1998 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament

1998 NCAA Division III
men's basketball tournament

Teams	48
Finals site	Salem, Virginia
Champions	Wisconsin–Platteville (3rd title)
Runner-up	Hope (2nd title game)
Semifinalists	Williams (2nd Final Four) Wilkes (1st Final Four)
Winning coach	Bo Ryan (UWP)
MOP	Ben Hoffmann (UWP)
Attendance	59,784
NCAA Division III men's tournaments «1997 1999»

The 1998 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament was the 24th annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champions of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's Division III collegiate basketball in the United States.

The field contained forty-eight teams, a decrease of sixteen teams from the 1997 tournament. Each of these forty-eight programs were allocated to one of four sectionals of twelve teams.

All sectional games were played on campus sites, while the national semifinals, third-place final, and championship finals were contested at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, Virginia.

Wisconsin–Platteville defeated Hope, 69–56, in the final, clinching their third overall national title and third championship in seven seasons (1991 and 1995). It was also Hope's second defeat in the final in three years (1996).

The Pioneers (30–0) were coached by Bo Ryan; this was the third title at Platteville for the future Wisconsin coach. Platteville were furthermore the first Division III team to finish a season undefeated since their own perfect season in 1995.

Ben Hoffmann, also from Platteville, was named Most Outstanding Player.

Bracket

Top left sectional

	First round				Second round				Sectional semifinals				Sectional finals
					Springfield	75
					Williams	82
	Williams	89
	Trinity (CT)	63
									Williams	90
									Hamilton	69
	Hamilton	102
	Geneseo State	68
					Hamilton	87
					St. John Fisher	72
													Williams	100
													St. Lawrence	82
					Connecticut College	93
					Salem State	84
	Salem State	86*
	UMass Dartmouth	78
									Connecticut College	77
									St. Lawrence	94
	Brockport State	78
	Nazareth	81
					Nazareth	75
					St. Lawrence	96

Bottom left sectional

	First round				Second round				Sectional semifinals				Sectional finals
					Illinois Wesleyan	95*
					Franklin	92
	Ripon	73
	Franklin	76
									Illinois Wesleyan	61
									Gustavus Adolphus	67
	Gustavus Adolphus	78
	Augsburg	70
					Gustavus Adolphus	65
					Nebraska Wesleyan	51
													Gustavus Adolphus	71
													UW–Platteville	78
					Chicago	67
					Wabash	62
	Wabash	87
	Aurora	80
									Chicago	63
									UW–Platteville	78
	UW–Oshkosh	93
	Pomona–Pitzer	71
					UW–Oshkosh	59
					UW–Platteville	69

Top right sectional

	First round				Second round				Sectional semifinals				Sectional finals
					Hunter	65
					Jersey City State	60
	Jersey City State	71
	NYU	58
									Hunter	84**
									Catholic	82
	Johns Hopkins	87
	FDU Madison	47
					Johns Hopkins	62
					Catholic	67
													Hunter	55
													Wilkes	58
					TCNJ	58
					Rowan	81
	Rowan	70
	Kings Point	49
									Rowan	80
									Wilkes	83**
	Scranton	77
	Muhlenberg	61
					Scranton	57
					Wilkes	59

Bottom right sectional

	First round				Second round				Sectional semifinals				Sectional finals
					Christopher Newport	78
					Mississippi College	67
	Mississippi College	60
	Sewanee	54
									Christopher Newport	64
									Hope	81
	Baldwin Wallace	88
	Allegheny	97
					Allegheny	66
					Hope	80
													Hope	84
													John Carroll	66
					Hampden–Sydney	76
					Trinity (TX)	62
	Trinity (TX)	60
	Randolph–Macon	55
									Hampden–Sydney	71
									John Carroll	77
	John Carroll	72
	Albion	50
					John Carroll	78
					Wooster	59

National finals

• Site: Salem Civic Center, Salem, Virginia

	National semifinals					National championship
	Williams		68
	UW–Platteville		82
						UW–Platteville		69
						Hope		56
	Wilkes		61
	Hope		81			National third-place
						Williams		105
						Wilkes		93

See also

• 1998 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
• 1998 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament
• 1998 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament
• 1998 NAIA Division II men's basketball tournament
• 1998 NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament