2002 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
Encyclopedia
The 2002 Buffalo Funds - NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri
. This was the first NAIA
tournament back in Kansas City since 1993. The NAIA headquarters also relocated to Olathe, Kansas
this year.
The 65th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. The 2002 champion was 2001's
runner-up, University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
. The Drovers faced Sooner Athletic Conference
rival Oklahoma Baptist University
in the championship game. It was the first time two teams from the Sooner Athletic Conference ever met in the national championship game. And the first SAC team to win the tournament since Oklahoma City University
won in 1996. The Drovers rolled over the Bison 96–79. Finishing out the NAIA Semifinals were Azusa Pacific University (Calif.)
and Barat College(Ill.)
.
2002 was also the first year Buffalo Funds, a Kansas City-based investment management firm, was the title corporate sponsor . In 2008 Buffalo Funds extended its contract with the NAIA tournament until the 2010 tournament.
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. This was the first NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
tournament back in Kansas City since 1993. The NAIA headquarters also relocated to Olathe, Kansas
Olathe, Kansas
Olathe is a city in and the county seat of Johnson County, Kansas, United States. Located in northeastern Kansas, it is also the fifth most populous city in the state, with a population of 125,872 at the 2010 census. As a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, Olathe is the fourth-largest city in the...
this year.
The 65th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. The 2002 champion was 2001's
2001 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 64th NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at the Tulsa Convention Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was the second tournament held in the Tulsa Convention Center and the last tournament to be held in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The 64th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32...
runner-up, University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, or USAO, is a public liberal arts college located in Chickasha, Oklahoma. It is the only public college with a strictly liberal arts-focused curriculum in Oklahoma. It provides Bachelor's Degrees and many students move on to graduate schools across...
. The Drovers faced Sooner Athletic Conference
Sooner Athletic Conference
The Sooner Athletic Conference is an affiliate of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics . Its 12 member institutions are located in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas....
rival Oklahoma Baptist University
Oklahoma Baptist University
Oklahoma Baptist University is a co-educational Christian liberal arts university located in Shawnee, Oklahoma, and owned by the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. Established in 1910, OBU is ranked No.2 among baccalaureate colleges in the western region in the 2010 U.S...
in the championship game. It was the first time two teams from the Sooner Athletic Conference ever met in the national championship game. And the first SAC team to win the tournament since Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City University, often referred to as OCU, is a coeducational, urban, private university historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church...
won in 1996. The Drovers rolled over the Bison 96–79. Finishing out the NAIA Semifinals were Azusa Pacific University (Calif.)
Azusa Pacific University
Azusa Pacific University is a private, inter-denominational, evangelical Christian university located near Los Angeles in suburban Azusa, California. It was founded in 1899, with classes opening on March 3, 1900 in Whittier, California. It began offering degrees in 1939...
and Barat College(Ill.)
Barat College
Barat College of the Sacred Heart was a small Catholic college located in Lake Forest, Illinois, 30 miles north of Chicago. The college was named after Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat, founder of the Society of the Sacred Heart...
.
2002 was also the first year Buffalo Funds, a Kansas City-based investment management firm, was the title corporate sponsor . In 2008 Buffalo Funds extended its contract with the NAIA tournament until the 2010 tournament.
Awards and honors
- Leading scorer: DuJuan Brown, Oklahoma Baptist (2001 winner) in 5 games DuJuan scored 51FG 21FT totaling 136pts (avg 27.2/game)
- Leading rebounder: Sidney Holmes, Barat (Ill.) in 4 games 49 rebounds (avg. 12.3)
- Most Three-Point Field Goals Made (All Tournament): 55, University of Science & Arts (Okla.) (120 attempts)
- Most consecutive tournament appearances: 11th, Georgetown (Ky.)
- Most tournament appearances: Georgetown (Ky.), 21st of 28, appearances to the NAIA Tournament
2002 NAIA bracket
- * denotes overtime.
See also
- 2002 NAIA Men’s Division II Basketball TournamentNAIA national men's basketball championshipThe National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Men's Basketball National Championship has been held annually since 1937 . The tournament was established by James Naismith to crown a national champion for smaller colleges and universities...
- 2002 NAIA Women’s Division I Basketball TournamentNAIA national women's basketball championshipThe National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Women's Basketball National Championship has been held annually since 1981. It was established one year before the NCAA Women's Basketball tournament. It was created to crown a women's national title for smaller colleges and universities. Since...
- 2002 NAIA Women’s Division II Basketball TournamentNAIA national women's basketball championshipThe National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Women's Basketball National Championship has been held annually since 1981. It was established one year before the NCAA Women's Basketball tournament. It was created to crown a women's national title for smaller colleges and universities. Since...
- 2002 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament2002 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 2002 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 2002, and ended with the championship game on April 1 in Atlanta, Georgia...
- 2002 NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Tournament
- 2002 NCAA Men's Division III Basketball Tournament
- 2002 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament2002 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 2002 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament concluded on March 31, 2002 when Connecticut won the national title. The Final Four was held at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on March 29 - March 31, 2002...
- 2002 NCAA Women's Division II Basketball Tournament
- 2002 NCAA Women's Division III Basketball Tournament