# 1979 NCAA Division II basketball tournament

The 1979 NCAA Division II basketball tournament involved 32 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college basketball as a culmination of the 1978–79 NCAA Division II men's basketball season. It was won by the University of North Alabama and North Alabama's Perry Oden was the Most Outstanding Player.

## Regional participants

Outcome :
| Eastern Illinois | Third Place |
| Northern Michigan | Fourth Place |
| St. Joseph's (IN) | Regional Champion |
| Wright State | Runner-up |
Outcome :
| Assumption | Runner-up |
| Bentley | Third Place |
| Bridgeport | Regional Champion |
| Quinnipiac | Fourth Place |
Outcome :
| Nicholls State | Regional Champion |
| Rollins | Runner-up |
| SE Missouri State | Third Place |
| NE Missouri State | Fourth Place |
Outcome :
| Florida Southern | Fourth Place |
| North Alabama | Regional Champion |
| Tuskegee | Third Place |
| Valdosta State | Runner-up |
Outcome :
| Cal State Northridge | Fourth Place |
| Puget Sound | Regional Champion |
| San Diego | Third Place |
| UC Riverside | Runner-up |
Outcome :
| Green Bay | Regional Champion |
| Nebraska-Omaha | Third Place |
| North Dakota | Fourth Place |
| Northern Iowa | Runner-up |
Outcome :
| Albany State | Third Place |
| Cheyney | Regional Champion |
| Hartwick | Runner-up |
| Philadelphia U | Fourth Place |
Outcome :
| Mount St. Mary's | Third Place |
| Roanoke | Fourth Place |
| UMBC | Regional Champion |
| Virginia Union | Runner-up |
*denotes tie

## Regionals
### Great Lakes - Fairborn, Ohio

Location: Physical Education Building Host: Wright State University
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 2 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 2 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 2 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 3 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 3 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 3 |
| Wright State | Wright State | 75 | | | |
| Northern Michigan | Northern Michigan | 66 | | | |
| Northern Michigan | Northern Michigan | 66 | Wright State | Wright State | 68 |
| | | | St. Joseph's | St. Joseph's | 73 |
| St. Joseph's (IN) | St. Joseph's (IN) | 76 | St. Joseph's | St. Joseph's | 73 |
| Eastern Illinois | Eastern Illinois | 66 | | | |
* Third Place - Eastern Illinois 65, Northern Michigan 58

### New England - Waltham, Massachusetts

Location: Dana Center Host: Bentley College
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 2 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 2 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 2 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 3 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 3 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 3 |
| Bridgeport | Bridgeport | 92 | | | |
| Quinnipiac | Quinnipiac | 75 | | | |
| Quinnipiac | Quinnipiac | 75 | Bridgeport | Bridgeport | 85 |
| | | | Assumption | Assumption | 75 |
| Assumption | Assumption | 89 | Assumption | Assumption | 75 |
| Bentley | Bentley | 78 | | | |
* Third Place - Bentley 104, Quinnipiac 93

### South Central - Kirksville, Missouri

Location: Pershing Arena Host: Northeast Missouri State University
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 2 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 2 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 2 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 3 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 3 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 3 |
| Nicholls State | Nicholls State | 89 | | | |
| SE Missouri State | SE Missouri State | 74 | | | |
| SE Missouri State | SE Missouri State | 74 | Nicholls State | Nicholls State | 100 |
| | | | Rollins | Rollins | 87 |
| Rollins | Rollins | 97* | Rollins | Rollins | 87 |
| NE Missouri State | NE Missouri State | 88 | | | |
* Third Place - SE Missouri State 86, NE Missouri State 82

### South - Lakeland, Florida

Location: Jenkins Fieldhouse Host: Florida Southern College
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 1 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 1 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 1 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 2 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 2 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 2 |
| Valdosta State | Valdosta State | 102 | | | |
| Tuskegee | Tuskegee | 93 | | | |
| Tuskegee | Tuskegee | 93 | Valdosta State | Valdosta State | 101 |
| | | | North Alabama | North Alabama | 110 |
| North Alabama | North Alabama | 75 | North Alabama | North Alabama | 110 |
| Florida Southern | Florida Southern | 67 | | | |
* Third Place - Tuskegee 107, Florida Southern 102

### West - Tacoma, Washington

Location: Memorial Fieldhouse Host: University of Puget Sound
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 3 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 3 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 3 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 4 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 4 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 4 |
| Puget Sound | Puget Sound | 81 | | | |
| Cal State Northridge | Cal State Northridge | 67 | | | |
| Cal State Northridge | Cal State Northridge | 67 | Puget Sound | Puget Sound | 77 |
| | | | UC Riverside | UC Riverside | 52 |
| UC Riverside | UC Riverside | 62 | UC Riverside | UC Riverside | 52 |
| San Diego | San Diego | 48 | | | |
* Third Place - San Diego 74, Cal State Northridge 69*

