# 1966 NAIA basketball tournament

The 1966 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 29th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. This tournament featured the game with the most points scored. Al Tucker received the MVP award for the second time this year.

## Awards and honors

* Leading scorer: Al Tucker, Oklahoma Baptist; 5 games, 69 field goals, 44 free throws, 182 total points (36.4 average points per game)
* Leading rebounder: Richard Pitts, Norfolk State (Va.); 5 games, 76 total rebounds (15.2 average rebounds per game)
* Player of the Year: est. 1994
* Most team points; single-game: 132, Norfolk State (Va.) vs. Upper Iowa 97
* Most team points; tournament: 521, Norfolk State (Va.), (104.2 avg.)
* Most field goals made; single-game: 57, Norfolk State (Va.) vs. Upper Iowa
* Most field goals made; tournament: 216, Norfolk State (Va.)
* Top single-game performances: Earl Beechum 11th, Midwestern State (Texas) vs. Monmouth (N.J.); 20 field goals, 6 free throws 46 total points
* All-time leading scorer; second appearance: Al Tucker 2nd, Oklahoma Baptist (1965,66,67); 15 games, 177 field goals, 117 free throws, 471 total points (31.4 points per game).

## 1966 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 | Central State (Ohio) | 92 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | St. Thomas (Minn.) | 69 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | St. Thomas (Minn.) | 69 | | | 1 | Central State (Ohio) | 72 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Lakeland | 68 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Lakeland (Wis.) | 95 | | | - | Lakeland | 68 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Linfield (Ore.) | 81 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Linfield (Ore.) | 81 | | | | | | 1 | Central State (Ohio) | 76 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 1 | Central State (Ohio) | 76 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 9 | Norfolk State | 88 | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Norfolk State (Va.) | 132 | | | | | | | | | 9 | Norfolk State | 88 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Upper Iowa | 97 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Upper Iowa | 97 | | | 9 | Norfolk State | 103 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Athens | 81 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Athens (Ala.) | 88 | | | - | Athens | 81 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Pittsburg State (Kan.) | 79 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Pittsburg State (Kan.) | 79 | | | | | | | | | | 9 | Norfolk State | 88 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Georgia Southern | 89 | | | | |
| 5 | Midwestern (Texas) | 94 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Georgia Southern | 89 | | | | |
| - | Monmouth (N.J.) | 92 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Monmouth (N.J.) | 92 | | | 5 | Midwestern | 82 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 12 | Illinois Wesleyan | 96 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Dickinson State (N.D.) | 76 | | | 12 | Illinois Wesleyan | 96 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Illinois Wesleyan | 86 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Illinois Wesleyan | 86 | | | | | | 12 | Illinois Wesleyan | 72 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 12 | Illinois Wesleyan | 72 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 4 | Georgia Southern | 96 | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Guilford (N.C.) | 67 | | | | | | | | | 4 | Georgia Southern | 96 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Southern State (Ark.) | 72 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Southern State (Ark.) | 72 | | | - | Southern State | 62 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 4 | Georgia Southern | 80 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Howard Payne (Texas) | 80* | | | 4 | Georgia Southern | 80 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Georgia Southern | 85 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Georgia Southern | 85 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Georgia Southern | 59 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11 | Oklahoma Baptist | 88 |
| 3 | Grambling State (La.) | 70 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11 | Oklahoma Baptist | 88 |
| - | Central Washington State | 65 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Central Washington State | 65 | | | 3 | Grambling State | 95 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Carroll (MT) | 86 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Carroll College (Montana) | 91 | | | - | Carroll (MT) | 86 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Bethune-Cookman (Fla.) | 88 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Bethune-Cookman (Fla.) | 88 | | | | | | 3 | Grambling State | 84 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 3 | Grambling State | 84 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 10 | Rockhurst | 82 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Millersville State (Pa.) | 86 | | | | | | | | | 10 | Rockhurst | 82 | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Rockhurst (Mo.) | 102 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Rockhurst (Mo.) | 102 | | | 10 | Rockhurst | 97 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 7 | Albuquerque | 87 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | Albuquerque (N.M.) | 81 | | | 7 | Albuquerque | 87 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | New Haven (Conn.) | 74 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | New Haven (Conn.) | 74 | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Grambling State | 80 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 11 | Oklahoma Baptist | 94 | | | | |
| - | Edinboro State (Pa.) | 53 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11 | Oklahoma Baptist | 94 | | | | |
| 6 | Central Michigan | 67 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Central Michigan | 67 | | | 6 | Central Michigan | 70 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 11 | Oklahoma Baptist | 90 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Oklahoma Baptist | 80 | | | 11 | Oklahoma Baptist | 90 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | California Western | 76 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | California Western | 76 | | | | | | 11 | Oklahoma Baptist | 87 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 11 | Oklahoma Baptist | 87 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 2 | Carson-Newman | 62 | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Morris Harvey (W.Va.) | 110 | | | | | | | | | 2 | Carson-Newman | 62 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Peru State College (Neb.) | 103* | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Peru State College (Neb.) | 103* | | | 15 | Morris Harvey | 74 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | Carson-Newman | 103 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Indiana Central | 67 | | | 2 | Carson-Newman | 103 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Carson-Newman (Tenn.) | 68 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* * denotes overtime.

### 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 |
| 9 | Norfolk State | 110 |
| 3 | Grambling State | 111 |