Wikipedia

1986–87 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball team


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.[1] 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.[2][3] WKU won the SBC championship and received a bid to the 1987 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.[4] 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.[5] Frank and Johnson were selected to the All-Conference Team; Frank and Brett McNeal made the SBC All-Tournament Team.[6]

1986–87 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball
Sun Belt Conference Champion
Wendy's Classic Champion
Chaminade Classic Champion
NCAA Tournament, Second Round
ConferenceSun Belt Conference
Record29–9 (12–2 Sun Belt)
Head coach
Home arenaE. A. Diddle Arena
Seasons
1986–87 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Western Kentucky 12 – 2   .857 29 – 9   .763
Jacksonville 11 – 3   .786 19 – 11   .633
UAB † 10 – 4   .714 21 – 11   .656
Virginia Commonwealth 7 – 7   .500 17 – 14   .548
UNC Charlotte 6 – 8   .429 18 – 14   .563
South Alabama 6 – 8   .429 14 – 14   .500
South Florida 3 – 11   .214 8 – 20   .286
Old Dominion 1 – 13   .071 6 – 22   .214
† 1987 Sun Belt Conference tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll

Schedule

edit

[7]

Date
time, TV 		Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site
city, state
Regular Season
11/21/1986*
 at Notre Dame
Preseason NIT 		W 80–63  1–0
 Edmund P. Joyce Center 
South Bend, IN
11/24/1986*
 Texas Christian
Preseason NIT 		W 96–90  2–0
 E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
11/28/1986*
 vs. Memphis State
Preseason NIT Semifinals 		W 68–67  3–0
 Madison Square Garden 
New York, NY
11/29/1986*
 vs. No. 5 UNLV
Preseason NIT Finals 		L 95–96 2OT 3–1
 Madison Square Garden 
New York, NY
12/2/1986*
 No. 14 Kentucky State W 90–58  4–1
 E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
12/5/1986*
 No. 14 Mercer
Wendy’s Classic 		W 98–67  5–1
 E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
12/6/1986*
 No. 14 USC
Wendy’s Classic 		W 82–52  6–1
 E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
12/10/1986*
 No. 8 Louisville L 58–60  6–2
 E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
12/11/1986*
 No. 8 Central Michigan L 65–73  6–3
 E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
12/13/1986*
 No. 8 at Samford W 94–57  7–3
 Seibert Hall 
Homewood, AL
12/19/1986*
 Armstrong State W 68–48  8–3
 E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
12/25/1986*
 vs. Hawaii Pacific
Chaminade Classic 		W 89–74  9–3
 Neal S. Blaisdell Center 
Honolulu, HI
12/26/1986*
 at Chaminade
Chaminade Classic 		W 71–70  10–3
 Neal S. Blaisdell Center 
Honolulu, HI
12/30/1986*
 Tennessee Tech W 102–46  11–3
 E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
1/3/1987*
 at Butler W 74–73 OT 12–3
 Hinkle Fieldhouse 
Indianapolis, IN
1/7/1987*
 at Eastern Kentucky L 66–68  12–4
 Alumni Coliseum 
Richmond, KY
1/10/1987
 UAB W 85–67  13–4 (1-0)
 E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
1/12/1987
 at VCU W 79–70  14–4 (2-0)
 Richmond Coliseum 
Richmond, VA
1/14/1987
 at Jacksonville L 71–80  14–5 (2-1)
 Swisher Gymnasium 
Jacksonville, FL
1/17/1987
 VCU W 90–71  15–5 (3-1)
 E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
1/19/1987
 at South Florida W 61–46  16–5 (4-1)
 USF Sun Dome 
Tampa, FL
1/24/1987*
 at LSU L 62–67  16–6
 LSU Assembly Center 
Baton Rouge, LA
1/26/1987
 at South Alabama W 68–60  17–6 (5-1)
 Mitchell Center 
Mobile, AL
1/29/1987
 South Florida W 76–59  18–6 (6-1)
 E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
1/31/1987
 UNCC W 88–69  19–6 (7-1)
 E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
2/3/1987
 ODU W 94–53  20–6 (8-1)
 E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
2/8/1987
 at UNCC W 74–71 OT 21–6 (9-1)
 Belk Gymnasium 
Charlotte, NC
2/12/1987
 at ODU W 75–59  22–6 (10-1)
 Norfolk Scope 
Norfolk, VA
2/14/1987
 South Alabama W 85–70  23–6 (11-1)
 E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
2/16/1987
 Jacksonville W 87–74  24–6 (12-1)
 E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
2/18/1987*
 at Southern Illinois W 78–58  25–6
 Banterra Center 
Carbondale, IL
2/21/1987
 at UAB L 73–86  25–7 (12-2)
 Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex 
Birmingham, AL
1987 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament
2/26/1987
 (1) (8) ODU
Quarterfinals 		W 60–58  26–7
 E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
2/27/1987
 (1) (5) UNCC
Semifinals 		W 99–95 2OT 27–7
 E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
2/28/1987
 (1) vs. (3) UAB
Finals 		L 70–72  27–8
 E. A. Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
Regular Season
3/3/1987*
 at Dayton W 78–72  28–8
 UD Arena 
Dayton, OH
1987 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
3/13/1987*
 (10 E) vs. (7 E) West Virginia
First Round 		W 64–62  29–8
 Carrier Dome 
Syracuse, NY
3/15/1987*
 (10 E) at (2 E) No. 10 Syracuse
Second Round 		L 86–104  29–9
 Carrier Dome 
Syracuse, NY
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll (E#) during NCAA Tournament is seed. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.

References

edit
  1. ^ "1986-87 Men's Sun Belt Conference Season Summary". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  2. ^ "UNLV Overcomes 21-Point Deficit, Wins NIT Classic". The Washington Post. November 30, 1986. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  3. ^ "Tops to welcome back 1985-86, '86-87 squads Saturday". The Daily News. February 6, 2017. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  4. ^ 2019-2020 WKU Basketball Media Guide retrieved 21 April 2020
  5. ^ 1987 NBA Draft, Basketball Reference, retrieved 2 May 2020
  6. ^ 2016-17 SBC Basketball Media Guide, retrieved 28 April 2020
  7. ^ 1986-87 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Schedule and Results, Sports Reference, retrieved 2 May 2020


 

This college basketball season article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

 

This article about a sports team in Kentucky is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wiki.x.io/w/index.php?title=1986–87_Western_Kentucky_Hilltoppers_basketball_team&oldid=1207347212"