| Teams | 32 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finals site | Kemper Arena Kansas City, Missouri | ||||
| Champions | Bethany Nazarene (Okla.) (1st title, 1st title game, 1st Fab Four) | ||||
| Runner-up | Alabama – Huntsville (1st title game, 1st Fab Four) | ||||
| Semifinalists |
| ||||
| Coach of the year | Ken Anderson (Wisconsin–Eau Claire) | ||||
Charles Stevenson Hustle Award | James Mundie (Alabama-Huntsville) | ||||
| Chuck Taylor MVP | George Torres (Bethany Nazarene) | ||||
| Top scorers | Todd Thurman (Bethany Nazarene) George Torres (Bethany Nazarene) (104 points) | ||||
| |||||
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. [1] 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.
| First round | Second round | Elite Eight | NAIA national semifinals | NAIA national championship | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Briar Cliff (Iowa) | 76 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Fairmont State (W. Virginia) | 67 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Briar Cliff | 46 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | Hillsdale | 53 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Dominican (N.Y.) | 64 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | Hillsdale (Mich.) | 70 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | Hillsdale | 65 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| TOP TIER | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Midwestern State | 64 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | Western New Mexico | 55 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Midwestern State (Texas) | 56 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Midwestern State | 104 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Lincoln Memorial | 87 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.) | 71 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Rockhurst (Mo.) | 68 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | Hillsdale | 60 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Alabama-Huntsville | 65 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Alabama-Huntsville | 105 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Norfolk State (Virginia) | 75 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Alabama-Huntsville | 67 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | Oregon College | 62 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Xavier (La.) | 66 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | Oregon College | 98 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Alabama-Huntsville | 94 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| TOP TIER | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Hanover | 74 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | Henderson State (Ark.) | 50 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | South Carolina-Spartanburg | 61 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | South Carolina-Spartanburg | 60 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Hanover | 72 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Hanover (Ind.) | 66 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Fort Hays State (Kan.) | 64 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Alabama-Huntsville | 85* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Bethany Nazarene | 86 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Augsburg (Minn.) | 56 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Drury (Mo.) | 54 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Augsburg | 81 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | Kearney State | 77 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Campbellsville (Ky.) | 96 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | Kearney State (Neb.) | 108 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Augsburg | 69 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| BOTTOM TIER | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Bethany Nazarene | 84 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | Southern Tech (Ga.) | 82 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Franklin Pierce (N.H.) | 75 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Southern Tech | 58 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Bethany Nazarene | 88 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Chicago State (Ill.) | 63 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Bethany Nazarene (Okla.) | 69 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Bethany Nazarene | 62 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Wisconsin–Eau Claire | 54 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Huron (S.D.) | 59 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Gardner–Webb (N. C.) | 52 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Huron | 52 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | Biola | 50 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Central Washington | 42 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | Biola (California) | 57 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Huron | 29 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| BOTTOM TIER | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Wisconsin–Eau Claire | 35 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | Cedarville (Ohio) | 57 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Waynesburg (Pa.) | 60 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Waynesburg | 21 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Wisconsin–Eau Claire | 22 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | St. Mary's (Texas) | 59 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Wisconsin–Eau Claire | 61 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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 | ||||
| 16 | Hillsdale | 60 | ||
| 2 | Wisconsin–Eau Claire | 90 | ||
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