In a wild first-round NCAA Tournament matchup versus 14th-ranked Drake that saw 70 three-point field goal attempts and 30 made three-point attempts (both NCAA records) senior Hilltopper point guard Tyrone Brazelton led all scorers with 33 points while delivering big shot after big shot for WKU.

Brazelton hit 6-of-10 from beyond the arc and overall was 11-of-20 from the floor while adding five rebounds and five assists for the Toppers. Despite all of his offensive prowess it was Brazelton’s unselfishness that led to his most memorable play in the game. Trailing 99-98 with 5.7 seconds left in overtime, Tyrone raced the ball downcourt in a play that was designed for him to take the ball to the rim but as he crossed halfcourt he spotted fellow senior Ty Rogers open on the right wing. Brazelton kicked the ball to Rogers who drilled a 26-foot desperation shot at the buzzer giving WKU  a heart-stopping 101-99 victory.

“I can’t give Tyrone enough credit for what he did,” said Rogers. “We pretty much wanted the ball to be in his hands to make the last play, but I told him before we threw the ball in, ‘Don’t be afraid to kick it out.’  He did a great job of finding me.”

Hilltopper Memories From The Glory Days

By: John Oldham, Jr.

I can still remember the first time I set foot in Diddle Arena when my father, Coach John Oldham, took over the reins from the Diddle legend back in the early 60’s. It was an awe-inspiring and cavernous building to me. Heck, I was just about 12 years old, and this was the biggest basketball arena I had ever seen. I had heard about it, but never visited it in person, and it was impressive and even then you could hear the echos vibrate around you from the main court in while it was empty, I could only imagine what it would be like with 11,000 or more fans cheering and screaming. Very cool indeed! I realized I was now a Hilltopper, and had no idea what that meant, much less what a Hilltopper was, I had spent most of my youth in Cookeville, Tennessee, where my father had coached at Tennessee Tech. I knew even then that Diddle Arena was something special, and that Western was big-time, and there I was standing alone, center-court, yelling and listening to the echos and only imagining what was to come.

My first real great memory of the early 60’s teams that my father coached was the Clem Haskins-era teams. As a young kid, I got a full pass to run around and explore Diddle Arena during practices, I found every little nook and hiding place that there was in there. I got to run free in the dressing rooms, shot ball with the players at times, got kidded a lot from them and just ate it all up. And the actual games were something, the large crowds, the winning, the cheering, it was something else, and I would always go to the locker rooms after the game to see the players and just soak the whole atmosphere in. Yes, it was nice indeed to be the coach’s son during that time.

The best fun was the road trips, from time to time I would travel with the team – by bus to the OVC games and by air on longer trips. I would get to sit on the bench, way, way down at the end or right behind the bench, out of the way of course. And man, did I learn some new language at those OVC away games – the Murray and Eastern games were always the nastiest crowds, they were unmerciful with what they yelled, taunted and did. I was always surprised at my dad’s patience and calmness in those packed gyms in the OVC. He often told me that they were just jealous of Western’s success and this was their biggest game, and they measured their own success against how they did against Western. He said facing adversity in a storm strengthens your character and if you remain focused and are prepared, it can only bring you success.

His teams during that time I think often fed off Coaches’ calmness and confidence. He never got rattled it seemed, and always spoke calm and smooth in the huddles. Even when we were behind or maybe getting bad calls, he would call a timeout and just calmly tell the team to focus, persevere and play together as a team. Must’ve worked, don’t know how many times they would just come back on the court and change the game and usually win.

The Clem Haskin’s team was something special, they were a truly a “band of brothers” – black and white, didn’t matter, they lived together, played together and hung out together. My real memories are of Clem, Greg and Dwight Smith. They were the leaders on that team. Clem was always serious, but had a light hearted side to him, I remember him shooting, shooting and shooting all the time at practice, before and after. Greg was the funny one on the team, he had a smile that was contagious, and he kept everyone loose and relaxed. Dwight just worked and worked, he loved to play defense more than anything. I can’t remember the game, but Dwight stole the ball three straight times from this guard on the opposing team every time he crossed mid-court, and their coach yelled something out at this guard and the guard yelled back – “Coach he knows where I’m going before I do” – and that was Dwight, he had such tremendous natural instincts, and quick feet, and those long arms and big hands. He was a demon on defense.

Clem, well what can you say about him that you haven’t heard – his shot was smooooooth baby, he would come down and just rise up over the top of his defensive player and release at the very apex of his jump and poof! right through the net, but sometimes he would rise up to shoot and everyone on defense would turn around for the rebound (which were few) and he would just flick his wrist and pass it down under the basket to a teammate for an easy shoot.

