1946 NAIA basketball tournament

The 1946 NAIA basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 9th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.

1946 NAIA men's basketball tournament

Teams	32
Finals site	Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Missouri
Champions	Southern Illinois (1st title, 1st title game, 2nd Final Four)
Runner-up	Indiana State (1st title game, 1st Final Four)
Semifinalists	Pepperdine (2nd Final Four) Loyola New Orleans (2nd Final Four)
MVP	Gene Stotlar (Southern Illinois)
NAIA men's basketball tournament «1945 1947»

The championship game was won by Southern Illinois when the Salukis defeated the Indiana State Sycamores, 49-40.

Central Missouri State, the original National Champions, and first back-to-back National Champions, played in their final NAIA tournament, although they remained an NAIA member for another decade, leaving in the mid 1950s to join the NCAA. The Mules appeared seven tournaments recording an overall record of 13 wins and 6 losses. The Mules won two National Championships in 1937 and 1938 and finishing in 4th place in 1942.

Awards and honors

Many of the records set by the 1945 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
	Loyola New Orleans	76
	Hastings	48
					Loyola New Orleans	60*
					Arizona State-Flagstaff	56
	Arizona State-Flagstaff	45
	Rockhurst	37
									Loyola New Orleans	54
	TOP TIER
									Drury	43
	Drury	51
	Eastern Kentucky	47
					Drury	55
					Augsburg	47
	Augsburg	64
	Washburn	36
													Loyola New Orleans	37
													Southern Illinois	53
	Southern Illinois	49
	Central Missouri State	39
					Southern Illinois	58
					Loras	55
	Loras	57
	Panzer	43
									Southern Illinois	66
	TOP TIER
									Nevada	58
	West Texas State	71
	Eau Claire State	47
					West Texas State	46
					Nevada	60
	Nevada	56
	Morningside	40
																	Southern Illinois	49
																	Indiana State	40
	Pepperdine	63
	Arkansas State Teachers	37
					Pepperdine	64
					Iowa State Teachers	22
	Iowa State Teachers	58
	Montana State	42
									Pepperdine	46
	BOTTOM TIER
									Eastern Washington State	42
	Eastern Washington State	66
	Louisiana Tech	44
					Eastern Washington State	45
					Southeastern State	37
	Southeastern State (OK)	50
	Peru State	36
													Indiana State	56
													Pepperdine	43
	Houston	63
	High Point	34
					Indiana State	62
					Houston	43
	Indiana State	62															NAIA Third-place game
	St. Cloud State	51
									Indiana State	55							Pepperdine	82
	BOTTOM TIER
									Dakota Wesleyan	34							Loyola New Orleans	55
	Culver–Stockton	55
	Wichita State	51
					Culver-Stockton	40
					Dakota Wesleyan	41
	Dakota Wesleyan	39
	New Mexico Mines	36

•  * denotes overtime.

See also

• 1946 NCAA basketball tournament
• 1946 National Invitation Tournament