# 1997 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament

The 1997 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at the Mabee Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The 60th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams competing in a single-elimination format.

## Awards and honors

* Leading scorers:
* Leading rebounder:
* Player of the Year: Juergen Malbeck (Hawaii Pacific).

## 1997 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 | Life | 107 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Huston–Tillotson | 68 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Huston–Tillotson | 68 | | | 1 | Life | 81 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | BYU–Hawaii | 65 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | BYU–Hawaii | 82 | | | - | BYU–Hawaii | 65 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Transylvania | 67 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Transylvania | 67 | | | | | | 1 | Life | 66 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 1 | Life | 66 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 8 | Birmingham Southern | 64 | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | SE Oklahoma State | 90 | | | | | | | | | 8 | Birmingham Southern | 64 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Carroll (MT) | 53 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Carroll (MT) | 53 | | | 9 | Southeastern Oklahoma | 67 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 8 | Birmingham Southern | 73 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Birmingham–Southern | 73 | | | 8 | Birmingham Southern | 73 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | The Master’s | 70 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | The Master’s | 70 | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Life | 69 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 13 | Cumberlands | 52 | | | | |
| - | Central Washington | 61 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 13 | Cumberlands | 52 | | | | |
| 5 | Incarnate Word | 58 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | Incarnate Word | 58 | | | - | Central Washington | 87 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 12 | Azusa Pacific | 76 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Azusa Pacific | 61 | | | 12 | Azusa Pacific | 76 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Columbia (MO) | 55* | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Columbia (MO) | 55* | | | | | | - | Central Washington | 68 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | - | Central Washington | 68 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 13 | Cumberlands | 89 | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Cumberlands | 71 | | | | | | | | | 13 | Cumberlands | 89 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Southern Nazarene | 50 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Southern Nazarene | 50 | | | 13 | Cumberlands | 53 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Dillard | 50 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Dillard | '83 | | | - | Dillard | 50 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Benedict | 74 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Benedict | 74 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Life | 73 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Oklahoma Baptist | 64 |
| 3 | Oklahoma Baptist | 74 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Oklahoma Baptist | 64 |
| - | Lindsey Wilson | 68 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Lindsey Wilson | 68 | | | 3 | Oklahoma Baptist | 39 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 14 | Biola | 36 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Biola | 97 | | | 14 | Biola | 36 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Georgia Southwestern State | 74 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Georgia Southwestern State | 74 | | | | | | 3 | Oklahoma Baptist | 82 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 3 | Oklahoma Baptist | 82 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | - | McKendree | 73 | | | | | | | | |
| - | McKendree | 67 | | | | | | | | | - | McKendree | 73 | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | St. Mary's (TX) | 57 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | St. Mary's (TX) | 57 | | | - | McKendree | 76 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 6 | Findlay | 70 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Findlay | 72 | | | 6 | Findlay | 70 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Olivet Nazarene | 61 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Olivet Nazarene | 61 | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Oklahoma Baptist | 93 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | - | Point Park | 75 | | | | |
| - | Point Park | 111 | | | | | | | | | | | | | - | Point Park | 75 | | | | |
| 7 | Lipscomb | 100 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | Lipscomb | 100 | | | - | Point Park | 71 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Claflin | 70 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Claflin | 57 | | | - | Claflin | 70 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | East Central (OK) | 50 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | East Central (OK) | 50 | | | | | | - | Point Park | 88 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | - | Point Park | 88 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 2 | Hawaii Pacific | 84* | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Georgetown (KY) | 66 | | | | | | | | | 2 | Hawaii Pacific | 84* | | | | | | | | |
| - | Phillips | 64 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Phillips | 64 | | | 15 | Georgetown (KY) | 70 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | Hawaii Pacific | 88 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Hawaii Pacific | 82 | | | 2 | Hawaii Pacific | 88 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | William Carey | 79 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* * denotes overtime.