| Teams | 32 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finals site | Springfield, Massachusetts | ||||
| Champions | Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers (5th title) | ||||
| Runner-up | Gannon Knights (1st title game) | ||||
| Semifinalists |
| ||||
| Winning coach | Wayne Chapman (1st title) | ||||
| MOP | Sam Smith (Kentucky Wesleyan) | ||||
| Attendance | 65,162 | ||||
| |||||
The 1987 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 1986–87 NCAA Division II men's basketball season. It was won by Kentucky Wesleyan College, with Kentucky Wesleyan's Sam Smith named the Most Outstanding Player.

Regional participants
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire College | Regional Champion | |
| New Haven | Fourth Place | |
| Sacred Heart | Runner-up | |
| St. Anselm | Third Place | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| C.W. Post | Third Place | |
| Gannon | Regional Champion | |
| Millersville | Runner-up | |
| St. Michael's | Fourth Place | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama A&M | Fourth Place | |
| Florida Southern | Regional Champion | |
| Tampa | Third Place | |
| West Georgia | Runner-up | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska–Anchorage | Runner-up | |
| Cal State Dominguez Hills | Third Place | |
| Cal State Hayward | Fourth Place | |
| Eastern Montana | Regional Champion | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Ferris State | Runner-up | |
| Lock Haven | Third Place | |
| St. Cloud State | Regional Champion | |
| Wayne State (MI) | Fourth Place | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Abilene Christian | Fourth Place | |
| Delta State | Regional Champion | |
| Southeast Missouri State | Runner-up | |
| West Texas State | Third Place | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Mount St. Mary's | Runner-up | |
| Norfolk State | Regional Champion | |
| UDC | Fourth Place | |
| Virginia Union | Third Place | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Johnson C. Smith | Fourth Place | |
| Kentucky Wesleyan | Regional Champion | |
| SIU Edwardsville | Runner-up | |
| Southern Indiana | Third Place | |
*denotes tie
Regionals
New England - Manchester, New Hampshire
Location: NHC Fieldhouse Host: New Hampshire College
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 6 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 7 | ||||||||
| Sacred Heart | 82 | ||||||||
| St. Anselm | 80 | ||||||||
| Sacred Heart | 67 | ||||||||
| New Hampshire College | 73 | ||||||||
| New Hampshire College | 71 | ||||||||
| New Haven | 70 | ||||||||
- Third Place - St. Anselm 94, New Haven 88
East - Erie, Pennsylvania
Location: Hammermill Center Host: Gannon University
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 6 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 7 | ||||||||
| Millersville | 83 | ||||||||
| St. Michael's | 76 | ||||||||
| Millersville | 82 | ||||||||
| Gannon | 85 | ||||||||
| Gannon | 80 | ||||||||
| C.W. Post | 71 | ||||||||
- Third Place - C.W. Post 85, St. Michael's 72
South - Lakeland, Florida
Location: Jenkins Field House Host: Florida Southern College
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 6 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 7 | ||||||||
| West Georgia | 81 | ||||||||
| Tampa | 73 | ||||||||
| West Georgia | 69 | ||||||||
| Florida Southern | 84 | ||||||||
| Florida Southern | 92 | ||||||||
| Alabama A&M | 83 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Tampa 92, Alabama A&M 76
West - Billings, Montana
Location: Alterowitz Gym Host: Eastern Montana College
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 5 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 6 | ||||||||
| Alaska–Anchorage | 68 | ||||||||
| Cal State Dominguez Hills | 64 | ||||||||
| Alaska–Anchorage | 73 | ||||||||
| Eastern Montana | 79 | ||||||||
| Eastern Montana | 78 | ||||||||
| Cal State Hayward | 54 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Cal State Hayward 71, Cal State Dominguez Hills 55
North Central - St. Cloud, Minnesota
Location: Halenbeck Hall Host: St. Cloud State University
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 6 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 7 | ||||||||
| Ferris State | 70 | ||||||||
| Wayne State (MI) | 67 | ||||||||
| Ferris State | 69 | ||||||||
| St. Cloud State | 77 | ||||||||
| St. Cloud State | 81 | ||||||||
| Lock Haven | 64 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Lock Haven 84, Wayne State 83
South Central - Amarillo, Texas
Location: Amarillo Civic Center Host: West Texas State University
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 5 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 6 | ||||||||
| Delta State | 88 | ||||||||
| Abilene Christian | 71 | ||||||||
| Delta State | 90* | ||||||||
| SE Missouri State | 84 | ||||||||
| SE Missouri State | 72 | ||||||||
| West Texas State | 71 | ||||||||
- Third Place - West Texas State 67, Abilene Christian 63
South Atlantic - Norfolk, Virginia
Location: Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall Host: Norfolk State University
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 6 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 7 | ||||||||
| Norfolk State | 68 | ||||||||
| UDC | 64 | ||||||||
| Norfolk State | 70 | ||||||||
| Mount St. Mary's | 66 | ||||||||
| Mount St. Mary's | 94 | ||||||||
| Virginia Union | 84 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Virginia Union 99, UDC 92
Great Lakes - Owensboro, Kentucky
Location: Owensboro Sportscenter Host: Kentucky Wesleyan College
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 6 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 7 | ||||||||
| Kentucky Wesleyan | 112 | ||||||||
| Johnson C. Smith | 77 | ||||||||
| Kentucky Wesleyan | 89 | ||||||||
| SIU Edwardsville | 86 | ||||||||
| SIU Edwardsville | 88 | ||||||||
| Southern Indiana | 82 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Southern Indiana 102, Johnson C. Smith 96
*denotes each overtime played
National Quarterfinals
| Quarterfinal - St. Cloud, MN Elite Eight March 14 | ||||
| St. Cloud State | 73 | |||
| Delta State | 78 | |||
| Quarterfinal - Norfolk, VA Elite Eight March 14 | ||||
| Norfolk State | 74 | |||
| Kentucky Wesleyan | 80 | |||
| Quarterfinal - Erie, PA Elite Eight March 14 | ||||
| New Hampshire College | 81 | |||
| Gannon | 93 | |||
| Quarterfinal - Billings, MT Elite Eight March 14 | ||||
| Florida Southern | 62 | |||
| Eastern Montana | 75 | |||
National Finals - Springfield, Massachusetts
Location: Springfield Civic Center Hosts: American International College and Springfield College
| National semifinals Final Four March 20 | National Championship March 21 | ||||||||
| Gannon | 61 | ||||||||
| Eastern Montana | 55 | ||||||||
| Gannon | 74 | ||||||||
| Kentucky Wesleyan | 92 | ||||||||
| Delta State | 75 | ||||||||
| Kentucky Wesleyan | 98 | ||||||||
*denotes each overtime played
All-tournament team
- Jerome Johnson (Eastern Montana)
- Mike Runski (Gannon)
- Sam Smith (Kentucky Wesleyan)
- Andra Whitlow (Kentucky Wesleyan)
- John Worth (Kentucky Wesleyan)