# 1977 NAIA basketball tournament

The 1977 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. The 40th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.

## Awards and honors

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

## 1977 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 | Newberry (S.C.) | 84 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Hastings (Neb.) | 81 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Hastings (Neb.) | 81 | | | 1 | Newberry | 57 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 16 | Central Washington State | 58 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Keene State (N.H.) | 56 | | | 16 | Central Washington State | 58 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Central Washington State | 72 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Central Washington State | 72 | | | | | | 16 | Central Washington State | 71 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 16 | Central Washington State | 71 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 8 | Grand Valley State | 75 | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Clarion State (Pa.) | 88 | | | | | | | | | 8 | Grand Valley State | 75 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Augsburg (Minn.) | 84 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Augsburg (Minn.) | 84 | | | 9 | Clarion State | 65 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 8 | Grand Valley State | 79 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Missouri-Kansas City | 88 | | | 8 | Grand Valley State | 79 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Grand Valley State (Mich.) | 94 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Grand Valley State (Mich.) | 94 | | | | | | | | | | 8 | Grand Valley State | 62 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | Texas Southern | 69 | | | | |
| 5 | Texas Southern | 89 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | Texas Southern | 69 | | | | |
| - | Central State (Ohio) | 65 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Central State (Ohio) | 65 | | | 5 | Texas Southern | 82 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 12 | Wisconsin-Parkside | 80 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Paine (Ga.) | 65 | | | 12 | Wisconsin-Parkside | 80 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Wisconsin-Parkside | 112 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Wisconsin-Parkside | 112 | | | | | | 13 | East Texas State | 68 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 13 | East Texas State | 68 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 5 | Texas Southern | 87 | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | East Texas State | 70 | | | | | | | | | 5 | Texas Southern | 87 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Briar Cliff (Iowa) | 59 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Briar Cliff (Iowa) | 59 | | | 13 | East Texas State | 92 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Emporia State | 89 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Emporia State (Kan.) | 76 | | | - | Emporia State | 89 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Fairmont State (W.Va.) | 71 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Fairmont State (W.Va.) | 71 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | Texas Southern | 71 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - | Campbell | 44 |
| 3 | Kentucky State | 63 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - | Campbell | 44 |
| - | Alabama-Huntsville | 72 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Alabama-Huntsville | 72 | | | - | Alabama-Huntsville | 75 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 14 | Alcorn State | 76 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Mount Marty (S.D.) | 54 | | | 14 | Alcorn State | 76 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Alcorn State (Miss.) | 90 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Alcorn State (Miss.) | 90 | | | | | | - | Campbell | 77 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | - | Campbell | 77 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 14 | Alcorn State | 63 | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Southwestern Oklahoma State | 99 | | | | | | | | | 14 | Alcorn State | 63 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Southern Utah State | 89 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Southern Utah State | 89 | | | 11 | Southwestern Oklahoma State | 56 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Campbell | 71 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Campbell (N.C.) | 76 | | | - | Campbell | 71 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.) | 75 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.) | 75 | | | | | | | | | | - | Campbell | 76 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 7 | Henderson State | 52 | | | | |
| 7 | Henderson State (Ark.) | 64 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 7 | Henderson State | 52 | | | | |
| - | Tri-State (Ind.) | 54 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Tri-State (Ind.) | 54 | | | 7 | Henderson State | 63 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Dowling | 59 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Dowling (N.Y.) | 75 | | | - | Dowling | 59 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Whittier (Calif.) | 66 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Whittier (Calif.) | 66 | | | | | | 7 | Henderson State | 87 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 7 | Henderson State | 87 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 2 | Illinois Wesleyan | 73 | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Hawaii-Hilo | 81 | | | | | | | | | 2 | Illinois Wesleyan | 73 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Spring Garden (Pa.) | 66 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Spring Garden (Pa.) | 66 | | | 15 | Hawaii-Hilo | 74* | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | Illinois Wesleyan | 85 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | St. Augustine's (N.C.) | 67 | | | 2 | Illinois Wesleyan | 85 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Illinois Wesleyan | 87 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* * denotes overtime.

### Third-place game

The third-place game featured the losing national semifinalist teams 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 |
| 8 | Grand Valley State | 73 |
| 7 | Henderson State | 96 |