2007–08 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball team
The 2007–08 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky University during the 2007–08 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Hilltoppers were led by head coach Darrin Horn and by future NBA player Courtney Lee. They were members of the East Division of the Sun Belt Conference and finished the season 29–7 with a 16–2 record in Sun Belt play to finish tied for first in the East Division.[1] The team won the Sun Belt Basketball Tournament and earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, where they advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.[2] Western Kentucky finished ranked 22nd in the postseason ESPN/USA Today Poll. Lee was SBC Player of the year and was joined by Tyrone Brazelton on the All SBC team. Jeremy Evans was SBC Tournament Most Valuable Player, Lee and Brazelton also made the All-Tournament team. Brazelton was named to the NCAA Tournament All-Region Team.[3]
2007–08 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball | |
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Sun Belt Conference Tournament Champion Sun Belt Conference East Division Co-Champion | |
NCAA Tournament, Sweet Sixteen | |
Conference | Sun Belt Conference |
East Division | |
Ranking | |
Coaches | No. 22 |
2007–08 record | 29–7 (16–2 Sun Belt) |
Head coach | |
Home arena | E. A. Diddle Arena |
2007–08 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball standings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
East | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
South Alabama | 16 | – | 2 | .889 | 26 | – | 7 | .788 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Western Kentucky † | 16 | – | 2 | .889 | 29 | – | 7 | .806 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Middle Tennessee | 11 | – | 7 | .611 | 17 | – | 15 | .531 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Florida Atlantic | 8 | – | 10 | .444 | 15 | – | 18 | .455 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Florida International | 6 | – | 12 | .333 | 9 | – | 20 | .310 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Troy | 4 | – | 14 | .222 | 12 | – | 19 | .387 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
West | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arkansas-Little Rock | 11 | – | 7 | .611 | 20 | – | 11 | .645 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Louisiana–Lafayette | 11 | – | 7 | .611 | 15 | – | 15 | .500 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
North Texas | 10 | – | 8 | .556 | 20 | – | 11 | .645 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
New Orleans | 8 | – | 10 | .444 | 19 | – | 13 | .594 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Denver | 7 | – | 11 | .389 | 11 | – | 19 | .367 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arkansas State | 5 | – | 13 | .278 | 10 | – | 20 | .333 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Louisiana–Monroe | 4 | – | 14 | .222 | 10 | – | 21 | .323 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
† 2008 Sun Belt Conference Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
Schedule
Date time, TV |
Rank# | Opponent# | Result | Record | Site city, state | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Regular Season | |||||||||||
11/09/2007* |
Kennesaw State | W 96–61 | 1–0 |
E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
11/13/2007* |
Kentucky Wesleyan | W 88–67 | 2–0 |
E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
11/17/2007* |
Murray State | W 87–63 | 3–0 |
E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
11/22/2007* |
vs. No. 14 Gonzaga Great Alaska Shootout |
L 71–74 | 3–1 |
Sullivan Arena Anchorage, AK | |||||||
11/23/2007* |
at Alaska Anchorage Great Alaska Shootout |
W 71–67 | 4–1 |
Sullivan Arena Anchorage, AK | |||||||
