1956 NAIA Basketball Tournament

Last updated
1956 (1956) NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament
Teams32
Finals Site Municipal Auditorium
Kansas City, Missouri
Champions McNeese State
(1st title, 1st title game,
1st Fab Four)
Runner-Up Texas Southern
(1st title game,
1st Fab Four)
Semifinalists Pittsburg State
Wheaton (IL)
Coach of the Year John Lance
(Pittsburg State)
Chuck Taylor MVP Bill Reigel
(McNeese State)
  1955 NAIA Division I
Men's Tournaments
1957  

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. [1] 1956 would be the last tournament with unseeded teams.

Contents

The championship game featured McNeese State University and Texas Southern University. It was the first and only appearance for the McNeese State made in the NAIA tournament. The Cowboys beat the Tigers, 60–55.

The third place game featured Pittsburg State who defeated the Wheaton Thunder, 77–70. This tournament featured six all-time leading scorers.

Awards and honors

Many of the records set by the 1956 tournament have been broken, and many of the awards were established much later:

Bracket

First RoundSecond RoundElite EightNAIA National SemifinalsNAIA National Championship
          
Western Illinois State 114
Eastern New Mexico 87
Western Illinois State72
Pacific Lutheran 67
Pacific Lutheran 79
South Dakota State 64
Western Illinois State 76
TOP TIER
Pittsburg State83
Georgia Teachers 81
Southeastern State (OK) 78
Georgia Teachers 72
Pittsburg State99
Pittsburg State 77
Elon 55
Pittsburg State 72
McNeese State78
Eau Claire State 84
Portland State 76
Eau Claire State 61
Tennessee A&I State62
Tennessee A&I State 86
Indiana Central 63
Tennessee A&I State 68
TOP TIER
McNeese State76
Central State (OH) 67
Montana State 66
Central State (OH) 74
McNeese State87
McNeese State 88
Georgetown (KY) 65
McNeese State60
Texas Southern 55
Wheaton (IL) 80
Kalamazoo (MI) 60
Wheaton (IL)74
Stephen F. Austin 66
Stephen F. Austin 72
Coe 64
Wheaton (IL)90
BOTTOM TIER
Gustavus Adolphus 73
Gustavus Adolphus 80
East Tennessee State 60
Gustavus Adolphus69
San Diego State 60
San Diego State 77
Alderson-Broaddus 64
Wheaton (IL) 73
Texas Southern82
Texas Southern 108
Hastings 81
Texas Southern64
Rockhust 61
Rockhurst 81NAIA Third Place Game
Rider 59
Texas Southern85Pittsburg State77
BOTTOM TIER
Midwestern (TX) 82 Wheaton (IL) 70
Midwestern (TX) 87
American International 70
Midwestern (TX)93
Geneva 75
Geneva 74
Arkansas Tech 69

See also

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References

  1. "NAIA.org". Archived from the original on 2009-05-01. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  2. NAIA Championship History Archived 2011-05-23 at the Wayback Machine