# 1973 NAIA basketball tournament

The 1973 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 36th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. Valdosta State ended (3) Kentucky State's run to get 4 championship in a row by upsetting (3) Kentucky State in the first round by 9.

## Awards and honors

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

## 1973 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 | Sam Houston State (Tex.) | 88 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Wartburg (Iowa) | 62 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Wartburg (Iowa) | 62 | | | 1 | Sam Houston State | 60 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Xavier | 67 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Xavier (La.) | 81 | | | - | Xavier | 67 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Marist (N.Y.) | 65 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Marist (N.Y.) | 65 | | | | | | - | Xavier | 80 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | - | Xavier | 80 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 8 | Maryland-Eastern Shore | 87 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Ferris State (Mich.) | 78 | | | | | | | | | 8 | Maryland-Eastern Shore | 87 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Pembroke State (N.C.) | 56 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Pembroke State (N.C.) | 56 | | | - | Ferris State | 90 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 8 | Maryland-Eastern Shore | 95 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Eastern Montana | 107 | | | 8 | Maryland-Eastern Shore | 95 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Maryland-Eastern Shore | 114 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Maryland-Eastern Shore | 114 | | | | | | | | | | 8 | Maryland-Eastern Shore | 113 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | - | Slippery Rock State | 82 | | | | |
| 5 | Marymount (Kan.) | 73 | | | | | | | | | | | | | - | Slippery Rock State | 82 | | | | |
| - | Slippery Rock State (Pa.) | 74 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Slippery Rock State (Pa.) | 74 | | | - | Slippery Rock State | 104 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Quinnipiac | 75 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Quinnipiac (Conn.) | 79 | | | - | Quinnipiac | 75 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) | 66 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) | 66 | | | | | | - | Slippery Rock State | 60 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | - | Slippery Rock State | 60 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 4 | Wisconsin-Green Bay | 58 | | | | | | | | |
| - | South Carolina State | 82 | | | | | | | | | 4 | Wisconsin-Green Bay | 58 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Hastings (Neb.) | 71 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Hastings (Neb.) | 71 | | | - | South Carolina State | 55 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 4 | Wisconsin-Green Bay | 72 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Dallas Baptist (Tex.) | 66 | | | 4 | Wisconsin-Green Bay | 72 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Wisconsin-Green Bay | 77 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Wisconsin-Green Bay | 77 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 8 | Maryland-Eastern Shore | 96 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - | Guilford | 99 |
| 3 | Kentucky State | 81 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - | Guilford | 99 |
| - | Valdosta State (Ga.) | 90 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Valdosta State (Ga.) | 90 | | | - | Valdosta State | 81 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Guilford | 98 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Guilford (N.C.) | 92 | | | - | Guilford | 98 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Keene State (N.H.) | 82 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Keene State (N.H.) | 82 | | | | | | - | Guilford | 70 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | - | Guilford | 70 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | - | Westmont | 67 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Westmont (Calif.) | 85 | | | | | | | | | - | Westmont | 67 | | | | | | | | |
| - | South Dakota Tech | 66 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | South Dakota Tech | 66 | | | - | Westmont | 86 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Missouri Southern State | 70 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Missouri Southern State | 70 | | | - | Missouri Southern State | 70 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Fairmont State (W.Va.) | 63 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Fairmont State (W.Va.) | 63 | | | | | | | | | | - | Guilford | 77 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Augustana | 69 | | | | |
| 7 | Alcorn A&M (Miss.) | 76 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Augustana | 69 | | | | |
| - | Oklahoma Baptist | 79 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Oklahoma Baptist | 79 | | | - | Oklahoma Baptist | 82 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Winona State | 72 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Winona State (Minn.) | 70 | | | - | Winona State | 72 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Grand Canyon (Ariz.) | 64 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Grand Canyon (Ariz.) | 64 | | | | | | - | Oklahoma Baptist | 46 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | - | Oklahoma Baptist | 46 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 2 | Augustana | 63 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Defiance (Ohio) | 82 | | | | | | | | | 2 | Augustana | 63 | | | | | | | | |
| - | George Fox (Ore.) | 62 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | George Fox (Ore.) | 62 | | | - | Defiance | 61 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | Augustana | 64 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Hanover (Ind.) | 65 | | | 2 | Augustana | 64 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Augustana (Ill.) | 66 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### 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 |
| - | Slippery Rock State | 93 |
| 2 | Augustana | 96 |