| Teams | 32 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finals site | Springfield, Missouri | ||||
| Champions | Cheyney State Wolves (1st title) | ||||
| Runner-up | Green Bay Phoenix (1st title game) | ||||
| Semifinalists |
| ||||
| Winning coach | John Chaney (1st title) | ||||
| MOP | Andrew Fields (Cheyney) | ||||
| Attendance | 67,966 | ||||
| |||||
The 1978 NCAA Division II men's 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 1977-78 NCAA Division II men's basketball season. It was won by Cheyney State of Pennsylvania and Cheyney's Andrew Fields was the Most Outstanding Player.

Regional participants
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Adelphi | Fourth Place | |
| Cheyney State | Regional Champion | |
| Hartwick | Third Place | |
| Philadelphia College | Runner-up | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport | Third Place | |
| Bryant | Fourth Place | |
| Merrimack | Runner-up | |
| Sacred Heart | Regional Champion | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Augusta College | Fourth Place | |
| Florida A&M | Runner-up | |
| Florida Tech | Regional Champion | |
| Livingston | Third Place | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Cal State Northridge | Runner-up | |
| Puget Sound | Fourth Place | |
| San Diego | Regional Champion | |
| UC Davis | Fourth Place | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Illinois | Regional Champion | |
| Indiana State–Evansville | Runner-up | |
| Northern Kentucky | Fourth Place | |
| St. Joseph's (IN) | Third Place | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Albany State | Third Place | |
| Elizabeth City State | Regional Champion | |
| NYIT | Fourth Place | |
| Towson | Runner-up | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Columbus College | Fourth Place | |
| Lincoln (MO) | Regional Champion | |
| Mississippi College | Third Place | |
| SW Missouri State | Runner-up | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Augustana (SD) | Runner-up | |
| Chapman | Fourth Place | |
| UW–Green Bay | Regional Champion | |
| South Dakota State | Third Place | |
*denotes tie
Regionals
East - Cheyney, Pennsylvania
Location: Cope Hall Host: Cheyney State College
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 3 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 4 | ||||||||
| Cheyney State | 78 | ||||||||
| Adelphi | 64 | ||||||||
| Cheyney State | 73 | ||||||||
| Philadelphia College | 60 | ||||||||
| Philadelphia College | 73 | ||||||||
| Hartwick | 62 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Hartwick 77, Adelphi 74
New England - North Andover, Massachusetts
Location: Volpe Center Host: Merrimack College
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 3 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 4 | ||||||||
| Merrimack | 116 | ||||||||
| Bryant | 91 | ||||||||
| Merrimack | 83 | ||||||||
| Sacred Heart | 84* | ||||||||
| Sacred Heart | 73 | ||||||||
| Bridgeport | 70 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Bridgeport 89, Bryant 85
South - Orlando, Florida
Location: Florida Tech Fieldhouse Host: Florida Technological University
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 3 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 4 | ||||||||
| Florida Tech | 86 | ||||||||
| Augusta College | 66 | ||||||||
| Florida Tech | 85 | ||||||||
| Florida A&M | 78 | ||||||||
| Florida A&M | 72 | ||||||||
| Livingston | 69 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Livingston 91, Augusta State 90
West - Northridge, California
Location: Matador Gymnasium Host: California State University, Northridge
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 2 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 3 | ||||||||
| Cal State Northridge | 79 | ||||||||
| UC Davis | 73 | ||||||||
| Cal State Northridge | 67 | ||||||||
| San Diego | 70 | ||||||||
| San Diego | 91 | ||||||||
| Puget Sound | 85 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Puget Sound 96, UC Davis 73
Great Lakes - Charleston, Illinois
Location: Lantz Arena Host: Eastern Illinois University
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 5 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 6 | ||||||||
| Eastern Illinois | 100 | ||||||||
| St. Joseph's (IN) | 93 | ||||||||
| Eastern Illinois | 79 | ||||||||
| Indiana State-Evansville | 67 | ||||||||
| Indiana State-Evansville | 86 | ||||||||
| Northern Kentucky | 78 | ||||||||
- Third Place - St. Joseph's 93, Northern Kentucky 87
South Atlantic - Towson, Maryland
Location: Towson Center Host: Towson State University
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 3 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 4 | ||||||||
| Towson | 106 | ||||||||
| Albany State | 89 | ||||||||
| Towson | 73 | ||||||||
| Elizabeth City State | 84 | ||||||||
| Elizabeth City State | 64 | ||||||||
| NYIT | 62 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Albany State 81, NYIT 78
South Central - Springfield, Missouri
Location: Hammons Center Host: Southwest Missouri State University
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 3 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 4 | ||||||||
| SW Missouri State | 69 | ||||||||
| Columbus College | 67 | ||||||||
| SW Missouri State | 83 | ||||||||
| Lincoln | 84 | ||||||||
| Lincoln (MO) | 82 | ||||||||
| Mississippi College | 73 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Mississippi College 96, Columbus State 75
North Central - Green Bay, Wisconsin
Location: Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena Host: University of Wisconsin at Green Bay
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 2 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 3 | ||||||||
| UW–Green Bay | 80 | ||||||||
| South Dakota State | 57 | ||||||||
| UW–Green Bay | 72 | ||||||||
| Augustana (SD) | 60 | ||||||||
| Augustana (SD) | 78 | ||||||||
| Chapman | 66 | ||||||||
- Third Place - South Dakota State 61, Chapman 59
*denotes each overtime played
National Quarterfinals
| Quarterfinal - New Haven, CT Elite Eight March 11 | ||||
| Cheyney State | 59 | |||
| Sacred Heart | 57 | |||
| Quarterfinal - Orlando, FL Elite Eight March 11 | ||||
| Florida Tech | 77 | |||
| San Diego | 71 | |||
| Quarterfinal - Charleston, IL Elite Eight March 11 | ||||
| Eastern Illinois | 84 | |||
| Elizabeth City State | 71 | |||
| Quarterfinal - Green Bay, WI Elite Eight March 11 | ||||
| Lincoln (MO) | 61 | |||
| UW–Green Bay | 63 | |||
National Finals - Springfield, Missouri
Location: Hammons Center Host: Southwest Missouri State University
| National semifinals Final Four March 17 | National Championship March 18 | ||||||||
| Cheyney State | 79 | ||||||||
| Florida Tech | 63 | ||||||||
| Cheyney State | 47 | ||||||||
| UW–Green Bay | 40 | ||||||||
| Eastern Illinois | 43 | ||||||||
| UW–Green Bay | 58 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Eastern Illinois 77, Florida Tech 67
*denotes each overtime played
All-tournament team
- Tom Anderson (Wisconsin-Green Bay)
- Andrew Fields (Cheyney)
- Kenneth Hynson (Cheyney)
- Jerry Prather (Florida Tech†)
- Charlie Thomas (Eastern Illinois)
† Florida Tech is now known as University of Central Florida, as opposed to the current Florida Institute of Technology.