1996 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament

The 1996 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament was the 22nd annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champions of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's Division III collegiate basketball in the United States.

1996 NCAA Division III
men's basketball tournament

Teams	64
Finals site	Salem, Virginia
Champions	Rowan Profs (1st title)
Runner-up	Hope Flying Dutchmen (1st title game)
Semifinalists	Illinois Wesleyan Titans (1st Final Four) Franklin & Marshall Diplomats (3rd Final Four)
Winning coach	John Giannini (Rowan)
MOP	Terrence Stewart (Rowan)
Attendance	67,695
NCAA Division III men's tournaments «1995 1997»

The field contained sixty-four teams, each allocated to one of four sectionals played on campus sites. The national semifinals, third-place final, and championship final, meanwhile, were contested at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, Virginia. Salem would remain the home of the Division III final four through the 2017–18 season.

Rowan defeated Hope, 100–93, in the final, clinching their first national title.

The Profs (28–4) were coached by John Giannini. Giannini would go on to coach at Maine and La Salle at the Division I level.

Bracket

Top left sectional

	First round				Second round				Sectional semifinals				Sectional finals
	RIT	51
	Geneseo State	73
					Geneseo State	61
					Buffalo State	71
	Buffalo State	74
	St. John Fisher	65
									Buffalo State	59
									Wilkes	64
	Wilkes	87
	Allentown	72
					Wilkes	96*
					Cabrini	91
	Cabrini	85
	Catholic	65
													Wilkes	70
													Franklin & Marshall	107
	Hamilton	78
	St. Lawrence	85
					St. Lawrence	70
					RPI	78
	Hartwick	55
	RPI	68
									RPI	58
									Franklin & Marshall	74
	Lycoming	103
	Gettysburg	75
					Lycoming	61
					Franklin & Marshall	72
	Franklin & Marshall	118
	Salisbury State	69

Bottom left sectional

	First round				Second round				Sectional semifinals				Sectional finals
	UW–Platteville	77
	UW–Whitewater	85
					UW–Whitewater	63
					Claremont–Mudd–Scripps	62
	Upper Iowa	58
	Claremont–Mudd–Scripps	70
									UW–Whitewater	66
									Hope	88
	Hope	65
	Kalamazoo	62
					Hope	80
					John Carroll	61
	John Carroll	86
	Wooster	72
													Hope	69
													Wittenberg	60
	UW–Oshkosh	79
	Simpson (IA)	74
					UW–Oshkosh	60
					Gustavus Adolphus	61**
	Gustavus Adolphus	72
	Concordia–Moorhead	61
									Gustavus Adolphus	68
									Wittenberg	76
	Ohio Northern	57
	Capital	68
					Capital	60
					Wittenberg	65
	Wittenberg	70
	Baldwin Wallace	61

Top right sectional

	First round				Second round				Sectional semifinals				Sectional finals
	Williams	78
	Plymouth State	62
					Williams	91
					Bowdoin	64
	Bowdoin	62
	Springfield	56
									Williams	77
									Rowan	85
	Rowan	130
	York (NY)	66
					Rowan	102
					Jersey City State	83
	Staten Island	63
	Jersey City State	73
													Rowan	98
													Richard Stockton	70
	Anna Maria	111
	Babson	90
					Anna Maria	74
					Salem State	67
	Salem State	76
	Western Connecticut	60
									Anna Maria	88
									Richard Stockton	95
	NYU	105
	NJIT	88
					NYU	77
					Richard Stockton	81*
	Richard Stockton	80
	Mount Saint Vincent	54

Bottom right sectional

	First round				Second round				Sectional semifinals				Sectional finals
	Wheaton (IL)	131
	Grinnell	117
					Wheaton (IL)	75
					Washington–St. Louis	93
	Washington–St. Louis	76
	Rose–Hulman	74
									Washington–St. Louis	87
									Christopher Newport	71
	Randolph–Macon	57
	Christopher Newport	66
					Christopher Newport	73
					Millsaps	69
	Millsaps	83
	Bridgewater (VA)	72
													Washington–St. Louis	61
													Illinois Wesleyan	73
	Hanover	85
	Fontbonne	43
					Hanover	67
					Illinois Wesleyan	73
	Illinois Wesleyan	77
	Ripon	66
									Illinois Wesleyan	116
									Roanoke	88
	Hendrix	97
	Stillman	85
					Hendrix	64
					Roanoke	80
	Roanoke	128
	Shenandoah	110

National finals

• Site: Salem Civic Center, Salem, Virginia

	National Semifinals				National Championship
	Franklin & Marshall	57
	Hope	76
					Hope	93
					Rowan	100
	Rowan	79
	Illinois Wesleyan	66			National Third-place
					Franklin & Marshall	57
					Illinois Wesleyan	89

All-tournament team

• Terrence Stewart, Rowan
• Antwan Dasher, Rowan
• Joel Holstege, Hope
• Duane Bosma, Hope
• Chris Simich, Illinois Wesleyan

See also

• 1996 NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament
• 1996 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
• 1996 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament
• 1996 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament
• 1996 NAIA Division II men's basketball tournament