# 1996 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament

The 1996 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Mabee Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The 59th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.

## Awards and honors

* Leading scorers:
* Leading rebounder:
* Player of the Year: Jason Cason (Birmingham Southern).

## 1996 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 | Georgetown (KY) | 116 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | North Georgia | 68 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | North Georgia | 68 | | | 1 | Georgetown (KY) | 78 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Arkansas Tech | 49 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Arkansas Tech | 68 | | | - | Arkansas Tech | 49 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Lewis–Clark State | 60 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Lewis–Clark State | 60 | | | | | | 1 | Georgetown (KY) | 93 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 1 | Georgetown (KY) | 93 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | - | Geneva | 77 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Geneva | 74 | | | | | | | | | - | Geneva | 77 | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Montana State–Northern | 69 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Montana State–Northern | 69 | | | - | Geneva | 81 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 8 | Oklahoma Baptist | 79 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Oklahoma Baptist | 75 | | | 8 | Oklahoma Baptist | 79 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | St. Mary's (TX) | 69 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | St. Mary's (TX) | 69 | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Georgetown (KY) | 97 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Lipscomb | 84 | | | | |
| 5 | BYU–Hawaii | 83 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Lipscomb | 84 | | | | |
| - | St. Francis (IL) | 68 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | St. Francis (IL) | 68 | | | 5 | BYU–Hawaii | 60 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | East Central | 66 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | East Central | 62 | | | - | East Central | 66 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Azusa Pacific | 60 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Azusa Pacific | 60 | | | | | | - | East Central | 75 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | - | East Central | 75 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 4 | Lipscomb | 93 | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Lipscomb | 91 | | | | | | | | | 4 | Lipscomb | 93 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Talladega | 78 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Talladega | 78 | | | 4 | Lipscomb | 95 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | McKendree | 87 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | McKendree | 73 | | | - | McKendree | 87 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | East Texas Baptist | 69 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | East Texas Baptist | 69 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Georgetown (KY) | 80 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 14 | Oklahoma City | 86 |
| 3 | The Master’s | 72 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 14 | Oklahoma City | 86 |
| - | Claflin | 64 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Claflin | 64 | | | 3 | The Master’s | 85 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 14 | Oklahoma City | 108 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Oklahoma City | 94 | | | 14 | Oklahoma City | 108 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | St. Xavier | 58 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | St. Xavier | 58 | | | | | | 14 | Oklahoma City | 82 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 14 | Oklahoma City | 82 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 6 | Birmingham Southern | 66 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Findlay | 68 | | | | | | | | | 6 | Birmingham Southern | 66 | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Harding | 65 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Harding | 65 | | | - | Findlay | 69 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 6 | Birmingham Southern | 72 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Birmingham–Southern | 88 | | | 6 | Birmingham Southern | 72 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Westmont | 75 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Westmont | 75 | | | | | | | | | | 14 | Oklahoma City | 97 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | - | Belmont | 77 | | | | |
| 7 | Hawaii Pacific | 74 | | | | | | | | | | | | | - | Belmont | 77 | | | | |
| - | SE Oklahoma State | 72* | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | SE Oklahoma State | 72* | | | 7 | Hawaii Pacific | 64 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 10 | Cumberlands | 89 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Cumberlands | 65 | | | 10 | Cumberlands | 89 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Columbia (MO) | 58 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Columbia (MO) | 58 | | | | | | 10 | Cumberlands | 65 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 10 | Cumberlands | 65 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | - | Belmont | 66 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Belmont | 57 | | | | | | | | | - | Belmont | 66 | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Westminster (PA) | 54 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Westminster (PA) | 54 | | | - | Belmont | 74 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | Life | 73 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Life | 79 | | | 2 | Life | 73 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Xavier (LA) | 72 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* * denotes overtime.