| Season | 1970–71 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teams | 32 | ||||
| Finals site | Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Missouri | ||||
| Champions | Kentucky State (2nd title, 2nd title game, 2nd Final Four) | ||||
| Runner-up | Eastern Michigan (1st title game, 1st Final Four) | ||||
| Semifinalists |
| ||||
| MVP | Travis Grant (Kentucky State) | ||||
| |||||
The 1971 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 34th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. [1]
The championship game featured Kentucky State University for the second time. It was the fourth time since seeding began in 1957 that the number one team won the tournament.
| First round | Second round | Elite Eight | NAIA national semifinals | NAIA national championship | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Kentucky State | 100 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | St. Thomas (Minn.) | 66 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Kentucky State | 73 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | Central Washington State | 59 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Doane (Neb.) | 73 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | Central Washington State | 98 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Kentucky State | 93 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| TOP TIER | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | Grambling State | 81 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | Grambling State (La.) | 88 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Mansfield State (Pa.) | 78 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | Grambling State | 77* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Glassboro State | 75 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Glassboro State (N.J.) | 71 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | East Central State (Okla.) | 60 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Kentucky State | 104 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | Elizabeth City State | 91 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Indiana (Pa.) | 81 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Eastern New Mexico | 72 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Indiana | 72 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | Elizabeth City State | 74 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Western New England (Mass.) | 76 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | Elizabeth City State (N.C.) | 90 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | Elizabeth City State | 90 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| TOP TIER | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Stephen F. Austin State | 88 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | Illinois Wesleyan | 76 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Northern State (S.D.) | 88 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Northern State | 62 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Stephen F. Austin State | 99 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | North Carolina-Asheville | 73 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Stephen F. Austin State (Tex.) | 91 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Kentucky State | 102 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Eastern Michigan | 82 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Eau Claire State (Wis.) | 66 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Southern State (Ark.) | 50 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Eau Claire State | 97 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | Earlham | 76 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Lewis & Clark (Ore.) | 83 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | Earlham (Ind.) | 105 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Eau Claire State | 80 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| BOTTOM TIER | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Eastern Michigan | 87 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | Whittier (Calif.) | 65 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Sacred Heart (Kan.) | 59 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | Whittier | 70 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Eastern Michigan | 71* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Ohio Dominican | 81 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Eastern Michigan | 119 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Eastern Michigan | 89 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Fairmont State | 78 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | North Carolina A&T | 70 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Drury (Mo.) | 53 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | North Carolina A&T | 86* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | Jackson State | 73 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Northwestern (Iowa) | 91 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | Jackson State (Miss) | 96 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | North Carolina A&T | 74 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| BOTTOM TIER | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Fairmont State | 78 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | Augusta State (Ga.) | 71 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Great Falls (Mont.) | 75 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Great Falls | 80 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Fairmont State | 83 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Texas Southern | 78 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Fairmont State (W.Va.) | 79 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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 | ||||
| 12 | Elizabeth City State | 88* | ||
| 2 | Fairmont State | 87 | ||
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