Ty Rogers, whose game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer in overtime gave WKU a 101-99 win over Drake in the 2008 NCAA Tournament’s first-round and earned him the ESPY Award for “Best Finish,” was presented the trophy by WKU President Dr. Gary Ransdell on Friday. The presentation was part of a WKU men’s basketball themed breakfast hosted by Humana and the Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce at the
“People still love to talk about the shot, and it never gets old for me,”
Ransdell, the keynote speaker at the event, discussed the 10 building blocks that WKU emphasizes in solidifying the foundation for an elite men’s basketball program:
- Sell Out Crowds
- Consistent Quality Coaching
- Top 25 National Ranking
- Embrace Tradition
- Competitive Team Scheduling
- Long-Term Recruiting Practices
- Excellent Graduation Rates
- Outstanding Facilities
- Live TV Broadcast Home and Away
- Supportive Community
“We are excited about the season ahead, and we are excited about the foundation that is in place for men’s basketball,” Ransdell said. “Our goal is to be a consistent top 25 program, and with the people and resources we have along with the tremendous community support we enjoy, there is no reason why that cannot happen. It was also great to have Ty Rogers here and relive the excitement of his game-winning shot. That was a national moment, and it helped elevate the WKU brand on many levels.”
WKU head basketball coach Ken McDonald and his staff were also in attendance. “I have said it many times, but it is truly great to be a part of WKU basketball again,” McDonald said. “I was recruiting the other day and the person I was talking to told me the other schools he was considering, and it was an impressive list. However, I told him to get on the internet and count up the total combined NCAA appearances that each of the other schools had that he was considering. He called me back and told me it was 19. WKU has 20. That shows you how much history and tradition we have here.”
The event opened and closed with a basketball highlight video, prizes were awarded, and the WKU pep band and cheerleaders provided entertainment and interacted with the crowd.
WKU, the defending Sun Belt Conference tournament champions and a 2008 “Sweet 16” participant, begins its 2008-09 regular season schedule on November 15 at
WKU Basketball By The Numbers
- 40 conference championships, third-most in NCAA history.
- 38 seasons with 20+ wins, sixth-most in NCAA history.
- 35 All-Americans.
- 33 national post-season tournament appearances.
- 20 NCAA tournament berths.
- 15th in NCAA history in all-time wins (1,581).
- 13 NIT appearances.
- 8th in NCAA history in all-time winning percentage (.672).
- 7 “Sweet 16” appearances in NCAA tournament.
- NCAA Final Four in 1971.
