1955 NAIA basketball tournament

The 1955 NAIA basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 18th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.^[1]

1955 NAIA men's basketball tournament

Season	1954–55
Teams	32
Finals site	Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Missouri
Champions	East Texas State (1st title, 1st title game, 2nd Final Four)
Runner-up	Southeastern State (OK) (2nd title game, 2nd Final Four)
Semifinalists	Western Illinois State (2nd Final Four) Arkansas Tech (2nd Final Four)
Coach of the year	Leroy Morley (Western Illinois)
MVP	Jim Miller (East Texas State)
NAIA men's basketball tournament «1954 1956»

The 1955 tournament featured four of the all-time leading scorers, two single-game best tournament performances, and most free throws made in tournament history.

The championship game featured East Texas State (now Texas A&M-Commerce) and Southeastern Oklahoma State. East Texas State defeated SEOSU, 71–54. The other teams in the NAIA Semifinals were Western Illinois State and Arkansas Tech. The Leathernecks defeated the Wonder Boys for the third place title, 77–74.

Awards and honors

Many of the records set by the 1955 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; single game: 24 free throws made by Joe Miller of Alderson-Broaddus (W.Va.) in a game verses Quincy (Ill.).
• Most free throws made; career: 120 free throws made by Jim Spivey of Southeastern Oklahoma State (1954,55,56,57).
• All-time single game performances: 5th Joe Miller of Alderson-Broaddus (W.Va.) vs. Quincy (Ill.). Miller scored 12 field goals and 24 free throws, totaling 48 points.
• All-time single game performances: 12th Paul Brownlee of Steubenville (Ohio) vs. Southeastern Oklahoma. Brownlee scored 16 field goals and 14 free throws, totaling 46 points.
• All-time scoring leader; first appearance: Bennie Swain 6th, Texas Southern (1955,56,57,58), 15 games, 119 field goals, 64 free throws, totaling 302 points, 20.1 average per game.
• All-time scoring leader; second appearance: James Spivey, 4th Southeastern Oklahoma State (1954,55,56,57), 13 games, 133 field goals, 120 free throws, totaling 386 points, 29.7 average per game.
• All-time scoring leaders; final appearance: E.C. O’Neal, 9th, Arkansas Tech (1952,53,54,55), 13 games, 122 field goals, 43 free throws, totaling 287 points, 22.1 average per game; James Miller, 18th, East Texas State (1953,54,55), 13 games, 103 field goals, 40 free throws, totaling 246 points, 18.9 average per game.^[2]

Bracket

	First round				Second round				Elite Eight				NAIA national semifinals				NAIA national championship
	Western Illinois State	76
	Regis	60
					Western Illinois State	86
					NE Missouri State	85
	NE Missouri State	82
	Georgetown (KY)	70
									Western Illinois State	50
	TOP TIER
									Gustavus Adolphus	49
	Texas Southern	102
	Adrian	83
					Texas Southern	55
					Gustavus Adolphus	67
	Gustavus Adolphus	78
	Wayland	58
													Western Illinois State	61
													Southeastern State	68
	Steubenville	79
	Mississippi Southern	62
					Steubenville	90
					Louisiana Tech	65
	Louisiana Tech	94
	Coe	65
									Southeastern State	96
	TOP TIER
									Steubenville	77
	Southeastern State (OK)	120
	Middle Tennessee State	67
					Southeastern State	106
					Nebraska Wesleyan	69
	Nebraska Wesleyan	86
	Geneva	80*
																	Southeastern State	54
																	East Texas State	71
	Southwestern (KS)	83
	Loyola Los Angeles	79
					Southwestern (KS)	78
					East Texas State	94
	East Texas State	68
	Portland State	55
									East Texas State	66
	BOTTOM TIER
									Beloit	57
	Florida State	93
	Montana State	84
					Florida State	88
					Beloit	110
	Beloit	88
	Whitworth	75
													East Texas State	81
													Arkansas Tech	66
	Quincy	84
	St. Francis (NY)	82
					Quincy	84
					Alderson–Broaddus	88
	Alderson–Broaddus	100															NAIA third-place game
	Minot State	72
									Arkansas Tech	93							Western Illinois State	77
	BOTTOM TIER
									Alderson–Broaddus	74							Arkansas Tech	74
	Arkansas Tech	96
	New Haven State	71
					Arkansas Tech	93
					Atlantic Christian	74
	Atlantic Christian	95
	Evansville	88

•  * denotes overtime.

See also

• 1955 NCAA basketball tournament
• 1955 National Invitation Tournament

References

1. "NAIA.org". Archived from the original on May 1, 2009. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
2. NAIA Championship History Archived 2008-05-15 at the Wayback Machine