2016 NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship Qualifiers
By Scott Barker, Communications and Sports Information Intern
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – (
Bracket |
Championship Schedule |
Video Announcement) The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics has officially announced the teams and pairings for the 2016 NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship. The 32-team event will get underway on March 9 with the Championship game on Tuesday, March 15.
This year’s field includes 23 automatic qualifiers, 8 at-large selections and one host berth (College of the Ozarks (Mo.)). Automatic berths were given to teams that either won their respective conference tournament title, regular-season championship, finished runner-up at the conference tournament or won the conference tournament consolation game. The at-large bids were determined by the final 2016 NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll announced Wednesday. The Top 25 can be found HERE.
The NAIA Network – the association’s official video streaming home – will video-stream all 30 games live leading up to the final on ESPN3. The video platform, powered by Stretch Internet, allows users access to live video, statistics, and social interaction on a number of devices, including mobile. Single day passes can be purchased for $9.95, while an all-tournament package is available at $29.95. For more information and the pre-register, click here.
Qualifier Highlights
• College of the Ozarks (Mo.) makes its 20th all-time appearance, which leads all active NAIA schools. The Bobcats owns a 28-18 overall record at the championship and has recorded one championship.
• Eighteen teams from the 2015 NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship are in the field again this year.
• Two teams make its first championship appearance – Nebraska Wesleyan and Washington Adventist (Md.)
• Defending national champion Cornerstone (Mich.) makes its 14th all-time appearance. The Golden Eagles have finished in the top 3 six times, including three national championships.
• The Association of Independent of Institutions and Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference leads all leagues with four teams represented in the field each. Five conferences had three teams qualify.
• College of the Ozarks holds the longest active appearances in the championships, as 2015 will mark the Bobcats’ 17th-consecutive appearance, dating back to 2000. Bellevue (Neb.) is second with 14-straight appearances.
• Southwestern (Kan.) makes its third appearance, the first since 2006.
• Tabor (Kan.) enters the tournament riding a NAIA-best 17-game winning streak.
2016 NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship Qualifiers
| School |
Qualification |
Record^ |
Champs Record |
Appearances* |
Last Time |
Titles |
| Bellevue (Neb.) |
At-Large No. 8 |
20-11 |
21-16 |
17 |
2015 |
0 |
| Bethel (Ind.) |
At-Large No. 2 |
23-9 |
29-9 |
13 |
2015 |
3 |
| Briar Cliff (Iowa) |
Great Plains Athletic Conference Tournament Champion |
30-3 |
3-9 |
10 |
2015 |
0 |
| Cal Maritime (Calif.) |
California Pacific Conference Tournament Champion |
22-9 |
1-4 |
5 |
2015 |
0 |
| Cincinnati Christian (Ohio) |
Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Champion |
23-8 |
0-1 |
0 |
2014 |
0 |
| College of the Ozarks (Mo.) |
Host Berth |
20-8 |
28-18 |
20 |
2015 |
1 |
| Cornerstone (Mich.) |
Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Tournament Runner-up |
26-6 |
32-10 |
14 |
2015 |
3 |
| Dakota State (S.D.) |
North Star Athletic Association Tournament Champion |
19-13 |
5-4 |
5 |
2015 |
2 |
| Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) |
At-Large No. 5 |
22-10 |
6-7 |
8 |
2015 |
0 |
| Davenport (Mich.) |
Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Tournament Champion |
29-4 |
10-6 |
7 |
2015 |
0 |
| Indiana Tech |
At-Large No. 4 |
23-9 |
3-6 |
7 |
2012 |
0 |
| Indiana Wesleyan |
Crossroads League Tournament runner-up |
28-5 |
17-7 |
9 |
2015 |
