1959 NAIA basketball tournament

The 1959 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 22nd annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. The 1959 Tournament is the first tournament to use the 16-seed system, which was used until the 2015.

1959 NAIA men's basketball tournament

Season	1958–59
Teams	32
Finals site	Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Missouri
Champions	Tennessee State (3rd title, 3rd title game, 3rd Final Four)
Runner-up	Pacific Lutheran (1st title game, 2nd Final Four)
Semifinalists	Southwest Texas State (2nd Final Four) Fort Hays State (1st Final Four)
Coach of the year	Bob Davis (Georgetown (Ky.))
Charles Stevenson Hustle Award	Roger Iverson (Pacific Lutheran (Wash.))
MVP	Dick Barnett (Tennessee State)
NAIA men's basketball tournament «1958 1960»

The championship game again featured Tennessee State University. The Tigers defeated the Lutes of Pacific Lutheran University. It would be the first time any school would win three consecutive tournaments; a feat only repeated once, by Kentucky State, in 1970, 1971, and 1972. It was also the first tournament that didn't feature an upset in the championship game and first time a "true" number 1 seed won the tournament since seeding began in 1957.

Awards and honors

Many of the records set by the 1959 tournament have been broken, and many of the awards were established much later:

• Leading scorer est. 1963
• Leading rebounder est. 1963
• Player of the Year est. 1994
• Most consecutive tournament victories; continues: 18 overall; 5 in 1959, Tennessee State, 1957-58-59-60
• Most rebounds: 32, Ken Remley, West Virginia Wesleyan vs. Whittier (Calif.)
• All-time leading scorer; second appearance: Charles Sharp, 5th Southwest Texas State (1957,59,60) 12 games, 118 field goals, 69 free throws, 305 total points, 25.4 average per game
• All-time leading scorers; final 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.

1959 NAIA bracket

	First round					Second round					Elite Eight					NAIA national semifinals					NAIA national championship
	1	Tennessee State	75
	-	Nebraska Wesleyan	57
						1	Tennessee State	89
						9	Youngstown	80
	9	Youngstown (Ohio)	85
	-	Northern State (S.D.)	76
											1	Tennessee State	131
	TOP TIER
											8	Illinois State Normal	74
	13	Culver-Stockton (Mo.)	66
	-	Fairleigh Dickinson (N.J.)	77
						-	Fairleigh-Dickinson	64
						8	Illinois State Normal	68
	-	Troy State (Ala.)	50
	8	Illinois State Normal	98
																1	Tennessee State	64
																5	Southwest Texas State	62
	5	Southwest Texas State	93
	-	Linfield (Ore.)	61
						5	Southwest Texas State	61
						12	Westminster (Pa.)	58
	-	Connecticut Teachers	76
	12	Westminster (Pa.)	79
											5	Southwest Texas State	80
	TOP TIER
											16	Lenoir-Rhyne	78
	-	Northern Michigan	67
	16	Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.)	90
						16	Lenoir-Rhyne	88
						4	Grambling State	78
	-	Christian Brothers (Tenn.)	70
	4	Grambling State (La.)	81
																					1	Tennessee State	97
																					3	Pacific Lutheran	87
	3	Pacific Lutheran (Wash.)	78
	-	Western Montana	60
						3	Pacific Lutheran	68
						14	Central State (Okla.)	57
	-	Kentucky State	65
	14	Central State (Okla.)	72
											3	Pacific Lutheran	97
	BOTTOM TIER
											-	Georgia Teachers	65
	11	Platteville State (Wis.)	84
	-	Georgia Teachers	91
						-	Georgia Teachers	73
						6	Indiana State	70
	-	Morningside (Iowa)	67
	6	Indiana State	87
																3	Pacific Lutheran	80
																15	Fort Hays State	71
	15	Fort Hays State (Kan.)	73
	-	Westminster (Utah)	60
						15	Fort Hays State	59
						-	Arkansas State Teachers	48
	7	Pikeville (Ky.)	67
	-	Arkansas State Teachers	70
											15	Fort Hays State	98
	BOTTOM TIER
											2	West Virginia Wesleyan	83
	-	Austin (Texas)	79
	10	Minnesota-Duluth	87
						10	Minnesota-Duluth	75
						2	West Virginia Wesleyan	90
	-	Whittier (Calif.)	64
	2	West Virginia Wesleyan	84

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.

	NAIA third-place game
	5	Southwest Texas State	87
	15	Fort Hays State	80

See also

• 1959 NCAA University Division basketball tournament
• 1959 NCAA College Division basketball tournament