1988 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament

The 1988 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament was the 14th 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.

1988 NCAA Division III
men's basketball tournament

Finals site	Grand Rapids, Michigan
Champions	Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops (1st title)
Runner-up	Scranton Royals (3rd title game)
Semifinalists	Hartwick Hawks (1st Final Four) Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves (3rd Final Four)
Winning coach	Gene Mehaffey (OWU)
MOP	Scott Tedder (OWU)
Attendance	34,373
NCAA Division III men's tournaments «1987 1989»

Held during March 1988, the field included thirty-two teams and the final championship rounds were contested at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Ohio Wesleyan defeated Scranton, 92–70, to claim their first NCAA Division III national title.

Bracket

Regionals

	'First Round					Regional Championship
	North Adams State		75
	SE Massachusetts		91
						SE Massachusetts		85
						Clark		86
	Clark (MA)		82
	Southern Maine		79			Regional Third-place
						North Adams State		60
						Southern Maine		84

	First Round					Regional Championship
	Cabrini		51
	Scranton		59
						Scranton		61
						Franklin & Marshall		47
	Alleghany		61
	Franklin & Marshall		63			Regional Third-place
						Cabrini		66
						Allegheny		93

	First Round					Regional Championship
	Buffalo State		73
	Potsdam		70
						Buffalo State		53
						Hartwick		54
	Hartwick		80
	Staten Island		73			Regional Third-place
						Potsdam		93
						Staten Island		80

	First Round					Regional Championship
	Bridgewater (VA)		50
	Trenton State		87
						Trenton State		82
						Emory & Henry		72
	Emory & Henry		72
	Stockton State		59			Regional Third-place
						Bridgewater (VA)		70
						Stockton State		72

	First Round					Regional Championship
	Illinois Wesleyan		99
	Monmouth (IL)		74
						Illinois Wesleyan		91
						Millikin		74
	Millikin		101
	Wisconsin–Whitewater		86			Regional Third-place
						Monmouth (IL)		93
						Wisconsin–Whitewater		103

	First Round					Regional Championship
	Ohio Northern		70
	Ohio Wesleyan		77
						Ohio Wesleyan		110**
						Hope		107
	Hope		80
	Muskingum		75			Regional Third-place
						Ohio Northern		69
						Muskingum		43

	First Round					Regional Championship
	Nebraska Wesleyan		72
	Saint John's (MN)		64
						Nebraska Wesleyan		69
						Dubuque		64
	Claremont Mudd Scripps		78
	Dubuque		80			Regional Third-place
						Saint John's (MN)		92
						Claremont Mudd Scripps		75

	First Round					Regional Championship
	Centre (KY)		73
	Rust		67
						Centre (KY)		59
						Washington St. Louis		74
	Christopher Newport		62
	Washington St. Louis		64			Regional Third-place
						Rust		74
						Christopher Newport		63

National finals

	National quarterfinals					National semifinals					National championship
	Clark		55
	Scranton		73
						Scranton		84
						Hartwick		61
	Hartwick		84
	Trenton State		69
											Scranton		70
											Ohio Wesleyan		92
	Illinois Wesleyan		103
	Ohio Wesleyan		106
						Ohio Wesleyan		87			National third-place game
						Nebraska Wesleyan		71
	Nebraska Wesleyan		58								Hartwick		70
	Washington St. Louis		55								Nebraska Wesleyan		73

See also

• 1988 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
• 1988 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament
• 1988 NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament
• 1988 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament