# 2021 NAIA men's basketball tournament

The 2021 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held March 12–23 at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 83rd annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 48 teams playing in a single-elimination format. The opening game round was played on March 12 and 13, producing 16 teams which got reseeded for the championship round. The National Championship Game was played on March 23.

## Awards and honors

* Frank Cramer Award: David Block, Block & Co.
* Dr. James Naismith-Emil S. Liston Sportsmanship Award: Loyola (La.)
* 2021 All-Tournament Team: TreVion Crews, Bethel (Ind.); Mason Walters, Jamestown (N.D.); Damek Mitchell, Lewis-Clark State (Idaho); Trystan Bradley, Lewis-Clark State (Idaho); Hodges Bailey, Lewis-Clark State (Idaho); Zach Wrightsil, Loyola (La.); Joel Polius, SAGU (Texas); Antwaan Cushingberry, Saint Francis (Ind.); James Jones, Shawnee State (Ohio); EJ Onu, Shawnee State (Ohio)

## 2021 NAIA bracket
### Opening round
#### Alexandria bracket

| Game 1 March 12 | Game 1 March 12 | Game 1 March 12 | Game 2 March 13 | Game 2 March 13 | Game 2 March 13 |
| | | | 1 | Loyola (La.) | 78 |
| 2 | Talladega (Ala.) | 77 | 2 | Talladega (Ala.) | 55 |
| 3 | LSU Alexandria | 68 | | | |
| Game 1 March 12 | Game 1 March 12 | Game 1 March 12 | Game 2 March 13 | Game 2 March 13 | Game 2 March 13 |
| | | | 1 | SAGU (Texas) | 61 |
| 2 | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 59 | 3 | Xavier (La.) | 60 |
| 3 | Xavier (La.) | 67 | | | |

#### Crestview Hills bracket

| Game 1 March 12 | Game 1 March 12 | Game 1 March 12 | Game 2 March 13 | Game 2 March 13 | Game 2 March 13 |
| | | | 1 | Shawnee State (Ohio) | 76 |
| 2 | Rochester (Mich.) | 72 | 3 | WVU Tech (W. Va.) | 70 |
| 3 | WVU Tech (W. Va.) | 85 | | | |
| Game 1 March 12 | Game 1 March 12 | Game 1 March 12 | Game 2 March 13 | Game 2 March 13 | Game 2 March 13 |
| | | | 1 | Morningside (Iowa) | 64 |
| 2 | Thomas More (Ky.) | 68 | 2 | Thomas More (Ky.) | 55 |
| 3 | Union (Ky.) | 55 | | | |

#### Lewiston bracket

| Game 1 | Game 1 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 2 | Game 2 |
| | | | 1 | Lewis–Clark State (Idaho) | 98 |
| 2 | Vanguard (Calif.) | 75 | 3 | Benedictine - Mesa (Ariz.) | 73 |
| 3 | Benedictine - Mesa (Ariz.) | 78 | | | |
| Game 1 | Game 1 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 2 | Game 2 |
| | | | 1 | Arizona Christian | 79 |
| 2 | Carroll (Mont.) | 85 | 2 | Carroll (Mont.) | 83 |
| 3 | Texas Wesleyan | 58 | | | |

#### Marion bracket

| Game 1 | Game 1 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 2 | Game 2 |
| | | | 1 | Marian (Ind.) | 65 |
| 2 | Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) | 59 | 3 | Indiana Tech | 58 |
| 3 | Indiana Tech | 82 | | | |
| Game 1 | Game 1 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 2 | Game 2 |
| | | | 1 | Indiana Wesleyan | 95 |
| 2 | IU South Bend (Ind.) | 82 | 2 | IU South Bend (Ind.) | 76 |
| 3 | Rio Grande (Ohio) | 71 | | | |

#### Montgomery bracket

| Game 1 | Game 1 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 2 | Game 2 |
| | | | 1 | Stillman (Ala.) | 72 |
| 2 | Georgetown (Ky.) | 56 | 3 | Keiser (Fla.) | 64 |
| 3 | Keiser (Fla.) | 58 | | | |
| Game 1 | Game 1 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 2 | Game 2 |
| | | | 1 | Faulkner (Ala.) | 106 |
| 2 | Warner (Fla.) | 67 | 2 | Warner (Fla.) | 73 |
| 3 | Tennessee Wesleyan | 62 | | | |

#### Omaha bracket

| Game 1 | Game 1 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 2 | Game 2 |
| | | | 1 | Providence (Mont.) | 81 |
| 2 | Texas A&M Texarkana | 69 | 3 | Bethel (Ind.) | 85 |
| 3 | Bethel (Ind.) | 73 | | | |
| Game 1 | Game 1 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 2 | Game 2 |
| | | | 1 | LSU Shreveport (La.) | 75 |
| 2 | Jamestown (N.D.) | 86 | 2 | Jamestown (N.D.) | 87 |
| 3 | Bellevue (Neb.) | 69 | | | |

