960 | No. 18 | at Eastern Kentucky | L 73–80 | 8–2 (2-1) | Alumni Coliseum Richmond, KY |
| 1/12/1960 | No. 18 | Tennessee Tech | W 71–67 | 9–2 (3-1) | Health & Physical Education Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 1/16/1960 | | at Murray State | L 72–87 | 9–3 (3-2) | Racer Arena Murray, KY |
| 1/20/1960* | | at Xavier | L 66–76 | 9–4 | Schmidt Fieldhouse Cincinnati, OH |
| 1/23/1960* | | Bowling Green | W 85–61 | 10–4 | Health & Physical Education Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 1/28/1960* | | at Marshall | L 97–100 $^{OT}$ | 10–5 | Memorial Field House Huntington, WV |
| 1/30/1960* | | at La Salle | W 76–70 | 11–5 | Convention Hall Philadelphia, PA |
| 2/6/1960 | | at Middle Tennessee | W 109–89 | 12–5 (4-2) | Alumni Memorial Gym Murfreesboro, TN |
| 2/10/1960* | | Xavier | L 73–82 | 12–6 | Health & Physical Education Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/13/1960 | | at Morehead State | W 85–72 | 13–6 (5-2) | Wetherby Gymnasium Morehead, KY |
| 2/16/1960 | | Eastern Kentucky | W 38–20 | 14–6 (6-2) | Health & Physical Education Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/20/1960 | | Murray State | W 65–57 | 15–6 (7-2) | Health & Physical Education Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/23/1960 | | at Tennessee Tech | W 85–81 | 16–6 (8-2) | Memorial Gymnasium Cookeville, TN |
| 2/27/1960 | | Middle Tennessee | W 109–80 | 17–6 (9-2) | Health & Physical Education Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 2/29/1960* | | Kent State | W 69–60 | 18–6 | Health & Physical Education Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 3/2/1960 | | East Tennessee | W 83–69 | 19–6 (10-2) | Health & Physical Education Building Bowling Green, KY |
| 1960 NCAA University Division basketball tournament ||||||
| 3/8/1960* | | vs. No. 10 Miami (FL) Mideast Region First Round | W 107–84 | 20–6 | Memorial Coliseum Lexington, KY |
| 3/11/1960* | | vs. No. 3 Ohio State Sweet Sixteen | L 79–98 | 20–7 | Freedom Hall Louisville, KY |
| 3/12/1960* | | vs. Ohio Mideast Region Consolation | W 97–87 | 21–7 | Freedom Hall Louisville, KY |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. ||||||