# 1959 NAIA basketball tournament

The 1959 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 22nd annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. The 1959 Tournament is the first tournament to use the 16-seed system, which was used until the 2015.
The championship game again featured Tennessee State University. The Tigers defeated the Lutes of Pacific Lutheran University. It would be the first time any school would win three consecutive tournaments; a feat only repeated once, by Kentucky State, in 1970, 1971, and 1972. It was also the first tournament that didn't feature an upset in the championship game and first time a "true" number 1 seed won the tournament since seeding began in 1957.

## Awards and honors

Many of the records set by the 1959 tournament have been broken, and many of the awards were established much later:
* Leading scorer est. 1963
* Leading rebounder est. 1963
* Player of the Year est. 1994
* Most consecutive tournament victories; continues: 18 overall; 5 in 1959, Tennessee State, 1957-58-59-60
* Most rebounds: 32, Ken Remley, West Virginia Wesleyan vs. Whittier (Calif.)
* All-time leading scorer; second 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
* All-time leading scorers; final appearance: Dick Barnett, 3rd, Tennessee State (1956,57,58,59) 18 games, 186 field goals, 79 free throws, 451 total points 25.1 average per game, Charles Curtis, 8th, Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) (1956,57,58,59) 14 games 101 field goals, 85 free throws, 287 total points, 20.5 average per game, Roger Iverson, 20th, Pacific Lutheran (1956,57,58,59) 14 games, 109 field goals, 23 free throws, 241 total points, 17.2 average per game, and John Barnhill, 21st, Tennessee State (1956,57,58,59) 17 games, 104 field goals, 27 free throws, 235 total points, 13.8 average per game.

## 1959 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 | Tennessee State | 75 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Nebraska Wesleyan | 57 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Nebraska Wesleyan | 57 | | | 1 | Tennessee State | 89 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 9 | Youngstown | 80 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Youngstown (Ohio) | 85 | | | 9 | Youngstown | 80 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Northern State (S.D.) | 76 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Northern State (S.D.) | 76 | | | | | | 1 | Tennessee State | 131 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 1 | Tennessee State | 131 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 8 | Illinois State Normal | 74 | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Culver-Stockton (Mo.) | 66 | | | | | | | | | 8 | Illinois State Normal | 74 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Fairleigh Dickinson (N.J.) | 77 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Fairleigh Dickinson (N.J.) | 77 | | | - | Fairleigh-Dickinson | 64 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 8 | Illinois State Normal | 68 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Troy State (Ala.) | 50 | | | 8 | Illinois State Normal | 68 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Illinois State Normal | 98 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Illinois State Normal | 98 | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Tennessee State | 64 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | Southwest Texas State | 62 | | | | |
| 5 | Southwest Texas State | 93 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | Southwest Texas State | 62 | | | | |
| - | Linfield (Ore.) | 61 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Linfield (Ore.) | 61 | | | 5 | Southwest Texas State | 61 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 12 | Westminster (Pa.) | 58 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Connecticut Teachers | 76 | | | 12 | Westminster (Pa.) | 58 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Westminster (Pa.) | 79 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Westminster (Pa.) | 79 | | | | | | 5 | Southwest Texas State | 80 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 5 | Southwest Texas State | 80 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 16 | Lenoir-Rhyne | 78 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Northern Michigan | 67 | | | | | | | | | 16 | Lenoir-Rhyne | 78 | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) | 90 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) | 90 | | | 16 | Lenoir-Rhyne | 88 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 4 | Grambling State | 78 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Christian Brothers (Tenn.) | 70 | | | 4 | Grambling State | 78 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Grambling State (La.) | 81 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Grambling State (La.) | 81 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Tennessee State | 97 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Pacific Lutheran | 87 |
| 3 | Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) | 78 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Pacific Lutheran | 87 |
| - | Western Montana | 60 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Western Montana | 60 | | | 3 | Pacific Lutheran | 68 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 14 | Central State (Okla.) | 57 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Kentucky State | 65 | | | 14 | Central State (Okla.) | 57 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Central State (Okla.) | 72 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Central State (Okla.) | 72 | | | | | | 3 | Pacific Lutheran | 97 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 3 | Pacific Lutheran | 97 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | - | Georgia Teachers | 65 | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Platteville State (Wis.) | 84 | | | | | | | | | - | Georgia Teachers | 65 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Georgia Teachers | 91 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Georgia Teachers | 91 | | | - | Georgia Teachers | 73 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 6 | Indiana State | 70 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Morningside (Iowa) | 67 | | | 6 | Indiana State | 70 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Indiana State | 87 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Indiana State | 87 | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Pacific Lutheran | 80 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 15 | Fort Hays State | 71 | | | | |
| 15 | Fort Hays State (Kan.) | 73 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 15 | Fort Hays State | 71 | | | | |
| - | Westminster (Utah) | 60 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Westminster (Utah) | 60 | | | 15 | Fort Hays State | 59 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Arkansas State Teachers | 48 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | Pikeville (Ky.) | 67 | | | - | Arkansas State Teachers | 48 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Arkansas State Teachers | 70 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Arkansas State Teachers | 70 | | | | | | 15 | Fort Hays State | 98 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 15 | Fort Hays State | 98 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 2 | West Virginia Wesleyan | 83 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Austin (Texas) | 79 | | | | | | | | | 2 | West Virginia Wesleyan | 83 | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Minnesota-Duluth | 87 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Minnesota-Duluth | 87 | | | 10 | Minnesota-Duluth | 75 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | West Virginia Wesleyan | 90 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Whittier (Calif.) | 64 | | | 2 | West Virginia Wesleyan | 90 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | West Virginia Wesleyan | 84 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Third-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.
| NAIA third-place game | NAIA third-place game | NAIA third-place game |
| 5 | Southwest Texas State | 87 |
| 15 | Fort Hays State | 80 |