The 1968 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 31st annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.[1]

1968 NAIA men's basketball tournament
Season1967–68
Teams32
Finals siteMunicipal Auditorium
Kansas City, Missouri
ChampionsCentral State (Ohio) (2nd title, 2nd title game,
2nd Final Four)
Runner-upFairmont State (W.Va.) (1st title game,
2nd Final Four)
Semifinalists
Coach of the yearJack Dobbins (Northeastern State (Okla.))
Charles Stevenson
Hustle Award
Mike Malone (Wisconsin-Oshkosh)
MVPJohn Jamerson (Fairmont State (W.Va.))
Top scorerRon Hayek (Wisconsin-Oshkosh)
(116 points)
NAIA men's basketball tournament
«1967 1969»

Awards and honors edit

  • Leading scorer: Ron Hayek, Wisconsin-Oshkosh; 5 games, 47 field goals, 22 free throws, 116 total points (23.2 average points per game)
  • Leading rebounder: Wayne Denham, Fairmont State (W.Va.); 5 games, 68 total rebounds (13.6 average rebounds per game)
  • Player of the Year: est. 1994[2]

1968 NAIA bracket edit

First round Second round Elite Eight NAIA national semifinals NAIA national championship
               
1 Guilford (NC) 78
- Oshkosh State (Wis.) 80
- Oshkosh State 82
- Eastern Montana 75
- Eastern Montana 83
16 Wayne State (Neb.) 70
- Oshkosh State 57
TOP TIER
- Drury 55
9 Union (Ky.) 69
- Drury (Mo.) 75
- Drury 85
8 Northeastern State 69
- Athens (Al.) 72
8 Northeastern State (Okla.) 89
- Oshkosh State 74
- Fairmont State 76
5 St. Cloud State (Minn.) 88
- Millersville State (Pa.) 77
5 St. Cloud State 68
- Dickinson State 70
- Dickinson State (N.D.) 76
12 Washburn (Kan.) 71
- Dickinson State 81
TOP TIER
- Fairmont State 86
13 Albany State (Ga.) 68
- New Haven (Conn.) 69
- New Haven 72
- Fairmont State 97
- Fairmont State (W.Va.) 78
4 Oklahoma Christian 75
- Fairmont State 48
3 Central State (Ohio) 51
3 Central State (Ohio) 81
- Millikin (Ill.) 64
3 Central State (Ohio) 60
14 Valdosta State 53
- Westmar (Iowa) 57
14 Valdosta State (Ga.) 62
3 Central State (Ohio) 66
BOTTOM TIER
10 Central Washington State 47
10 Central Washington State 95
- Albuquerque (N.Mex.) 72
10 Central Washington State 85
7 Alcorn A&M 70
- Henderson State (Ark.) 70
7 Alcorn A&M (Miss.) 79
3 Central State (Ohio) 72
6 Westminster (Pa.) 51
6 Westminster (Pa.) 69
- Pasadena (Calif.) 67
6 Westminster (Pa.) 70
11 Monmouth 69
- Bishop (Tex.) 91
11 Monmouth (N.J.) 102
6 Westminster (Pa.) 92
BOTTOM TIER
- Eastern Michigan 84
15 Hanover (Ind) 107
- Southern Oregon State 59
15 Hanover 81
- Eastern Michigan 94
- Eastern Michigan 82
2 Stephen F. Austin (Tex.) 80

Third-place game edit

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
   
- Oshkosh State 102
6 Westminster (Pa.) 68

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "NAIA.org". Archived from the original on May 1, 2009. Retrieved March 26, 2009.
  2. ^ NAIA. "NAIA Championship History" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 23, 2011. Retrieved March 26, 2009.