1951 NAIA basketball tournament

1951 NAIA men's basketball tournament

Season	1950–51
Teams	32
Finals site	Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Missouri
Champions	Hamline (3rd title, 3rd title game, 5th Final Four)
Runner-up	Millikin (1st title game, 1st Final Four)
Semifinalists	Baldwin-Wallace (1st Final Four) Regis (2nd Final Four)
MVP	Scotty Steagall (Millikin (Ill.))
NAIA men's basketball tournament «1950 1952»

The 1951 NAIA basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 14th Annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.

The championship game featured Hamline and Millikin. It was the first meeting between these two schools in tournament history. The Pipers of Hamline defeated the Big Blue of Millikin, 69–61.

The 1951 Tournament would be Hamline's 5th trip to the NAIA Final Four, and second tournament win, it was also Millikin's only trip to championship game, NAIA Final Four, and first of eventually four tournament berths. The other teams that rounded out the semifinals were Baldwin-Wallace and Regis. The Baldwin-Wallace Yellow Jackets defeated the Regis Rangers, 82–78.

Hamline's win put them on the leader board for most tournament champions with 3. A record that would last until Tennessee State would win in consecutive years. (1957, 1958, 1959.) Three Championships would be a tournament record until 1996 when Oklahoma City won its 4th Championship Title.

Awards and honors

Many of the records set by the 1951 tournament have been broken, and many of the awards were established much later:

• Leading Scorer Award est. 1963
• Leading Rebounder Award est. 1963
• Charles Stevenson Hustle Award est. 1958
• Coach of the Year est. 1954
• Player of the Year est. 1994
• All-time scoring leaders; second appearance: Lloyd Thorgaard, 10th, Hamline (Minn.) (1950,51,52,53), 15 games, 111 field goals, 61 free throws, 283 total points, 18.9 average per game; James Fritsche, 14th, Hamline (Minn.) (1950,51,52,53), 15 games, 113 field goals, 46 free throws, 272 total points, 18.1 average per game.

Bracket

	First round				Second round				Elite Eight				NAIA national semifinals				NAIA national championship
	Evansville	85
	Westminster (PA)	74
					Evansville	75
					Morningside	62
	Morningside	66
	Providence (RI)	63
									Evansville	68
	TOP TIER
									Regis	70
	Regis	72
	East Central State (OK)	55
					Regis	82
					Southwest Texas State	64
	Southwest Texas State	70
	Morehead State	62
													Regis	70
													Millikin	88
	Millikin	77
	Eastern New Mexico	63
					Millikin	80
					East Texas Baptist	62
	East Texas Baptist	67
	High Point	64
									Millikin	91
	TOP TIER
									Florida State	60
	Pepperdine	86
	Eau Claire State	53
					Pepperdine	59
					Florida State	61
	Florida State	85
	South Dakota State	70
																	Millikin	61
																	Hamline	69
	Hamline	82
	Rocky Mountain	57
					Hamline	64
					Arkansas Tech	52
	Arkansas Tech	64
	Pacific (CA)	61
									Hamline	80
	BOTTOM TIER
									New Mexico A&M	56
	Central (MO)	68
	Southeastern Louisiana	66
					Central	69
					New Mexico A&M	73
	New Mexico A&M	68
	Glenville State	54
													Hamline	78
													Baldwin-Wallace	62
	Baldwin-Wallace	67
	American	66
					Baldwin-Wallace	68
					Ottawa	67
	Ottawa (KS)	73															NAIA third-place game
	Hillsdale	58
									Baldwin-Wallace	90							Baldwin-Wallace	82
	BOTTOM TIER
									Memphis State	67							Regis	78
	Memphis State	76
	Portland	74
					Memphis State	81
					Hastings	79*
	Hastings	71
	Pacific Lutheran	51

•  * denotes overtime.

See also

• 1951 NCAA basketball tournament
• 1951 National Invitation Tournament