1955 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament

1955 (1955) NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
Teams 32
Finals Site Municipal Auditorium
Kansas City, Missouri
Champions East Texas State
(1st title, 1st title game,
2nd Final Four)
Runner-Up Southeastern Oklahoma State
(2nd title game,
2nd Final Four)
Semifinalists Western Illinois
(2nd Final Four)
Arkansas Tech
(2nd Final Four)
Coach of the Year Leroy Morley
(Western Illinois)
Chuck Taylor MVP Jim Miller
(East Texas State)
NAIA Men's Division I Tournaments
← 1954 1956 →

The 1955 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 18th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.[1] The 1955 tournament was one for the record books. It featured four of the all-time leading scorers, two single-game best tournament performances, and most free throws made in tournament history.

The championship game featured East Texas State University (now Texas A&M-Commerce) and Southeastern Oklahoma State University. East Texas State defeated SEOSU by a score of 71 to 54. The other teams in the NAIA Semifinals were Western Illinois University and Arkansas Tech. The Leathernecks defeated the Wonder Boys for the 3rd place title by a score of 77 to 74.

Awards and honors

Many of the records set by the 1955 tournament have been broken, and many of the awards were established much later:

1955 NAIA bracket

First Round Second Round Elite Eight NAIA National Semifinals NAIA National Championship
               
- Western Illinois State 76
- Regis (Colo.) 60
- Western Illinois State 86
- Northeast Missouri State 85
- Northeast Missouri State 82
- Georgetown (Ky.) 70
- Western Illinois State 50
TOP TIER
- Gustavus Adolphus 49
- Texas Southern 102
- Adrian (Mich.) 83
- Texas Southern 55
- Gustavus Adolphus 67
- Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.) 78
- Wayland (Texas) 58
- Western Illinois State 61
- Southeastern Oklahoma State 68
- Steubenville (Ohio) 79
- Mississippi Southern 62
- Steubenville 90
- Louisiana Tech 65
- Louisiana Tech 94
- Coe (Iowa) 65
- Southeastern Oklahoma State 96
TOP TIER
- Steubenville 77
- Southeastern Oklahoma State 120
- Middle Tennessee State 67
- Southeastern Oklahoma State 106
- Nebraska Wesleyan 69
- Nebraska Wesleyan 86
- Geneva (Pa.) 80*
- Southeastern Oklahoma State 54
- East Texas State 71
- Southwestern (Kan.) 83
- Loyola (Calif.) 79
- Southwestern (Kan.) 78
- East Texas State 94
- East Texas State 68
- Portland State (Ore.) 55
- East Texas State 66
BOTTOM TIER
- Beloit 57
- Florida State 93
- Montana State 84
- Florida State 88
- Beloit 110
- Beloit (Wis.) 88
- Whitworth (Wash.) 75
- East Texas State 81
- Arkansas Tech 66
- Quincy (Ill.) 84
- St. Francis (N.Y.) 82
- Quincy 84
- Alderson-Broaddus 88
- Alderson-Broaddus (W.Va.) 100
- Minot State (N.D.) 72
- Arkansas Tech 93
BOTTOM TIER
- Alderson-Broaddus 74
- Arkansas Tech 96
- New Haven State (Conn.) 71
- Arkansas Tech 93
- Atlantic Christian 74
- Atlantic Christian (N.C.) 95
- Evansville (Ind.) 88

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
   
- Western Illinois State 77
- Arkansas Tech 74

References

  1. ↑ NAIA.org
  2. ↑ NAIA Championship History

See also

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