The 1941 NAIA basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 5th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.[1]

1941 NAIA men's basketball tournament
Teams32
Finals siteMunicipal Auditorium
Kansas City, Missouri
ChampionsSan Diego State (1st title, 3rd title game,
3rd Final Four)
Runner-upMurray State (1st title game,
2nd Final Four)
Semifinalists
MVPCharles Thomas (Northwestern State)
NAIA men's basketball tournament
«1940 1942»

The third time was the charm for the San Diego State Aztecs. After losing the previous two years to Southwestern College and Tarkio College, the Aztecs finally won beating Murray State, 36–34.

It also was the first time that the tournament MVP was awarded to a player whose team did not win the championship, or make the NAIA Final Four (Charles Thomas played for Northwestern State which lost in the second round to Texas Wesleyan. San Diego State was the first team to make it to the championship game three times.

Awards and honors

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Many of the records set by the 1941 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
  • Coach of the Year est. 1954
  • Player of the Year est. 1994[2]

Bracket

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First round Second round Elite Eight NAIA national semifinals NAIA national championship
          
West Texas State 77
Dubuque 39
West Texas State 52
St. Mary’s (MN) 39
Saint Mary’s (MN) 38
Tarkio 28
West Texas State 54
TOP TIER
Delta State 34
Superior State 51
Morningside 42
Superior State 45
Delta State 53
Delta State 52
Sioux Falls 35
West Texas State 40
San Diego State 43
Northwestern State (LA) 50
Central Missouri State 43
Northwestern State (LA) 47
Texas Wesleyan 56
Texas Wesleyan 71
Evansville 62
Texas Wesleyan 42
TOP TIER
San Diego State 44
Culver-Stockton 40
Texas Western 26
Culver-Stockton 41*
San Diego State 46
San Diego State 46
Western Montana 29
San Diego State 36
Murray State 34
Stephen F. Austin 64
Simpson 50
Stephen F. Austin 28
NW Missouri State 34
NW Missouri State 35
Dakota Wesleyan 31
NW Missouri State 43
BOTTOM TIER
Murray State 46
Alma 43
Panhandle A&M 24
Alma 33
Murray State 51
Murray State 68
Oregon College 46
Murray State 35
Santa Barbara 33
Appalachian State 63
Baker (KS) 42
Appalachian State 48
Baltimore 36
Baltimore 52 NAIA Third-place game
Omaha 35
Appalachian State 29 West Texas State 43
BOTTOM TIER
Santa Barbara 36 Santa Barbara 35
Santa Barbara 32
Wayne State (NE) 26
Bemidji State 29*
Santa Barbara 31
Bemidji State 35
Pittsburg State 33
  •  * denotes overtime.

See also

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References

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