1977–78 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball
OVC Tournament Champion
NCAA Tournament, Sweet Sixteen
ConferenceOhio Valley Conference
Record16–14 (9–5 OVC)
Head coach
Home arenaE. A. Diddle Arena

The 1977–78 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky University during the 1977–78 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Hilltoppers were members of the Ohio Valley Conference and led by coach Jim Richards, in his final year at the helm.[1] WKU finished third in the OVC regular season, but won the tournament championship and the conference's automatic bid to the 1978 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament, where they advanced to the sweet sixteen.[2] James Johnson and Darryl Turner made the All-OVC Team and Aaron Bryant was selected to the OVC Tournament Team.[3]

Schedule

[4]

Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site
city, state
Regular season
11/26/1977*
No. 13 Michigan L 81–87  0–1
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
11/30/1977*
at Evansville W 82–72  1–1
Roberts Municipal Stadium 
Evansville, IN
12/3/1977*
at Bowling Green W 78–65  2–1
Anderson Arena 
Bowling Green, OH
12/5/1977*
Memphis State L 80–86  2–2
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
12/7/1977*
Butler L 86–90  2–3
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
12/10/1977*
Wisconsin-Milwaukee L 70–73  2–4
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
12/17/1977*
Cal Poly-San Lius Obispo W 72–50  3–4
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
12/28/1977*
at No. 14 Maryland
Maryland Invitational
L 78–91  3–5
Cole Field House 
College Park, MD
12/29/1977*
vs. St. John’s (NY)
Maryland Invitational
L 63–80  3–6
Cole Field House 
College Park, MD
1/4/1978*
La Salle L 64–78  3–7
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
1/7/1978
at Eastern Kentucky L 79–85 OT 3–8 (0-1)
Alumni Coliseum 
Richmond, KY
1/9/1978
at Morehead State W 97–82  4–8 (1-1)
Wetherby Gymnasium 
Morehead, KY
1/11/1978*
Jacksonville W 96–94 OT 5–8
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
1/14/1978
East Tennessee W 98–94 OT 6–8 (2-1)
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
1/16/1978
Tennessee Tech W 86–75  7–8 (3-1)
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
1/21/1978
Murray State W 91–75  8–8 (4-1)
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
1/23/1978
at Austin Peay W 91–83  9–8 (5-1)
Dunn Center 
Clarksville, TN
1/25/1978*
Dayton L 72–80  9–9
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
1/28/1978
at Middle Tennessee L 69–98  9–10 (5-2)
Murphy Center 
Murfreesboro, TN
2/4/1978
Morehead State W 106–69  10–10 (6-2)
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
2/6/1978
Eastern Kentucky L 74–78 OT 10–11 (6-3)
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
2/11/1978
at East Tennessee L 77–80 3OT 10–12 (6-4)
Memorial Center 
Johnson City, TN
2/13/1978
at Tennessee Tech W 81–69  11–12 (7-4)
Eblen Center 
Cookeville, TN
2/18/1978
Austin Peay L 64–66  11–13 (7-5)
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
2/20/1978
at Murray State W 100–98 OT 12–13 (8-5)
Racer Arena 
Murray, KY
2/25/1978
Middle Tennessee W 87–78  13–13 (9-5)
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
1978 Ohio Valley Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
3/3/1978
(3) (2) East Tennessee
Semifinals
W 79–75  14–13
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
3/4/1978
(3) (4) Austin Peay
Championship
W 77–69 OT 15–13
E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
1978 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament
3/11/1978*
(4Q ME) vs. (2L ME) No. 18 Syracuse
First Round
W 87–86 OT 16–13
Stokely Athletic Center 
Knoxville, TN
3/7/1980*
(4Q ME) vs. (1Q ME) No. 4 Michigan State
Sweet Sixteen
L 69–90  16–14
UD Arena 
Dayton, OH
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.

References

  1. Lowell H. Harrison (1987). Western Kentucky University. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 276–. ISBN 978-0813116204.
  2. 2019-2020 OVC Basketball Media Guide, retrieved 4 May 2020
  3. 2019-2020 WKU Basketball Media Guide retrieved 21 April 2020
  4. 1977-78 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Schedule and Results, Sports Reference, retrieved 6 May 2020


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