# 1978 NAIA basketball tournament

The 1978 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri, the United States. The 41st 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

## 1978 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 | Winston-Salem State (N.C.) | 77 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Bethany Nazarene (Okla.) | 61 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Bethany Nazarene (Okla.) | 61 | | | 1 | Winston-Salem State | 64 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 16 | Briar Cliff | 63 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Maine Portland-Gorham | 78 | | | 16 | Briar Cliff | 63 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Briar Cliff (Iowa) | 115 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Briar Cliff (Iowa) | 115 | | | | | | 1 | Winston-Salem State | 76 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 1 | Winston-Salem State | 76 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | - | Kearney State | 89 | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Wisconsin–Parkside | 72* | | | | | | | | | - | Kearney State | 89 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Dowling (N.Y.) | 67 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Dowling (N.Y.) | 67 | | | 9 | Kearney State | 84* | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Wisconsin–Parkside | 80 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Kearney State (Neb.) | 70 | | | - | Wisconsin–Parkside | 80 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Mercyhurst (Pa.) | 69 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Mercyhurst (Pa.) | 69 | | | | | | | | | | - | Kearney State | 76 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | Quincy | 74 | | | | |
| 5 | Quincy (Ill.) | 70 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | Quincy | 74 | | | | |
| - | Southern Tech (Ga.) | 63 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Southern Tech (Ga.) | 63 | | | 5 | Quincy | 85 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Erskine | 84* | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Erskine (S.C.) | 74 | | | - | Erskine | 84* | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Lake Superior State (Mich) | 69 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Lake Superior State (Mich) | 69 | | | | | | 5 | Quincy | 73 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 5 | Quincy | 73 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 13 | Missouri Southern State | 66 | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Missouri Southern State | 78 | | | | | | | | | 13 | Missouri Southern State | 66 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Mississippi Valley State | 59 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Mississippi Valley State | 59 | | | 13 | Missouri Southern State | 69 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 4 | Ouachita Baptist | 56 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Eastern Montana | 67 | | | 4 | Ouachita Baptist | 56 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) | 76 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) | 76 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - | Kearney State | 75 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Grand Canyon | 79 |
| 3 | Drury (Mo.) | 90 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Grand Canyon | 79 |
| - | Midwestern State (Tex.) | 70 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Midwestern State (Tex.) | 70 | | | 3 | Drury | 86 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | St. John's | 79 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | St. John's (Minn.) | 83 | | | - | St. John's | 79 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Central Washington | 65 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Central Washington | 65 | | | | | | 3 | Drury | 77 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 3 | Drury | 77 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 6 | East Texas State | 79 | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Birmingham Southern (Ala.) | 92 | | | | | | | | | 6 | East Texas State | 79 | | | | | | | | |
| - | LeMoyne-Owen (Tenn.) | 77 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | LeMoyne-Owen (Tenn.) | 77 | | | 11 | Birmingham–Southern | 72 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 6 | East Texas State | 78 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Kansas Newman | 65 | | | 6 | East Texas State | 78 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | East Texas State | 81 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | East Texas State | 81 | | | | | | | | | | 6 | East Texas State | 69 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Grand Canyon | 74 | | | | |
| 7 | Fairmont State(W.Virginia) | 55 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Grand Canyon | 74 | | | | |
| - | Westmont (CA) | 65 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Westmont (CA) | 65 | | | - | Westmont | 91** | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Central State | 92 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Central State (Ohio) | 76 | | | - | Central State | 92 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Hampton Institute (Virginia) | 64 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Hampton Institute (Virginia) | 64 | | | | | | - | Central State | 82^ | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | - | Central State | 82^ | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 2 | Grand Canyon | 88 | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Hawaii–Hilo | 76 | | | | | | | | | 2 | Grand Canyon | 88 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Franklin (Ind.) | 74 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Franklin (Ind.) | 74 | | | 15 | Hawaii–Hilo | 67 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | Grand Canyon | 83 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Cumberland (Ky.) | 64 | | | 2 | Grand Canyon | 83 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Grand Canyon (Ariz.) | 70 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* * denotes overtimes.
* ^ denotes 5 overtimes.

### 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 |
| 5 | Quincy | 87 |
| 6 | East Texas State | 73 |