Teams | 32 | ||||
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Finals site | Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Missouri | ||||
Champions | Marshall (1st title, 1st title game, 1st Final Four) | ||||
Runner-up | Mankato State (1st title game, 1st Final Four) | ||||
Semifinalists |
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MVP | Irvin Leifer (Eastern Washington) | ||||
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The 1947 NAIA National Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 10th annual men's basketball tournament of what is now the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. [1]
It would be the first time since 1945 the NAIA Semifinalist would feature four new teams. Becoming the 3rd tournament to do so, and a feat that would not be repeated until 1965.
The championship game featured Marshall defeating Mankato State, 73–59. The third place game featured Arizona State-Flagstaff, now Northern Arizona, defeating Emporia State, 47–38.
1947 kicked off the "golden age" of NAIA National Tournaments. Harold Haskins became the first of 16 all-time leading scorers. Coach John Wooden withdrew Indiana State from the tournament because the NAIB would not allow black student-athlete Clarence Walker to play. [2] The NAIB changed in time for Walker to play for Indiana in the 1948 tournament.
Many of the records set by the 1947 tournament have been broken, and many of the awards were established much later:
First round March 11, 1947 | Second round March 12, 1947 | Elite Eight | NAIA national semifinals | NAIA national championship | |||||||||||||||
Beloit | 75 | ||||||||||||||||||
Arkansas State | 60 | ||||||||||||||||||
Beloit | 63 | ||||||||||||||||||
Texas Wesleyan | 53 | ||||||||||||||||||
Texas Wesleyan | 84 | ||||||||||||||||||
Linfield | 50 | ||||||||||||||||||
Beloit | 52 | ||||||||||||||||||
TOP TIER | |||||||||||||||||||
Emporia State | 55 | ||||||||||||||||||
Canterbury (IN) | 68 | ||||||||||||||||||
Western Carolina | 55 | ||||||||||||||||||
Canterbury | 48 | ||||||||||||||||||
Emporia State | 60 | ||||||||||||||||||
Emporia State | 78 | ||||||||||||||||||
Lawrence Tech | 54 | ||||||||||||||||||
Emporia State | 55 | ||||||||||||||||||
Marshall | 56* | ||||||||||||||||||
Dakota Wesleyan | 44 | ||||||||||||||||||
Southern Illinois | 39 | ||||||||||||||||||
Dakota Wesleyan | 48 | ||||||||||||||||||
Eastern Washington State | 62 | ||||||||||||||||||
Eastern Washington State | 51 | ||||||||||||||||||
Culver–Stockton | 48 | ||||||||||||||||||
Eastern Washington State | 48 | ||||||||||||||||||
TOP TIER | |||||||||||||||||||
Marshall | 56 | ||||||||||||||||||
Hamline | 71 | ||||||||||||||||||
New Mexico | 49 | ||||||||||||||||||
Hamline | 54 | ||||||||||||||||||
Marshall | 55 | ||||||||||||||||||
Marshall | 113 | ||||||||||||||||||
River Falls State | 80 | ||||||||||||||||||
Marshall | 73 | ||||||||||||||||||
Mankato State | 59 | ||||||||||||||||||
Whittier | 70 | ||||||||||||||||||
Northwestern State (LA) | 56 | ||||||||||||||||||
Whittier | 49 | ||||||||||||||||||
NE Missouri State | 51 | ||||||||||||||||||
NE Missouri State | 76 | ||||||||||||||||||
Delta State | 58 | ||||||||||||||||||
Arizona State-Flagstaff | 59 | ||||||||||||||||||
BOTTOM TIER | |||||||||||||||||||
NE Missouri State | 55 | ||||||||||||||||||
Arizona State-Flagstaff | 49 | ||||||||||||||||||
Youngstown | 45* | ||||||||||||||||||
Arizona State-Flagstaff | 44 | ||||||||||||||||||
Houston | 42*** | ||||||||||||||||||
Houston | 60 | ||||||||||||||||||
Montana State | 58 | ||||||||||||||||||
Arizona State-Flagstaff | 46 | ||||||||||||||||||
Mankato State | 52 | ||||||||||||||||||
Hastings | 53 | ||||||||||||||||||
Loyola Maryland | 44 | ||||||||||||||||||
Hastings | 42 | ||||||||||||||||||
Southeastern State | 48 | ||||||||||||||||||
Southeastern State (OK) | 53 | NAIA third-place game | |||||||||||||||||
Eastern Illinois State | 42 | ||||||||||||||||||
Southeastern State | 44 | Arizona State-Flagstaff | 47 | ||||||||||||||||
BOTTOM TIER | |||||||||||||||||||
Mankato State | 50 | Emporia State | 38 | ||||||||||||||||
Mankato State | 71 | ||||||||||||||||||
Loras | 63 | ||||||||||||||||||
Mankato State | 65 | ||||||||||||||||||
DePauw | 54 | ||||||||||||||||||
DePauw | 82 | ||||||||||||||||||
Oglethorpe | 30 |
Black people have been participating in American college basketball for over a century.
