1943 NAIA basketball tournament

The 1943 NAIA basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 7th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. The championship game featured Southeast Missouri State defeating Northwest Missouri State 34–32.

1943 NAIA men's basketball tournament

Teams	32
Finals site	Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Missouri
Champions	Southeast Missouri State (1st title, 1st title game, 1st Final Four)
Runner-up	Northwest Missouri State (1st title game, 1st Final Four)
Semifinalists	North Texas State (1st Final Four) Murray State (3rd Final Four)
MVP	Belus Smawley (Appalachian State (N.C.))
NAIA men's basketball tournament «1942 1944»

This was the first tournament to feature a championship game between two teams from the same state, Missouri, playing in Missouri. The 3rd place game featured the first overtime in the NAIA Final Four history when North Texas State defeated Murray State 59–55 in one overtime.

Awards and honors

Many of the records set by the 1943 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
	SE Missouri State	50
	Dakota Wesleyan	30
					SE Missouri State	56
					Westminster	33
	Westminster (MO)	48
	Loyola Chicago	45*
									SE Missouri State	57
	TOP TIER
									Eastern Washington State	51
	Eastern Washington State	54
	Valparaiso	42
					Eastern Washington State	54
					St. Cloud State	41
	St. Cloud State	59
	Texas Wesleyan	54
													SE Missouri State	38
													Murray State	36
	Murray State	72
	SW Missouri State	44
					Murray State	44
					Southwestern (KS)	42
	Southwestern (KS)	70
	Ouachita Baptist	36
									Murray State	44
	TOP TIER
									George Pepperdine	38
	George Pepperdine	50
	Kearney State	45
					George Pepperdine	43
					Luther	38
	Luther	31
	Southwestern State (OK)	29
																	SE Missouri State	34
																	NW Missouri State	32
	York (NE)	52
	Akron	49
					York	49
					North Texas State	51
	North Texas State	60
	Stout Institute	37
									North Texas State	45
	BOTTOM TIER
									Hamline	41
	East Central State	53
	South Dakota State	47
					East Central State	39
					Hamline	41
	Hamline	65
	Central (MO)	38
													North Texas State	31
													NW Missouri State	47
	Kansas Wesleyan	43
	Lawrence Tech	42
					Kansas Wesleyan	40
					Appalachian State	54
	Appalachian State	48															NAIA third-place game
	Simpson	31
									Appalachian State	34							Murray State	55*
	BOTTOM TIER
									NW Missouri State	46							North Texas State	59
	Eastern Oregon	45
	Illinois Wesleyan	40
					Eastern Oregon State	24
					NW Missouri State	61
	NW Missouri State	37
	Indiana State	28

•  * denotes overtime.

See also

• 1943 NCAA basketball tournament
• 1943 National Invitation Tournament