# 1979 NCAA Division III basketball tournament

The 1979 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament was the fifth annual single-elimination tournament, held during March 1979, to determine the national champions of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's Division III collegiate basketball in the United States.
The tournament field included 32 teams, an increase of two from 1978, with the national championship rounds being contested in Rock Island, Illinois.
Defending champions North Park defeated Potsdam, 66–62, in the championship game to repeat as national champions and claim their second overall title.

## Bracket
### Regionals

| First round | First round | First round | Regional Championship | Regional Championship | Regional Championship |
| Framingham State | Framingham State | 89 | | | |
| Rhode Island College | Rhode Island College | 80 | | | |
| Rhode Island College | Rhode Island College | 80 | Framingham State | Framingham State | 73 |
| | | | Clark (MA) | Clark (MA) | 85 |
| Clark (MA) | Clark (MA) | 68** | Clark (MA) | Clark (MA) | 85 |
| Coast Guard | Coast Guard | 59 | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place |
| | | | Rhode Island College | Rhode Island College | 71 |
| | | | Coast Guard | Coast Guard | 76 |
| First round | First round | First round | Regional Championship | Regional Championship | Regional Championship |
| St. Lawrence | St. Lawrence | 64 | | | |
| Manhattanville | Manhattanville | 59 | | | |
| Manhattanville | Manhattanville | 59 | St. Lawrence | St. Lawrence | 61 |
| | | | Potsdam | Potsdam | 70 |
| Potsdam | Potsdam | 70 | Potsdam | Potsdam | 70 |
| Stony Brook | Stony Brook | 65 | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place |
| | | | Manhattanville | Manhattanville | 61 |
| | | | Stony Brook | Stony Brook | 66 |
| First round | First round | First round | Regional Championship | Regional Championship | Regional Championship |
| Baldwin Wallace | Baldwin Wallace | 70 | | | |
| Albion | Albion | 66 | | | |
| Albion | Albion | 66 | Baldwin Wallace | Baldwin Wallace | 68 |
| | | | Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 66 |
| Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 69 | Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 66 |
| Allegheny | Allegheny | 68 | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place |
| | | | Albion | Albion | 91 |
| | | | Allegheny | Allegheny | 78 |
| First round | First round | First round | Regional Championship | Regional Championship | Regional Championship |
| Savannah State | Savannah State | 82* | | | |
| Albany (NY) | Albany (NY) | 81 | | | |
| Albany (NY) | Albany (NY) | 81 | Savannah State | Savannah State | 54 |
| | | | Centre (KY) | Centre (KY) | 82 |
| Centre (KY) | Centre (KY) | 79 | Centre (KY) | Centre (KY) | 82 |
| Lane | Lane | 68 | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place |
| | | | Albany (NY) | Albany (NY) | 85* |
| | | | Lane | Lane | 83 |
| First round | First round | First round | Regional Championship | Regional Championship | Regional Championship |
| Elizabethtown | Elizabethtown | 58 | | | |
| Grove City | Grove City | 53 | | | |
| Grove City | Grove City | 53 | Elizabethtown | Elizabethtown | 59 |
| | | | Franklin & Marshall | Franklin & Marshall | 60 |
| Franklin & Marshall | Franklin & Marshall | 74* | Franklin & Marshall | Franklin & Marshall | 60 |
| Albright | Albright | 63 | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place |
| | | | Grove City | Grove City | 79 |
| | | | Albright | Albright | 73 |
| First round | First round | First round | Regional Championship | Regional Championship | Regional Championship |
| Jersey City State | Jersey City State | 85 | | | |
| Virginia Wesleyan | Virginia Wesleyan | 64 | | | |
| Virginia Wesleyan | Virginia Wesleyan | 64 | Jersey City State | Jersey City State | 91 |
| | | | Upsala | Upsala | 81 |
| Upsala | Upsala | 115 | Upsala | Upsala | 81 |
| Lynchburg | Lynchburg | 85 | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place |
| | | | Virginia Wesleyan | Virginia Wesleyan | 108 |
| | | | Lynchburg | Lynchburg | 84 |
| First round | First round | First round | Regional Championship | Regional Championship | Regional Championship |
| Central (IA) | Central (IA) | 85 | | | |
| Minnesota–Morris | Minnesota–Morris | 57 | | | |
| Minnesota–Morris | Minnesota–Morris | 57 | Central (IA) | Central (IA) | 66 |
| | | | North Park | North Park | 81 |
| North Park | North Park | 63 | North Park | North Park | 81 |
| Beloit | Beloit | 62 | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place |
| | | | Minnesota–Morris | Minnesota–Morris | 64 |
| | | | Beloit | Beloit | 72 |
| First round | First round | First round | Regional Championship | Regional Championship | Regional Championship |
| Chaminade | Chaminade | 78 | | | |
| William Penn | William Penn | 69 | | | |
| William Penn | William Penn | 69 | Chaminade | Chaminade | 78 |
| | | | Whittier | Whittier | 77 |
| Whittier | Whittier | 74** | Whittier | Whittier | 77 |
| Humboldt State | Humboldt State | 73 | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place |
| | | | William Penn | William Penn | 91 |
| | | | Humboldt State | Humboldt State | 95 |

### National finals

* Site: Rock Island, Illinois
| National quarterfinals | National quarterfinals | National quarterfinals | National semifinals | National semifinals | National semifinals | National championship | National championship | National championship |
| Clark (MA) | Clark (MA) | 72 | | | | | | |
| Potsdam | Potsdam | 89 | | | | | | |
| Potsdam | Potsdam | 89 | Potsdam | Potsdam | 67 | | | |
| | | | Centre (KY) | Centre (KY) | 63 | | | |
| Centre (KY) | Centre (KY) | 68*** | Centre (KY) | Centre (KY) | 63 | | | |
| Baldwin Wallace | Baldwin Wallace | 65 | | | | | | |
| Baldwin Wallace | Baldwin Wallace | 65 | | | | Potsdam | Potsdam | 62 |
| | | | | | | North Park | North Park | 66 |
| Franklin & Marshall | Franklin & Marshall | 83 | | | | | | | North Park | North Park | 66 |
| Jersey City State | Jersey City State | 72 | | | |
| Jersey City State | Jersey City State | 72 | Franklin & Marshall | Franklin & Marshall | 73 | National third-place game | National third-place game | National third-place game |
| | | | North Park | North Park | 83 |
| North Park | North Park | 95 | North Park | North Park | 83 | Centre (KY) | Centre (KY) | 65 |
| Chaminade | Chaminade | 74 | | | | Franklin & Marshall | Franklin & Marshall | 66 |