1986–87 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball team

American college basketball season March 2026 August 2023 Basketball none 1986–87 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers WKU Hilltoppers wordmark.png 150 Sun Belt Conference Sun Belt 29–9 12–2 Murray Arnold Robbie Laing 1st E. A. Diddle Arena Sun Belt Conference ChampionWendy's Classic ChampionChaminade Classic Champion NCAA Tournament Second Round The 1986–87 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky University during the 1986–87 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Hilltoppers were led by Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year Murray Arnold and SBC Player of the Year Tellis Frank.1986-87 Men's Sun Belt Conference Season Summary https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/sun-belt/men/1987.html 2024-02-14 College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com en The Hilltoppers started the season by advancing to the finals of the Preseason NIT and then being ranked in the top 10 of both major polls.The Washington Post UNLV Overcomes 21-Point Deficit, Wins NIT Classic https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1986/11/30/unlv-overcomes-21-point-deficit-wins-nit-classic/c5b771d2-5c01-4cd9-af20-6bf426935427/ November 30, 1986 March 17, 2018The Daily News Tops to welcome back 1985-86, '86-87 squads Saturday https://www.bgdailynews.com/sports/wku/tops-to-welcome-back-----squads-saturday/article_dd779db8-d33b-5a9c-94ae-47aea64b22d0.html Feb 6, 2017 May 4, 2020 WKU won the SBC championship and received a bid to the 1987 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.2019-2020 WKU Basketball Media Guide retrieved 21 April 2020 This team was one of the most talented in school history with three players being drafted in the early rounds of the NBA draft: Frank in the 1st round, Kannard Johnson in the 2nd, and Clarence Martin in the 3rd.1987 NBA Draft, Basketball Reference, retrieved 2 May 2020 Frank and Johnson were selected to the All-Conference Team; Frank and Brett McNeal made the SBC All-Tournament Team.2016-17 SBC Basketball Media Guide, retrieved 28 April 2020 Schedule 1986-87 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Schedule and Results, Sports Reference, retrieved 2 May 2020 1986-87 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings 1987 |- !colspan=6| Regular Season 11/21/1986 yes yes Notre Dame Edmund P. Joyce Center South Bend, IN Preseason NIT 80–63 1–0 |- 11/24/1986 yes Texas Christian E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY Preseason NIT 96–90 2–0 11/28/1986 yes yes Memphis State Madison Square Garden New York, NY Preseason NIT Semifinals 68–67 3–0 11/29/1986 yes yes UNLV 5 Madison Square Garden New York, NY Preseason NIT Finals 95–96 2OT 3–1 12/2/1986 yes 14 Kentucky State E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 90–58 4–1 12/5/1986 yes 14 Mercer E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY Wendy’s Classic 98–67 5–1 12/6/1986 yes 14 USC E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY Wendy’s Classic 82–52 6–1 12/10/1986 yes 8 Louisville E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 58–60 6–2 12/11/1986 yes 8 Central Michigan E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 65–73Central Michigan 73, No. 10 Western Kentucky 65 https://www.upi.com/Archives/1986/12/11/Forward-Dan-Magerle-scored-23-points-Thursday-night-to/3875534661200/ UPI Archives December 11, 1986 May 6, 2022 6–3 12/13/1986 yes yes 8 Samford Seibert Hall Homewood, AL 94–57 7–3 12/19/1986 yes Armstrong State E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 68–48 8–3 12/25/1986 yes yes Hawaii Pacific Neal S. Blaisdell Center Honolulu, HI Chaminade Classic 89–74 9–3 12/26/1986 yes yes Chaminade Neal S. Blaisdell Center Honolulu, HI Chaminade Classic 71–70 10–3 12/30/1986 yes Tennessee Tech E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 102–46 11–3 1/3/1987 yes yes Butler Hinkle Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN 74–73 OT 12–3 1/7/1987 yes yes Eastern Kentucky Alumni Coliseum Richmond, KY 66–68 12–4 1/10/1987 UAB E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 85–67 13–4 (1-0) 1/12/1987 yes VCU Richmond Coliseum Richmond, VA 79–70 14–4 (2-0) 1/14/1987 yes Jacksonville Swisher Gymnasium Jacksonville, FL 71–80 14–5 (2-1) 1/17/1987 VCU E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 90–71 15–5 (3-1) 1/19/1987 yes South Florida USF Sun Dome Tampa, FL 61–46 16–5 (4-1) 1/24/1987 yes yes LSU LSU Assembly Center Baton Rouge, LA 62–67 16–6 1/26/1987 yes South Alabama Jaguar Gym Mobile, AL 68–60 17–6 (5-1) 1/29/1987 South Florida E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 76–59 18–6 (6-1) 1/31/1987 UNCC E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 88–69 19–6 (7-1) 2/3/1987 ODU E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 94–53 20–6 (8-1) 2/8/1987 yes UNCC Belk Gymnasium Charlotte, NC 74–71 OT 21–6 (9-1) 2/12/1987 yes ODU Norfolk Scope Norfolk, VA 75–59 22–6 (10-1) 2/14/1987 South Alabama E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 85–70 23–6 (11-1) 2/16/1987 Jacksonville E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 87–74 24–6 (12-1) 2/18/1987 yes yes Southern Illinois Banterra Center Carbondale, IL 78–58 25–6 2/21/1987 yes UAB Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex Birmingham, AL 73–86 25–7 (12-2) |- !colspan=6| 1987 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament 2/26/1987 1 ODU 8 E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY Quarterfinals 60–58 26–7 2/27/1987 1 UNCC 5 E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY Semifinals 99–95 2OT 27–7 2/28/1987 yes 1 UAB 3 E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY Finals 70–72 27–8 |- !colspan=6| Regular Season 3/3/1987 yes yes Dayton UD Arena Dayton, OH 78–72 28–8 |- !colspan=6| 1987 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament 3/13/1987 yes yes 10 E West Virginia 7 E Carrier Dome Syracuse, NY First Round 64–62 29–8 3/15/1987 yes yes 10 E Syracuse 2 E 10 Carrier Dome Syracuse, NY Second Round 86–104 29–9 AP Poll (E#) during NCAA Tournament is seed References Western Kentucky Category:Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball seasons Western Kentucky Western Kentucky Basketball, Men's Western Kentucky Basketball, Men's Category:Long stubs with short prose