1 |
| IU East (Ind.) |
Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular-season Champion |
19-13 |
0-3 |
4 |
2015 |
0 |
| Keiser (Fla.) |
At-Large No. 1 |
28-4 |
10-8 |
9 |
2014 |
0 |
| Mount Mercy (Iowa) |
Association of Independent Institutions Tournament Champion |
25-7 |
2-3 |
4 |
2015 |
0 |
| Nebraska Wesleyan |
Great Plains Athletic Conference Tournament runner-up |
22-7 |
0-0 |
1 |
N/A |
0 |
| Northwest Christian (Ore.) |
Cascade Collegiate Conference Tournament Champion |
27-6 |
0-1 |
2 |
2014 |
0 |
| Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) |
At-Large No. 6 |
18-9 |
0-1 |
2 |
2015 |
0 |
| Robert Morris (Ill.) |
Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Champion |
24-9 |
7-3 |
4 |
2014 |
0 |
| Saint Francis (Ind.) |
Crossroads League Tournament Champion |
29-4 |
15-6 |
8 |
2015 |
1 |
| Saint Xavier (Ill.) |
Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference North Division Champion |
19-12 |
2-2 |
3 |
2014 |
0 |
| Southern Oregon |
Cascade Collegiate Conference Tournament No. 2 seed |
24-8 |
6-5 |
6 |
2015 |
0 |
| Southwestern (Kan.) |
Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament runner-up |
26-7 |
0-2 |
3 |
2006 |
0 |
| St. Francis (Ill.) |
Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference South Division Champion |
28-3 |
0-1 |
2 |
2015 |
0 |
| Tabor (Kan.) |
Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Champion |
30-3 |
7-9 |
10 |
2015 |
0 |
| Tennessee Wesleyan |
Appalachian Athletic Conference regular-season Champion |
28-3 |
0-5 |
6 |
2013 |
0 |
| Union (Ky.) |
Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament Champion |
28-6 |
1-3 |
4 |
2015 |
0 |
| Valley City State (N.D.) |
At-Large No. 7 |
21-10 |
0-1 |
2 |
2013 |
0 |
| Warner (Fla.) |
The Sun Conference Tournament Champion |
23-6 |
1-3 |
4 |
2012 |
0 |
| Warner Pacific (Ore.) |
At-Large No. 3 |
23-9 |
5-9 |
10 |
2015 |
0 |
| Washington Adventist (Md.) |
Association of Independent Institutions Tournament Third-Place |
16-12 |
0-0 |
1 |
N/A |
0 |
| York (Neb.) |
Association of Independent Institutions Tournament runner-up |
23-9 |
1-1 |
2 |
2013 |
0 |
^ As submitted by schools in DakStats
* National championship appearances, including 2016 event
First Round Schedule
Wednesday, March 9 | Keeter Gymnasium | Point Lookout, Mo.
Game 1 (8:30 a.m. CST) – No. 3 Keiser (Fla.) (28-4) vs. No. 6 Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) (18-9)
Game 2 (10:15 a.m. CST) – No. 4 Mount Mercy (Iowa) (25-7) vs. No. 5 Southern Oregon (24-8)
Game 3 (Noon CST) – No. 2 Cornerstone (Mich.) (26-6) vs. No. 7 Cincinnati Christian (23-8)
Game 4 (1:45 CST) – No. 1 Saint Francis (Ind.) (29-4) vs. No. 8 Dakota State (S.D.) (19-13)
Game 5 (4:00 p.m. CST) – No. 2 Union (Ky.) (28-6) vs. No. 7 Cal Maritime (Calif.) (22-9)
Game 6 (5:45 p.m. CST) – No. 1 Davenport (Mich.) (29-4) vs. No. 8 Saint Xavier (Ill.) (19-12)
Game 7 (8:00 p.m. CST) – No. 3 Warner (Fla.) (23-6) vs. No. 6 College of the Ozarks (Mo.) (20-8)
Game 8 (9:45 p.m. CST) – No. 4 Warner Pacific (Ore.) (23-9) vs. No. 5 Nebraska Wesleyan (22-7)
Thursday, March 10 | Keeter Gymnasium | Point Lookout, Mo.
Game 1 (8:30 a.m. CST) – No. 3 Tennessee Wesleyan (28-3) vs. No. 6 Valley City State (N.D.) (21-10)
Game 2 (10:15 a.m. CST) – No. 3 Northwest Christian (Ore.) (27-6) vs. No. 6 Southwestern (Kan.) (26-7)
Game 3 (Noon CST) – No. 2 Tabor (Kan.) (30-3) vs. No. 7 IU East (Ind.) (19-13)
Game 4 (1:45 CST) – No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan (28-5) vs. No. 7 Bellevue (Neb.) (20-11)
Game 5 (4:00 p.m. CST) – No. 4 Bethel (Ind.) (23-9) vs. No. 5 Robert Morris (Ill.) (24-9)
Game 6 (5:45 p.m. CST) – No. 1 Briar Cliff (Iowa) (30-3) vs. No. 8 Washington Adventist (16-12)
Game 7 (7:30 p.m. CST – No. 4 Indiana Tech (23-9) vs. No. 5 Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) (22-10)
Game 8 (9:15 p.m. CST) – No. 1 St. Francis (Ill.) (28-3) vs. No. 8 York (Neb.) (23-9)
For more information on the 2015 NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship, click
here.