The 1956 NAIA 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 tournament with unseeded teams.

1956 NAIA men's basketball tournament
Season1955–56
Teams32
Finals siteMunicipal Auditorium
Kansas City, Missouri
ChampionsMcNeese State (1st title, 1st title game,
1st Final Four)
Runner-upTexas Southern (1st title game,
1st Final Four)
Semifinalists
Coach of the yearJohn Lance (Pittsburg State)
MVPBill Reigel (McNeese State)
NAIA men's basketball tournament
«1955 1957»

The championship game featured McNeese State University 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, 60–55.

The third-place game featured Pittsburg State who defeated the Wheaton Thunder, 77–70. This tournament featured six all-time leading scorers.

Awards and honors

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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]

Bracket

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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 79
South Dakota State 64
Western Illinois State 76
TOP TIER
Pittsburg State 83
Georgia Teachers 81
Southeastern State (OK) 78
Georgia Teachers 72
Pittsburg State 99
Pittsburg State 77
Elon 55
Pittsburg State 72
McNeese State 78
Eau Claire State 84
Portland State 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 (OH) 67
Montana State 66
Central State (OH) 74
McNeese State 87
McNeese State 88
Georgetown (KY) 65
McNeese State 60
Texas Southern 55
Wheaton (IL) 80
Kalamazoo (MI) 60
Wheaton (IL) 74
Stephen F. Austin 66
Stephen F. Austin 72
Coe 64
Wheaton (IL) 90
BOTTOM TIER
Gustavus Adolphus 73
Gustavus Adolphus 80
East Tennessee State 60
Gustavus Adolphus 69
San Diego State 60
San Diego State 77
Alderson-Broaddus 64
Wheaton (IL) 73
Texas Southern 82
Texas Southern 108
Hastings 81
Texas Southern 64
Rockhurst 61
Rockhurst 81 NAIA third-place game
Rider 59
Texas Southern 85 Pittsburg State 77
BOTTOM TIER
Midwestern (TX) 82 Wheaton (IL) 70
Midwestern (TX) 87
American International 70
Midwestern (TX) 93
Geneva 75
Geneva 74
Arkansas Tech 69

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "NAIA.org". Archived from the original on May 1, 2009. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  2. ^ NAIA Championship History Archived 2011-05-23 at the Wayback Machine