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1951 NAIA men's basketball tournament
Season	1950–51
Teams	32
Finals site	Municipal Auditorium; Kansas City, Missouri
Champions	Hamline (3rd title, 3rd title game,; 5th Final Four)
Runner-up	Millikin (1st title game,; 1st Final Four)
Semifinalists	Baldwin-Wallace (1st Final Four); Regis (2nd Final Four);
MVP	Scotty Steagall (Millikin (Ill.))
NAIA men's basketball tournament
«1950	1952»

The 1951 NAIA basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 14th Annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.^[1]

The championship game featured Hamline and Millikin. It was the first meeting between these two schools in tournament history. The Pipers of Hamline defeated the Big Blue of Millikin, 69–61.

The 1951 Tournament would be Hamline's 5th trip to the NAIA Final Four, and second tournament win, it was also Millikin's only trip to championship game, NAIA Final Four, and first of eventually four tournament berths. The other teams that rounded out the semifinals were Baldwin-Wallace and Regis. The Baldwin-Wallace Yellow Jackets defeated the Regis Rangers, 82–78.

Hamline's win put them on the leader board for most tournament champions with 3. A record that would last until Tennessee State would win in consecutive years. (1957, 1958, 1959.) Three Championships would be a tournament record until 1996 when Oklahoma City won its 4th Championship Title.

Awards and honors

Many of the records set by the 1951 tournament have been broken, and many of the awards were established much later:

Leading Scorer Award est. 1963
Leading Rebounder Award est. 1963
Charles Stevenson Hustle Award est. 1958
Coach of the Year est. 1954
Player of the Year est. 1994
All-time scoring leaders; second appearance: Lloyd Thorgaard, 10th, Hamline (Minn.) (1950,51,52,53), 15 games, 111 field goals, 61 free throws, 283 total points, 18.9 average per game; James Fritsche, 14th, Hamline (Minn.) (1950,51,52,53), 15 games, 113 field goals, 46 free throws, 272 total points, 18.1 average per game.^[2]

Bracket

First round		Second round		Elite Eight		NAIA national semifinals		NAIA national championship

Evansville	85

Westminster (PA)	74
		Evansville	75

		Morningside	62
Morningside	66

Providence (RI)	63
				Evansville	68
TOP TIER
				Regis	70
Regis	72

East Central State (OK)	55
		Regis	82

		Southwest Texas State	64
Southwest Texas State	70

Morehead State	62
						Regis	70

						Millikin	88
Millikin	77

Eastern New Mexico	63
		Millikin	80

		East Texas Baptist	62
East Texas Baptist	67

High Point	64
				Millikin	91
TOP TIER
				Florida State	60
Pepperdine	86

Eau Claire State	53
		Pepperdine	59

		Florida State	61
Florida State	85

South Dakota State	70
								Millikin	61

								Hamline	69
Hamline	82

Rocky Mountain	57
		Hamline	64

		Arkansas Tech	52
Arkansas Tech	64

Pacific (CA)	61
				Hamline	80
BOTTOM TIER
				New Mexico A&M	56
Central (MO)	68

Southeastern Louisiana	66
		Central	69

		New Mexico A&M	73
New Mexico A&M	68

Glenville State	54
						Hamline	78

						Baldwin-Wallace	62
Baldwin-Wallace	67

American	66
		Baldwin-Wallace	68

		Ottawa	67
Ottawa (KS)	73							NAIA third-place game

Hillsdale	58
				Baldwin-Wallace	90			Baldwin-Wallace	82
BOTTOM TIER
				Memphis State	67			Regis	78
Memphis State	76

Portland	74
		Memphis State	81

		Hastings	79*
Hastings	71

Pacific Lutheran	51