1941 NAIA basketball tournament

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.

1941 NAIA men's basketball tournament

Teams	32
Finals site	Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Missouri
Champions	San Diego State (1st title, 3rd title game, 3rd Final Four)
Runner-up	Murray State (1st title game, 2nd Final Four)
Semifinalists	West Texas State (1st Final Four) Santa Barbara (1st Final Four)
MVP	Charles 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

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

Bracket

	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

• 1941 NCAA basketball tournament
• 1941 National Invitation Tournament