1965–66 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball team

American college basketball season March 2026 August 2023 Basketball none 1965–66 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers WKU Hilltoppers wordmark.png 150 Ohio Valley Conference 10 OVC 25–3 14–0 John Oldham Gene Rhodes E. A. Diddle Arena Ohio Valley Conference ChampionOVC Tournament Champion NCAA Tournament Sweet SixteenMideast Region 3rd Place The 1965–66 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky University during the 1965-66 NCAA University Division Basketball season. The Hilltoppers were led by Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year John Oldham and OVC Player of the Year Clem Haskins. Ruby Earl Red Towel Territory : A History of Athletics at Western Kentucky University American National Bank and Trust Co. 1979 WKU won the OVC tournament and season championship, as well as the conference's automatic bid to the 1966 NCAA University Division basketball tournament, where they advanced to the Sweet Sixteen and finished 3rd in the Mideast Region.Haskins, Chapman reflect on special WKU squads from 1965-66, '66-67, By ZACH GREENWEL, The Bowling Green Daily News.com, Feb 20, 2016 retrieved 10 May 2020 The conference tournament was held in December and had no impact on the conference standing; the conference NCAA tournament bid was awarded to the season champion.2019-2020 OVC Basketball Media Guide, retrieved 4 May 2020 This team was the recipient of what many Hilltopper fans referred to as “the worst call in NCAA tournament history.” In the second-round game against Michigan, Western Kentucky forced a jump ball with seconds left, while leading by 1 point. Western Kentucky's Greg Smith was called for a foul during the jump and Michigan's Cazzie Russell made two free throws to win the game. Still pictures show Russell not jumping on the play and then leaning in to make contact with Smith. Harrison Lowell Western Kentucky University University Press of Kentucky 1987 978-0813116204 The ‘what if' story of the '66 tourney, By O.J. Stapleton, The Daily News, Jan 17, 2006, retrieved 11 May 2020 Haskins was joined on the All-Conference and OVC Tournament teams by Steve Cunningham, Dwight Smith, and Greg Smith2019-2020 WKU Basketball Media Guide retrieved 21 April 2020 Schedule 1965-66 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Schedule and Results, Sports Reference, retrieved 10 May 2020 1965-66 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings 1966 |- !colspan=6| Regular Season 12/2/1965 yes Parsons (IA) E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 98–77 1–0 |- 12/4/1965 yes La Salle E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 93–67 2–0 12/6/1965 yes Campbellsville E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 101–59 3–0 12/11/1965 yes Memphis State E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 100–61 4–0 12/14/1965 yes Abilene Christian E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 84–59 5–0 12/17/1965 yes yes SMU Memorial Gymnasium Nashville, TN Vanderbilt Invitational 82–68 6–0 12/18/1965 yes yes Vanderbilt Memorial Gymnasium Nashville, TN Vanderbilt Invitational 69–72 6–1 12/20/1965 yes Morehead State Convention Center Louisville, KY OVC Tournament 80–55 7–1 12/21/1965 yes Tennessee Tech Convention Center Louisville, KY OVC Tournament Semifinal 78–63 8–1 12/22/1965 yes Eastern Kentucky Convention Center Louisville, KY OVC Tournament Final 83–67 9–1 1/8/1966 yes Tennessee Tech Memorial Gymnasium Cookeville, TN 120–92 10–1 (1-0) 1/10/1966 East Tennessee E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 85–69 11–1 (2-0) 1/15/1966 yes Eastern Kentucky Alumni Coliseum Richmond, KY 107–88 12–1 (3-0) 1/17/1966 yes Morehead State Wetherby Gymnasium Morehead, KY 45–35 13–1 (4-0) 1/22/1966 yes yes Dayton UD Arena Dayton, OH 57–77 13–2 1/31/1966 yes Middle Tennessee Alumni Memorial Gym Murfreesboro, TN 93–56 14–2 (5-0) 2/5/1966 yes Murray State Racer Arena Murray, KY 101–84 15–2 (6-0) 2/7/1966 yes Austin Peay Memorial Health Gymnasium Clarksville, TN 94–67 16–2 (7-0) 2/12/1966 yes East Tennessee Brooks Gymnasium Johnson City, TN 96–79 17–2 (8-0) 2/14/1966 Tennessee Tech E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 85–72 18–2 (9-0) 2/19/1966 Morehead State E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 73–58 19–2 (10-0) 2/21/1966 Eastern Kentucky E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 72–67 20–2 (11-0) 2/26/1966 Murray State E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 71–59 21–2 (12-0) 2/28/1966 Middle Tennessee E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 81–47 22–2 (13-0) 3/3/1966 Austin Peay E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 76–63 23–2 (14-0) |- !colspan=6| 1966 NCAA University Division basketball tournament 3/7/1966 yes yes Loyola (IL) 4 Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center Kent, OH Mideast Region First Round 105–86 24–2 3/11/1966 yes yes 10 Michigan 9 Iowa Field House Iowa City, IA Sweet Sixteen 79–80 24–3 3/12/1966 yes yes 10 Dayton 20 UPI Iowa Field House Iowa City, IA Mideast Region Consolation 82–68 25–3 AP Poll References Category:Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball seasons Western Kentucky Western Kentucky Western Kentucky Basketball, Men's Western Kentucky Basketball, Men's