1956 NAIA basketball tournament

College basketball tournament August 2023October 2023 NAIA men's basketball tournament 1956 150px 32 Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Missouri McNeese State 1st 1st 1st 1st Texas Southern 1st Pittsburg State 2nd Wheaton (IL) 1st John Lance Pittsburg State Bill Reigel McNeese State unknown The 1956 NAIA 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.http://naia.cstv.com/ NAIA.org 2020-05-16 https://web.archive.org/web/20090501033134/http://naia.cstv.com/ 2009-05-01 dead 1956 would be the last tournament with unseeded teams. The championship game featured McNeese State University 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, 60–55. The third-place game featured Pittsburg State who defeated the Wheaton Thunder, 77–70. This tournament featured six all-time leading scorers. 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.NAIA Championship History https://web.archive.org/web/20110523103053/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/naia/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/MBBDIChampionshipHistory1223.pdf 2011-05-23 Bracket First round Second round Elite Eight NAIA national semifinals NAIA national championship NAIA third-place game TOP TIER TOP TIER BOTTOM TIER BOTTOM TIER 170 30 no high Western Illinois State 114 Eastern New Mexico 87 Pacific Lutheran 79 South Dakota State 64 Georgia Teachers 81 Southeastern State (OK) 78 Pittsburg State 77 Elon 55 Eau Claire State 84 Portland State 76 Tennessee A&I State 86 Indiana Central 63 Central State (OH) 67 Montana State 66 McNeese State 88 Georgetown (KY) 65 Wheaton (IL) 80 Kalamazoo (MI) 60 Stephen F. Austin 72 Coe 64 Gustavus Adolphus 80 East Tennessee State 60 San Diego State 77 Alderson-Broaddus 64 Texas Southern 108 Hastings 81 Rockhurst 81 - Rider 59 Midwestern (TX) 87 American International 70 Geneva 74 Arkansas Tech 69 Western Illinois State 72 Pacific Lutheran 67 Georgia Teachers 72 Pittsburg State 99 Eau Claire State 61 Tennessee A&I State 62 Central State (OH) 74 McNeese State 87 Wheaton (IL) 74 Stephen F. Austin 66 Gustavus Adolphus 69 San Diego State 60 Texas Southern 64 Rockhurst 61 Midwestern (TX) 93 Geneva 75 Western Illinois State 76 Pittsburg State 83 Tennessee A&I State 68 McNeese State 76 Wheaton (IL) 90 Gustavus Adolphus 73 Texas Southern 85 Midwestern (TX) 82 Pittsburg State 72 McNeese State 78 Wheaton (IL) 73 Texas Southern 82 McNeese State 60 Texas Southern 55 Pittsburg State 77 Wheaton (IL) 70 See also 1956 NCAA basketball tournament 1956 National Invitation Tournament References Category:NAIA men's basketball championship Tournament NAIA men's basketball tournament NAIA men's basketball tournament