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 | ||||
|
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.
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)