# 1963 NAIA basketball tournament

The 1963 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held March 11–16 at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 26th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. This tournament did not feature any games going into overtime. This was the first tournament to feature a Leading Scorer, and Leading Rebounder awards. They were presented to Mel Gibson, Willis Reed and Lucious Jackson respectively. In the inaugural year of the Leading Scorer award, there was a tie. This would not happen again until 1981.

## Awards and honors

* Leading scorers; tie: Mel Gibson, Western Carolina (N.C.) 5 games, 60 field goals 17 free throws 137 total points (27.4 average points per game) and Willis Reed, Grambling (La.) 5 games, 58 field goals, 21 free throws, 137 total points (27.4 average points per game)
* Leading rebounder: Lucious Jackson, Pan American (Texas), 5 games, 93 rebounds (18.6 rebounds per game)
* Player of the Year: est. 1994
* Most rebounds; career continues: 180, Lucious Jackson, Pan American (Texas), (1962,63,64)
* All-time leading scorer; second appearance: Lucious Jackson, 7th Pan American (Texas) (1962,63,64), 12 games, 117 field goals, 67 free throws, 301 total points, 25.0 average per game; Willis Reed, 16th Grambling (La.) (1961,63,64), 12 games 108 field goals 39 free throws 265 total points, 22.8 average per
* All-time leading scorer; final 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.

## 1963 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 | Grambling State (La.) | 76 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Arkansas Tech | 59 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Arkansas Tech | 59 | | | 1 | Grambling State | 56 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Athens | 45 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Athens (Ala.) | 72 | | | - | Athens | 45 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Central Connecticut State | 71 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Central Connecticut State | 71 | | | | | | 1 | Grambling State | 79 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 1 | Grambling State | 79 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 9 | Carson-Newman | 70 | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Carson-Newman (Tenn.) | 83 | | | | | | | | | 9 | Carson-Newman | 70 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Rider (N.J.) | 57 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Rider (N.J.) | 57 | | | 9 | Carson-Newman | 70 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 8 | Indiana State | 63 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Parsons College (Iowa) | 77 | | | 8 | Indiana State | 63 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Indiana State | 78 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Indiana State | 78 | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Grambling State | 83 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 12 | Pan American | 90 | | | | |
| 5 | Howard Payne (Tex.) | 66 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 12 | Pan American | 90 | | | | |
| - | Stetson (Fla.) | 68 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Stetson (Fla.) | 68 | | | - | Stetson | 41 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 12 | Pan American | 64 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Peru State College (Neb.) | 48 | | | 12 | Pan American | 64 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Pan American (Tex.) | 83 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Pan American (Tex.) | 83 | | | | | | 12 | Pan American | 99 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 12 | Pan American | 99 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 13 | Northern Michigan | 73 | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Northern Michigan | 72 | | | | | | | | | 13 | Northern Michigan | 73 | | | | | | | | |
| - | California Western | 52 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | California Western | 52 | | | 13 | Northern Michigan | 101 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Central State (Ohio) | 87 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Central State (Ohio) | 71 | | | - | Central State (Ohio) | 87 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Oklahoma Baptist | 70 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Oklahoma Baptist | 70 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 12 | Pan American | 73 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 10 | Western Carolina | 62 |
| 3 | Winston-Salem State (N.C.) | 60 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 10 | Western Carolina | 62 |
| - | Transylvania (Ky.) | 64 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Transylvania (Ky.) | 64 | | | - | Transylvania | 80 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 14 | Lewis & Clark | 88 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Oshkosh State (Wis.) | 74 | | | 14 | Lewis & Clark | 88 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Lewis & Clark (Ore.) | 75 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Lewis & Clark (Ore.) | 75 | | | | | | 14 | Lewis & Clark | 57 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 14 | Lewis & Clark | 57 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 10 | Western Carolina | 77 | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | Western Illinois | 81 | | | | | | | | | 10 | Western Carolina | 77 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Miles College (Ala.) | 84 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Miles College (Ala.) | 84 | | | - | Miles | 86 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 10 | Western Carolina | 107 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Eastern Montana | 61 | | | 10 | Western Carolina | 107 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Western Carolina (N.C.) | 64 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Western Carolina (N.C.) | 64 | | | | | | | | | | 10 | Western Carolina | 100 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | - | Fort Hays State | 84 | | | | |
| 11 | Alliance College (Penn.) | 76 | | | | | | | | | | | | | - | Fort Hays State | 84 | | | | |
| - | Yankton College (S.D.) | 68 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Yankton College (S.D.) | 68 | | | 11 | Alliance | 53 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 6 | Rockhurst | 64 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) | 77 | | | 6 | Rockhurst | 64 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Rockhurst (Mo.) | 83 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Rockhurst (Mo.) | 83 | | | | | | 6 | Rockhurst | 76 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 6 | Rockhurst | 76 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 15 | Fort Hays State | 96 | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Fort Hays State (Kan.) | 95 | | | | | | | | | 15 | Fort Hays State | 96 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Eastern New Mexico | 69 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Eastern New Mexico | 69 | | | 15 | Fort Hays State | 82 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | Augsburg | 71 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | West Virginia State | 57 | | | 2 | Augsburg | 71 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Augsburg College (Minn.) | 67 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### 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 |
| 1 | Grambling State | 107 |
| 15 | Fort Hays State | 86 |