1956 NAIA Men's Basketball Tournament

The 1956 NAIA Men's Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 19th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.[1] 1956 would be the last year for unseeded teams going into the tournament. The championship game featured McNeese State University (La.) and Texas Southern University. It was the first and only appearance for the McNeese State made in the NAIA tournament. The Cowboys beat the Tigers 60 to 55. The third place game featured Pittsburg State University (Ks.) Gorillas who defeated the Wheaton College (Ill.) Thunder 77 to 70. This tournament featured six all-time leading scorers.

1956 (1956) NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament
Teams32
ChampionsMcNeese State (La.)
(1st title, 1st title game,
1st Fab Four)
Runner-UpTexas Southern
(1st title game,
1st Fab Four)
SemifinalistsPittsburg State (Ks.)
Wheaton (Ill.)
Coach of the YearJohn Lance
(Pittsburg State (Kan.))
Chuck Taylor MVPBill Reigel
(McNeese State (La.))

Awards and honors

Many of the records set by the 1956 tournament have been broken, and many of the awards were established much later:

  • Leading scorer est. 1963
  • Leading rebounder est. 1963
  • Charles Stevenson Hustle Award est. 1958
  • Player of the Year est. 1994
  • Top single-game performances: Jim Spivey of Southeastern Oklahoma vs State Georgia Southern. Spivey scored 17 field goals 9 free throws, totaling 43 points.
  • Most free throws made; career: 120 free throws made by Jim Spivey of Southeastern Oklahoma State (1954,55,56,57).
  • All-time leading scorers; first appearance: Dick Barnett, 3rd, Tennessee State (1956,57,58,59) 18 games, 186 field goals, 79 free throws, 451 total points 25.1 average per game, Charles Curtis, 8th, Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) (1956,57,58,59) 14 games 101 field goals, 85 free throws, 287 total points, 20.5 average per game, Roger Iverson, 20th, Pacific Lutheran (1956,57,58,59) 14 games, 109 field goals, 23 free throws, 241 total points, 17.2 average per game, and John Barnhill, 21st, Tennessee State (1956,57,58,59) 17 games, 104 field goals, 27 free throws, 235 total points, 13.8 average per game.
  • All-time leading scorer; second appearance: Bennie Swain, 6th Texas Southern (1955,56,57,58) 15 games, 119 field goals, 64 free throws, 302 total points, 20.1 average per game.
  • All-time leading scorer; third appearance: James Spivey, 4th, Southeastern Oklahoma (1954,55,56,57) 13 games, 133 field goals, 120 free throws, 386 total points, 29.7 average per game.[2]

1956 NAIA bracket
First Round Second Round Elite Eight NAIA National Semifinals NAIA National Championship
               
- Western Illinois State 114
- Eastern New Mexico 87
- Western Illinois State 72
- Pacific Lutheran 67
- Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) 79
- South Dakota State 64
- Western Illinois State 76
TOP TIER
- Pittsburg State 83
- Georgia Teachers 81
- Southeastern Oklahoma State 78
- Georgia Teachers 72
- Pittsburg State 99
- Pittsburg State (Kan.) 77
- Elon (N.C.) 55
- Pittsburg State 72
- McNeese State 78
- Eau Claire State (Wis.) 84
- Portland State (Ore.) 76
- Eau Claire State 61
- Tennessee A&I State 62
- Tennessee A&I State 86
- Indiana Central 63
- Tennessee A&I State 68
TOP TIER
- McNeese State 76
- Central State (Ohio) 67
- Montana State 66
- Central State (Ohio) 74
- McNeese State 87
- McNeese State (La.) 88
- Georgetown (Ky.) 65
- McNeese State 60
- Texas Southern 55
- Wheaton (Ill.) 80
- Kalamazoo (Mich.) 60
- Wheaton 74
- Stephen F. Austin 66
- Stephen F. Austin (Texas) 72
Coe (Iowa) 64
- Wheaton 90
BOTTOM TIER
- Gustavus Adolphus 73
- Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.) 80
- East Tennessee State 60
- Gustavus Adolphus 69
- San Diego State 60
- San Diego State 77
- Alderson-Broaddus (W.Va.) 64
- Wheaton 73
- Texas Southern 82
- Texas Southern 108
- Hastings (Neb.) 81
- Texas Southern 64
- Rockhust 61
- Rockhurst (Mo.) 81
- Rider (N.J.) 59
- Texas Southern 85
BOTTOM TIER
- Midwestern 82
- Midwestern (Texas) 87
- American International (Mass.) 70
- Midwestern 93
- Geneva 75
- Geneva (Pa.) 74
- Arkansas Tech 69

3rd 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.

NAIA Third Place Game
   
- Pittsburg State 77
- Wheaton 70

References
  1. "NAIA.org". Archived from the original on 2009-05-05. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  2. NAIA Championship History Archived 2009-05-05 at WebCite
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