The 1957 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 20th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. This would be the first tournament to have seeded teams. This also means that this is the first tournament to have an 'upset'. There were 3 upsets this year, including the championship game. The NAIA seeded teams 21 years prior to the NCAA Men's Tournament. The NAIA would adjust seeding to the current, 16 seed system, in 1959. The championship game featured Tennessee State University and Southeastern Oklahoma State University. With Tennessee State's win, they became the first historically black institution to win a collegiate basketball national championship. This would be the first of three national championship titles for Tennessee State.
The 3rd place game featured Pacific Lutheran University defeating Eastern Illinois University.
Awards and honors
Many of the records set by the 1957 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
Player of the Year est. 1994
Most free throws made; career: 120 free throws made by Jim Spivey of Southeastern Oklahoma State (1954,55,56,57).
Most free throws made; single-game, team: 48, Southeastern Oklahoma State vs. Southwest Texas State
Most free throws made in one tournament; individual: 68 free throws made by Jim Spivey of Southeastern Oklahoma State (1954,55,56,57).
Most free throws made in one tournament; team: 153, Southeastern Oklahoma State
Most consecutive tournament victories; record start: 18 overall, 5 in 1957, Tennessee State, 1957-58-59-60
Top single-game performances: Jim Spivey, 4th, Southeastern Oklahoma State vs. Eastern Illinois, 20 field goals, 13 free throws and 53 total points; Jim Spivey 13th, Southeastern Oklahoma State vs Southwest Texas State, 14 field goals, 18 free throws and 46 total points; Jim Spivey 20th, Southeastern Oklahoma State vs. Tennessee State, 14 field goals 15 free throws and 43 total points.
All-time leading scorer; first appearance: Charles Sharp, 5th Southwest Texas State (1957,59,60) 12 games, 118 field goals, 69 free throws, 305 total points, 25.4 average per game
All-time leading scorers; second appearance: Dick Barnett, 3rd, Tennessee State (1956,57,58,59) 18 games, 186 field goals, 79 free throws, 451 total points 25.1 average per game, Charles Curtis, 8th, Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) (1956,57,58,59) 14 games 101 field goals, 85 free throws, 287 total points, 20.5 average per game, Roger Iverson, 20th, Pacific Lutheran (1956,57,58,59) 14 games, 109 field goals, 23 free throws, 241 total points, 17.2 average per game, and John Barnhill, 21st, Tennessee State (1956,57,58,59) 17 games, 104 field goals, 27 free throws, 235 total points, 13.8 average per game.
All-time leading scorer; third appearance: Bennie Swain, 6th Texas Southern (1955,56,57,58) 15 games, 119 field goals, 64 free throws, 302 total points, 20.1 average per game.
All-time leading scorer; final appearance: James Spivey, 4th, Southeastern Oklahoma (1954,55,56,57) 13 games, 133 field goals, 120 free throws, 386 total points, 29.7 average per game.
*denotes overtime.
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.
