The Hilltoppers will also take on NIT participant Louisiana-Lafayette as part of a 14-contest Sun Belt Conference slate and participate in ESPN Bracket Buster Saturday for the second consecutive season. The Hilltoppers will make one ESPN appearance, have an opportunity to add another on Bracket Buster Saturday, and will appear at least once on Fox Sports Net regionally in addition to televised contests on both the Sun Belt’s regional package and the Hilltopper Sports Satellite Network that have yet to be announced.
Over half of WKU’s games this season come against teams that posted a winning record last year, with six opponents recording 20-win seasons.
In all, Western will have nine home contests on Saturday including its second preseason exhibition. The Toppers open the campaign with a 39-game home winning streak, the longest in the nation.
“It’s a challenging schedule that includes the possibility of facing five NCAA Tournament teams depending on who we draw on Bracket Buster Saturday,” said first-year head coach Darrin Horn. “It will be a huge test for a young team early in the year, but that’s a challenge we’re looking forward to. More than anything, I’m excited that the schedule is finally complete.”
After a pair of exhibition games on Nov. 6 and Nov. 15, Western wastes no time jumping into the fire. The regular season begins Friday, Nov. 21 at Auburn, which finished 22-12 and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament last season, and is followed by another road game Nov. 25 against a Virginia Commonwealth squad that was 18-10 a year ago. The Auburn contest is scheduled to be carried on FOX Sports Net regionally.
The home schedule opens with the annual BB&T Classic, in which the Hilltoppers will play host to Mississippi State at 7 p.m. (CST) on Saturday, Nov. 29 — the Bulldogs advanced to the NCAA Tournament after going 21-10. Western will take on Louisville — which was 25-7 and won its NCAA first-round contest last year — at Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville in a designated home game Dec. 4, then return to E.A. Diddle Arena for contests with Murray State (17-12) on Dec. 7 and NCAA participant Austin Peay (23-8) Dec. 13.
The Hilltoppers close out the month with three of four games on the road. WKU visits Illinois State (Dec. 16), Ball State (Dec. 23 in an ESPN Bracket Buster Saturday return contest) and Fordham (Dec. 30), and faces Evansville (Dec. 20) at home.
Kentucky State (Jan. 3) will be the final tune-up for Sun Belt Conference action, as WKU begins league play with back-to-back road games at Arkansas State (Jan. 7) and South Alabama (Jan. 10). Arkansas-Little Rock (Jan. 15) and ASU (Jan. 17) are the opponents on Western’s first conference weekend at home, with the Hilltoppers facing New Orleans (Jan. 22) on the road before returning to face 20-game winner New Mexico State Saturday, Jan. 24, in a game that will air nationally on ESPN2 at 11 a.m.
UL Lafayette visits Diddle Arena on Jan. 29, with the Toppers ending the month at Florida International two days later.
The final month of the regular season begins with a home game against Middle Tennessee on Feb. 5, with the Toppers playing host to West Virginia Tech Feb. 8 in their final non-conference contest at Diddle Arena. A Feb. 12 date at Denver begins a stretch in which WKU plays four of its final six games on the road. Western plays host to North Texas (Feb. 14), then begins a three-game road trip at UALR (Feb. 19). The Hilltoppers will find out their ESPN Bracket Buster Saturday opponent on Feb. 1, then travel to play that game on Feb. 21, while their final road contest is at Middle Tennessee Feb. 26.
WKU faces FIU at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28, to celebrate Senior Night.
Once again, Diddle Arena will serve as host to the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. The combined men’s and women’s championships will begin March 6 and run through March 9. The winner of the tournament receives an automatic bid to the 2004 NCAA Tournament.
“I am very pleased with the quality of our 2003-04 schedule, especially the marquee home games. Our non-conference schedule carries an average RPI of 94, which should be one of the most competitive non-conference schedules in the country —and that is before factoring in our Bracket Buster Saturday opponent whom will be named later in the season,” WKU Director of Athletics Dr. Wood Selig said. “We could not ask for a better regular season home opener versus 2002 SEC Tournament champion Mississippi State. Our fans are in for a real treat as we reopen completely renovated Diddle Arena this year.
“Of course, we are pleased to finally be playing Louisville this season. We look forward to a capacity crowd for this highly anticipated match-up for our home game in Nashville at the Gaylord Entertainment Center.”
The Hilltoppers have won three consecutive Sun Belt Conference East Division and tournament championships, compiling a 76-21 (78.4%) record during that span. WKU was 24-9, 12-2 in the SBC in 2002-03.
