# 1972 NAIA basketball tournament

The 1972 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 35th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
This year was the first and only tournament since seeding began in 1957 that all four top seeded teams made it to the national semi-finals. Seeding was changed in 2016, so each bracket is now seeded 1 through 8. Kentucky State became the second team to win three titles in a row, joining Tennessee State (1957, 1958, 1959).

## Awards and honors

* Leading scorer: Travis Grant, Kentucky State
* Leading rebounder: Mike Ratliff, Wisconsin-Eau Claire 81 rebounds in 5 games.
* Player of the year: est. 1994
* Most points single game: 60, Travis Grant, Kentucky State vs. Minot State (N.D.)
* Most points single tournament: 213, Travis Grant, Kentucky State
* Most points, career: 518, Travis Grant, Kentucky State, 1970-71-72
* Most field goals made, game: 27, Travis Grant, Kentucky State vs. Minot State (N.D.)
* Most field goals made, tournament: 89, Travis Grant, Kentucky State
* Most field goals made, career: 223, Travis Grant, Kentucky State, 1970-71-72

## 1972 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 | Wisconsin-Eau Claire | 96 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Bishop (Tex.) | 65 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Bishop (Tex.) | 65 | | | 1 | Wisconsin-Eau Claire | 59 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 16 | Belhaven | 52 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Quinnipiac (Conn.) | 64 | | | 16 | Belhaven | 52 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Belhaven (Miss.) | 75 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Belhaven (Miss.) | 75 | | | | | | 1 | Wisconsin-Eau Claire | 77 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 1 | Wisconsin-Eau Claire | 77 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 9 | Augustana | 70 | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Augustana (Ill.) | 103 | | | | | | | | | 9 | Augustana | 70 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Kearney State (Neb.) | 96 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Kearney State (Neb.) | 96 | | | 9 | Augustana | 76 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 8 | Glenville State | 75 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Missouri Southern State | 66 | | | 8 | Glenville State | 75 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Glenville State (W.Virginia) | 68 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Glenville State (W.Virginia) | 68 | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Wisconsin-Eau Claire | 83 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Gardner–Webb | 68 | | | | |
| 5 | Western Washington State | 66 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Gardner–Webb | 68 | | | | |
| - | Findlay (Ohio) | 63 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Findlay (Ohio) | 63 | | | 5 | Western Washington State | 74 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 12 | Northeastern State | 68 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Glassboro State (N.J.) | 69 | | | 12 | Northeastern State | 68 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Northeastern State (Okla.) | 87 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Northeastern State (Okla.) | 87 | | | | | | 5 | Western Washington State | 75 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 5 | Western Washington State | 75 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 4 | Gardner–Webb | 81 | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Pittsburg State (Kan.) | 98 | | | | | | | | | 4 | Gardner–Webb | 81 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Western Carolina (N.C.) | 75 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Western Carolina (N.C.) | 75 | | | 13 | Pittsburg State | 87 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 4 | Gardner–Webb | 91 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Eastern Montana | 94 | | | 4 | Gardner–Webb | 91 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Gardner–Webb (N.C.) | 109 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Gardner–Webb (N.C.) | 109 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Wisconsin-Eau Claire | 62 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Kentucky State | 71 |
| 3 | Kentucky State | 118 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Kentucky State | 71 |
| - | Minot State (N.D.) | 68 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Minot State (N.D.) | 68 | | | 3 | Kentucky State | 112 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 14 | West Georgia | 83 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Northwestern (Iowa) | 69 | | | 14 | West Georgia | 83 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | West Georgia | 73 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | West Georgia | 73 | | | | | | 3 | Kentucky State | 66 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 3 | Kentucky State | 66 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 11 | St. Thomas | 57 | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | St. Thomas (Minn.) | 78 | | | | | | | | | 11 | St. Thomas | 57 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Tri-State (Ind.) | 61 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Tri-State (Ind.) | 61 | | | 11 | St. Thomas | 93 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 6 | Ouachita Baptist | 87 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Elizabeth City State (N.C.) | 89 | | | 6 | Ouachita Baptist | 87 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) | 90* | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) | 90* | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Kentucky State | 87 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Stephen F. Austin State | 82 | | | | |
| 7 | Xavier (La.) | 102 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Stephen F. Austin State | 82 | | | | |
| - | Maryland-Eastern Shore | 80 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Maryland-Eastern Shore | 80 | | | 7 | Xavier | 59 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 10 | Westmont | 71 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Edinboro State (Pa.) | 72 | | | 10 | Westmont | 71 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Westmont (California) | 91 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Westmont (California) | 91 | | | | | | 10 | Westmont | 62 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 10 | Westmont | 62 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 2 | Stephen F. Austin State | 72 | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Willamette (Ore.) | 65 | | | | | | | | | 2 | Stephen F. Austin State | 72 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Adams State (Colo.) | 78 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Adams State (Colo.) | 78 | | | - | Adams State | 77 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | Stephen F. Austin State | 87 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Hillsdale (Mich.) | 61 | | | 2 | Stephen F. Austin State | 87 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Stephen F. Austin (Tex.) | 71 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* * denotes overtime.

### Third-place game

The third-place game featured the losing teams from the national semifinalist to determine third and fourth places in the tournament. This game was played until 1988.
| NAIA third-place game | NAIA third-place game | NAIA third-place game |
| 4 | Gardner–Webb | 91 |
| 2 | Stephen F. Austin State | 94 |