1943 NAIA basketball tournament
| Teams | 32 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finals site | Municipal Auditorium, Kansas City, Missouri | ||||
| Champions | Southeast Missouri State (1st title, 1st title game, 1st Final Four) | ||||
| Runner-up | Northwest Missouri State (1st title game, 1st Final Four) | ||||
| Semifinalists |
| ||||
| MVP | Belus Smawley (Appalachian State (N.C.)) | ||||
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The 1943 NAIA basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 7th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. The championship game featured Southeast Missouri State defeating Northwest Missouri State 34–32.
This was the first tournament to feature a championship game between two teams from the same state, Missouri, playing in Missouri. The 3rd place game featured the first overtime in the NAIA Final Four history when North Texas State defeated Murray State 59–55 in one overtime.