1978–79 Eastern Kentucky Colonels basketball team

The 1978–79 Eastern Kentucky Colonels basketball team represented Eastern Kentucky University during the 1978–79 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Colonels, led by second-year head coach Ed Byhre, played their home games at McBrayer Arena within Alumni Coliseum and were members of the East Division of the Ohio Valley Conference. They finished the season 21–8, 9–3 in OVC play to finish in first place. They were champions of the OVC tournament to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament where they lost in the opening round to No. 8 seed Tennessee.[1]

1978–79 Eastern Kentucky Colonels men's basketball
ConferenceOhio Valley Conference
DivisionEast Division
Record21–8 (9–3 OVC)
Head coach
  • Ed Byhre
Home arenaAlumni Coliseum
1978–79 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
Eastern Kentucky93 .750218  .724
Western Kentucky75 .5831711  .607
Morehead State75 .5831413  .519
Middle Tennessee75 .5831611  .593
Tennessee Tech75 .5831115  .423
Austin Peay39 .250818  .308
Murray State210 .167422  .154
1979 OVC tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll

Roster

1978–79 Eastern Kentucky Colonels men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearHometown
F 5 James Tillman 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Jr Washington, D.C.
Head coach
  • Ed Byhre
Assistant coach(es)

    Legend
    • (C) Team captain
    • (S) Suspended
    • (I) Ineligible
    • (W) Walk-on

    Roster

    [2]

    Schedule and results

    [3]

    Date
    time, TV
    Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site (attendance)
    city, state
    Regular season
    Nov 27, 1978*
    Ball State W 88–86  1–0
    McBrayer Arena 
    Richmond, Kentucky
    Dec 1, 1978*
    at Missouri L 81–82  1–1
    Hearnes Center 
    Columbia, Missouri
    Dec 4, 1978*
    Dayton W 72–70  2–1
    McBrayer Arena 
    Richmond, Kentucky
    Dec 9, 1978*
    Butler W 104–81  3–1
    McBrayer Arena 
    Richmond, Kentucky
    Dec 16, 1978*
    at Charlotte W 86–80  4–1
    Charlotte Coliseum 
    Charlotte, North Carolina
    Dec 20, 1978*
    at Nevada L 84–116  4–2
    Centennial Coliseum 
    Reno, Nevada
    Dec 21, 1978*
    vs. Fresno State W 84–78  5–2
    Centennial Coliseum 
    Reno, Nevada
    Jan 3, 1979*
    at Toledo L 57–82  5–3
    John F. Savage Hall 
    Toledo, Ohio
    Jan 8, 1979*
    at Middle Tennessee W 81–77  6–3
    Murphy Center 
    Murfreesboro, Tennessee
    Jan 13, 1979*
    Austin Peay W 82–73  7–3
    McBrayer Arena 
    Richmond, Kentucky
    Jan 15, 1979*
    Murray State W 73–69  8–3
    McBrayer Arena 
    Richmond, Kentucky
    Jan 20, 1979*
    Tennessee Tech W 112–84  9–3
    McBrayer Arena 
    Richmond, Kentucky
    Jan 27, 1979*
    Morehead State W 97–95  10–3
    McBrayer Arena 
    Richmond, Kentucky
    Jan 29, 1979*
    at Western Kentucky L 65–70  10–4
    E. A. Diddle Arena 
    Bowling Green, Kentucky
    Feb 3, 1979*
    Middle Tennessee W 84–83  11–4
    McBrayer Arena 
    Richmond, Kentucky
    Feb 5, 1979*
    Western Kentucky L 77–78  11–5
    McBrayer Arena 
    Richmond, Kentucky
    Feb 10, 1979*
    at Austin Peay W 69–57  12–5
    Dunn Center 
    Clarksville, Tennessee
    Feb 12, 1979*
    at Murray State W 87–76  13–5
    Racer Arena 
    Murray, Kentucky
    Feb 15, 1979*
    vs. West Virginia W 93–91  14–5
    Charleston Civic Center 
    Charleston, West Virginia
    Feb 19, 1979*
    at Tennessee Tech W 100–72  15–5
    Eblen Center 
    Cookeville, Tennessee
    Feb 24, 1979*
    at Morehead State L 91–98  15–6
    Wetherby Gymnasium 
    Morehead, Kentucky
    Ohio Valley Conference tournament
    Mar 2, 1979*
    Middle Tennessee
    Semifinals
    W 90–81  20–7
    McBrayer Arena 
    Richmond, Kentucky
    Mar 3, 1979*
    Western Kentucky
    Championship game
    W 78–77  21–7
    McBrayer Arena 
    Richmond, Kentucky
    NCAA tournament
    Mar 9, 1979*
    (9 ME) vs. (8 ME) No. 20 Tennessee
    First round
    L 81–97  21–8
    Murphy Center 
    Murfreesboro, Tennessee
    *Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll, (#) during NCAA Tournament is seed within region. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
    ME=Mideast.
    All times are in Eastern Time.

    References

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