# 1960 NAIA basketball tournament

The 1960 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 23rd annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The pivotal game in this year's tournament was in the semifinals round when #4 Westminster College knocked off the three time defending national champions #1 Tennessee State University. This ended the 18 tournament win streak. As of 2017, it is still the tournament's longest win streak. Tennessee State would then play in the 3rd-place game where they easily defeated William Jewell College 100-65. (William Jewell's highest finish in the DI tournament, as of 2010).
Westminster went to the championship game and was defeated by Southwest Texas State 44-66. The Bobcats finish with their first national championship, after being in the NAIA Final Four two previous times, 1952, 1959, both finishing 3rd.

## Awards and honors

Many of the records set by the 1960 tournament have been broken, and many of the awards were established much later:
* Leading scorer: est. 1963
* Leading rebounder: est. 1963
* Player of the Year: est. 1994
* Most consecutive tournament victories; record ends: 18 overall; 3 in 1960, Tennessee State, 1957-58-59-60
* Top single-game performances: Charles Sharp, 16th, Southwest Texas State vs. Wisconsin-Oshkosh, In that game Sharp scored 15 field goals and 14 free throws, totaling 44 points.
* All-time leading scorer; first appearance: Hershell West, 15th Grambling (La.) (1960,61,63), 13 games, 116 field goals, 37 free throws, 269 total points, 20.7 average per game.
* All-time leading scorer; final appearance: Charles Sharp, 5th Southwest Texas State (1957,59,60) 12 games, 118 field goals, 69 free throws, 305 total points, 25.4 average per game.

## 1960 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 | Tennessee State | 102 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Midwestern (Texas) | 83 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Midwestern (Texas) | 83 | | | 1 | Tennessee State | 84 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 16 | West Virginia Wesleyan | 79 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Valley City State (N.D.) | 84 | | | 16 | West Virginia Wesleyan | 79 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | West Virginia Wesleyan | 109 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | West Virginia Wesleyan | 109 | | | | | | 1 | Tennessee State | 75 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 1 | Tennessee State | 75 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 8 | Wofford | 60 | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Pittsburg State (Kan.) | 61 | | | | | | | | | 8 | Wofford | 60 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Findlay (Ohio) | 76 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Findlay (Ohio) | 76 | | | - | Findlay | 73 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 8 | Wofford | 80 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Oakland City (Ind.) | 85* | | | 8 | Wofford | 80 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Wofford (S.C.) | 86 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Wofford (S.C.) | 86 | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Tennessee State | 38 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Westminster | 39 | | | | |
| 5 | Hamline (Minn.) | 88 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Westminster | 39 | | | | |
| - | Florence State (Ala.) | 83** | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Florence State (Ala.) | 83** | | | 5 | Hamline | 89 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Arkansas A&M | 76 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Arkansas A&M | 64 | | | - | Arkansas A&M | 76 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Western Washington State | 53 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Western Washington State | 53 | | | | | | - | Hamline | 59 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | - | Hamline | 59 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 4 | Westminster | 62 | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Whittier (Calif.) | 77 | | | | | | | | | 4 | Westminster | 62 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Ferris Institute (Mich.) | 71 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Ferris Institute (Mich.) | 71 | | | 13 | Whittier | 50 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 4 | Westminster | 59 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Maryland State | 63 | | | 4 | Westminster | 59 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Westminster (Pa.) | 64 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Westminster (Pa.) | 64 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Westminster | 44 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Southwest Texas State | 66 |
| 3 | Southern Illinois | 71 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Southwest Texas State | 66 |
| - | Oklahoma Baptist | 75 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Oklahoma Baptist | 75 | | | - | Oklahoma Baptist | 67 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | New Mexico Highlands | 77 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | New Mexico Highlands | 96 | | | - | New Mexico Highlands | 77 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Nebraska Wesleyan | 90 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Nebraska Wesleyan | 90 | | | | | | - | New Mexico Highlands | 62 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | - | New Mexico Highlands | 62 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | - | William Jewell | 67 | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | Stetson (Fla.) | 66 | | | | | | | | | - | William Jewell | 67 | | | | | | | | |
| - | William Jewell (Mo.) | 68 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | William Jewell (Mo.) | 68 | | | - | William Jewell | 73 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Parsons | 71 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Parsons (Iowa) | 67 | | | - | Parsons | 71 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Christian Brothers (Tenn.) | 65 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Christian Brothers (Tenn.) | 65 | | | | | | | | | | - | William Jewell | 44 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Southwest Texas State | 82 | | | | |
| 11 | Villa Madonna (Ky.) | 94 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Southwest Texas State | 82 | | | | |
| - | College of Idaho | 70 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | College of Idaho | 70 | | | 11 | Villa Madonna | 97 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 6 | Grambling State | 113 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Central Connecticut State | 68 | | | 6 | Grambling State | 113 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Grambling State (La.) | 92 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Grambling State (La.) | 92 | | | | | | 6 | Grambling State | 68 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 6 | Grambling State | 68 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 2 | Southwest Texas State | 76 | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Willamette (Ore.) | 71 | | | | | | | | | 2 | Southwest Texas State | 76 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Savannah State (Ga.) | 85 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Savannah State (Ga.) | 85 | | | - | Savannah State | 88 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | Southwest Texas State | 101 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Oshkosh State (Wis.) | 69 | | | 2 | Southwest Texas State | 101 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Southwest Texas State | 93 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* * denotes each overtime.

### 3rd-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 |
| 1 | Tennessee State | 100 |
| - | William Jewell | 65 |