# 1971 NAIA basketball tournament

The 1971 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 34th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The championship game featured Kentucky State University for the second time. It was the fourth time since seeding began in 1957 that the number one team won the tournament.

## Awards and honors

* Leading scorer:
* Leading rebounder:
* Player of the Year: est. 1994

## 1971 NAIA bracket

| First round | First round | First round | | | Second round | Second round | Second round | Elite Eight | Elite Eight | Elite Eight | | NAIA national semifinals | NAIA national semifinals | NAIA national semifinals | | NAIA national championship | NAIA national championship | NAIA national championship |
| 1 | Kentucky State | 100 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | St. Thomas (Minn.) | 66 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | St. Thomas (Minn.) | 66 | | | 1 | Kentucky State | 73 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 16 | Central Washington State | 59 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Doane (Neb.) | 73 | | | 16 | Central Washington State | 59 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Central Washington State | 98 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Central Washington State | 98 | | | | | | 1 | Kentucky State | 93 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 1 | Kentucky State | 93 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 9 | Grambling State | 81 | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Grambling State (La.) | 88 | | | | | | | | | 9 | Grambling State | 81 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Mansfield State (Pa.) | 78 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Mansfield State (Pa.) | 78 | | | 9 | Grambling State | 77* | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Glassboro State | 75 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Glassboro State (N.J.) | 71 | | | - | Glassboro State | 75 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | East Central State (Okla.) | 60 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | East Central State (Okla.) | 60 | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Kentucky State | 104 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 12 | Elizabeth City State | 91 | | | | |
| 5 | Indiana (Pa.) | 81 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 12 | Elizabeth City State | 91 | | | | |
| - | Eastern New Mexico | 72 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Eastern New Mexico | 72 | | | 5 | Indiana | 72 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 12 | Elizabeth City State | 74 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Western New England (Mass.) | 76 | | | 12 | Elizabeth City State | 74 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Elizabeth City State (N.C.) | 90 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Elizabeth City State (N.C.) | 90 | | | | | | 12 | Elizabeth City State | 90 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 12 | Elizabeth City State | 90 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 4 | Stephen F. Austin State | 88 | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Illinois Wesleyan | 76 | | | | | | | | | 4 | Stephen F. Austin State | 88 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Northern State (S.D.) | 88 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Northern State (S.D.) | 88 | | | - | Northern State | 62 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 4 | Stephen F. Austin State | 99 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | North Carolina-Asheville | 73 | | | 4 | Stephen F. Austin State | 99 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Stephen F. Austin State (Tex.) | 91 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Stephen F. Austin State (Tex.) | 91 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Kentucky State | 102 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | Eastern Michigan | 82 |
| 3 | Eau Claire State (Wis.) | 66 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | Eastern Michigan | 82 |
| - | Southern State (Ark.) | 50 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Southern State (Ark.) | 50 | | | 3 | Eau Claire State | 97 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 14 | Earlham | 76 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Lewis & Clark (Ore.) | 83 | | | 14 | Earlham | 76 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Earlham (Ind.) | 105 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Earlham (Ind.) | 105 | | | | | | 3 | Eau Claire State | 80 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 3 | Eau Claire State | 80 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 6 | Eastern Michigan | 87 | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Whittier (Calif.) | 65 | | | | | | | | | 6 | Eastern Michigan | 87 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Sacred Heart (Kan.) | 59 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Sacred Heart (Kan.) | 59 | | | 11 | Whittier | 70 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 6 | Eastern Michigan | 71* | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Ohio Dominican | 81 | | | 6 | Eastern Michigan | 71* | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Eastern Michigan | 119 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Eastern Michigan | 119 | | | | | | | | | | 6 | Eastern Michigan | 89 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Fairmont State | 78 | | | | |
| 7 | North Carolina A&T | 70 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Fairmont State | 78 | | | | |
| - | Drury (Mo.) | 53 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Drury (Mo.) | 53 | | | 7 | North Carolina A&T | 86* | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 10 | Jackson State | 73 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Northwestern (Iowa) | 91 | | | 10 | Jackson State | 73 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Jackson State (Miss) | 96 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Jackson State (Miss) | 96 | | | | | | 7 | North Carolina A&T | 74 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 7 | North Carolina A&T | 74 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 2 | Fairmont State | 78 | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Augusta State (Ga.) | 71 | | | | | | | | | 2 | Fairmont State | 78 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Great Falls (Mont.) | 75 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Great Falls (Mont.) | 75 | | | - | Great Falls | 80 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | Fairmont State | 83 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Texas Southern | 78 | | | 2 | Fairmont State | 83 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Fairmont State (W.Va.) | 79 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* * denotes overtime.

### Third-place game

The third-place game featured the losing national semifinalist teams to determine 3rd and 4th places in the tournament. This game was played until 1988.
| NAIA third-place game | NAIA third-place game | NAIA third-place game |
| 12 | Elizabeth City State | 88* |
| 2 | Fairmont State | 87 |