1956 NAIA Men's Basketball Tournament
The 1956 NAIA Men's 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 year for unseeded teams going into the tournament. The championship game featured McNeese State University (La.) 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 to 55. The third place game featured Pittsburg State University (Ks.) Gorillas who defeated the Wheaton College (Ill.) Thunder 77 to 70. This tournament featured six all-time leading scorers.
| 1956 NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament | |
|---|---|
| Teams | 32 |
| Champions | McNeese State (La.) (1st title, 1st title game, 1st Fab Four) |
| Runner-Up | Texas Southern (1st title game, 1st Fab Four) |
| Semifinalists | Pittsburg State (Ks.) Wheaton (Ill.) |
| Coach of the Year | John Lance (Pittsburg State (Kan.)) |
| Chuck Taylor MVP | Bill Reigel (McNeese State (La.)) |
Awards and honors
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]
1956 NAIA bracket
| 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 (Wash.) | 79 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | South Dakota State | 64 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Western Illinois State | 76 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| TOP TIER | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Pittsburg State | 83 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Georgia Teachers | 81 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Southeastern Oklahoma State | 78 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Georgia Teachers | 72 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Pittsburg State | 99 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Pittsburg State (Kan.) | 77 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Elon (N.C.) | 55 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Pittsburg State | 72 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | McNeese State | 78 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Eau Claire State (Wis.) | 84 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Portland State (Ore.) | 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 (Ohio) | 67 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Montana State | 66 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Central State (Ohio) | 74 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | McNeese State | 87 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | McNeese State (La.) | 88 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Georgetown (Ky.) | 65 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | McNeese State | 60 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Texas Southern | 55 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Wheaton (Ill.) | 80 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Kalamazoo (Mich.) | 60 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Wheaton | 74 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Stephen F. Austin | 66 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Stephen F. Austin (Texas) | 72 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coe (Iowa) | 64 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Wheaton | 90 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| BOTTOM TIER | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Gustavus Adolphus | 73 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.) | 80 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | East Tennessee State | 60 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Gustavus Adolphus | 69 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | San Diego State | 60 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | San Diego State | 77 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Alderson-Broaddus (W.Va.) | 64 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Wheaton | 73 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Texas Southern | 82 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Texas Southern | 108 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Hastings (Neb.) | 81 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Texas Southern | 64 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Rockhust | 61 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Rockhurst (Mo.) | 81 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Rider (N.J.) | 59 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Texas Southern | 85 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| BOTTOM TIER | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Midwestern | 82 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Midwestern (Texas) | 87 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | American International (Mass.) | 70 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Midwestern | 93 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Geneva | 75 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Geneva (Pa.) | 74 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| - | Arkansas Tech | 69 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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 | ||||
| - | Pittsburg State | 77 | ||
| - | Wheaton | 70 | ||
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References
- "NAIA.org". Archived from the original on 2009-05-05. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
- NAIA Championship History Archived 2009-05-05 at WebCite
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