Western Kentucky

Official Name: 
Western Kentucky University
Nickname: 
Hilltoppers
Mailing Address: 

Room 255
E.A. Diddle Arena
1 Big Red Way
Bowling Green, KY 42101

Telephone: 
(270) 745-5379
Fax: 
(270) 745-3444
Enrollment: 
17,770
Arena: 

E.A. Diddle Arena
Capacity: 8,331
Year Opened: 1963

School Colors: 
Red and White
Conference: 

Sun Belt (since 1983)/East Division
Former Member of Ohio Valley (1949-82)

Final AP Top 10 Rankings: 

(6) 1949, 1950, 1954, 1966, 1967, and 1971

NCAA Division I Tournament Appearances: 

(21) 1940, 1960, 1962, 1966, 1967, 1970, 1971, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2008, and 2009
18-22 record (.450)
Reached Final Four in 1971 (3rd)

NIT Appearances: 

(12) 1942, 1943, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1965, 1982, 1992, and 2005
9-13 record (.409)
Finished 2nd in 1942, 3rd in 1948 and 4th in 1954

NAIA Tournament Appearances: 

(1) 1938
0-1 record (.000)

All-Time Winningest Coach: 

Ed Diddle (42 years from 1923-64, 759-302 record, .715)

All-Time Scoring Leader: 

Jim McDaniels (2,238 points from 1969-71)

All-Time Rebounding Leader: 

Ralph Crosthwaite (1,309 from 1955-59, missed 1955-56 season for disciplinary reasons)

Single-Game Individual Scoring Record: 

Clem Haskins (55 points as sophomore vs. Middle Tennessee State on 1/30/65)

All-American Selections: 
NCAA Consensus First-Team All-Americans: 
NCAA Consensus Second-Team All-Americans: 

Individual Single-Game Scoring Record Box Score:

Clem Haskins* (55 vs. Middle Tennessee State)
January 30, 1965 (sophomore/23.4 ppg)
*Ohio Valley Conference game record (subsequently tied).

1

2

Total

Western Kentucky

71

63

134

Middle Tennessee State

33

51

84

Name

FG

FT

PTS

Haskins

25-38

5-9

55

Hicks

2-7

1-1

5

Cunningham

6-12

6-6

18

Rhorer

10-17

4-6

24

Smith

3-8

3-6

9

Baker

0-2

1-2

1

Warren

4-8

0-0

8

Butler

2-4

0-0

4

Works

2-2

0-0

4

Watkins

1-5

0-0

2

Poase

0-1

0-0

0

Daniels

1-3

2-2

4

Totals

56-107

22-32

134

Percentages

.523

.688

Name

FG

FT

PTS

Milholland

5-11

2-6

12

Spencer

4-16

0-0

8

Martin

4-14

8-13

16

Midgett

5-15

0-0

10

Sutter

0-5

0-1

0

Kempf

2-8

7-12

11

Gardner

3-6

2-2

8

Meadows

0-2

0-1

0

Cannon

4-10

0-0

8

Jackson

4-8

3-6

11

Totals

31-95

22-41

84

Percentages

.326

.537

Coach

Seasons

Years

Record

W-L %

Best Season(s)

Record

J.L. Arthur

2

1915-16

7-2

.778

1915

5-1

L.T. Smith

1

1922

3-1

.750

1922

3-1

Edgar "E.A." Diddle

42

1923-64

759-302

.715

1948

28-2

John Oldham

7

1965-71

146-41

.781

1966

25-3

Jim Richards

7

1972-78

102-84

.548

1976

20-9

Gene Keady

2

1979-80

38-19

.667

1980

21-8

Clem Haskins

6

1981-86

101-73

.580

1986

23-8

Murray Arnold

4

1987-90

71-54

.568

1987

29-9

Ralph Willard

4

1991-94

81-42

.659

1993

26-6

Matt Kilcullen

4

1995-98

59-49

.546

1995

27-4

Dennis Felton

5

1999-2003

100-54

.649

2002

28-4

Darrin Horn

5

2004-08

111-48

.698

2008

29-7

Ken McDonald

3

2009-11

62-38

.620

2009

25-9

  • All-Time W-L Record: 1,639-809 (.670) from 1915 through 2011.
  • NOTES: There is no record available for five of Arthur's games and nine of Smith's games
  • Western Kentucky did not field a formal team for five years from 1917-21
  • The Hilltoppers vacated five NCAA Tournament games in 1971 (4-1 record)
  • Assistants Ron Brown and Al Seibert compiled a 3-3 record as interim co-coaches in 1997-98 after succeeding Kilcullen.