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).
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.