The 1997 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament was the 41st annual
single-elimination
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
tournament
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...
to determine the national champion of men's
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
Division II college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
The tournament officially culminated the
1996–97 NCAA Division II men's basketball season, featuring forty-eight teams from around the country.
The national quarterfinals (Elite Eight), semifinals, and championship were played at the
Commonwealth Convention Center
The Kentucky International Convention Center (KICC), formerly called the Commonwealth Convention Center, is a large multi-use facility in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The KICC, along with the Kentucky Exposition Center, hosts conventions f ...
in
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
.
Cal State Bakersfield
California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB, Cal State Bakersfield, or CSU Bakersfield) is a public university in Bakersfield, California. It was established in 1965 as Kern State College and officially in 1968 as California State College Bake ...
(29–4) defeated
Northern Kentucky
Northern Kentucky is the third-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, and its cities and towns serve as the de facto "south side" communities of Cincinnati, Ohio. The three main counties ...
in the final, 57–56, to win their third overall Division II national championship and their third in five seasons.
It was also NKU's second consecutive loss in the national championship game, having lost to
Fort Hays State in 1996.
Despite being the defending national champions with only one loss on the season, Fort Hays State had to travel from Kansas to South Dakota for the North Central Regional hosted by 4 loss South Dakota State.
The CSB Roadrunners were coached by
Pat Douglass
Joseph Patrick Douglass (born January 23, 1950) is a retired American basketball coach. He was most recently the men's head coach at UC Irvine from 1997 to 2010.
Early life and education
Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, Douglass moved to Barstow, Ca ...
. Bakersfield's
Kebu Stewart
Kebu Omar Stewart (born December 19, 1973) is an American retired basketball player. He played in the NBA and had a rich international career, playing in several countries.
High school and college career
Stewart was a star high school player at ...
was the Most Outstanding Player.
Regionals
South -
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in t ...
Location: Elmore Coliseum Host:
Alabama A&M University
Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University (Alabama A&M) is a public historically black land-grant university in Normal, Huntsville, Alabama. Founded in 1875, it took its present name in 1969. AAMU is a member-school of the Thurgood Marsha ...
North Central -
Brookings, South Dakota
Brookings is a city in Brookings County, South Dakota, Brookings County, South Dakota, United States. Brookings is South Dakota's List of cities in South Dakota, fourth largest city, with a population of 23,377 at the 2020 United States census, 20 ...
Location:
Frost Arena
Frost Arena is a 6,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Brookings, South Dakota. It was built on the east side of campus in 1973 and is home to the South Dakota State University Jackrabbits men's and women's basketball, volleyball, and wrestling ...
Host:
South Dakota State
South Dakota State University is a public land-grant research university in Brookings, South Dakota. Founded in 1881, it is the state's largest and most comprehensive university and the oldest continually-operating university in South Dakota. The ...
Great Lakes -
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...
Location:
Nicoson Hall
The Indianapolis Greyhounds, also UIndy Greyhounds and formerly the Indiana Central Greyhounds, are the athletic teams that represent the University of Indianapolis, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, in National Collegiate Athletic Association, NC ...
Host:
University of Indianapolis
The University of Indianapolis (UIndy) is a private United Methodist Church-affiliated university in Indianapolis, Indiana. It offers Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees. It was founded in 1902 as Indiana Central University and ...
South Central -
Edmond, Oklahoma
Edmond is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area in the central part of the state. The population was 94,428 according to the 2020 United States Census, making it the fifth largest cit ...
Location:
Hamilton Field House
Hamilton Field House is a 3,000 -seat multi-purpose on the campus of the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) in Edmond, Oklahoma, and is home to the Central Oklahoma Bronchos men's and women's basketball teams, as well as volleyball, and wrestl ...
Host:
University of Central Oklahoma
The University of Central Oklahoma (UCO or Central State) is a public university in Edmond, Oklahoma. It is the third largest university in Oklahoma, with more than 17,000 students and approximately 434 full-time and 400 adjunct faculty. Founde ...
South Atlantic -
Durham, North Carolina
Durham ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Durham County, North Carolina, Durham County. Small portions of the city limits extend into Orange County, North Carolina, Orange County and Wake County, North Carol ...
Location:
McDougald–McLendon Arena Host:
North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University (NCCU or NC Central) is a public historically black university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by James E. Shepard in affiliation with the Chautauqua movement in 1909, it was supported by private funds from b ...
East -
Salem, West Virginia
Salem is a city in Harrison County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,485 at the 2020 census. It is located at the junction of U.S. Route 50 and West Virginia Route 23; the North Bend Rail Trail passes through the city.DeLorme ( ...
Location: T. Edward Davis Gymnasium Host:
Salem-Teikyo University
Northeast -
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is a city in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. It is the most populous city in New Hampshire. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 115,644.
Manchester is, along with Nashua, one of two seats of New Hamp ...
Location: NHC Fieldhouse Host:
New Hampshire College
West -
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city in Kern County, California, United States. It is the county seat and largest city of Kern County. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's populat ...
Location: CSUB Student Activities Center Host:
California State University, Bakersfield
California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB, Cal State Bakersfield, or CSU Bakersfield) is a public university in Bakersfield, California. It was established in 1965 as Kern State College and officially in 1968 as California State College Bake ...
Elite Eight-
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
Location:
Commonwealth Convention Center
The Kentucky International Convention Center (KICC), formerly called the Commonwealth Convention Center, is a large multi-use facility in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The KICC, along with the Kentucky Exposition Center, hosts conventions f ...
Host:
Bellarmine College
Bellarmine University (BU; ) is a private Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest ...
All-tournament team
* Kebu Stewart,
Cal State Bakersfield
California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB, Cal State Bakersfield, or CSU Bakersfield) is a public university in Bakersfield, California. It was established in 1965 as Kern State College and officially in 1968 as California State College Bake ...
(MOP)
* Cliff Clinton,
Northern Kentucky
Northern Kentucky is the third-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, and its cities and towns serve as the de facto "south side" communities of Cincinnati, Ohio. The three main counties ...
* Paul Cluxton,
Northern Kentucky
Northern Kentucky is the third-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, and its cities and towns serve as the de facto "south side" communities of Cincinnati, Ohio. The three main counties ...
* Shannon Minor,
Northern Kentucky
Northern Kentucky is the third-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, and its cities and towns serve as the de facto "south side" communities of Cincinnati, Ohio. The three main counties ...
* Terrance Springer,
Salem-Teikyo
See also
*
1997 NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament
The 1997 NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament was the 16th annual tournament hosted by the NCAA to determine the national champion of Division II women's collegiate basketball in the United States.
North Dakota defeated Southern Ind ...
*
1997 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
The 1997 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1997, and ended with the champion ...
*
1997 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament
*
1997 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament
*
1997 NAIA Division II men's basketball tournament
References
NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament Results1997 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament jonfmorse.com
{{NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament navbox
NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament
Tournament
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...
NCAA Division II basketball tournament
NCAA Division II basketball tournament