The 1969 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 32nd annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.[1] This is the first tournament since 1965 tournament to feature four new teams to the NAIA Semifinals. (It would be the 5th time since 1937 this has happened; previous years were the inaugural year 1937, 1945, 1947, 1965.) This would not happen again until 2001.
Awards and honors
Leading scorer: Jake Ford, Maryland State; 5 games, 52 field goals, 52 free throws, 156 total points (31.2 average points per game)
Leading rebounder: Bruce Sanderson, Central Washington; 5 games, 65 total rebounds (13.0 average rebounds per game)
Player of the Year: est. 1994
Most tournament appearances: Georgetown (Ky.), 8th of 28, appearances to the NAIA Tournament[2]
The third-place game featured the losing teams from the national semifinalist to determine 3rd and 4th places in the tournament. This game was played until 1988.