Team: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

Sport: NCAA Division I Men's Basketball

Conference: Conference USA

2018-19 Record: 20-14

Head Coach: Rick Stansbury

Conference Tournament Titles: 33

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Basketball Tickets

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers have a storied program history replete with over 20 NCAA Tournament appearances and numerous NBA players originating from the school. The Hilltoppers have kept moving up in prestige as the program has dominated its previous conference homes. Now in the Conference USA, the Hilltoppers are at home against the tough competition at this level. Western Kentucky has historically been known for playing up-tempo games that feature plenty of points and, as a result, a Hilltoppers game will be an exciting affair. While there are better-known programs in the State of Kentucky, the Hilltoppers have their place in the state's basketball lore. One measure of the program's extreme level of success is that fact that, entering the 2019-20 season, the Hilltoppers had an all-time winning percentage of .660. The program has over 1,700 wins in its long history and expectations are always high every year in Bowling Green. Be a part of it when you grab your Western Kentucky Hilltoppers' basketball tickets at StubHub today.

What was the Hilltoppers' greatest season in program history?

The Hilltoppers were a national basketball power throughout the 1930s. They reasserted their dominance in the 1960s and made it all the way to the Final Four in 1971. That followed a season when they ran through the Ohio Valley Conference with an undefeated record. In the 1971 Final Four, the Hilltoppers gave Villanova all they could handle in a classic double overtime game. Earlier in the tournament, Western Kentucky beat Kentucky in a blowout in perhaps the biggest win in team history.

Who is the coach of the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers?

Western Kentucky is a steppingstone for coaching talent in Division I. Alternatively, the school will not hesitate to make a coaching change when the team is not winning. The current coach of the Hilltoppers is Rick Stansbury. He is in his fourth season at the helm of the Hilltoppers and previously made a name for himself as the longtime coach of Mississippi State University. Western Kentucky won 27 games and reached the NIT Semifinals in Stansbury's second season on the job.

Where do the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers play their home games?

The Hilltoppers play in E.A. Diddle Arena. The arena is named for a legendary former coach of the Hilltoppers who is enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The arena seats roughly 7,500 after an extensive renovation in 2002 that reduced seating capacity. One tradition in the arena is that fans wave red towels throughout the game because Coach Diddle was known for chewing on a red towel while on the sidelines.

Who are some notable players in program history?

Legendary players for the Hilltoppers include Clem Haskins and Jim McDaniel. Haskins was a three-time All American who went on to an NBA career before coaching in the college ranks at the University of Minnesota. McDaniel was the leader of the Final Four squad and was the No. 1 pick in the American Basketball Association draft. He is the school's co-leading scorer and played for seven years in the ABA.

Have the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers made history in any other way?

While the 1971 team is remembered for reaching the Final Four, they made a statement far beyond that. The 1971 squad was the first team in the state of Kentucky to start five African-American players. The coach at the time took a stand to make talent the only consideration in his starting lineup decisions.