Teams | 32 | ||||
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Finals site | Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Missouri | ||||
Champions | Rocky Mountain College (1st title) | ||||
Runner-up | Columbia College (1st title game) | ||||
Semifinalists |
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Coach of the year | Bill Dreikosen (Rocky Mountain) | ||||
Player of the year | Geoff Payne (Westminster (Ut.)) | ||||
Charles Stevenson Hustle Award | Nate Richardson (Rocky Mountain) | ||||
Chuck Taylor MVP | Devin Uskoski (Rocky Mountain) | ||||
Attendance | 38,502 | ||||
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The 72nd Buffalo Funds - NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held from March 18 to 24 at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 72nd annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. The Heart of America Athletic Conference was the host conference for the tournament. [1] This was the Heart of America Athletic Conference's first year as a Division I conference.
The tournament got off to a surprising start, as five higher seeded teams lost on the opening day, including top-seeded Rogers State, who lost to William Jewell, who had only qualified for the tournament by receiving the Heart of America Athletic Conference's host bid into the field.
In the end, two unseeded teams, Rocky Mountain College of Montana and Columbia College of Missouri—neither of whom had ever won a game at the tournament prior to 2009—met in the championship game, having each disposed of three higher-ranked teams along the way. Rocky Mountain won the championship with a 77-61 victory, claiming Rocky's first national basketball title. [2]
First round March 18, 19 | Second round March 20 | Elite Eight March 21 | NAIA national semifinals March 23 | NAIA national championship March 24 | ||||||||||||||||||||
1 | Rogers State (Okla.) | 73 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
- | William Jewell (Mo.) | 76 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
- | William Jewell | 67 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Auburn-Montgomery | 83 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Auburn-Montgomery (Ala.) | 72 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | Cumberland (Tenn.) | 62 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Auburn-Montgomery | 76 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
TOP TIER March 18 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | Robert Morris | 87 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | Fresno Pacific (Calif.) | 67 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Tougaloo (Miss.) | 69 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Tougaloo | 69 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | Robert Morris | 89 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Montana State-Northern | 73 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | Robert Morris (Ill.) | 76* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | Robert Morris | 70 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Rocky Mountain | 75 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Mountain State (W. Va.) | 88 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
- | LSU-Shreveport | 76 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Mountain State | 79 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | Concordia | 85 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Oklahoma Christian | 55 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | Concordia (Calif.) | 70 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | Concordia | 64 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
TOP TIER March 19 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Rocky Mountain | 72 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) | 77 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Rocky Mountain (Mont.) | 78* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Rocky Mountain | 71 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Central Methodist | 62 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Central Methodist (Mo.) | 73 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Georgetown (Ky.) | 64 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Rocky Mountain | 77 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Columbia | 61 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
3 | Union (Tenn.) | 82 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Science and Arts (Okla.) | 63 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
3 | Union | 64 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Columbia | 83 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Columbia (Mo.) | 72 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | Lee (Tenn.) | 69 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Columbia | 50 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
BOTTOM TIER March 18 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | Westminster | 47 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 81 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Jarvis Christian (Texas) | 65 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | Cumberlands | 62 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | Westminster | 67 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Biola (Calif.) | 63 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | Westminster (Utah) | 68* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Columbia | 60 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
- | MidAmerica Nazarene | 56 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | McKendree (Ill.) | 83 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Northwestern Oklahoma State | 58 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | McKendree | 87 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | Texas Wesleyan | 75 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 69 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | Texas Wesleyan | 75 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | McKendree | 55 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
BOTTOM TIER March 19 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
- | MidAmerica Nazarene | 59 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | Azusa Pacific (Calif.) | 72 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
- | MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) | 78 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
- | MidAmerica Nazarene | 64 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2 | Oklahoma Baptist | 63 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Life (Ga.) | 81 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2 | Oklahoma Baptist | 90 |
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