1964–65 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball team
The 1964–65 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky State College during the 1964-65 NCAA University Division Basketball season. The Hilltoppers were led by first year coach John Oldham and Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year Clem Haskins.[1] After two losing seasons, WKSC finished second in the OVC and were invited to the 1965 National Invitation Tournament.[2]
1964–65 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball | |
---|---|
NIT Tournament, Quarterfinal | |
Conference | Ohio Valley Conference |
1964–65 record | 18–9 (10–4 OVC) |
Head coach | |
Assistant coach | Gene Rhodes |
Home arena | E. A. Diddle Arena |
Haskins scored a school record 55 points against Middle Tennessee on January 30. He was joined on the all-conference team by fellow sophomore Dwight Smith; Haskins and Steve Cunningham were selected to the OVC Tournament team.[3]
Cultural Relevance
Haskins and Smith broke the color barrier this season at Western Kentucky, becoming the first African Americans to play Hilltopper basketball.[4] They were recruited two years earlier by the previous, longtime coach Edgar Diddle; NCAA rules at the time prohibited freshman from playing varsity sports, so this was their first year of eligibility.[5]
Schedule
Date time, TV |
Opponent | Result | Record | Site city, state | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Regular Season | |||||||||||
12/1/1964* |
Belmont | L 50–52 | 0–1 |
E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
12/5/1964* |
at Bowling Green | W 90–77 | 1–1 |
Anderson Arena Bowling Green, OH | |||||||
12/8/1964* |
at Vanderbilt | L 79–94 | 1–2 |
Memorial Gymnasium Nashville, TN | |||||||
12/12/1964* |
Chattanooga | W 94–78 | 2–2 |
E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
12/15/1964* |
Carson–Newman | W 73–54 | 3–2 |
E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
12/17/1964* |
Texas Wesleyan | W 118–87 | 4–2 |
E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
12/21/1964 |
vs. Middle Tennessee OVC Tournament |
W 100–65 | 5–2 |
Convention Center Louisville, KY | |||||||
12/22/1964 |
vs. Eastern Kentucky OVC Tournament Semifinal |
W 82–73 | 6–2 |
Convention Center Louisville, KY | |||||||
12/23/1964 |
vs. Murray State OVC Tournament Final |
L 68–77 | 6–3 |
Convention Center Louisville, KY | |||||||
1/5/1965 |
Murray State | W 71–70 OT | 7–3 (1-0) |
E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
1/9/1965 |
at Tennessee Tech | W 87–78 | 8–3 (2-0) |
Memorial Gymnasium Cookeville, TN | |||||||
1/11/1965 |
at East Tennessee | W 70–69 | 9–3 (3-0) |
Brooks Gymnasium Johnson City, TN | |||||||
1/16/1965 |
Eastern Kentucky | L 70–95 | 9–4 (3-1) |
E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
1/18/1965 |
Morehead State | W 93–65 | 10–4 (4-1) |
E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
1/23/1965* |
Union (TN) | W 94–69 | 11–4 |
E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
1/30/1965 |
Middle Tennessee Haskins scores 55 points |
W 134–84 | 12–4 (5-1) |
E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
2/1/1965 |
at Austin Peay | W 78–74 | 13–4 (6-1) |
Memorial Health Gymnasium Clarksville, TN | |||||||
2/6/1965 |
East Tennessee | W 96–79 | 14–4 (7-1) |
E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
2/8/1965 |
Tennessee Tech | W 92–83 | 15–4 (8-1) |
E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
2/13/1965 |
at Morehead State | L 55–66 | 15–5 (8-2) |
Wetherby Gymnasium Morehead, KY | |||||||
2/18/1965 |
at Eastern Kentucky | L 69–80 | 15–6 (8-3) |
Alumni Coliseum Richmond, KY | |||||||
2/18/1965 |
at Middle Tennessee | W 94–83 | 16–6 (9-3) |
Alumni Memorial Gym Murfreesboro, TN | |||||||
2/20/1965* |
at La Salle | L 77–91 | 16–7 |
Palestra Philadelphia, PA | |||||||
2/22/1965 |
Austin Peay | W 116–77 | 17–7 (10-3) |
E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
2/27/1965 |
at Murray State | L 91–103 | 17–8 (10-4) |
Racer Arena Murray, KY | |||||||
1965 National Invitation Tournament | |||||||||||
3/13/1965* |
vs. Fordham NIT First Round |
W 57–53 | 18–8 |
Madison Square Garden New York, NY | |||||||
3/16/1965* |
vs. Army NIT Quarterfinal |
L 54–58 | 18–9 |
Madison Square Garden New York, NY | |||||||
References
- Ruby, Earl (1979). Red Towel Territory : A History of Athletics at Western Kentucky University. American National Bank and Trust Co.
- 2019-2020 OVC Basketball Media Guide, retrieved 4 May 2020
- 2019-2020 WKU Basketball Media Guide retrieved 21 April 2020
- Harrison, Lowell (1987). Western Kentucky University. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0813116204.
- Pete Thamel (March 27, 2008) Recalling Forward Thinking at Western Kentucky. New York Times
- 1964-65 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Schedule and Results, Sports Reference, retrieved 11 May 2020