1963 NAIA basketball tournament

The 1963 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held March 11–16 at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 26th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. This tournament did not feature any games going into overtime. This was the first tournament to feature a Leading Scorer, and Leading Rebounder awards. They were presented to Mel Gibson, Willis Reed and Lucious Jackson respectively. In the inaugural year of the Leading Scorer award, there was a tie. This would not happen again until 1981.

1963 NAIA men's basketball tournament

Season	1962–63
Teams	32
Finals site	Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Missouri
Champions	Pan American (Texas) (1st title, 1st title game, 1st Final Four)
Runner-up	Western Carolina (N.C.) (1st title game, 1st Final Four)
Semifinalists	Grambling (La.) (2nd Final Four) Fort Hays State (Kan.) (2nd Final Four)
Coach of the year	Fred Hodby (Grambling (La.))
Charles Stevenson Hustle Award	Gil Luttrell (Carson–Newman (Tenn.))
MVP	Lucious Jackson (Pan American (Texas))
Top scorers	Mel Gibson (Western Carolina) Willis Reed (Grambling (La.)) (137 points)
NAIA men's basketball tournament «1962 1964»

Awards and honors

• Leading scorers; tie: Mel Gibson, Western Carolina (N.C.) 5 games, 60 field goals 17 free throws 137 total points (27.4 average points per game) and Willis Reed, Grambling (La.) 5 games, 58 field goals, 21 free throws, 137 total points (27.4 average points per game)
• Leading rebounder: Lucious Jackson, Pan American (Texas), 5 games, 93 rebounds (18.6 rebounds per game)
• Player of the Year: est. 1994
• Most rebounds; career continues: 180, Lucious Jackson, Pan American (Texas), (1962,63,64)
• All-time leading scorer; second appearance: Lucious Jackson, 7th Pan American (Texas) (1962,63,64), 12 games, 117 field goals, 67 free throws, 301 total points, 25.0 average per game; Willis Reed, 16th Grambling (La.) (1961,63,64), 12 games 108 field goals 39 free throws 265 total points, 22.8 average per
• All-time leading scorer; final appearance: Hershell West, 15th Grambling (La.) (1960,61,63), 13 games, 116 field goals, 37 free throws, 269 total points, 20.7 average per game.

1963 NAIA bracket

	First round					Second round					Elite Eight					NAIA national semifinals					NAIA national championship
	1	Grambling State (La.)	76
	-	Arkansas Tech	59
						1	Grambling State	56
						-	Athens	45
	-	Athens (Ala.)	72
	16	Central Connecticut State	71
											1	Grambling State	79
	TOP TIER
											9	Carson-Newman	70
	9	Carson-Newman (Tenn.)	83
	-	Rider (N.J.)	57
						9	Carson-Newman	70
						8	Indiana State	63
	-	Parsons College (Iowa)	77
	8	Indiana State	78
																1	Grambling State	83
																12	Pan American	90
	5	Howard Payne (Tex.)	66
	-	Stetson (Fla.)	68
						-	Stetson	41
						12	Pan American	64
	-	Peru State College (Neb.)	48
	12	Pan American (Tex.)	83
											12	Pan American	99
	TOP TIER
											13	Northern Michigan	73
	13	Northern Michigan	72
	-	California Western	52
						13	Northern Michigan	101
						-	Central State (Ohio)	87
	-	Central State (Ohio)	71
	4	Oklahoma Baptist	70
																					12	Pan American	73
																					10	Western Carolina	62
	3	Winston-Salem State (N.C.)	60
	-	Transylvania (Ky.)	64
						-	Transylvania	80
						14	Lewis & Clark	88
	-	Oshkosh State (Wis.)	74
	14	Lewis & Clark (Ore.)	75
											14	Lewis & Clark	57
	BOTTOM TIER
											10	Western Carolina	77
	7	Western Illinois	81
	-	Miles College (Ala.)	84
						-	Miles	86
						10	Western Carolina	107
	-	Eastern Montana	61
	10	Western Carolina (N.C.)	64
																10	Western Carolina	100
																-	Fort Hays State	84
	11	Alliance College (Penn.)	76
	-	Yankton College (S.D.)	68
						11	Alliance	53
						6	Rockhurst	64
	-	Pacific Lutheran (Wash.)	77
	6	Rockhurst (Mo.)	83
											6	Rockhurst	76
	BOTTOM TIER
											15	Fort Hays State	96
	15	Fort Hays State (Kan.)	95
	-	Eastern New Mexico	69
						15	Fort Hays State	82
						2	Augsburg	71
	-	West Virginia State	57
	2	Augsburg College (Minn.)	67

Third-place game

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.

	NAIA third-place game
	1	Grambling State	107
	15	Fort Hays State	86

See also

• 1963 NCAA University Division basketball tournament
• 1963 NCAA College Division basketball tournament