2008 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament
The 2008 Buffalo Funds - NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament was held from March 19 to 25 at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 71st annual NAIA basketball tournament features 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.[1]
 2008 Buffalo Funds NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament | |||||
| Teams | 32 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finals site | Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Missouri | ||||
| Champions | Oklahoma City (6th title) | ||||
| Runner-up | Mountain State | ||||
| Semifinalists | |||||
| Coach of the year | Ray Harper (Oklahoma City) | ||||
| Player of the year | Ollie Bailey (Oklahoma City) | ||||
Charles Stevenson Hustle Award | Eric Palm (McKendree) | ||||
| Chuck Taylor MVP | Kameron Gray (Oklahoma City) | ||||
| Attendance | 34,102 | ||||
| Top scorer | Othyus Jeffers (Robert Morris (IL)) (86 points) | ||||
| |||||
The official announcement of the 32-team field for the 71st Annual Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship occurred late on Tuesday, March 11, with the announcement of the official bracket on Wednesday, March 12 at 5 p.m. CST. Early opening round action between No. 5 Mountain State and Olivet Nazarene went into two long overtimes. This caused a backup in game schedules. The late game featuring Southern Nazarene University and Point Loma Nazarene University was moved back from 10:30pm CST to 11:30pm CST. The late start caused many of the 3,000 fans to leave after halftime. Near the end of the game SNU rallied to tie the SeaLions 67-67 with 14 secs left sending the game into overtime. The game finally ended around 1:30am CST with Point Loma pulling off the upset over SNU. It was the latest finishing NAIA tournament game. Games for the next day started in about 6 hours.
The championship game featured defending champions 7 seed Oklahoma City University and 5 seed Mountain State. Oklahoma City won the game, giving them back to back National Championships in win over Mountain State (75-72). Oklahoma City is the first team since Life University (Ga.) won the '99-'00 titles. Oklahoma City was making its third straight NAIA title game appearance, becoming the first team since Kentucky State University from 1970-72 to so. The Stars were defeated in the 2006 championship game by Texas Wesleyan University, 67-65.
Awards and honors
- Leading scorer: Othyus Jeffers, Robert Morris (IL)
- Leading rebounder: Nestor Colmenares, Campbellsville
- Dr. James Naismith-Emil S. Liston Sportsmanship Award: Campbellsville
- Charles A. Krigel Award: Keith Adkins, Campbellsville
- Chuck Walden Memorial Trophy: Kansas City Life Insurance Company
- Frank Cramer Award: John Kornitzer, Buffalo Funds
- Most consecutive tournament appearances: 17th, Georgetown (KY)
- Most tournament appearances: Georgetown (KY), 27th of 30, appearances to the NAIA Tournament
- Oklahoma City notched its 47th tournament win, moving past Central Washington for sole possession of third place on the all-time list. The Stars trail Georgetown College (Ky.), which has a record 49 wins, and Oklahoma Baptist, which has 48 victories.[2]
2008 NAIA bracket
| First round March 19 and 20 | Second round March 21 | Quarterfinals March 22 | Semifinals March 24 | NAIA Championship March 25 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Georgetown (KY) | 83 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | Emmanuel (GA) | 59 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Georgetown (KY) | 85 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | Trevecca Nazarene | 83 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | Mobile | 58 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | Trevecca Nazarene | 67 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Georgetown (KY) | 88 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| TOP TIER March 19 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Robert Morris (IL) | 84 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | Southern Nazarene | 73 (OT) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | Point Loma Nazarene | 76 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | Point Loma Nazarene | 64 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Robert Morris (IL) | 80 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | Carroll (MT) | 73 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Robert Morris (IL) | 82 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Georgetown (KY) | 65 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Mountain State | 78 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Mountain State | 87 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | Olivet Nazarene(2 OT) | 76 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Mountain State | 84 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | Wayland Baptist | 71 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | Wayland Baptist | 89 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | Martin Methodist | 85 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Mountain State | 72 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| TOP TIER March 19 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | Azusa Pacific | 51 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | Azusa Pacific | 61 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | Columbia (MO) | 47 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | Azusa Pacific | 83 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | LSU–Shreveport | 69 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | USAO | 69 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | LSU–Shreveport | 71 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Mountain State | 72 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Oklahoma City | 75 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Lambuth | 76 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | St. Xavier | 68 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Lambuth | 79 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | Oklahoma Baptist | 89 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | Oklahoma Baptist | 71 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | Auburn–Montgomery | 70 (OT) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | Oklahoma Baptist | 69 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| BOTTOM TIER March 20 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | Campbellsville | 74 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | McKendree | 73 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | Texas Wesleyan | 71 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | McKendree | 64 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | Campbellsville | 80 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | Campbellsville | 72 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Concordia (CA) | 63 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | Campbellsville | 64 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Oklahoma City | 78 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Oklahoma City | 81 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | Cumberland | 64 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Oklahoma City | 69 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | California Baptist | 63 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | Xavier | 69 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | California Baptist | 77 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Oklahoma City | 86 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| BOTTOM TIER March 20 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Lee | 66 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | Lewis–Clark State | 62 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | Cumberlands | 75 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | Cumberlands | 72 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Lee | 84 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | Langston | 67 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Lee | 77 | ||||||||||||||||||||||