Suvarna Garge (Editor)

1960 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament

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Teams
  
32

Finals Site
  
Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Missouri

Champions
  
Southwest Texas State (1st title, 1st title game, 3rd Final Four)

Runner-Up
  
Westminster (Pa.) (1st title game, 1st Final Four)

Semifinalists
  
Tennessee State (4th Final Four) William Jewell (Mo.) (1st Final Four)

Coach of the Year
  
Milt Jowers (Southwest Texas State)

The 1960 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 23rd annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.

Contents

The pivotal game in this year's tournament was in the semifinals round when #4 Westminster College knocked off the three time defending national champions #1 Tennessee State University. This ended the 18 tournament win streak. As of 2010, it is still the tournament's longest win streak. Tennessee State would then play in the 3rd place game where they easily defeated William Jewell College 100-65. (William Jewell's highest finish in the DI tournament, as of 2010).

Westminster went to the championship game and was defeated by Southwest Texas State 44-66. The Bobcats finish with their first national championship, after being in the NAIA Final Four two previous times, 1952, 1959, both finishing 3rd.

Awards and honors

  • Leading scorer: est. 1963
  • Leading rebounder: est. 1963
  • Player of the Year: est. 1994
  • Most consecutive tournament victories; record ends: 18 overall; 3 in 1960, Tennessee State, 1957-58-59-60
  • Top single-game performances: Charles Sharp, 16th, Southwest Texas State vs. Wisconsin-Oshkosh, In that game Sharp scored 15 field goals and 14 free throws, totaling 44 points.
  • All-time leading scorer; first appearance: Hershell West, 15th Grambling (La.) (1960,61,63), 13 games, 116 field goals, 37 free throws, 269 total points, 20.7 average per game.
  • All-time leading scorer; final 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.

    • 1960 NAIA bracket

  •  * denotes each overtime.

    • 3rd place game

    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.

    References

    1960 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA