2003 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament

2003 NCAA Division III
men's basketball tournament

Teams	48
Finals site	Salem, Virginia
Champions	Williams (1st title)
Runner-up	Gustavus Adolphus (1st title game)
Semifinalists	Wooster (1st Final Four) Hampden-Sydney (2nd Final Four)
Winning coach	Dave Paulsen (Williams)
MOP	Benjamin Coffin (Williams)
Attendance	50,870
NCAA Division III men's tournaments « 2002 2004 »

The 2003 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament was the 29th annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champions of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's Division III collegiate basketball in the United States.

The field contained forty-eight teams, and each program was allocated to one of four sectionals. All sectional games were played on campus sites, while the national semifinals, third-place final, and championship finals were contested at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, Virginia. ^[1]

Williams defeated Gustavus Adolphus, 67–65, in the championship, clinching their first national title.

The Ephs (31–1) were coached by Dave Paulsen. Paulsen would later coach at Division I programs Bucknell and George Mason.

Benjamin Coffin, also from Williams, was named Most Outstanding Player.

Bracket

Top left sectional

	First round				Second round				Sectional semifinals				Sectional finals
					Randolph–Macon	72*
					Alvernia	69
	Alvernia	58
	Mary Washington	53
									Randolph–Macon	47
									UW–Oshkosh	53
	UW–Oshkosh	78
	MSOE	56
					UW–Oshkosh	84
					Hope	77
													UW–Oshkosh	63
													Hampden–Sydney	68
					Hampden–Sydney	56
					SCAD	54
	Christopher Newport	61
	SCAD	66
									Hampden–Sydney	76
									Illinois Wesleyan	68
	Illinois Wesleyan	79
	Blackburn	59
					Illinois Wesleyan	85
					Washington–St. Louis	73

Bottom left sectional

	First round				Second round				Sectional semifinals				Sectional finals
					Rockford	72
					Buena Vista	84
	Buena Vista	96
	Illinois College	66
									Buena Vista	62
									Occidental	67
	Trinity (TX)	66
	Aurora	67
					Aurora	61
					Occidental	80
													Occidental	56
													Gustavus Adolphus	74
					UW–Stevens Point	62
					Gustavus Adolphus	75
	Gustavus Adolphus	65
	Whitworth	55
									Gustavus Adolphus	79
									Hanover	66
	Maryville (TN)	70
	Mississippi College	58
					Maryville (TN)	64
					Hanover	68

Top right sectional

	First round				Second round				Sectional semifinals				Sectional finals
					Williams	94
					Salem State	67
	Salem State	81
	St. Joseph's (ME)	76
									Williams	76
									Hamilton	65
	Hamilton	93
	Colby–Sawyer	68
					Hamilton	72
					St. John Fisher	68
													Williams	91
													Amherst	74
					Amherst	84
					Southern Vermont	60
	Southern Vermont	63
	Lasell	60
									Amherst	74
									Rochester	68
	Clark (MA)	82
	Western Connecticut	84
					Western Connecticut	62
					Rochester	73

Bottom right sectional

	First round				Second round				Sectional semifinals				Sectional finals
					Ursinus	75
					Scranton	77
	Scranton	58
	Buffalo State	56
									Scranton	64
									Wooster	75
	John Carroll	85
	Pitt–Bradford	65
					John Carroll	75
					Wooster	77
													Wooster	68
													Ramapo	64
					Ramapo	92
					Kings Point	76
	Kings Point	63
	CCNY	57
									Ramapo	89
									Montclair State	80
	Montclair State	74
	Elizabethtown	69
					Montclair State	95
					Catholic	78

National finals

• Site: Salem Civic Center, Salem, Virginia

	National semifinals				National championship
	Hampden–Sydney	68
	Gustavus Adolphus	79
					Gustavus Adolphus	65
					Williams	67
	Williams	74
	Wooster	72**			National third-place
					Hampden–Sydney	74
					Wooster	78

See also

• 2003 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
• 2003 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament
• 2003 NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament
• 2003 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament
• 2003 NAIA Division II men's basketball tournament

References

1. "Division III Men's Basketball Championship" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. p. 24. Retrieved April 20, 2019.