2008 NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2008 Buffalo Funds - NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament was held from March 19 to 25 at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 71st annual NAIA basketball tournament features 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.[1]
| 2008 NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament | |
|---|---|
 2008 Buffalo Funds NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament | |
| Teams | 32 |
| Champions | Oklahoma City (6th title) |
| Runner-Up | Mountain State |
| Semifinalists | Georgetown (KY) Campbellsville |
| Coach of the Year | Ray Harper (Oklahoma City) |
| Chuck Taylor MVP | Kameron Gray (Oklahoma City) |
| Player of the Year | Ollie Bailey (Oklahoma City) |
Charles Stevenson Hustle Award | Eric Palm (McKendree) |
| Attendance | 34,102 |
| Top scorer | Othyus Jeffers (Robert Morris (IL)) (86 points) |
The official announcement of the 32-team field for the 71st Annual Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship occurred late on Tuesday, March 11, with the announcement of the official bracket on Wednesday, March 12 at 5 p.m. CST. Early opening round action between No. 5 Mountain State and Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) went into two long overtimes. This caused a back up in game schedules. The late game featuring Southern Nazarene University and Point Loma Nazarene University was moved back from 10:30pm CST to 11:30pm CST. The late start caused many of the 3,000 fans to leave after halftime. Near the end of the game SNU rallied to tie the SeaLions 67-67 with 14 secs left sending the game into overtime. The game finally ended around 1:30am CST with Point Loma pulling off the upset over SNU. It was the latest finishing NAIA tournament game. Games for the next day started in about 6 hours.
The championship game featured defending champions 7 seed Oklahoma City University and 5 seed Mountain State. Oklahoma City won the game, giving them back to back National Championships in win over Mountain State (75-72). Oklahoma City is the first team since Life University (Ga.) won the '99-'00 titles. Oklahoma City was making its third straight NAIA title game appearance, becoming the first team since Kentucky State University from 1970-72 to so. The Stars were defeated in the 2006 championship game by Texas Wesleyan University, 67-65.
Awards and honors
- Leading scorer: Othyus Jeffers, Robert Morris (Ill.)
- Leading rebounder: Nestor Colmenares, Campbellsville (Ky.)
- Dr. James Naismith-Emil S. Liston Sportsmanship Award: Campbellsville (Ky.)
- Charles A. Krigel Award: Keith Adkins, Campbellsville (Ky.)
- Chuck Walden Memorial Trophy: Kansas City Life Insurance Company
- Frank Cramer Award: John Kornitzer, Buffalo Funds
- Most consecutive tournament appearances: 17th, Georgetown (Ky.)
- Most tournament appearances: Georgetown (Ky.), 27th of 30, appearances to the NAIA Tournament
- Oklahoma City notched its 47th tournament win, moving past Central Washington for sole possession of third place on the all-time list. The Stars trail Georgetown College (Ky.), which has a record 49 wins, and Oklahoma Baptist, which has 48 victories.[2]
2008 NAIA bracket
| First Round March 19, 20 | Second Round March 21 | Quarterfinals March 22 | Semifinals March 24 | NAIA Championship March 25 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Georgetown (Ky.) (32-0) | 83 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Emmanuel (Ga.) (16-17) | 59 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Georgetown (33-0) | 85 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | Trevecca Nazarene (25-8) | 83 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Mobile (Ala.) (22-9) | 58 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | Trevecca Nazarene (Tenn.) (24-8) | 67 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Georgetown (34-0) | 88 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| TOP TIER March 19 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Robert Morris (28-3) | 84 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | Southern Nazarene (Okla.) (23-8) | 73 OT | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) (23-9) | 76 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Point Loma Nazarene (24-9) | 64 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Robert Morris (27-3) | 80 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Carroll (Mont.) (23-8) | 73 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Robert Morris (Ill.) (26-3) | 82 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Georgetown (35-0) | 65 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Mountain State (33-2) | 78 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Mountain State(30-2) | 87 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) (17-14) | 76 (2 OT) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Mountain State (31-2) | 84 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Wayland Baptist (20-12) | 71 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Wayland Baptist (Texas) (19-12) | 89 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | Martin Methodist (Tenn.) (25-7) | 85 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Mountain State (32-2) | 72 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| TOP TIER March 19 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | Azusa Pacific (24-10) | 51 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | Azusa Pacific (Calif.) (22-10) | 61 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Columbia (Mo.) (25-8) | 47 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | Azusa Pacific (23-10) | 83 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | LSU-Shreveport (31-2) | 69 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Science & Arts (Okla.) (17-15) | 69 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | LSU-Shreveport (30-2) | 71 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Mountain State (34-2) | 72 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Oklahoma City (30-7) | 75 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Lambuth (Tenn.) (29-3) | 76 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | St. Xavier (Ill.) (24-8) | 68 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Lambuth (30-3) | 79 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Oklahoma Baptist (23-9) | 89 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Oklahoma Baptist (22-9) | 71 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | Auburn-Montgomery (Ala.) (19-8) | 70 (OT) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Oklahoma Baptist (24-9) | 69 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| BOTTOM TIER March 20 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Campbellsville (25-9) | 74 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | McKendree (Ill.) (26-6) | 73 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Texas Wesleyan (19-10) | 71 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | McKendree (27-6) | 64 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Campbellsville (24-9) | 80 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Campbellsville (Ky.) (23-9) | 72 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Concordia (Calif.) (28-4) | 63 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Campbellsville (26-9) | 64 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Oklahoma City (29-7) | 78 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Oklahoma City (26-7) | 81 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Cumberland (Tenn.) (21-11) | 64 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Oklahoma City (27-7) | 69 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | California Baptist (24-8) | 63 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Xavier (La.) (24-9) | 69 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | California Baptist (23-8) | 77 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Oklahoma City (28-7) | 86 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| BOTTOM TIER March 20 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Lee (33-1) | 66 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) (22-9) | 62 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Cumberlands (Ky.) (19-13) | 75 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Cumberlands (Ky.) (20-13) | 72 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Lee (32-1) | 84 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Langston (Okla.) (15-12) | 67 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Lee (Tenn.) (31-1) | 77 | ||||||||||||||||||||||