Ralph Crosthwaite

Ralph E. Crosthwaite (November 13, 1935 – October 28, 1999) was an American basketball player who is best known for his collegiate career at Western Kentucky University (WKU) between 1954–55 and 1958–59. Within the WKU community, he is considered to be one of the greatest players in program history.

Collegiate basketball career

Freshman Crosthwaite enrolled at WKU in the fall of 1954. At this time in NCAA athletics, freshmen were allowed to play varsity sports (not long thereafter, a rule was instituted where college freshmen had to wait until their sophomore season to play varsity sports). The , 240 pound (109 kg) center made an immediate impact in his first season, averaging 16.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. The Hilltoppers compiled an 18–10 (8–2 Ohio Valley Conference) record en route to the regular season conference championship. He was named to the All-OVC Team, which at the time did not distinguish between First Team or Second Team selections. The following year, in what would have been Crosthwaite's true sophomore season, he did not play for personal reasons. In 1995, Western Kentucky University enshrined him their athletics hall of fame.