Greg, was a bit of everything, great defense, solid offense, he just made the team run on all cylinders it seemed, sort of the glue that held everyone together, and of course, his light-hearted style and personality kept everyone loose during pre-game and timeouts. There were a lot of role players, and I can’t think of everyone, so I apologize for not naming others. But they were “brothers” in every sense.

During their junior and senior years, they truly were one of the top 10 teams in the nation. I still think we could’ve or should’ve won two national championships during that time. First, the “worst call in history” happened during the NCAA semi’s against Michigan and Cazzie Russell. I’m sure everyone has heard about it. Honzo, still remember that bum, made that historical bad call. If not, WKU wins plays Kentucky and most likely set up to play Texas Western for title later on. Then their senior year, Clem gets his legs cut out from under him at a Diddle game against Murray (still believe its was cheap shot). Breaks his arm… man, another bad break for Toppers. But, I remember him playing in a cast the rest of the season. The Dayton NCAA game that year, I think Clem came in at half time, Toppers were down a few points, and he tears off his cast and they just wrap tape around it for second half, think he came out on fire, but Tops lost by just a few to end their season and I believe Dayton went on to finish 2nd maybe that year. Both of those years, Tops could’ve won it all.

I often think of if they had the 3-point line during that time, phew, Clem would’ve averaged 40 points a game easily. He never really worried about points, just wins and keep the team play going. He was so unselfish, so many times he passed up easy little 12 to 15 foot jumpers to hit a wide open teammate.

I remember that during those junior and senior seasons, Coach would have the team over to our house for a pre-game meal. We would all hang out downstairs in our basement, shooting pool, ping-pong, whatever… they would just relax and have fun. Coach wanted to get them out of the main stream pressure of being nationally ranked, reporters calling them, friends and family bugging them sometimes. They would just relax, have fun together, eat and horse around before home games. Then they would all get in their cars and drive to Diddle a few hours before the game.

Something else most people aren’t aware of during this time was the racial climate in the country, it was still pretty tough on the African American man and woman. I didn’t truly realize the prejudice out there, as I just looked at both black and white as basketball players, good guys and my idols. But, one road trip that I traveled on with the team, we were coming back from an OVC game and stopped at a little diner and the team all walked in to eat a post-game meal, and the manager said he didn’t serve “blacks”. My dad just gave him a stare I still remember, first time I had ever seen him really get upset. The manager saw it too, and said something like “oh, we’ll serve the white boys, and you can take out some meals to those black boys they can eat on your bus”. Coach just didn’t even blink, told the boys we’re leaving and if we can’t eat together as a team we’ll find someplace else. Turned around and the boys had already walked out to the bus and didn’t even hear Coach say that.

That’s the way there were, brothers, teammates, all in it together. Truly opened my eyes to the real world at that time, and the ignorant scumbags out there. Even at away games in the OVC and down south, there were racial slurs and taunting from the fans before and after games, even a few choice words written on the team bus after the game. Coach just kept the team together and I remember one time he asked one of the players “Joe, look over there at Greg, is he black?” and Joe just replied “Black, naw Coach he’s just a ball player and my teammate and friend”. Cool stuff during some weird turbulent times in the south in the mid-60’s.

Of course, I still remember the day that Dwight and his sister were killed in a car wreck after his senior season and after he had been drafted to the pros. We were at home, and dad got a phone call, he just stood their motionless, and I saw tears start running down his cheeks – it was the first time I had seen my father cry. He hung the phone up and turned around and said Dwight had been killed and walked outside. He still doesn’t like to talk about it much, and told me that Dwight was one of the finest young men he had ever coached, said he would have been a tremendous pro ballplayer, that he would be have been the new prototype big guard. Still makes me sad, Dwight was a great human being.

Okay, next time I’ll talk about the Big Mac era team and memories…

Senior point guard Orlando Mendez-Valdez recorded perhaps the best game of his career in a 2009 second round NCAA Tournament matchup versus 10th-ranked and 4th-seeded Gonzaga.

The 2008-09 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year scored 17 of his career-high tying 25 points in the opening nine minutes of the game as he helped pace the Toppers to a 37-35 lead at the end of the first half.

Mendez-Valdez hit 9-of-12 shots from the field in the game including a sizzling 7-of-10 from three-point range. Trailing by nine with just over two minutes to play, the Hilltoppers made a furious rally and a fall-away three-pointer by Mendez-Valdez closed the Toppers to within four at 81-77 with a minute remaining.

On the next possession OMV hit a streaking Steffphon Pettigrew who slammed home the basket to pull the Toppers to within two at 81-79. After a tip-in basket by Pettigrew on the next Hilltopper possession tied the game at 81 with 7.2 seconds remaining Gonzaga drove the length of the court and hit the gamewinner as the horn sounded to end WKU’s chance at its second straight Sweet 16 appearance.

