| Type: | NAIA men's basketball tournament |
| Year: | 1938 |
| Gender: | Men's |
| Teams: | 32 |
| Fabfourarena: | Municipal Auditorium |
| Fabfourcity: | Kansas City, Missouri |
| Champions: | Central Missouri State |
| Titlecount: | 2nd |
| Champgamecount: | 2nd |
| Champffcount: | 2nd |
| Runnerup: | Roanoke |
| Gamecount: | 1st |
| Runnerffcount: | 1st |
| Semifinal1: | Murray State |
| Fabfourcount1: | 1st |
| Semifinal2: | Washburn |
| Fabfourcount2: | 1st |
| Attendance: | unknown |
The 1938 NAIA basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The second annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.[1]
This was the first tournament to expand to 32 teams. The tournament featured the only forfeit in tournament history when Western Kentucky State forfeited to Simpson due to the Hilltoppers not showing up. Drake was a last second replacement for Cheyney Normal who could not make it to Kansas City on time.[2] The first-round game between Delta State University (Miss.) and Drury gave the first overtime in tournament history. Delta State beat Drury College 52–51 in one overtime.
The championship game featured Central Missouri State defending their first national championship over Roanoke, making them the first team to win back-to-back titles. It would be the last year without a Chuck Taylor Most Valuable Player Award.[3]
Many of the records set by the 1938 tournament have been broken, and many of the awards were established much later: