# 1946 NAIA basketball tournament

The 1946 NAIA basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 9th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The championship game was won by Southern Illinois when the Salukis defeated the Indiana State Sycamores, 49-40.
Central Missouri State, the original National Champions, and first back-to-back National Champions, played in their final NAIA tournament, although they remained an NAIA member for another decade, leaving in the mid 1950s to join the NCAA. The Mules appeared seven tournaments recording an overall record of 13 wins and 6 losses. The Mules won two National Championships in 1937 and 1938 and finishing in 4th place in 1942.

## Awards and honors

Many of the records set by the 1945 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
* Coach of the Year est. 1954
* Player of the Year est. 1994.

## Bracket

| First round | First round | | | Second round | Second round | Elite Eight | Elite Eight | | NAIA national semifinals | NAIA national semifinals | | NAIA national championship | NAIA national championship |
| Loyola New Orleans | 76 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Hastings | 48 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Hastings | 48 | | | Loyola New Orleans | 60* | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Arizona State-Flagstaff | 56 | | | | | | | | |
| Arizona State-Flagstaff | 45 | | | Arizona State-Flagstaff | 56 | | | | | | | | |
| Rockhurst | 37 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Rockhurst | 37 | | | | | Loyola New Orleans | 54 | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | Loyola New Orleans | 54 | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | Drury | 43 | | | | | | |
| Drury | 51 | | | | | | | Drury | 43 | | | | | | |
| Eastern Kentucky | 47 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Eastern Kentucky | 47 | | | Drury | 55 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Augsburg | 47 | | | | | | | | |
| Augsburg | 64 | | | Augsburg | 47 | | | | | | | | |
| Washburn | 36 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Washburn | 36 | | | | | | | | Loyola New Orleans | 37 | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Southern Illinois | 53 | | | |
| Southern Illinois | 49 | | | | | | | | | | Southern Illinois | 53 | | | |
| Central Missouri State | 39 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Central Missouri State | 39 | | | Southern Illinois | 58 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Loras | 55 | | | | | | | | |
| Loras | 57 | | | Loras | 55 | | | | | | | | |
| Panzer | 43 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Panzer | 43 | | | | | Southern Illinois | 66 | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | Southern Illinois | 66 | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | Nevada | 58 | | | | | | |
| West Texas State | 71 | | | | | | | Nevada | 58 | | | | | | |
| Eau Claire State | 47 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Eau Claire State | 47 | | | West Texas State | 46 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Nevada | 60 | | | | | | | | |
| Nevada | 56 | | | Nevada | 60 | | | | | | | | |
| Morningside | 40 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Morningside | 40 | | | | | | | | | | | Southern Illinois | 49 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | Indiana State | 40 |
| Pepperdine | 63 | | | | | | | | | | | | | Indiana State | 40 |
| Arkansas State Teachers | 37 | | | | | | | | | |
| Arkansas State Teachers | 37 | | | Pepperdine | 64 | | | | | |
| | | | | Iowa State Teachers | 22 | | | | | |
| Iowa State Teachers | 58 | | | Iowa State Teachers | 22 | | | | | |
| Montana State | 42 | | | | | | | | | |
| Montana State | 42 | | | | | Pepperdine | 46 | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | Pepperdine | 46 | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | Eastern Washington State | 42 | | | |
| Eastern Washington State | 66 | | | | | | | Eastern Washington State | 42 | | | | |
| Louisiana Tech | 44 | | | | | | | | | |
| Louisiana Tech | 44 | | | Eastern Washington State | 45 | | | | | |
| | | | | Southeastern State | 37 | | | | | |
| Southeastern State (OK) | 50 | | | Southeastern State | 37 | | | | | |
| Peru State | 36 | | | | | | | | | |
| Peru State | 36 | | | | | | | | Indiana State | 56 |
| | | | | | | | | | Pepperdine | 43 |
| Houston | 63 | | | | | | | | | | Pepperdine | 43 | |
| High Point | 34 | | | | | | | | | |
| High Point | 34 | | | Indiana State | 62 | | | | | |
| | | | | Houston | 43 | | | | | |
| Indiana State | 62 | | | Houston | 43 | | | | | | | NAIA Third-place game | NAIA Third-place game |
| St. Cloud State | 51 | | | | | | | | | |
| St. Cloud State | 51 | | | | | Indiana State | 55 | | | | | Pepperdine | 82 |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | Indiana State | 55 | | | | | Pepperdine | 82 |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | Dakota Wesleyan | 34 | | | | | Loyola New Orleans | 55 |
| Culver–Stockton | 55 | | | | | | | Dakota Wesleyan | 34 | | | | | Loyola New Orleans | 55 |
| Wichita State | 51 | | | | | | | | | |
| Wichita State | 51 | | | Culver-Stockton | 40 | | | | | |
| | | | | Dakota Wesleyan | 41 | | | | | |
| Dakota Wesleyan | 39 | | | Dakota Wesleyan | 41 | | | | | |
| New Mexico Mines | 36 | | | | | | | | | |
* * denotes overtime.