| 1970 NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament | |
|---|---|
| Teams | 32 |
| Champions | Kentucky State (1st title, 1st title game, 1st Fab Four) |
| Runner-Up | Central Washington (1st title game, 3rd Fab Four) |
| Semifinalists | Eastern New Mexico Guilford |
| Coach of the Year | Dean Nicholson (Central Washington) |
| Chuck Taylor MVP | Greg Hyder (Eastern New Mexico) |
Charles Stevenson Hustle Award | David Allen (Central Washington) |
| Top scorer | Travis Grant (Kentucky State) (137 points) |
The 1970 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 33rd annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. [1]
Kentucky State would win the first of three straight National Championship titles, becoming the second team to win three in a row, and the third team to win three titles.
The 3rd place game would go into overtime for second time in tournament history. The 6th seeded Eastern New Mexico State Greyhounds beat the 8th seeded Guilford Quakers 77-72 in one overtime.
| First Round | Second Round | Elite Eight | NAIA National Semifinals | NAIA National Championship | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Stephen F. Austin (TX) | 100 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | South Carolina State | 86 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Stephen F. Austin | 74 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | Augusta State | 71 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Monmouth (NJ) | 64 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | Augusta State (GA) | 85 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Stephen F. Austin | 94 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| TOP TIER | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Guilford | 100 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | Eastern Michigan | 108 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | East Central State (Okla.) | 85 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | Eastern Michigan | 85 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Guilford | 89 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Wayne State (Neb.) | 73 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Guilford (N.C.) | 90 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Guilford | 90 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Kentucky State | 108 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Central State (Ohio) | 69 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | St. Thomas (Minn.) | 60 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Central State (Ohio) | 83 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Wiley | 77 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Wiley (Tex.) | 77 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | Drury (Mo.) | 75 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Central State (Ohio) | 56 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| TOP TIER | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Kentucky State | 66 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | Eau Claire State (Wis.) | 88 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Eastern Montana | 81 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | Eau Claire State | 65 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Kentucky State | 73 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Illinois Wesleyan | 56 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Kentucky State | 64 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Kentucky State | 79 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Central Washington State | 71 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Central Washington State | 77 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | St. Benedict's (Kan.) | 65 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Central Washington State | 66 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | Wartburg | 58 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Northern State (S.D.) | 78 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | Wartburg (Iowa) | 91 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Central Washington State | 72 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| BOTTOM TIER | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Jackson State | 70 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | Hanover (Ind.) | 88 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Arkansas Tech | 94 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Arkansas Tech | 81 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Eastern New Mexico | 84 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Whittier (Calif.) | 66 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Eastern New Mexico | 80 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Central Washington State | 54 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Eastern New Mexico | 53 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Jackson State (Miss.) | 89 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Campbell (N.C.) | 65 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Jackson State | 90 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | Northeastern Louisiana | 83 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Linfield (Ore.) | 72 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | Northeast Louisiana | 78 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Eastern New Mexico | 76 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| BOTTOM TIER | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Maryland State | 74* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | Morris Harvey (W.Va.) | 99 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Western New England (Mass.) | 76 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | Morris Harvey | 78 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Maryland State | 88 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | California State (Pa.) | 67 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Maryland State | 101 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The third place game featured the losing teams from the national semifinalist to determine 3rd and 4th places in the tournament. This game was played until 1988.
| NAIA Third Place Game | ||||
| - | Guilford | 72* | ||
| 6 | Eastern New Mexico | 77 | ||
Travis Grant is a former American basketball small forward in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Los Angeles Lakers. He also was a member of the San Diego Conquistadors, Kentucky Colonels, and Indiana Pacers in the American Basketball Association (ABA). He played college basketball at Kentucky State University.
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