1956 NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament
| 1956 NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament | |
|---|---|
| Teams | 32 |
| Finals Site |
Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Missouri |
| Champions |
McNeese State (La.) (1st title, 1st title game, 1st Final Four) |
| Runner-Up |
Texas Southern (1st title game, 1st Final Four) |
| Semifinalists |
Pittsburg State (Ks.) (2nd Final Four) Wheaton (Ill.) (1st Final Four) |
| Coach of the Year | John Lance (Pittsburg State (Kan.)) |
| Chuck Taylor MVP |
Bill Reigel (McNeese State (La.)) |
The 1956 NAIA Division I 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. 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.
Many of the records set by the 1956 tournament have been broken, and many of the awards were established much later:
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.
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