1940 NAIA basketball tournament

1940 NAIA men's basketball tournament

Season	1939–40
Teams	32
Finals site	Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Missouri
Champions	Tarkio (1st title, 1st title game, 1st Final Four)
Runner-up	San Diego State (2nd title game, 2nd Final Four)
Semifinalists	Delta State (1st Final Four) Hamline (1st Final Four)
MVP	Mel Waits (Tarkio)
NAIA men's basketball tournament «1939 1941»

The 1940 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 4th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.

This year the National College Basketball Tournament (NCBT) changed its name to the National Association for Intercollegiate Basketball (NAIB).

The championship game featured Tarkio beating San Diego State, 52–42. San Diego State became the first team to lose back-to-back title games.

Awards and honors

Many of the records set by the 1940 tournament have been broken, and many of the awards were established much later:

• Leading scorer est. 1963
• Leading rebounder est. 1963
• Charles Stevenson Hustle Award est. 1958
• Coach of the Year est. 1954
• Player of the Year est. 1994

Bracket

	First round				Second round				Elite Eight				NAIA national semifinals				NAIA national championship
	Kansas Wesleyan	45
	Arkansas State Teachers	33
					Kansas Wesleyan	50
					Hamline	61
	Hamline	47
	Pacific (OR)	26
									Southwestern (KS)	33
	TOP TIER
									Hamline	38
	Southwestern (KS)	36
	Columbia (IA)	30
					Southwestern (KS)	38
					Glenville State	37
	Glenville State	50
	Wayne State (NE)	38
													Hamline	34
													Tarkio	48
	SE Oklahoma State	33
	Northwestern State (LA)	27
					SE Oklahoma State	39
					Texas Wesleyan	40
	Texas Wesleyan	40
	Central Missouri State	36
									Texas Wesleyan	25
	TOP TIER
									Tarkio	37
	Tarkio (MO)	54
	Alfred Holbrook	37
					Tarkio	50
					West Texas State	49
	West Texas State	60
	Northern State	52
																	Tarkio	52
																	San Diego State	42
	East Texas State	49
	Ripon	39
					East Texas State	33
					Pittsburg State	55
	Pittsburg State	47
	St. Joseph’s (IN)	26
									Pittsburg State	30
	BOTTOM TIER
									San Diego State	32
	San Diego State	36
	East Central State	35
					San Diego State	48
					Appalachian State	46
	Appalachian State	43
	Bemidji State	34
													San Diego State	30
													Delta State	28
	NW Missouri State	45
	Simpson	44
					NW Missouri State	43
					Peru State	41
	Peru State	49															NAIA Third-place game
	Augustana (IL)	45
									NW Missouri State	30							Hamline	26
	BOTTOM TIER
									Delta State	44							Delta State	45
	Superior State	55
	Upper Iowa	42
					Superior State	40
					Delta State	57
	Delta State	43
	Dakota Wesleyan	31

See also

• 1940 NCAA basketball tournament
• 1940 National Invitation Tournament