1988 NAIA men's basketball tournament

The 1988 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. The 51st annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.

1988 (1988) NAIA men's basketball tournament

Teams	32
Finals site	Kemper Arena Kansas City, Missouri
Champions	Grand Canyon (AZ) (3 title, 3 title game, 3 Fab Four)
Runner-up	Auburn-Montgomery (1 title game, 1 Fab Four)
Semifinalists	Charleston (SC) (2 Final Four) Waynesburg (PA) (1 Final Four)
Charles Stevenson Hustle Award	Shawn McCallister (Waynesburg (PA))
Chuck Taylor MVP	Rodney Johns (Grand Canyon)
NAIA men's tournaments «1987 1989»

This was the last time that a third-place game (featuring the losing national semifinalist teams) determined 3rd and 4th places in the tournament on the court.

Awards and honors

• Leading scorers: Reginald Henderson Rodney Johns
• Leading rebounder:
• Player of the Year: est. 1994.

Bracket

	First round					Second round					Elite Eight					NAIA national semifinals					NAIA national championship
	1	St. Thomas Aquinas (N.Y.)	93
	-	Hillsdale (Mich.)	83
						1	St. Thomas Aquinas	84
						16	Wisconsin–Eau Claire	69
	16	Wisconsin–Eau Claire	74
	-	Westmont (Calif.)	59
											9	Charleston (S.C.)	81
	TOP TIER
											1	St. Thomas Aquinas	61
	9	College of Charleston (S.C.)	78
	-	Defiance (Ohio)	62
						9	Charleston (S.C.)	73'
						-	Ozarks (Ark.)	59
	8	Transylvania (Ky.)	75
	-	Ozarks (Ark.)	79*
																9	Charleston (S.C.)	70
																4	Auburn-Montgomery	74
	5	William Jewell (Mo.)	68
	-	Georgia College	55
						12	Western Washington	70
						5	William Jewell	89
	12	Western Washington	80
	-	West Virginia Tech	67
											5	William Jewell	49
	TOP TIER
											4	Auburn-Montgomery	51
	13	Grace (Ind.)	97
	-	Paul Quinn (Tex.)	89
						-	Grace	66
						4	Auburn-Montgomery	73
	4	Auburn–Montgomery (Ala.)	79'
	-	Hawaii Pacific	69
																					4	Auburn-Montgomery	86
																					11	Grand Canyon	89*
	3	David Lipscomb (Tenn.)	89
	-	East Texas Baptist	63
						3	David Lipscomb	108
						14	College of Idaho	123
	14	College of Idaho	88
	-	Southern Nazarene (Okla.)	75
											11	Grand Canyon	99*
	BOTTOM TIER
											14	College of Idaho	96
	11	Grand Canyon (Ariz.)	103
	-	Hastings (Neb.)	75
						11	Grand Canyon	101
						6	Fort Hays State	95
	6	Fort Hays State (Kan.)	95
	-	Belmont Abbey (N.C.)	63
																11	Grand Canyon	108
																2	Waynesburg	106
	7	McKendree (Ill.)	124
	-	Huron (S.D.)	107
						7	McKendree	79
						-	Dordt	86
	10	Mobile (Ala.)	71																		NAIA third-place game
	-	Dordt (Iowa)	86
											-	Dordt	66								9	Charleston (S.C.)	89
	BOTTOM TIER
											2	Waynesburg	87								2	Waynesburg	61
	15	Minnesota Duluth	70
	-	Eastern (Pa.)	42
						15	Minnesota-Duluth	64
						2	Waynesburg	68
	2	Waynesburg (Pa.)	83
	-	Franklin Pierce (N.H.)	72

•  * denotes overtime.

See also

• 1988 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
• 1988 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament
• 1988 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament
• 1988 NAIA women's basketball tournament