# 1988 NAIA men's basketball tournament

The 1988 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. The 51st annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
This was the last time that a third-place game (featuring the losing national semifinalist teams) determined 3rd and 4th places in the tournament on the court.

## Awards and honors

* Leading scorers: Reginald Henderson Rodney Johns
* Leading rebounder:
* Player of the Year: est. 1994.

## 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 | St. Thomas Aquinas (N.Y.) | 93 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Hillsdale (Mich.) | 83 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Hillsdale (Mich.) | 83 | | | 1 | St. Thomas Aquinas | 84 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 16 | Wisconsin–Eau Claire | 69 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Wisconsin–Eau Claire | 74 | | | 16 | Wisconsin–Eau Claire | 69 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Westmont (Calif.) | 59 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Westmont (Calif.) | 59 | | | | | | 9 | Charleston (S.C.) | 81 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 9 | Charleston (S.C.) | 81 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 1 | St. Thomas Aquinas | 61 | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | College of Charleston (S.C.) | 78 | | | | | | | | | 1 | St. Thomas Aquinas | 61 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Defiance (Ohio) | 62 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Defiance (Ohio) | 62 | | | 9 | Charleston (S.C.) | 73' | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Ozarks (Ark.) | 59 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Transylvania (Ky.) | 75 | | | - | Ozarks (Ark.) | 59 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Ozarks (Ark.) | 79* | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Ozarks (Ark.) | 79* | | | | | | | | | | 9 | Charleston (S.C.) | 70 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Auburn-Montgomery | 74 | | | | |
| 5 | William Jewell (Mo.) | 68 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Auburn-Montgomery | 74 | | | | |
| - | Georgia College | 55 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Georgia College | 55 | | | 12 | Western Washington | 70 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 5 | William Jewell | 89 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Western Washington | 80 | | | 5 | William Jewell | 89 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | West Virginia Tech | 67 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | West Virginia Tech | 67 | | | | | | 5 | William Jewell | 49 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 5 | William Jewell | 49 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 4 | Auburn-Montgomery | 51 | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Grace (Ind.) | 97 | | | | | | | | | 4 | Auburn-Montgomery | 51 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Paul Quinn (Tex.) | 89 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Paul Quinn (Tex.) | 89 | | | - | Grace | 66 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 4 | Auburn-Montgomery | 73 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Auburn–Montgomery (Ala.) | 79' | | | 4 | Auburn-Montgomery | 73 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Hawaii Pacific | 69 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Hawaii Pacific | 69 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Auburn-Montgomery | 86 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11 | Grand Canyon | 89* |
| 3 | David Lipscomb (Tenn.) | 89 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11 | Grand Canyon | 89* |
| - | East Texas Baptist | 63 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | East Texas Baptist | 63 | | | 3 | David Lipscomb | 108 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 14 | College of Idaho | 123 | | | | | | | |
| 14 | College of Idaho | 88 | | | 14 | College of Idaho | 123 | | | | | | | |
| - | Southern Nazarene (Okla.) | 75 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Southern Nazarene (Okla.) | 75 | | | | | | 11 | Grand Canyon | 99* | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 11 | Grand Canyon | 99* | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 14 | College of Idaho | 96 | | | | |
| 11 | Grand Canyon (Ariz.) | 103 | | | | | | | | | 14 | College of Idaho | 96 | | | | | |
| - | Hastings (Neb.) | 75 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Hastings (Neb.) | 75 | | | 11 | Grand Canyon | 101 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 6 | Fort Hays State | 95 | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Fort Hays State (Kan.) | 95 | | | 6 | Fort Hays State | 95 | | | | | | | |
| - | Belmont Abbey (N.C.) | 63 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Belmont Abbey (N.C.) | 63 | | | | | | | | | | 11 | Grand Canyon | 108 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Waynesburg | 106 |
| 7 | McKendree (Ill.) | 124 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Waynesburg | 106 | |
| - | Huron (S.D.) | 107 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Huron (S.D.) | 107 | | | 7 | McKendree | 79 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Dordt | 86 | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Mobile (Ala.) | 71 | | | - | Dordt | 86 | | | | | | | | | NAIA third-place game | NAIA third-place game | NAIA third-place game |
| - | Dordt (Iowa) | 86 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Dordt (Iowa) | 86 | | | | | | - | Dordt | 66 | | | | | | 9 | Charleston (S.C.) | 89 |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | - | Dordt | 66 | | | | | | 9 | Charleston (S.C.) | 89 |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 2 | Waynesburg | 87 | | | | | | 2 | Waynesburg | 61 |
| 15 | Minnesota Duluth | 70 | | | | | | | | | 2 | Waynesburg | 87 | | | | | | 2 | Waynesburg | 61 |
| - | Eastern (Pa.) | 42 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Eastern (Pa.) | 42 | | | 15 | Minnesota-Duluth | 64 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | Waynesburg | 68 | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Waynesburg (Pa.) | 83 | | | 2 | Waynesburg | 68 | | | | | | | |
| - | Franklin Pierce (N.H.) | 72 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* * denotes overtime.