1972 NAIA basketball tournament explained

Type:NAIA men's basketball tournament
Year:1972
Teams:32
Finalfourarena:Municipal Auditorium
Finalfourcity:Kansas City, Missouri
Champions:Kentucky State
Titlecount:3
Champgamecount:3
Runnerup:Wisconsin Eau Claire
Gamecount:1
Runnerffcount:1
Semifinal1:Stephen F. Austin
Finalfourcount1:1
Semifinal2:Gardner Webb
Finalfourcount2:1
Coty:Ken Anderson
Cotyschool:Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Mvp:Travis Grant
Mvpteam:Kentucky State
Hustle:Frank Schade
Hustleschool:Wisconsin Eau Claire
Attendance:unknown

The 1972 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 35th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.[1]

This year was the first and only tournament since seeding began in 1957 that all 4 top seeded teams made it to the national semi-finals. Seeding was changed in 2016, so each bracket is now seeded 1 thru 8. Kentucky State became the second team to win three titles in a row, joining Tennessee State (1957, 1958, 1959).

Awards and honors

1972 NAIA bracket

Third-place game

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.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: NAIA.org . https://web.archive.org/web/20090501033134/http://naia.cstv.com/ . 2009-05-01 . dead . 2009-04-19 .
  2. Web site: NAIA Championship History . NAIA . https://web.archive.org/web/20110523103053/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/naia/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/MBBDIChampionshipHistory1223.pdf . 2011-05-23 . dead . 2009-04-19 .