The 1966 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 29th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.[1] This tournament featured the game with the most points scored. Al Tucker received the MVP award for the second time this year.

1966 NAIA men's basketball tournament
Season1965–66
Teams32
Finals siteMunicipal Auditorium
Kansas City, Missouri
ChampionsOklahoma Baptist (1st title, 2nd title game,
2nd Final Four)
Runner-upGeorgia Southern (1st title game,
1st Final Four)
Semifinalists
Coach of the yearTed Kjolhede (Central Michigan)
MVPAl Tucker (Oklahoma Baptist)
Top scorerAl Tucker (Oklahoma Baptist)
(182 points)
NAIA men's basketball tournament
«1965 1967»

Awards and honors

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  • Leading scorer: Al Tucker, Oklahoma Baptist; 5 games, 69 field goals, 44 free throws, 182 total points (36.4 average points per game)
  • Leading rebounder: Richard Pitts, Norfolk State (Va.); 5 games, 76 total rebounds (15.2 average rebounds per game)
  • Player of the Year: est. 1994
  • Most team points; single-game: 132, Norfolk State (Va.) vs. Upper Iowa 97
  • Most team points; tournament: 521, Norfolk State (Va.), (104.2 avg.)
  • Most field goals made; single-game: 57, Norfolk State (Va.) vs. Upper Iowa
  • Most field goals made; tournament: 216, Norfolk State (Va.)
  • Top single-game performances: Earl Beechum 11th, Midwestern State (Texas) vs. Monmouth (N.J.); 20 field goals, 6 free throws 46 total points
  • All-time leading scorer; second appearance: Al Tucker 2nd, Oklahoma Baptist (1965,66,67); 15 games, 177 field goals, 117 free throws, 471 total points (31.4 points per game).[2]

1966 NAIA bracket

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First round Second round Elite Eight NAIA national semifinals NAIA national championship
               
1 Central State (Ohio) 92
- St. Thomas (Minn.) 69
1 Central State (Ohio) 72
- Lakeland 68
- Lakeland (Wis.) 95
16 Linfield (Ore.) 81
1 Central State (Ohio) 76
TOP TIER
9 Norfolk State 88
9 Norfolk State (Va.) 132
- Upper Iowa 97
9 Norfolk State 103
- Athens 81
- Athens (Ala.) 88
8 Pittsburg State (Kan.) 79
9 Norfolk State 88
4 Georgia Southern 89
5 Midwestern (Texas) 94
- Monmouth (N.J.) 92
5 Midwestern 82
12 Illinois Wesleyan 96
- Dickinson State (N.D.) 76
12 Illinois Wesleyan 86
12 Illinois Wesleyan 72
TOP TIER
4 Georgia Southern 96
13 Guilford (N.C.) 67
- Southern State (Ark.) 72
- Southern State 62
4 Georgia Southern 80
- Howard Payne (Texas) 80*
4 Georgia Southern 85
4 Georgia Southern 59
11 Oklahoma Baptist 88
3 Grambling State (La.) 70
- Central Washington State 65
3 Grambling State 95
- Carroll (MT) 86
- Carroll College (Montana) 91
14 Bethune-Cookman (Fla.) 88
3 Grambling State 84
BOTTOM TIER
10 Rockhurst 82
- Millersville State (Pa.) 86
10 Rockhurst (Mo.) 102
10 Rockhurst 97
7 Albuquerque 87
7 Albuquerque (N.M.) 81
- New Haven (Conn.) 74
3 Grambling State 80
11 Oklahoma Baptist 94
- Edinboro State (Pa.) 53
6 Central Michigan 67
6 Central Michigan 70
11 Oklahoma Baptist 90
11 Oklahoma Baptist 80
- California Western 76
11 Oklahoma Baptist 87
BOTTOM TIER
2 Carson-Newman 62
15 Morris Harvey (W.Va.) 110
- Peru State College (Neb.) 103*
15 Morris Harvey 74
2 Carson-Newman 103
- Indiana Central 67
2 Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 68
  •  * denotes overtime.

Third-place game

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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
   
9 Norfolk State 110
3 Grambling State 111

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "NAIA.org". Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  2. ^ NAIA Championship History Archived 2011-05-23 at the Wayback Machine