# 1982 NAIA men's basketball tournament

The 1982 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. The 45th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. South Carolina-Spartanburg became the champion.

## Awards and honors

* Leading scorers:
* Leading rebounder:
* Player of the Year: est. 1994.

## 1982 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 | Biola (Calif.) | 69 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | West Virginia Tech | 66 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | West Virginia Tech | 66 | | | 1 | Biola | 62 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 16 | Quincy | 56 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Quincy (Ill.) | 95 | | | 16 | Quincy | 56 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Cedarville (Ohio) | 65 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Cedarville (Ohio) | 65 | | | | | | 1 | Biola | 42 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 1 | Biola | 42 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | - | Saginaw Valley | 40 | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Southern Tech (Ga.) | 84 | | | | | | | | | - | Saginaw Valley | 40 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Paul Quinn (Tex.) | 79 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Paul Quinn (Tex.) | 79 | | | - | Saginaw Valley | 67 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 9 | Southern Tech | 61 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Saginaw Valley (Mich.) | 60 | | | 9 | Southern Tech | 61 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Stephen F. Austin State (Tex.) | 48 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Stephen F. Austin State (Tex.) | 48 | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Biola | 84 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | - | Kearney State | 75 | | | | |
| 5 | David Lipscomb (Tenn.) | 87 | | | | | | | | | | | | | - | Kearney State | 75 | | | | |
| - | Kearney State (Neb.) | 92 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Kearney State (Neb.) | 92 | | | - | Kearney State | 77 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 12 | Hanover | 76 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Westminster (Pa.) | 39 | | | 12 | Hanover | 76 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Hanover (Ind.) | 49 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Hanover (Ind.) | 49 | | | | | | - | Kearney State | 97 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | - | Kearney State | 97 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 4 | Western Oregon | 95 | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Western New Mexico | 58 | | | | | | | | | 4 | Western Oregon | 95 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Briar Cliff (Iowa) | 59* | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Briar Cliff (Iowa) | 59* | | | 4 | Western Oregon | 63 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Briar Cliff | 55 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Missouri Western State | 66 | | | - | Briar Cliff | 55 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Western Oregon | 76 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Western Oregon | 76 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Biola | 38 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 14 | South Carolina Spartanburg | 51 |
| 3 | Xavier (La.) | 57 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 14 | South Carolina Spartanburg | 51 |
| - | St. Mary’s (Tex.) | 73 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | St. Mary’s (Tex.) | 73 | | | - | St. Mary’s (TX) | 53 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 14 | South Carolina Spartanburg | 63 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Franklin Pierce (N.H.) | 62 | | | 14 | South Carolina Spartanburg | 63 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | South Carolina Spartanburg | 75 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | South Carolina Spartanburg | 75 | | | | | | 14 | South Carolina Spartanburg | 76 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 14 | South Carolina Spartanburg | 76 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 6 | Wisconsin Eau Claire | 64 | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | St. Thomas Aquinas (N.Y.) | 72 | | | | | | | | | 6 | Wisconsin Eau Claire | 64 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Washburn (Kan.) | 68 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Washburn (Kan.) | 68 | | | 11 | St. Thomas Aquinas | 77 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 6 | Wisconsin Eau Claire | 91 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Mary (N.D.) | 73 | | | 6 | Wisconsin Eau Claire | 91 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Wisconsin-Eau Claire | 74 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Wisconsin-Eau Claire | 74 | | | | | | | | | | 14 | South Carolina Spartanburg | 68 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | - | Hampton Institute | 54 | | | | |
| 7 | Catawba (N.C.) | 75 | | | | | | | | | | | | | - | Hampton Institute | 54 | | | | |
| - | Moorhead State (Minn.) | 82 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Moorhead State (Minn.) | 82 | | | - | Morehead State | 61 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 10 | Henderson State | 70 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Birmingham-Southern (Ala.) | 52 | | | 10 | Henderson State | 70 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Henderson State (Ark.) | 53 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Henderson State (Ark.) | 53 | | | | | | 10 | Henderson State | 66 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 10 | Henderson State | 66 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | - | Hampton Institute | 70 | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Central Washington | 74 | | | | | | | | | - | Hampton Institute | 70 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Cumberland (Ky.) | 65 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Cumberland (Ky.) | 65 | | | 15 | Central Washington | 49 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Hampton Institute | 63 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Hampton Institute (Va.) | 65 | | | - | Hampton Institute | 63 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Oklahoma Christian | 64 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* * 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 |
| - | Hampton Institute | 98 |
| - | Kearney State | 94 |