The 1954 NAIA basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri.
The 17th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
[1] The Southwest Missouri State Bears were out to claim an unprecedented three straight national title, but Western Illinois handed them an upset in the National Semifinals, forcing the Bears to settle for third place.
The teams that played in the national championship game, were Western Illinois, and St. Benedict's (KS).
Jim Spivey of Southeastern Oklahoma would begin his journey to most all time free throws made, and 4th on the all-time scoring list.