The 1941–42 Western Kentucky State Teachers Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky State Normal School and Teachers College (now known as Western Kentucky University) during the 1941-42 NCAA basketball season. The team was led by future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Edgar Diddle. The Hilltoppers won the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association championships, led NCAA in wins, and received an invitation to the 1942 National Invitation Tournament, where they advanced to the championship game. During this period, the NIT was considered to be the premiere college basketball tournament, with the winner being recognized as the national champion.This was the first Kentucky team to participate in the NI