BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — With a history and tradition that ranks third all-time in conference championships (41), sixth in 20-win seasons (39), eighth in all-time winning percentage (.673), and 14th in wins (1,606), Western Kentucky University is rated 44th out of 330 Division I men's basketball programs in the ESPN/Sagarin All-Time Rankings released this month. 

In the 1,200-page book, the authors stated, "Western Kentucky has a tradition and fan base that almost any other team in the country would envy." 

Along with the impressive figures listed above, the Hilltoppers have made 21 NCAA Tournament appearances as well as 13 trips to the NIT.  WKU has seven Sweet 16 appearances and one Final Four. 

The book rates the 1970-71 Final Four team as the best in school history, writing, "In the NCAA Tournament, WKU knocked off Artis Gilmore and Jacksonville, 74-72, pummeled Kentucky, 107-83, in the first meeting ever between the schools, and survived Ohio State, 81-78, in overtime.  Villanova ended the run with a 92-89 double-overtime win in the Final Four." 

The two best players happen to be WKU's two consensus All-Americans in Clem Haskins (1964-67) and Jim McDaniels (1968-71).  Haskins was a three-time Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year and nine-time NBA All-Star after being selected by Chicago with the number three pick in the 1967 NBA Draft.  McDaniels is one of the school's two all-time leading scorers with 2,238 points.  A two-time OVC Player of the Year, the seven-footer played eight seasons in the ABA and NBA. 

Recent star Courtney Lee (2004-08), who is tied with McDaniels atop the WKU scoring list with 2,238 points, could also make a claim as one of the best players in WKU history.  After leading the Toppers to the 2008 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, he was selected by the Orlando Magic in the first round and promptly helped the Magic to the 2009 NBA Finals as a rookie. 

Throughout the program's 90 seasons of basketball, ESPN and Sagarin picked the top five players of all-time as: Lee (G, 2004-08), Dwight Smith (G, 1964-67), Haskins (F, 1964-67), Tom Marshall (F, 1950-54), and McDaniels (C, 1968-71).

But it's not just great players who have suited up for the Hilltoppers.  Many schools may claim to be the "Cradle of Coaches" when it comes to men's basketball, but WKU has the evidence to back it up.  WKU has gone to the NCAA Tournament under the greatest number of head coaches than anyone else in NCAA history.  Eleven different head men have directed the Hilltoppers to the Big Dance. 

WKU is not just about history, either, as the Hilltoppers have continued to add to their trophy cases in recent years.  Over the past two seasons, only 18 teams have won a game in the NCAA Tournament in both 2008 and 2009.  WKU joins Siena, Memphis, and Xavier as the only four teams not from a BCS conference to do so. 

Looking back over the last 10 years, WKU trails only 27 of 73 men's basketball programs from BCS automatic qualifying conferences in NCAA Tournament appearances.  And earlier this week, Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com named WKU as one of the 10 best non-BCS automatic qualifying schools for the upcoming 2009-10 season. 

Second-year head coach Ken McDonald has the 2009-10 Hilltoppers poised to add to WKU's history with a team picked as the overwhelming favorite to win the Sun Belt Conference East Division.  A return to the NCAA Tournament for a third-straight year would tie the longest stretch in school history.