1979 NCAA Division II basketball tournament
The 1979 NCAA Division II basketball tournament involved 32 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college basketball as a culmination of the 1978–79 NCAA Division II men's basketball season. It was won by the University of North Alabama and North Alabama's Perry Oden was the Most Outstanding Player.

| Teams | 32 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finals site | Springfield, Missouri | ||||
| Champions | North Alabama Lions (1st title) | ||||
| Runner-up | Green Bay Phoenix (2nd title game) | ||||
| Semifinalists | 
  | ||||
| Winning coach | Bill Jones (1st title) | ||||
| MOP | Perry Oden (North Alabama) | ||||
| Attendance | 47,907 | ||||
  | |||||
Regional participants
    
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Illinois | Third Place | |
| Northern Michigan | Fourth Place | |
| St. Joseph's (IN) | Regional Champion | |
| Wright State | Runner-up | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Assumption | Runner-up | |
| Bentley | Third Place | |
| Bridgeport | Regional Champion | |
| Quinnipiac | Fourth Place | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Nicholls State | Regional Champion | |
| Rollins | Runner-up | |
| SE Missouri State | Third Place | |
| NE Missouri State | Fourth Place | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Florida Southern | Fourth Place | |
| North Alabama | Regional Champion | |
| Tuskegee | Third Place | |
| Valdosta State | Runner-up | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Cal State Northridge | Fourth Place | |
| Puget Sound | Regional Champion | |
| San Diego | Third Place | |
| UC Riverside | Runner-up | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay | Regional Champion | |
| Nebraska-Omaha | Third Place | |
| North Dakota | Fourth Place | |
| Northern Iowa | Runner-up | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Albany State | Third Place | |
| Cheyney | Regional Champion | |
| Hartwick | Runner-up | |
| Philadelphia U | Fourth Place | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Mount St. Mary's | Third Place | |
| Roanoke | Fourth Place | |
| UMBC | Regional Champion | |
| Virginia Union | Runner-up | |
*denotes tie
Regionals
    
    Great Lakes - Fairborn, Ohio
    
Location: Physical Education Building Host: Wright State University
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 2  | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 3  | ||||||||
| Wright State | 75 | ||||||||
| Northern Michigan | 66 | ||||||||
| Wright State | 68 | ||||||||
| St. Joseph's | 73 | ||||||||
| St. Joseph's (IN) | 76 | ||||||||
| Eastern Illinois | 66 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Eastern Illinois 65, Northern Michigan 58
 
New England - Waltham, Massachusetts
    
Location: Dana Center Host: Bentley College
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 2  | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 3  | ||||||||
| Bridgeport | 92 | ||||||||
| Quinnipiac | 75 | ||||||||
| Bridgeport | 85 | ||||||||
| Assumption | 75 | ||||||||
| Assumption | 89 | ||||||||
| Bentley | 78 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Bentley 104, Quinnipiac 93
 
South Central - Kirksville, Missouri
    
Location: Pershing Arena Host: Northeast Missouri State University
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 2  | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 3  | ||||||||
| Nicholls State | 89 | ||||||||
| SE Missouri State | 74 | ||||||||
| Nicholls State | 100 | ||||||||
| Rollins | 87 | ||||||||
| Rollins | 97* | ||||||||
| NE Missouri State | 88 | ||||||||
- Third Place - SE Missouri State 86, NE Missouri State 82
 
South - Lakeland, Florida
    
Location: Jenkins Fieldhouse Host: Florida Southern College
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 1  | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 2  | ||||||||
| Valdosta State | 102 | ||||||||
| Tuskegee | 93 | ||||||||
| Valdosta State | 101 | ||||||||
| North Alabama | 110 | ||||||||
| North Alabama | 75 | ||||||||
| Florida Southern | 67 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Tuskegee 107, Florida Southern 102
 
West - Tacoma, Washington
    
Location: Memorial Fieldhouse Host: University of Puget Sound
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 3  | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 4  | ||||||||
| Puget Sound | 81 | ||||||||
| Cal State Northridge | 67 | ||||||||
| Puget Sound | 77 | ||||||||
| UC Riverside | 52 | ||||||||
| UC Riverside | 62 | ||||||||
| San Diego | 48 | ||||||||
- Third Place - San Diego 74, Cal State Northridge 69*
 
Central - Omaha, Nebraska
    
Location: UNO Fieldhouse Host: University of Nebraska at Omaha
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 2  | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 3  | ||||||||
| Northern Iowa | 84 | ||||||||
| Nebraska-Omaha | 72 | ||||||||
| Northern Iowa | 50 | ||||||||
| Green Bay | 56 | ||||||||
| Green Bay | 63 | ||||||||
| North Dakota | 48 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Nebraska-Omaha 86, North Dakota 75
 
East - Oneonta, New York
    
Location: Binder Physical Education Center Host: Hartwick College
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 1  | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 2  | ||||||||
| Cheyney | 82 | ||||||||
| Albany State | 61 | ||||||||
| Cheyney | 72 | ||||||||
| Hartwick | 63 | ||||||||
| Hartwick | 49 | ||||||||
| Philadelphia U | 48 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Albany State 72, Philadelphia U 61
 
South Atlantic - Catonsville, Maryland
    
Location: UMBC Fieldhouse Host: University of Maryland, Baltimore County
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 2  | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 3  | ||||||||
| UMBC | 79 | ||||||||
| Mount St. Mary's | 74 | ||||||||
| UMBC | 58 | ||||||||
| Virginia Union | 56 | ||||||||
| Virginia Union | 68 | ||||||||
| Roanoke | 67 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Mount St. Mary's 93, Roanoke 89
 
*denotes each overtime played
National Quarterfinals
    
| Quarterfinal - New Haven, CT Elite Eight March 10  | ||||
| St. Joseph's (IN) | 82 | |||
| Bridgeport | 92 | |||
| Quarterfinal - Thibodaux, LA Elite Eight March 10  | ||||
| Nicholls State | 97 | |||
| North Alabama | 103 | |||
| Quarterfinal - Green Bay, WI Elite Eight March 10  | ||||
| Puget Sound | 53 | |||
| Green Bay | 65 | |||
| Quarterfinal - Catonsville, MD Elite Eight March 10  | ||||
| Cheyney | 65 | |||
| UMBC | 62 | |||
National Finals - Springfield, Missouri
    
Location: Hammons Center Host: Southwest Missouri State University
| National semifinals Final Four March 16  | National Championship March 17  | ||||||||
| Bridgeport | 82 | ||||||||
| North Alabama | 85 | ||||||||
| North Alabama | 64 | ||||||||
| Green Bay | 50 | ||||||||
| Green Bay | 46 | ||||||||
| Cheyney | 45 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Cheyney 81, Bridgeport 78
 
*denotes each overtime played
All-tournament team
    
- Ron Darby (North Alabama)
 - Carlton Hurdle (Bridgeport)
 - Rory Lindgren (Wisconsin-Green Bay)
 - Perry Oden (North Alabama)
 - Ron Ripley (Wisconsin-Green Bay)