1997 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament
The 1997 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament was the 23rd annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champions of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's Division III collegiate basketball in the United States.
Teams | 64 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Finals site | Salem, Virginia | ||||
Champions | Illinois Wesleyan (1st title) | ||||
Runner-up | Nebraska Wesleyan (1st title game) | ||||
Semifinalists |
| ||||
Winning coach | Dennie Bridges (IWU) | ||||
MOP | Bryan Crabtree (IWU) | ||||
Attendance | 59,784 | ||||
|
The field contained sixty-four teams, and each program was allocated to one of four sectionals. All sectional games were played on campus sites, while the national semifinals, third-place final, and championship finals were contested at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, Virginia.[1]
Illinois Wesleyan defeated Nebraska Wesleyan, 89–86, in the final, clinching their first national title.
The Titans (24–7) were coached by Dennie Bridges. Bryan Crabtree, also from Illinois Wesleyan, was named Most Outstanding Player.
Championship Rounds
National Semifinals | National Championship | |||||||
Alvernia | 82 | |||||||
Illinois Wesleyan | 85 | |||||||
Illinois Wesleyan | 89 | |||||||
Nebraska Wesleyan | 86 | |||||||
Williams | 90 | |||||||
Nebraska Wesleyan | 101 | National Third-place | ||||||
Alvernia | 77 | |||||||
Williams | 78 |
See also
- 1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
- 1997 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament
- 1997 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament
- 1997 NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament
References
- "Division III Men's Basketball Championship" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. p. 24. Retrieved 13 April 2019.