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.
![1979 NCAA Division II basketball tournament is located in the United States](../I/Usa_edcp_location_map.svg.png.webp)
![Catonsville](../I/Cyan_pog.svg.png.webp)
![Oneonta](../I/Cyan_pog.svg.png.webp)
![Fairborn](../I/Cyan_pog.svg.png.webp)
![1979 NCAA Division II basketball tournament](../I/Orange_pog.svg.png.webp)
![Waltham](../I/Cyan_pog.svg.png.webp)
![Lakeland](../I/Cyan_pog.svg.png.webp)
![Omaha](../I/Cyan_pog.svg.png.webp)
![Green Bay](../I/Orange_pog.svg.png.webp)
![Tacoma](../I/Cyan_pog.svg.png.webp)
![Thibodaux](../I/Orange_pog.svg.png.webp)
![New Haven](../I/Orange_pog.svg.png.webp)
![Kirksville](../I/Cyan_pog.svg.png.webp)
![Springfield](../I/Red_pog.svg.png.webp)
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)