# 1970 NAIA basketball tournament

The 1970 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 33rd annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
Kentucky State would win the first of three straight National Championship titles, becoming the second team to win three in a row, and the third team to win three titles.
The 3rd-place game would go into overtime for the second time in tournament history. The 6th seeded Eastern New Mexico State Greyhounds beat the 8th seeded Guilford Quakers 77-72 in one overtime.

## Awards and honors

* Leading scorer: Travis Grant, Kentucky State; 5 games, 57 field goals, 23 free throws, 137 total points (27.4 average points per game)
* Leading rebounder: Elmore Smith, Kentucky State & Greg Hyder, Eastern New Mexico; 5 games, 65 rebounds, (13 average rebounds per game)
* Player of the Year: est. 1994
* Most field goals made; career; 223; Travis Grant, Kentucky State, (1970, 71, 72)
* Most career points; individual: 518, Travis Grant, Kentucky State, (1970, 71, 72)
* All-time leading scorer; first appearance: Travis Grant, 1st (1970, 71, 72) 15 games, 223 field goals, 72 free throws, 518 points (34.5 average points per game)

## 1970 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 | Stephen F. Austin (TX) | 100 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | South Carolina State | 86 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | South Carolina State | 86 | | | 1 | Stephen F. Austin | 74 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 16 | Augusta State | 71 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Monmouth (NJ) | 64 | | | 16 | Augusta State | 71 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Augusta State (GA) | 85 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Augusta State (GA) | 85 | | | | | | 1 | Stephen F. Austin | 94 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 1 | Stephen F. Austin | 94 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | - | Guilford | 100 | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Eastern Michigan | 108 | | | | | | | | | - | Guilford | 100 | | | | | | | | |
| - | East Central State (Okla.) | 85 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | East Central State (Okla.) | 85 | | | 9 | Eastern Michigan | 85 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 8 | Guilford | 89 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Wayne State (Neb.) | 73 | | | 8 | Guilford | 89 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Guilford (N.C.) | 90 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Guilford (N.C.) | 90 | | | | | | | | | | - | Guilford | 90 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Kentucky State | 108 | | | | |
| 5 | Central State (Ohio) | 69 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Kentucky State | 108 | | | | |
| - | St. Thomas (Minn.) | 60 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | St. Thomas (Minn.) | 60 | | | 5 | Central State (Ohio) | 83 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Wiley | 77 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Wiley (Tex.) | 77 | | | - | Wiley | 77 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Drury (Mo.) | 75 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Drury (Mo.) | 75 | | | | | | 5 | Central State (Ohio) | 56 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 5 | Central State (Ohio) | 56 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 4 | Kentucky State | 66 | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Eau Claire State (Wis.) | 88 | | | | | | | | | 4 | Kentucky State | 66 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Eastern Montana | 81 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Eastern Montana | 81 | | | 13 | Eau Claire State | 65 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 4 | Kentucky State | 73 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Illinois Wesleyan | 56 | | | 4 | Kentucky State | 73 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Kentucky State | 64 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Kentucky State | 64 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Kentucky State | 79 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Central Washington State | 71 |
| 3 | Central Washington State | 77 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Central Washington State | 71 |
| - | St. Benedict's (Kan.) | 65 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | St. Benedict's (Kan.) | 65 | | | 3 | Central Washington State | 66 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 14 | Wartburg | 58 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Northern State (S.D.) | 78 | | | 14 | Wartburg | 58 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Wartburg (Iowa) | 91 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Wartburg (Iowa) | 91 | | | | | | 3 | Central Washington State | 72 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 3 | Central Washington State | 72 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 7 | Jackson State | 70 | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Hanover (Ind.) | 88 | | | | | | | | | 7 | Jackson State | 70 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Arkansas Tech | 94 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Arkansas Tech | 94 | | | - | Arkansas Tech | 81 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 6 | Eastern New Mexico | 84 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Whittier (Calif.) | 66 | | | 6 | Eastern New Mexico | 84 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Eastern New Mexico | 80 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Eastern New Mexico | 80 | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Central Washington State | 54 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | Eastern New Mexico | 53 | | | | |
| 7 | Jackson State (Miss.) | 89 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | Eastern New Mexico | 53 | | | | |
| - | Campbell (N.C.) | 65 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Campbell (N.C.) | 65 | | | 7 | Jackson State | 90 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 10 | Northeast Louisiana | 83 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Linfield (Ore.) | 72 | | | 10 | Northeast Louisiana | 83 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Northeast Louisiana | 78 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Northeast Louisiana | 78 | | | | | | 6 | Eastern New Mexico | 76 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 6 | Eastern New Mexico | 76 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 2 | Maryland State | 74* | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Morris Harvey (W.Va.) | 99 | | | | | | | | | 2 | Maryland State | 74* | | | | | | | | |
| - | Western New England (Mass.) | 76 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Western New England (Mass.) | 76 | | | 15 | Morris Harvey | 78 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | Maryland State | 88 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | California State (Pa.) | 67 | | | 2 | Maryland State | 88 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Maryland State | 101 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* * denotes overtime.

### Third-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 |
| - | Guilford | 72* |
| 6 | Eastern New Mexico | 77 |