WKU All-American Clem Haskins teamed with fellow Hilltopper Dwight Smith to lead WKU to a 105-86 pounding of Loyola (Ill.), the nation’s 4th-ranked team in this 1966 opening round matchup in Iowa City, Ia.

Haskins and Smith used their speed and quickness to score almost at will on the Ramblers. While Smith scored mainly on a variety of twisting drives and layups Haskins dazzled the crowd with his long-range shooting.

The 6′ 3″ Campbellsville, Ky, native scored 25 points on 11-of-17 shooting from the floor and 3-of-5 from the free throw line. He also pulled down 9 rebounds in the game.

After defeating the Memphis State Tigers in the opening round of the 1993 NCAA Tournament, the 20th-ranked Hilltoppers squared off against the 6th-ranked Seton Hall Pirates in Orlando, Fla.

5’8″ point guard Mark Bell led the charge for the Hilltoppers in the game as the Louisville native scored 20 points and hit big shot after big shot in the game. His three-pointer with 3:41 left put the Hilltoppers ahead of Seton Hall for good.

Bell sank 4-of-7 three-point shots on the night. On another occasion he yanked down a rebound near the foul line, drove and lobbed a shot over Seton Hall’s 7’2″ center Luther Wright.

Seton Hall coach P.J. Carlesimo stated, “Bell hurt us with his three-pointers, but he hurt us more with the aggressiveness with which he played the game.”

Hilltopper great Bobby Rascoe led WKU to one of its most impressive wins in NCAA Tournament history in this 1960 first round game versus 10th-ranked Miami (Fla.). 1,200 Hilltopper fans made the trek to Lexington on that snowy March night to see WKU record its first ever NCAA Tournament victory. (For the previous two decades the Hilltoppers had almost exclusively participated in the NIT Tournament rather than the NCAA Tournament).

A jumper by Rascoe with 9:20 remaining in the first half gave Western a one point lead at 25-24. It was a lead that they would never relinquish. The Rascoe-led Hilltoppers pushed the margin out to as much as 76-47 around midway in the second half before Coach E.A. Diddle inserted subs for the remainder of the game.

Three nights later on March 11, the Toppers played the eventual national champion Ohio State Buckeyes neck and neck until midway in the second half. The Buckeye’s depth eventually wore down the smaller Hilltoppers and allowed OSU to pull away for a 98-79 win.

In the most infamous game in WKU history, 6’5″ Hilltopper senior center Steve Cunningham played one of his finest games. The Chaffee, Missouri native poured in 24 points on 11-of-21 shooting from the floor and 2-of-4 from the free throw line versus the #9 ranked Wolverines.

Cunningham’s 15-footer with 24 seconds remaining gave the Hilltoppers a 79-78 lead and then with 16 seconds remaining Topper forward Wayne Chapman swiped a Wolverine pass and was fouled by a disgusted Michigan player. Chapman missed the free throw attempt and Hilltopper forward Greg Smith was tied up by a Michigan player after grabbing the rebound. On the ensuing jumpball a foul was called on Smith while he was in the air going for the tip. All-American Cazzie Russell went to the free throw line where he sank two shots with just 11 seconds remaining giving the Wolverines an 80-79 lead.

Clem Haskins missed a 17-footer with 3 seconds left in the game that would have won it for the Hilltoppers and set up the first-ever meeting between WKU and uk.

10. Courtney Lee

(March 21, 2008 — WKU 72 vs San Diego 63) -  (29 points, 7 rebounds)

In a second round NCAA Tournament matchup with San Diego Hilltopper All-American Courtney Lee scored 29 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and added 3 steals in a 72-63 WKU victory.

The 6′ 5″ senior guard scored on a wide array of shots while shooting 9-of-15 from the floor and 7-of-8 from the free throw line. Lee scored 19 of his points in the first 20 minutes on 8-of-11 shooting.

San Diego coach Bill Grier commented on Lee,”He hit big shots all day. I think he’s a future NBA kid. He played a terrific game at the right time.”

Cezar was forced to sit out his junior season because of transfer rules and he has also fought through some injuries in the past but he is now healthy and beginning to show everyone his true potential. Guerrero is also one of the top recruiting targets for Hilltopper head coach Ken McDonald. Cezar talks about WKU and where the Hilltoppers currently stand in the recruiting battle for the California phenom in the following interview.

>> READ INTERVIEW

As a rookie with the Orlando Magic Lee scored 8.4 ppg and was a starter on the Magic’s NBA runner-up squad in 2009. Traded to the New Jersey Nets prior to last season, Lee had another productive year scoring at a clip of 12.5 ppg.

As a freshman at WKU in 2004-05, Lee burst onto the scene averaging 14.9 ppg and 5.7 rpg in helping lead the Toppers to a 22-8 record. Today we’re looking back at some photos from Courtney’s freshman year on the Hill. Click on the thumbnails for larger images.