1979 NCAA Division II basketball tournament

The 1979 NCAA Division II basketball tournament involved 32 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college basketball as a culmination of the 1978–79 NCAA Division II men's basketball season. It was won by the University of North Alabama and North Alabama's Perry Oden was the Most Outstanding Player.

1979 NCAA Division II
Basketball tournament

Teams	32
Finals site	Springfield, Missouri
Champions	North Alabama Lions (1st title)
Runner-up	Green Bay Phoenix (2nd title game)
Semifinalists	Cheyney (PA) Wolves (2nd Final Four) Bridgeport Knights (1st Final Four)
Winning coach	Bill Jones (1st title)
MOP	Perry Oden (North Alabama)
Attendance	47,907
← 1978  NCAA Division II Basketball Tournament 1980 →

Regional participants

School Outcome Eastern Illinois Third Place Northern Michigan Fourth Place St. Joseph's (IN) Regional Champion Wright State Runner-up

School Outcome Assumption Runner-up Bentley Third Place Bridgeport Regional Champion Quinnipiac Fourth Place

School Outcome Nicholls State Regional Champion Rollins Runner-up SE Missouri State Third Place NE Missouri State Fourth Place

School Outcome Florida Southern Fourth Place North Alabama Regional Champion Tuskegee Third Place Valdosta State Runner-up

School Outcome Cal State Northridge Fourth Place Puget Sound Regional Champion San Diego Third Place UC Riverside Runner-up

School Outcome Green Bay Regional Champion Nebraska-Omaha Third Place North Dakota Fourth Place Northern Iowa Runner-up

School Outcome Albany State Third Place Cheyney Regional Champion Hartwick Runner-up Philadelphia U Fourth Place

School Outcome Mount St. Mary's Third Place Roanoke Fourth Place UMBC Regional Champion Virginia Union Runner-up

*denotes tie

Regionals

Great Lakes - Fairborn, Ohio

Location: Physical Education Building Host: Wright State University

	Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 2					Regional Final Sweet 16 March 3
	Wright State		75
	Northern Michigan		66
						Wright State		68
						St. Joseph's		73
	St. Joseph's (IN)		76
	Eastern Illinois		66

• Third Place - Eastern Illinois 65, Northern Michigan 58

New England - Waltham, Massachusetts

Location: Dana Center Host: Bentley College

	Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 2					Regional Final Sweet 16 March 3
	Bridgeport		92
	Quinnipiac		75
						Bridgeport		85
						Assumption		75
	Assumption		89
	Bentley		78

• Third Place - Bentley 104, Quinnipiac 93

South Central - Kirksville, Missouri

Location: Pershing Arena Host: Northeast Missouri State University

	Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 2					Regional Final Sweet 16 March 3
	Nicholls State		89
	SE Missouri State		74
						Nicholls State		100
						Rollins		87
	Rollins		97*
	NE Missouri State		88

• Third Place - SE Missouri State 86, NE Missouri State 82

South - Lakeland, Florida

Location: Jenkins Fieldhouse Host: Florida Southern College

	Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 1					Regional Final Sweet 16 March 2
	Valdosta State		102
	Tuskegee		93
						Valdosta State		101
						North Alabama		110
	North Alabama		75
	Florida Southern		67

• Third Place - Tuskegee 107, Florida Southern 102

West - Tacoma, Washington

Location: Memorial Fieldhouse Host: University of Puget Sound

	Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 3					Regional Final Sweet 16 March 4
	Puget Sound		81
	Cal State Northridge		67
						Puget Sound		77
						UC Riverside		52
	UC Riverside		62
	San Diego		48

• Third Place - San Diego 74, Cal State Northridge 69*

Central - Omaha, Nebraska

Location: UNO Fieldhouse Host: University of Nebraska at Omaha

	Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 2					Regional Final Sweet 16 March 3
	Northern Iowa		84
	Nebraska-Omaha		72
						Northern Iowa		50
						Green Bay		56
	Green Bay		63
	North Dakota		48

• Third Place - Nebraska-Omaha 86, North Dakota 75

East - Oneonta, New York

Location: Binder Physical Education Center Host: Hartwick College

	Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 1					Regional Final Sweet 16 March 2
	Cheyney		82
	Albany State		61
						Cheyney		72
						Hartwick		63
	Hartwick		49
	Philadelphia U		48

• Third Place - Albany State 72, Philadelphia U 61

South Atlantic - Catonsville, Maryland

Location: UMBC Fieldhouse Host: University of Maryland, Baltimore County

	Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 2					Regional Final Sweet 16 March 3
	UMBC		79
	Mount St. Mary's		74
						UMBC		58
						Virginia Union		56
	Virginia Union		68
	Roanoke		67

• Third Place - Mount St. Mary's 93, Roanoke 89

*denotes each overtime played

National Quarterfinals

	Quarterfinal - New Haven, CT Elite Eight March 10
	St. Joseph's (IN)		82
	Bridgeport		92

	Quarterfinal - Thibodaux, LA Elite Eight March 10
	Nicholls State		97
	North Alabama		103

	Quarterfinal - Green Bay, WI Elite Eight March 10
	Puget Sound		53
	Green Bay		65

	Quarterfinal - Catonsville, MD Elite Eight March 10
	Cheyney		65
	UMBC		62

National Finals - Springfield, Missouri

Location: Hammons Center Host: Southwest Missouri State University

	National semifinals Final Four March 16					National Championship March 17
	Bridgeport		82
	North Alabama		85
						North Alabama		64
						Green Bay		50
	Green Bay		46
	Cheyney		45

• Third Place - Cheyney 81, Bridgeport 78

*denotes each overtime played

All-tournament team

• Ron Darby (North Alabama)
• Carlton Hurdle (Bridgeport)
• Rory Lindgren (Wisconsin-Green Bay)
• Perry Oden (North Alabama)
• Ron Ripley (Wisconsin-Green Bay)

See also

• 1979 NCAA Division I basketball tournament
• 1979 NCAA Division III basketball tournament
• 1979 NAIA Basketball Tournament

References

Sources

• 2010 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Tournament Records and Statistics: Division II men's basketball Championship
• 1979 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament jonfmorse.com