2002 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament

The 2002 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament was the 28th 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.

2002 NCAA Division III
men's basketball tournament

Teams	48
Finals site	Salem, Virginia
Champions	Otterbein (1st title)
Runner-up	Elizabethtown (1st title game)
Semifinalists	Carthage (1st Final Four) Rochester (3rd Final Four)
Winning coach	Dick Reynolds (Otterbein)
MOP	Jeff Gibbs (Otterbein)
Attendance	74,437
NCAA Division III men's tournaments «2001 2003»

The field contained forty-eight teams, and each program was allocated to one of four sectionals. All sectional games were played on campus sites, while the national semifinals, third-place final, and championship finals were contested at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, Virginia.

Otterbein defeated Elizabethtown, 102–83, in the championship, clinching their first national title.

The Cardinals (30–3) were coached by Dick Reynolds.

Jeff Gibbs, also from Otterbein, was named Most Outstanding Player.

Bracket

Top left sectional

	First round				Second round				Sectional semifinals				Sectional finals
					St. Thomas (MN)	85
					UW–Oshkosh	88*
	UW–Oshkosh	71
	Ripon	56
									UW–Oshkosh	71
									Lewis & Clark	79
	Lewis & Clark	81
	Claremont–Mudd–Scripps	59
					Lewis & Clark	70
					Mississippi College	57
													Lewis & Clark	70
													Carthage	85
					Carthage	63
					Hope	57
	St. Norbert	53
	Hope	54
									Carthage	71
									Buena Vista	65
	Gustavus Adolphus	74
	Edgewood	65
					Gustavus Adolphus	88
					Buena Vista	60

Bottom left sectional

	First round				Second round				Sectional semifinals				Sectional finals
					Washington–St. Louis	71
					Maryville (TN)	57
	Maryville (TN)	70
	Webster	45
									Washington–St. Louis	87
									DePauw	90
	Wittenberg	75
	Franklin	44
					Wittenberg	76
					DePauw	89
													DePauw	79
													Otterbein	87
					Randolph–Macon	79
					Lycoming	62
	Gettysburg	59
	Lycoming	78
									Randolph–Macon	72
									Otterbein	85
	Pitt–Bradford	98
	Bethany (WV)	110
					Bethany (WV)	89
					Otterbein	121

Top right sectional

	First round				Second round				Sectional semifinals				Sectional finals
					Rochester	66
					Williams	51
	Williams	121
	Cazenovia	49
									Rochester	71
									Babson	60
	Union (NY)	75
	Lasell	73
					Union (NY)	50
					Babson	63
													Rochester	71
													Brockport State	62
					Amherst	82
					Western Connecticut	77
	Western Connecticut	92
	Salem State	89
									Amherst	65
									Brockport State	69
	Trinity (CT)	75
	Colby–Sawyer	47
					Trinity (CT)	61
					Brockport State	80

Bottom right sectional

	First round				Second round				Sectional semifinals				Sectional finals
					Elizabethtown	95
					Alvernia	84
	Alvernia	76
	Ithaca	67
									Elizabethtown	87
									Cabrini	85
	Kings Point	73
	Cabrini	85
					Cabrini	47
					William Paterson	43
													Elizabethtown	94
													Clark (MA)	90
					Staten Island	72
					Clark (MA)	101
	Clark (MA)	84
	Suffolk	77
									Clark (MA)	75
									Catholic	72
	Hampden–Sydney	92
	North Carolina Wesleyan	79
					Hampden–Sydney	66
					Catholic	74

National finals

• Site: Salem Civic Center, Salem, Virginia

	National semifinals				National championship
	Carthage	66
	Otterbein	70
					Otterbein	102
					Elizabethtown	83
	Rochester	83
	Elizabethtown	93*			National third-place
					Carthage	72
					Rochester	51

See also

• 2002 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
• 2002 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament
• 2002 NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament
• 2002 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament
• 2002 NAIA Division II men's basketball tournament