11/23/2007* |
vs. Michigan Great Alaska Shootout |
W 73–69 | 5–1 |
Sullivan Arena Anchorage, AK | |||||||
12/01/2007* |
at Northern Arizona | L 61–64 | 5–2 |
Walkup Skydome Flagstaff, AZ | |||||||
12/5/2007* |
Nebraska | W 69–62 OT | 6–2 |
E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
12/8/2007* |
at Eastern Kentucky | W 77–60 | 7–2 |
Alumni Coliseum Richmond, VA | |||||||
12/15/2007* |
vs. No. 11 Tennessee Sun Belt Classic |
L 82–88 | 7–3 |
Sommet Center Nashville, TN | |||||||
12/18/2007* |
North Carolina Central | W 84–53 | 8–3 |
E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
12/22/2007* |
at Southern Illinois | L 78–88 | 8–4 |
Banterra Center Carbondale, IL | |||||||
12/29/2007 |
at Troy | W 94–90 | 9–4 (1–0) |
Trojan Arena Troy, AL | |||||||
01/2/2008 |
Middle Tennessee | W 62–51 | 10–4 (2–0) |
E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
1/5/2008 |
at South Alabama | L 61–65 | 10–5 (2–1) |
Mitchell Center Mobile, AL | |||||||
01/10/2008 |
at ULM | W 71–44 | 11–5 (3–1) |
Fant–Ewing Coliseum Monroe, LA | |||||||
01/12/2008 |
FIU | W 76–60 | 12–5 (4–1) |
E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
01/16/2008 |
Florida Atlantic | W 80–62 | 13–5 (5–1) |
E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
01/19/2008 |
at Louisiana–Lafayette | W 69–66 | 14–5 (6–1) |
Cajundome Lafayette, LA | |||||||
01/23/2008 |
at New Orleans | W 73–55 | 15–5 (7–1) |
Lakefront Arena New Orleans, LA | |||||||
01/27/2008 |
Arkansas State | W 77–68 | 16–5 (8–1) |
E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
1/31/2008 |
Arkansas–Little Rock | W 71–47 | 17–5 (9–1) |
E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
02/2/2008 |
Denver | W 78–64 | 18–5 (10–1) |
E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
02/7/2008 |
at North Texas | W 94–84 | 19–5 (11–1) |
The Super Pit Denton, TX | |||||||
2/13/2008 |
Troy | W 92–57 | 20–5 (12–1) |
E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
02/16/2008 |
at Middle Tennessee | W 71–66 | 21–5 (13–1) |
Murphy Center Murfreesboro, TN | |||||||
02/21/2008 |
South Alabama | L 64–69 | 21–6 (13–2) |
E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
02/23/2008 |
ULM | W 86–75 | 22–6 (14–2) |
E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
2/27/2008 |
at FIU | W 69–54 | 23–6 (15–2) |
Ocean Bank Convocation Center University Park, FL | |||||||
3/1/2008 |
at Florida Atlantic | W 88–78 | 24–6 (16–2) |
FAU Arena Boca Raton, FL | |||||||
2008 Sun Belt Conference Men's Basketball Tournament | |||||||||||
03/09/2008 |
No. (3) | vs. No. (6) North Texas Second Round |
W 84–70 | 25–6 |
Mitchell Center Mobile, AL | ||||||
03/10/2008 |
No. (3) | vs. No. (2) Arkansas–Little Rock Semifinals |
W 70–55 | 26–6 |
Mitchell Center Mobile, AL | ||||||
03/11/2008 |
No. (3) | vs. No. (4) Middle Tennessee Championship Game |
W 67–57 | 27–6 |
Mitchell Center Mobile, AL | ||||||
2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament | |||||||||||
03/21/2008* |
No. (W 12) | vs. No. 14 (W 5) Drake First Round |
W 101–99 OT | 28–6 |
Amalie Arena Tampa, FL | ||||||
03/23/2008* |
No. (W 12) | vs. No. (W 13) San Diego Second Round |
W 72–63 | 29–6 |
Amalie Arena Tampa, FL | ||||||
03/27/2008* |
No. (W 12) | vs. No. 3(W 1) UCLA Sweet Sixteen |
L 78–88 | 29–7 |
US Airways Center Phoenix, AZ | ||||||
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll (W) during NCAA Tournament is seed with Region . (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. |
References
- SBC 2016-17 Basketball Media Guide, retrieved 28 April 2020
- Western wins spot in NCAA Sweet Sixteen, By ROB HERBST, the Daily News Online, Mar 23, 2008, retrieved 29 April 2020
- WKU Basketball Media Guide retrieved 21 April 2020
- 2007-08 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Schedule and Results, Sports Reference, retrieved 29 April 2020