NCAA Basketball: Unlikeliest Conference Tournament runs of the Decade

By Joey Loose | Mar 2, 2019

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 12: The Connecticut Huskies celebrate with their trophy after defeating the Louisville Cardinals during the championship of the 2011 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament presented by American Eagle Outfitters at Madison Square Garden on March 12, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images) /

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DAYTON, OH – MARCH 13: Derrick Gordon #5 reacts with teammates O’Karo Akamune #15 and T.J. Price #52 of the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in the second half against the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils in the first round of the 2011 NCAA men’s basketball tournament at UD Arena on March 13, 2012 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

6. Western Kentucky (2012 Sun Belt, 7-seed) (11-18, 7-9)

Despite some impressive history and a string of promising head coaches, things were not going well for Ken McDonald in his fourth year as head coach at Western Kentucky. His Hilltoppers were really struggling, and it was bad enough that it cost him his job after a 5-11 start. Ray Harper took over and the team won a few games down the stretch, but ending the regular season at 11-18 wasn’t exactly a confidence booster.

They headed down to Hot Springs, Arkansas for the Sun Belt Tournament, with a winnable game against 10-seed FIU on the horizon. There wasn’t much expected of this team, but they did manage to hold on for a 4-point victory. Kahlil McDonald had 19 points and hit five 3-pointers and the Hilltoppers had enough offense to get the job done.

A year earlier (as we’ve already covered) a surprise team won the Sun Belt title, and the Hilltoppers would face that team in round two. The Little Rock Trojans were the 2-seed and expected to advance, despite Western Kentucky knocking them off a month earlier. The Trojans held the early lead, but the Hilltoppers shot well in the second half, led by a 25-point, 15-rebound effort from Derrick Gordon. Western Kentucky pulled out a five-point victory, though they were an abysmal 21 of 41 from the free throw line.

Despite the narrow escape, they were facing off the next day with 3-seed Denver. For the third day in a row, they played hard, and they got a lot of shots to fall, making 56% of their field goals, 62% from the 3. Gordon shot poorly but George Fant’s 19 points were enough to elevate the Hilltoppers to an impressive second straight upset win.

For the second year in a row, Cinderella prevailed in the Sun Belt Tournament. For the second straight year, North Texas was waiting in the title game, and once more they would fall. Teeng Akol was the star this time, scoring 23 points, as a freshman-led Western Kentucky team won for the fourth day in a row. They were heading to the NCAA Tournament, despite a midseason coaching chance and a season that seemed completely lost.

Their sensational run took them to the First Four, where they knocked off Mississippi Valley State after being down by 16 earlier in the game. Two days later, they lost by 15 to the Kentucky team that would win the title. Their season was looking desperate, but this team came together and played their best ball in March, giving the Sun Belt its second straight conference tournament shocker.

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