### Central - Omaha, Nebraska

Location: UNO Fieldhouse Host: University of Nebraska at Omaha
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 2 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 2 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 2 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 3 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 3 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 3 |
| Northern Iowa | Northern Iowa | 84 | | | |
| Nebraska-Omaha | Nebraska-Omaha | 72 | | | |
| Nebraska-Omaha | Nebraska-Omaha | 72 | Northern Iowa | Northern Iowa | 50 |
| | | | Green Bay | Green Bay | 56 |
| Green Bay | Green Bay | 63 | Green Bay | Green Bay | 56 |
| North Dakota | North Dakota | 48 | | | |
* Third Place - Nebraska-Omaha 86, North Dakota 75

### East - Oneonta, New York

Location: Binder Physical Education Center Host: Hartwick College
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 1 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 1 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 1 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 2 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 2 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 2 |
| Cheyney | Cheyney | 82 | | | |
| Albany State | Albany State | 61 | | | |
| Albany State | Albany State | 61 | Cheyney | Cheyney | 72 |
| | | | Hartwick | Hartwick | 63 |
| Hartwick | Hartwick | 49 | Hartwick | Hartwick | 63 |
| Philadelphia U | Philadelphia U | 48 | | | |
* Third Place - Albany State 72, Philadelphia U 61

### South Atlantic - Catonsville, Maryland

Location: UMBC Fieldhouse Host: University of Maryland, Baltimore County
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 2 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 2 | Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 2 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 3 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 3 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 3 |
| UMBC | UMBC | 79 | | | |
| Mount St. Mary's | Mount St. Mary's | 74 | | | |
| Mount St. Mary's | Mount St. Mary's | 74 | UMBC | UMBC | 58 |
| | | | Virginia Union | Virginia Union | 56 |
| Virginia Union | Virginia Union | 68 | Virginia Union | Virginia Union | 56 |
| Roanoke | Roanoke | 67 | | | |
* Third Place - Mount St. Mary's 93, Roanoke 89
*denotes each overtime played

## National Quarterfinals

| Quarterfinal - New Haven, CT Elite Eight March 10 | Quarterfinal - New Haven, CT Elite Eight March 10 | Quarterfinal - New Haven, CT Elite Eight March 10 |
| St. Joseph's (IN) | St. Joseph's (IN) | 82 |
| Bridgeport | Bridgeport | 92 |
| Quarterfinal - Thibodaux, LA Elite Eight March 10 | Quarterfinal - Thibodaux, LA Elite Eight March 10 | Quarterfinal - Thibodaux, LA Elite Eight March 10 |
| Nicholls State | Nicholls State | 97 |
| North Alabama | North Alabama | 103 |
| Quarterfinal - Green Bay, WI Elite Eight March 10 | Quarterfinal - Green Bay, WI Elite Eight March 10 | Quarterfinal - Green Bay, WI Elite Eight March 10 |
| Puget Sound | Puget Sound | 53 |
| Green Bay | Green Bay | 65 |
| Quarterfinal - Catonsville, MD Elite Eight March 10 | Quarterfinal - Catonsville, MD Elite Eight March 10 | Quarterfinal - Catonsville, MD Elite Eight March 10 |
| Cheyney | Cheyney | 65 |
| UMBC | UMBC | 62 |

## National Finals - Springfield, Missouri

Location: Hammons Center Host: Southwest Missouri State University
| National semifinals Final Four March 16 | National semifinals Final Four March 16 | National semifinals Final Four March 16 | National Championship March 17 | National Championship March 17 | National Championship March 17 |
| Bridgeport | Bridgeport | 82 | | | |
| North Alabama | North Alabama | 85 | | | |
| North Alabama | North Alabama | 85 | North Alabama | North Alabama | 64 |
| | | | Green Bay | Green Bay | 50 |
| Green Bay | Green Bay | 46 | Green Bay | Green Bay | 50 |
| Cheyney | Cheyney | 45 | | | |
* Third Place - Cheyney 81, Bridgeport 78
*denotes each overtime played

## All-tournament team

* Ron Darby (North Alabama)
* Carlton Hurdle (Bridgeport)
* Rory Lindgren (Wisconsin-Green Bay)
* Perry Oden (North Alabama)
* Ron Ripley (Wisconsin-Green Bay)