The 1949 NCAA basketball tournament involved eight schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball.
It began on March 18, 1949, and ended with the championship game on March 26 in Seattle, Washington.
Kentucky, coached by Adolph Rupp, won the national title with a 46–36 victory in the final game over Oklahoma A&M, coached by Henry Iba.
Alex Groza of Kentucky was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
The following were the sites selected to host each round of the 1949 tournament: