1978 NAIA basketball tournament

The 1978 NAIA Men's Basketball Tournament was held in March at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. The 41st annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.

Awards and honors

• Leading scorer:
• Leading rebounder:
• Player of the Year: est. 1994

1978 NAIA bracket

	First Round					Second Round					Elite Eight					NAIA National Semifinals					NAIA National Championship
	1	Winston-Salem State (N.C.)	77
	-	Bethany Nazarene (Okla.)	61
						1	Winston-Salem State	64
						16	Briar Cliff	63
	-	Maine Portland-Gorham	78
	16	Briar Cliff (Iowa)	115
											1	Winston-Salem State	76
	TOP TIER
											-	Kearney State	89
	9	Wisconsin–Parkside	72*
	-	Dowling (N.Y.)	67
						9	Kearney State	84*
						-	Wisconsin–Parkside	80
	-	Kearney State (Neb.)	70
	8	Mercyhurst (Pa.)	69
																-	Kearney State	76
																5	Quincy	74
	5	Quincy (Ill.)	70
	-	Southern Tech (Ga.)	63
						5	Quincy	85
						-	Erskine	84*
	-	Erskine (S.C.)	74
	12	Lake Superior State (Mich)	69
											5	Quincy	73
	TOP TIER
											13	Missouri Southern State	66
	13	Missouri Southern State	78
	-	Mississippi Valley State	59
						13	Missouri Southern State	69
						4	Ouachita Baptist	56
	-	Eastern Montana	67
	4	Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)	76
																					-	Kearney State	75
																					2	Grand Canyon	79
	3	Drury (Mo.)	90
	-	Midwestern State (Tex.)	70
						3	Drury	86
						-	St. John's	79
	-	St. John's (Minn.)	83
	14	Central Washington	65
											3	Drury	77
	BOTTOM TIER
											6	East Texas State	79
	11	Birmingham Southern (Ala.)	92
	-	LeMoyne-Owen (Tenn.)	77
						11	Birmingham–Southern	72
						6	East Texas State	78
	-	Kansas Newman	65
	6	East Texas State	81
																6	East Texas State	69
																2	Grand Canyon	74
	7	Fairmont State(W.Virginia)	55
	-	Westmont (CA)	65
						-	Westmont	91**
						-	Central State	92
	-	Central State (Ohio)	76
	10	Hampton Institute (Virginia)	64
											-	Central State	82^
	BOTTOM TIER
											2	Grand Canyon	88
	15	Hawaii–Hilo	76
	-	Franklin (Ind.)	74
						15	Hawaii–Hilo	67
						2	Grand Canyon	83
	-	Cumberland (Ky.)	64
	2	Grand Canyon (Ariz.)	70

•  * denotes overtimes.
•  ^ denotes 5 overtimes.

3rd place game

The third place game featured the losing teams from the national semifinalist to determine 3rd and 4th places in the tournament. This game was played until 1988.

	NAIA Third Place Game
	5	Quincy	87
	6	East Texas State	73