1938 NAIA basketball tournament

1938 NAIA men's basketball tournament

Teams	32
Finals site	Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Missouri
Champions	Central Missouri State (2nd title, 2nd title game, 2nd Final Four)
Runner-up	Roanoke (1st title game, 1st Final Four)
Semifinalists	Murray State (1st Fab Four) Washburn (1st Fab Four)
NAIA men's basketball tournament «1937 1939»

The 1938 NAIA basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The second annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.

This was the first tournament to expand to 32 teams. The tournament featured the only forfeit in tournament history when Western Kentucky State forfeited to Simpson due to the Hilltoppers not showing up. Drake was a last second replacement for Cheyney Normal who could not make it to Kansas City on time. The first-round game between Delta State University (Miss.) and Drury gave the first overtime in tournament history. Delta State beat Drury College 52–51 in one overtime.

The championship game featured Central Missouri State defending their first national championship over Roanoke, making them the first team to win back-to-back titles. It would be the last year without a Chuck Taylor Most Valuable Player Award.

Awards and honors

Many of the records set by the 1938 tournament have been broken, and many of the awards were established much later:

• Leading scorer est. 1963
• Leading rebounder est. 1963
• Chuck Taylor Most Valuable Player est. 1939
• Charles Stevenson Hustle Award est. 1958
• Coach of the Year est. 1954
• Player of the Year est. 1994

Bracket

	First round				Second round				Elite Eight				NAIA national semifinals				NAIA national championship
	Marshall	67
	Peru State	60
					Marshall	51
					Washburn	53
	Washburn	37
	Winona State	36
									Washburn	44
	TOP TIER
									Jordan	21
	Jordan	32
	Ottawa (KS)	31
					Jordan	31
					Simpson	29
	Simpson	2
	Western Kentucky	0†
													Washburn	24
													Central Missouri State	44
	Delta State	52
	Drury	51*
					Delta State	48
					North Texas State	39
	North Texas State	31
	Morningside	29
									Delta State	35
	TOP TIER
									Central Missouri State	48
	Valparaiso	57
	Oregon College	48
					Valparaiso	24
					Central Missouri State	44
	Central Missouri State	36
	Dakota Wesleyan	33
																	Central Missouri State	45
																	Roanoke	30
	Roanoke	45
	Nebraska Wesleyan	20
					Roanoke	38
					West Texas State	34
	West Texas State	35
	Westminster (MO)	34
									Roanoke	46
	BOTTOM TIER
									St. Ambrose	43
	St. Ambrose	50
	Kansas Wesleyan	35
					St. Ambrose	38
					Central State (OK)	36
	Central State (OK)	43
	Arkansas State Teachers	34
													Roanoke	35
													Murray State	29
	Idaho State	41
	Manchester (IN)	38
					Idaho State	40
					New Mexico A&M State	56
	New Mexico A&M State	53															NAIA third-place game
	McPherson	37
									New Mexico A&M State	29							Murray State	33
	BOTTOM TIER
									Murray State	30							Washburn	24
	NW Missouri State	39
	Sioux Falls	27
					NW Missouri State	30
					Murray State	38
	Murray State	47
	Drake	40

•  * denotes overtime.
•  † denotes forfeit.

See also

• 1938 National Invitation Tournament