#### Park City bracket

| Game 1 | Game 1 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 2 | Game 2 |
| | | | 1 | Science & Arts (Okla.) | 73 |
| 2 | Oklahoma Wesleyan | 93 | 2 | Oklahoma Wesleyan | 100 |
| 3 | Park (Mo.) | 65 | | | |
| Game 1 | Game 1 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 2 | Game 2 |
| | | | 1 | William Penn (Iowa) | 85 |
| 2 | Mid-America Christian (Okla.) | 69 | 2 | Mid-America Christian (Okla.) | 75 |
| 3 | Holy Cross (Ind.) | 63 | | | |

#### Wichita bracket

| Game 1 | Game 1 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 2 | Game 2 |
| | | | 1 | Saint Francis (Ind.) | 73 |
| 2 | Benedictine (Kan.) | 73 | 2 | Benedictine (Kan.) | 65 |
| 3 | Central Baptist (Ark.) | 61 | | | |
| Game 1 | Game 1 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 2 | Game 2 |
| | | | 1 | Northwestern (Iowa) | 69 |
| 2 | Bethel (Kan.) | 82 | 2 | Bethel (Kan.) | 76 |
| 3 | Voorhees (S.C.) | 79 | | | |

### Championship bracket

| Round of 16 March 18/19 | Round of 16 March 18/19 | Round of 16 March 18/19 | Quarterfinals March 20 | Quarterfinals March 20 | Quarterfinals March 20 | Semifinals March 22 | Semifinals March 22 | Semifinals March 22 | | Championship March 23 | Championship March 23 | Championship March 23 |
| 1 | Indiana Wesleyan | 77 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Bethel (Ind.) | 83 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Bethel (Ind.) | 83 | 16 | Bethel | 81 | | | | | | | |
| Naismith Bracket | Naismith Bracket | Naismith Bracket | 16 | Bethel | 81 | | | | | | | |
| Naismith Bracket | Naismith Bracket | Naismith Bracket | 9 | Saint Francis | 89 | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Stillman (Ala.) | 67 | 9 | Saint Francis | 89 | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Saint Francis (Ind.) | 69 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Saint Francis (Ind.) | 69 | | | | 9 | Saint Francis | 77 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 5 | Shawnee State | 82 | | | | |
| 5 | Shawnee State (Ohio) | 69 | | | | | | | 5 | Shawnee State | 82 | | | | |
| 12 | Bethel (Kan.) | 59 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Bethel (Kan.) | 59 | 5 | Shawnee State | 76 | | | | | | | |
| Cramer Bracket | Cramer Bracket | Cramer Bracket | 5 | Shawnee State | 76 | | | | | | | |
| Cramer Bracket | Cramer Bracket | Cramer Bracket | 13 | Jamestown | 65 | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Faulkner (Ala.) | 83 | 13 | Jamestown | 65 | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Jamestown (N.D.) | 88 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Jamestown (N.D.) | 88 | | | | | | | | 5 | Shawnee State | 74 |
| | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Lewis–Clark State | 68 |
| 3 | Lewis–Clark State (Idaho) | 86 | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Lewis–Clark State | 68 |
| 14 | Oklahoma Wesleyan | 72 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Oklahoma Wesleyan | 72 | 3 | Lewis–Clark State | 75* | | | | | | | |
| Duer Bracket | Duer Bracket | Duer Bracket | 3 | Lewis–Clark State | 75* | | | | | | | |
| Duer Bracket | Duer Bracket | Duer Bracket | 11 | Loyola | 70 | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Marian (Ind.) | 62 | 11 | Loyola | 70 | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Loyola (La.) | 69 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Loyola (La.) | 69 | | | | 3 | Lewis–Clark State | 83 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 7 | SAGU | 55 | | | | |
| 7 | SAGU (Texas) | 90 | | | | | | | 7 | SAGU | 55 | | | | |
| 10 | Morningside (Iowa) | 85 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Morningside (Iowa) | 85 | 7 | SAGU | 73 | | | | | | | |
| Liston Bracket | Liston Bracket | Liston Bracket | 7 | SAGU | 73 | | | | | | | |
| Liston Bracket | Liston Bracket | Liston Bracket | 15 | Carroll | 65 | | | | | | | |
| 2 | William Penn (Iowa) | 62 | 15 | Carroll | 65 | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Carroll (Mont.) | 85 | | | | | | | | | | |