# 1997 NAIA Division II men's basketball tournament

The 1997 NAIA Division II men's basketball tournament was the tournament held by the NAIA to determine the national champion of men's college basketball among its Division II members in the United States and Canada for the 1996–97 basketball season.
Bethel (IN) defeated Siena Heights in the championship game, 95–94, to claim the Pilots' second NAIA national title and first since 1995.
The tournament was played at the Montgomery Fieldhouse at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho.

## Qualification

The tournament field remained fixed at thirty-two teams, and the top sixteen teams were seeded.
The tournament continued to utilize a single-elimination format.

## Bracket

| First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | | National championship | National championship | National championship |
| 1 | St. Thomas Aquinas | 73 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Holy Family | 63 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Holy Family | 63 | 1 | St. Thomas Aquinas | 55 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 16 | Tabor | 66 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Taylor | 51 | 16 | Tabor | 66 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Tabor | 70 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Tabor | 70 | | | | 16 | Tabor | 81 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 9 | Northwest Nazarene | 75 | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Northwest Nazarene | 84 | | | | | | | 9 | Northwest Nazarene | 75 | | | | | | | | |
| | Virginia Intermont | 66 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Virginia Intermont | 66 | 9 | Northwest Nazarene | 99 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 8 | Evangel | 81 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Howard Payne | 94 | 8 | Evangel | 81 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Evangel | 95 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Evangel | 95 | | | | | | | | 16 | Tabor | 80 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | 5 | Siena Heights | 89 | | | | |
| 5 | Siena Heights | 87 | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | Siena Heights | 89 | | | | |
| | South Dakota Tech | 79 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | South Dakota Tech | 79 | 5 | Siena Heights | 83 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 12 | Embry–Riddle (FL) | 79 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Wisconsin Lutheran | 60 | 12 | Embry–Riddle (FL) | 79 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Embry–Riddle (FL) | 66 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Embry–Riddle (FL) | 66 | | | | 5 | Siena Heights | 94 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | College of the Ozarks | 84 | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Peru State | 100 | | | | | | | | College of the Ozarks | 84 | | | | | | | | |
| | College of the Ozarks | 101** | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | College of the Ozarks | 101** | | College of the Ozarks | 86 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 4 | Pacific (OR) | 74 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Husson | 68 | 4 | Pacific (OR) | 74 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Pacific (OR) | 79 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Pacific (OR) | 79 | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | Siena Heights | 94 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Bethel (IN) | 95 |
| 3 | Oregon Tech | 77 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Bethel (IN) | 95 |
| | Mayville State | 69 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Mayville State | 69 | 3 | Oregon Tech | 78 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 14 | William Jewell | 88 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Tennessee Wesleyan | 68 | 14 | William Jewell | 88 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | William Jewell | 84 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | William Jewell | 84 | | | | 14 | William Jewell | 83 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 11 | Black Hills State | 77 | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Black Hills State | 82 | | | | | | | 11 | Black Hills State | 77 | | | | | | | | |
| | Philadelphia Pharmacy | 64 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Philadelphia Pharmacy | 64 | 11 | Black Hills State | 93 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 6 | Urbana (OH) | 79 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Concordia Nebraska | 66 | 6 | Urbana (OH) | 79 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Urbana (OH) | 79 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Urbana (OH) | 79 | | | | | | | | 14 | William Jewell | 73 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Bethel (IN) | 99 | | | | |
| 7 | Spring Arbor | 71 | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Bethel (IN) | 99 | | | | |
| | St. Thomas (FL) | 70 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | St. Thomas (FL) | 70 | 7 | Spring Arbor | 82 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 10 | Lewis & Clark | 79 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | IU Southeast | 73 | 10 | Lewis & Clark | 79 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Lewis & Clark | 98 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Lewis & Clark | 98 | | | | 7 | Spring Arbor | 83 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 2 | Bethel (IN) | 94 | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Western Baptist | 82 | | | | | | | 2 | Bethel (IN) | 94 | | | | | | | | |
| | Saint Ambrose | 71 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Saint Ambrose | 71 | 15 | Western Baptist | 78 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 2 | Bethel (IN) | 80 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Green Mountain | 75 | 2 | Bethel (IN) | 80 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Bethel (IN) | 123 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |