| Western Kentucky Hilltoppers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| University | Western Kentucky University | ||
| Head coach | Hank Plona (1st season) | ||
| Conference | C-USA | ||
| Location | Bowling Green, Kentucky | ||
| Arena | E. A. Diddle Arena (capacity: 7,500) | ||
| Nickname | Hilltoppers | ||
| Colors | Red and white[1] | ||
| Uniforms | |||
| |||
| NCAA tournament Final Four | |||
| 1971 | |||
| NCAA tournament Elite Eight | |||
| 1940, 1971 | |||
| NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen | |||
| 1940, 1960, 1962, 1966, 1971, 1978, 1993, 2008 | |||
| NCAA tournament round of 32 | |||
| 1940, 1960, 1962, 1966, 1967, 1970, 1971, 1976, 1978, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1995, 2008, 2009 | |||
| NCAA tournament appearances | |||
| 1940, 1960, 1962, 1966, 1967, 1970, 1971, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2024 | |||
| Conference tournament champions | |||
| 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1965, 1966, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1993, 1995, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2024 | |||
| Conference regular season champions | |||
| 1949, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1966, 1967, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1987, 1994, 1995, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009 | |||
| Conference division season champions | |||
| Sun Belt East: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009, C-USA East: 2021 | |||
| * - vacated by NCAA | |||
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball team is the men's basketball team that represents Western Kentucky University (WKU) in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The Hilltoppers currently compete in Conference USA. The team's most recent appearance in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament was in 2024. Hank Plona was announced as the team's current head coach on April 2, 2024.[2]
The men's basketball program has the 16th most victories in the history of the NCAA[3] and has attained the eighth best winning percentage in NCAA history.[3] The school made an NCAA Final Four appearance in 1971, which was later vacated, and has made four NIT Final Four appearances, including three in the early days of the NIT when it was on par with the NCAA tournament. The program has won numerous Ohio Valley Conference championships and was very competitive in its previous conference, the Sun Belt Conference, regularly finishing near the top of the conference and competing for the conference championship. In 2014, the Hilltoppers joined Conference USA following conference realignment.
Street & Smith's publication "100 Greatest Programs", ranked WKU #31. WKU has had 30 All Americans and 56 Hilltoppers have played professionally following their collegiate careers.[4]
- ^ "WKU Colors". WKU Communication & Branding Manual (PDF). August 21, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
- ^ "Hank Plona Named Western Kentucky Head Men's Basketball Coach". Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. April 2, 2024.
- ^ a b "NCAA All Time Winningest Teams at ncaa.org" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-08-12.
- ^ 100 Greatest College Basketball Programs of All Time. Smith & Street. January 25, 2005.