1981–82 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball team

{{Infobox college sports team season

|sport=Basketball

|sex=none

|year=1981–82

|team=Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

|image=WKU Hilltoppers wordmark.png

|image_size=150

|conference=Ohio Valley Conference

|CoachRank=

|APRank=

|division=

|short_conf=OVC

|record=19–10

|conf_record=13–3

|head_coach=Clem Haskins

|stadium=E. A. Diddle Arena

|champion=Ohio Valley Conference Champion

|tourney=NIT Tournament

|tourney_result= First Round

}}

The 1981–82 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky University during the 1981–82 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Hilltoppers were led by coach Clem Haskins and All-Ohio Valley Conference center Craig McCormick.[http://ovcsports.com/documents/2019/10/21//2019_20_OVC_Basketball_Media_Guide.pdf?id=10175 2019-2020 OVC Basketball Media Guide, retrieved 4 May 2020] In what would be their last year in the conference, WKU won the OVC championship, were OVC tournament runners-up, and received a bid to the 1982 National Invitation Tournament. Bobby Jones joined McCormick on the All-OVC Team; Jones and Kenny Ellis made the OVC Tournament Team and McCormick was tournament MVP.[https://wkusports.com/documents/2019/10/7/2019_20_WKU_Hilltopper_Basketball_Media_Guide.pdf 2019-2020 WKU Basketball Media Guide retrieved 21 April 2020] McCormick was selected in the NBA draft following the season.{{Cite web |title=1982 NBA Draft |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_1982.html |access-date=2023-11-06 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}

Schedule

{{Cite web |title=1981-82 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Men 's Schedule and Results |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/western-kentucky/men/1982-schedule.html |access-date=2023-11-06 |website=College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}

{{CBB schedule start|time=|rank=|ranklink=1981-82 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings|rankyear=1982}}

|-

!colspan=12 style={{NCAA color cell|Western Kentucky Hilltoppers}}| Non-conference regular season

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = November 27, 1981

| nonconf = yes

| neutral = yes

| rank =

| opponent = {{cbb link|year=1981|sex=men|team=Nevada Wolf Pack|title=Nevada}}

| site_stadium = Selland Arena

| site_cityst = Fresno, CA

| gamename = Sun Met Classic

| score = 70–84

| record = 0–1

}}

|-

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = November 28, 1981

| nonconf = yes

| neutral = yes

| rank =

| opponent = {{cbb link|year=1981|sex=men|team=Oklahoma City Chiefs|title=Oklahoma City}}

| site_stadium = Selland Arena

| site_cityst = Fresno, CA

| gamename = Sun Met Classic

| score = 51–49

| record = 1–1

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = December 4, 1981

| nonconf = yes

| rank =

| opponent = {{cbb link|year=1981|sex=men|team=New Hampshire Wildcats|title=New Hampshire}}

| site_stadium = E. A. Diddle Arena

| site_cityst = Bowling Green, KY

| gamename = Wendy’s Classic

| score = 83–52

| record = 2–1

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = December 5, 1981

| nonconf = yes

| rank =

| opponent = Louisville

| opprank = 3

| site_stadium = E. A. Diddle Arena

| site_cityst = Bowling Green, KY

| gamename = Wendy’s Classic

| score = 66–71

| record = 2–2

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = December 9, 1981

| nonconf = yes

| rank =

| opponent = {{cbb link|year=1981|sex=men|team=Butler Bulldogs|title=Butler}}

| site_stadium = E. A. Diddle Arena

| site_cityst = Bowling Green, KY

| score = 96–65

| record = 3–2

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = December 12, 1981

| nonconf = yes

| away = yes

| rank =

| opponent = Evansville

| site_stadium = Roberts Municipal Stadium

| site_cityst = Evansville, IN

| score = 70–73

| record = 3–3

}}

|-

!colspan=12 style={{NCAA color cell|Western Kentucky Hilltoppers}}| Ohio Valley Conference regular season

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = December 19, 1981

| rank =

| opponent = {{cbb link|year=1981|sex=men|team=Austin Peay Governors|title=Austin Peay}}

| site_stadium = E. A. Diddle Arena

| site_cityst = Bowling Green, KY

| score = 77–64

| record = 4–3

| conference = 1–0

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = December 22, 1981

| nonconf = yes

| away = yes

| rank =

| opponent = Georgetown (D.C.)

| opprank = 17

| site_stadium = Capital Centre

| site_cityst = Landover, MD

| score = 45–64

| record = 4–4

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = December 30, 1981

| nonconf = yes

| rank =

| opponent = {{cbb link|year=1981|sex=men|team=Duquesne Dukes|title=Duquesne}}

| opprank =

| site_stadium = E. A. Diddle Arena

| site_cityst = Bowling Green, KY

| score = 62–63

| overtime = OT

| record = 4–5

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = January 3, 1982

| rank =

| opponent = {{cbb link|year=1981|sex=men|team=Murray State Racers|title=Murray State}}

| site_stadium = E. A. Diddle Arena

| site_cityst = Bowling Green, KY

| score = 71–54

| record = 5–5

| conference = 2–0

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = January 7, 1982

| away = yes

| rank =

| opponent = Morehead State

| site_stadium = Ellis Johnson Arena

| site_cityst = Morehead, KY

| score = 57–59

| record = 5–6

| conference = 2–1

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = January 10, 1982

| away = yes

| rank =

| opponent = {{cbb link|year=1981|sex=men|team=Eastern Kentucky Colonels|title=Eastern Kentucky}}

