Western Kentucky clinched a berth in the NCAAs last night by knocking off Richard Pitino and the Florida International Panthers. The Hilltoppers will be making their fourth NCAA appearance since 2008, when current Celtics guard Courtney Lee led them to the Sweet 16.
Here are five things you probably didn’t know about the Hilltoppers:
1. They’ve been to the Final Four. Led by 6-11 All-American Jim McDaniels, WKU reached college basketball’s zenith in 1971. That team went 20-5 and lost to Villanova in double overtime in the national semifinals. It then defeated Kansas in the national third-place game back when that still existed. McDaniels went on to a seven-year career in both the ABA and the NBA.
2. They have a lot of NCAA Tournament history. In addition to the Final Four appearance in ’71, WKU has made 23 NCAA Tournament appearances and has won 19 games in the Big Dance.
3. They’ve already busted some brackets. WKU was the 7-seed when it improbably won the Sun Belt Conference tournament and stole the league’s automatic bid last season. It was the 6-seed (20-15 overall record) when it did the same this season.
4. Their mascot looks like a muppet. Seriously, what is that thing? It’s like Grimace’s red brother. “Big Red” as he’s colloquially known, is said to embody the spirit of WKU students and alumni. Who knew, a furry red blob could embody anything other than ketchup.
5. They really are hill-toppers. The Western Kentucky campus sits on top of the highest point in south-central Kentucky. In an unrelated note, 6-11 center Teeng Akol is one of the coolest players in the NCAA Tournament. Maybe it’s his name is Teeng Akol. Maybe it’s because he looks like Manute Bol. Either way, he’s fun to watch.
Sign up for the SheridanHoops/Sportsbook Bracket Challenge. $100,000 first prize.
NCAA Tournament Teams Five Facts Index
Kels Dayton is a freelance writer whose work has also appeared in SLAM Magazine. You can check out more of his work at RoundballDaily.com. Follow him on Twitter @RoundballDaily.