1979 NCAA Division III basketball tournament

The 1979 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament was the fifth annual single-elimination tournament, held during March 1979, to determine the national champions of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's Division III collegiate basketball in the United States.

1979 NCAA Division III
basketball tournament

Teams	32
Finals site	, Rock Island, Illinois
Champions	North Park Vikings (2nd title)
Runner-up	Potsdam Bears (1st title game)
Semifinalists	Franklin & Marshall Diplomats (1st Final Four) Centre Colonels (1st Final Four)
MOP	Mike Harper (North Park)
NCAA Division III men's tournaments «1978 1980»

The tournament field included 32 teams, an increase of two from 1978, with the national championship rounds being contested in Rock Island, Illinois.^[1]

Defending champions North Park defeated Potsdam, 66–62, in the championship game to repeat as national champions and claim their second overall title.

Bracket

Regionals

First round Regional Championship             Framingham State 89 Rhode Island College 80 Framingham State 73 Clark (MA) 85 Clark (MA) 68** Coast Guard 59 Regional Third-place Rhode Island College 71 Coast Guard 76

First round Regional Championship             St. Lawrence 64 Manhattanville 59 St. Lawrence 61 Potsdam 70 Potsdam 70 Stony Brook 65 Regional Third-place Manhattanville 61 Stony Brook 66

First round Regional Championship             Baldwin Wallace 70 Albion 66 Baldwin Wallace 68 Wittenberg 66 Wittenberg 69 Allegheny 68 Regional Third-place Albion 91 Allegheny 78

First round Regional Championship             Savannah State 82* Albany (NY) 81 Savannah State 54 Centre (KY) 82 Centre (KY) 79 Lane 68 Regional Third-place Albany (NY) 85* Lane 83

First round Regional Championship             Elizabethtown 58 Grove City 53 Elizabethtown 59 Franklin & Marshall 60 Franklin & Marshall 74* Albright 63 Regional Third-place Grove City 79 Albright 73

First round Regional Championship             Jersey City State 85 Virginia Wesleyan 64 Jersey City State 91 Upsala 81 Upsala 115 Lynchburg 85 Regional Third-place Virginia Wesleyan 108 Lynchburg 84

First round Regional Championship             Central (IA) 85 Minnesota–Morris 57 Central (IA) 66 North Park 81 North Park 63 Beloit 62 Regional Third-place Minnesota–Morris 64 Beloit 72

First round Regional Championship             Chaminade 78 William Penn 69 Chaminade 78 Whittier 77 Whittier 74** Humboldt State 73 Regional Third-place William Penn 91 Humboldt State 95

National finals

• Site: Rock Island, Illinois

	National quarterfinals					National semifinals					National championship
	Clark (MA)		72
	Potsdam		89
						Potsdam		67
						Centre (KY)		63
	Centre (KY)		68***
	Baldwin Wallace		65
											Potsdam		62
											North Park		66
	Franklin & Marshall		83
	Jersey City State		72
						Franklin & Marshall		73			National third-place game
						North Park		83
	North Park		95								Centre (KY)		65
	Chaminade		74								Franklin & Marshall		66

See also

• 1979 NCAA Division I basketball tournament
• 1979 NCAA Division II basketball tournament
• 1979 NAIA basketball tournament