| site_stadium = Alumni Coliseum

| site_cityst = Richmond, KY

| score = 75–65

| record = 6–6

| conference = 3–1

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = January 14, 1982

| rank =

| opponent = Middle Tennessee

| opprank =

| site_stadium = E. A. Diddle Arena

| site_cityst = Bowling Green, KY

| score = 65–49

| record = 7–6

| conference = 4–1

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = January 16, 1982

| rank =

| opponent = {{cbb link|year=1981|sex=men|team=Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles|title=Tennessee Tech}}

| site_stadium = E. A. Diddle Arena

| site_cityst = Bowling Green, KY

| score = 51–50

| record = 8–6

| conference = 5–1

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = January 21, 1982

| away = yes

| rank =

| opponent = {{cbb link|year=1981|sex=men|team=Akron Zips|title=Akron}}

| site_stadium = James A. Rhodes Arena

| site_cityst = Akron, OH

| score = 77–68

| record = 9–6

| conference = 6–1

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = January 23, 1982

| away = yes

| rank =

| opponent = {{cbb link|year=1981|sex=men|team=Youngstown State Penguins|title=Youngstown State}}

| opprank =

| site_stadium = Beeghly Center

| site_cityst = Youngstown, OH

| score = 68–59

| record = 10–6

| conference = 7–1

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = January 25, 1982

| nonconf = yes

| rank =

| opponent = {{cbb link|year=1981|sex=men|team=Dayton Flyers|title=Dayton}}

| site_stadium = E. A. Diddle Arena

| site_cityst = Bowling Green, KY

| score = 65–57

| record = 11–6

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = January 28, 1982

| away = yes

| rank =

| opponent = {{cbb link|year=1981|sex=men|team=Austin Peay Governors|title=Austin Peay}}

| site_stadium = Dunn Center

| site_cityst = Clarksville, TN

| score = 48–46

| record = 12–6

| conference = 8–1

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = January 30, 1982

| away = yes

| rank =

| opponent = Murray State

| site_stadium = Racer Arena

| site_cityst = Murray, KY

| score = 60–63

| record = 12–7

| conference = 8–2

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = February 4, 1982

| rank =

| opponent = Eastern Kentucky

| site_stadium = E. A. Diddle Arena

| site_cityst = Bowling Green, KY

| score = 61–34

| record = 13–7

| conference = 9–2

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = February 6, 1982

| rank =

| opponent = Morehead State

| site_stadium = E. A. Diddle Arena

| site_cityst = Bowling Green, KY

| score = 68–53

| record = 14–7

| conference = 10–2

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = February 11, 1982

| away = yes

| rank =

| opponent = Tennessee Tech

| site_stadium = Eblen Center

| site_cityst = Cookeville, TN

| score = 64–70

| overtime = OT

| record = 14–8

| conference = 10–3

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = February 13, 1982

| away = yes

| rank =

| opponent = Middle Tennessee

| site_stadium = Murphy Center

| site_cityst = Murfreesboro, TN

| score = 75–64

| record = 15–8

| conference = 11–3

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = February 18, 1982

| rank =

| opponent = Youngstown State

| site_stadium = E. A. Diddle Arena

| site_cityst = Bowling Green, KY

| score = 63–51

| record = 16–8

| conference = 12–3

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = February 20, 1982

| rank =

| opponent = Akron

| site_stadium = E. A. Diddle Arena

| site_cityst = Bowling Green, KY

| score = 82–68

| record = 17–8

| conference = 13–3

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = February 27, 1982

| nonconf = yes

| rank =

| opponent = {{cbb link|year=1981|sex=men|team=Northern Iowa Panthers|title=Northern Iowa}}

| site_stadium = UNI-Dome

| site_cityst = Cedar Falls, IA

| score = 75–67

| record = 18–8

}}

|-

!colspan=12 style={{NCAA color cell|Western Kentucky Hilltoppers}}| 1982 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = March 5, 1982

| rank =

| seed = 1

| opponent = Morehead State

| oppseed = 4

| site_stadium = E. A. Diddle Arena

| site_cityst = Bowling Green, KY

| gamename = Semifinals

| score = 95–87

| record = 19–8

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = March 6, 1982

| seed = 1

| opponent = Middle Tennessee

| oppseed = 3

| site_stadium = E. A. Diddle Arena

| site_cityst = Bowling Green, KY

| gamename = Championship

| score = 52–54

| record = 19–9

}}

|-

!colspan=12 style={{NCAA color cell|Western Kentucky Hilltoppers}}| 1982 National Invitation Tournament

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = March 10, 1982

| nonconf = yes

| away = yes

| rank =

| opponent = {{cbb link|year=1981|sex=men|team=Purdue Boilermakers|title=Purdue}}

| site_stadium = Mackey Arena

| site_cityst = West Lafayette, IN

| gamename = First Round

| score = 65–72

| record = 19–10

}}

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1981-82 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Basketball Team}}

Category:Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball seasons

Western Kentucky

Western Kentucky Basketball, Men's