The 1939 NAIA basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 3rd annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. This was also the year the NCAA basketball tournament was started.
The 1940 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 4th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1981 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. The 44th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. The championship game featured Bethany Nazarene College and the University of Alabama in Huntsville. It was the first time the championship game that went into overtime. Bethany Nazarene edged out Alabama-Huntsville with the final score of 86-85 (OT). 1981 was also the first year the NAIA held a women's national basketball championship tournament. For the second time since 1963, the year the award was established, there was a tie for the leading scorer. Todd Thurman, and George Torres both scored 104 over course of the 1981 tournament. There have been no ties since. And for the first time since the Coach of the Year Award was established, Ken Anderson, won Coach of the Year for the second time. No other coach has won the award twice.
The 1967 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 30th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. There were only 3 upsets in this tournament. The championship game featured St. Benedict's College (Kan.) and Oklahoma Baptist University. The Ravens would defeat the Biso 71–65. The 3rd place game featured Central Washington University defeating Morris Harvey College by a score of 106 to 92. 1967 was the final year of 21 straight tournaments to have a player make it on the all-time leading scorers list. The streak that began with Harold Haskins in 1947 ended with Al Tucker in 1967. This streak had peaked in 1957 when 7 all-timers played in one tournament. It is argued that this marked the end of the "golden age" of NAIA basketball. It was the third tournament won by the number one seed.
The 1948 NAIA basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 11th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1949 NAIA basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 12th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1950 NAIA basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 13th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1951 NAIA basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 14th Annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1952 NAIA basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 15th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. In 1952, the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball (NAIB) changes its name to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)
The 1953 NAIA basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 16th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1954 NAIA basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 17th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1955 NAIA basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 18th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1956 NAIA basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 19th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. 1956 would be the last tournament with unseeded teams.
The 1957 NAIA basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 20th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1958 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 21st annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1959 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 22nd annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. The 1959 Tournament is the first tournament to use the 16-seed system, which was used until the 2015.
The 1960 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 23rd annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
In 1947–48 Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball season, the Sycamores were led by coach John Wooden, NAIB All-American Duane Klueh and future NBA players, John Hazen and Bob Royer. The Sycamores finished as the national runner-up with a record of 27–7; they lost to Louisville by a score of 82-70 in the title game. This season represented Indiana State's second NAIA Final Four, its second national title game and its second national runner-up finish.
In the 1948–49 Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball season, the Sycamores were led by coach John Longfellow, NAIB All-American Duane Klueh and future NBA players, John Hazen and Bob Royer. They lost to Regis (CO) in 2OT in the NAIA National Semi-finals. The Sycamores finished as the National 4th place team with record of 24–8. This season represented Indiana State's 3rd NAIA Final Four.