1981 NAIA men's basketball tournament

{{Infobox college basketball tournament

| Type=NAIA

| Year=1981

| Image=

| ImageSize=150px

| Caption=1981 NAIA Men's National Basketball Tournament

| Teams=32

| FinalFourArena=Kemper Arena

| FinalFourCity=Kansas City, Missouri

| Champions=Bethany Nazarene (Okla.)

| TitleCount=1st

| ChampGameCount=1st

| ChampFFCount=1st

| RunnerUp=Alabama – Huntsville

| GameCount=1st

| RunnerFFCount=1st

| Semifinal1=Wisconsin–Eau Claire

| FinalFourCount1=3rd

| Semifinal2=Hillsdale (Mich.)

| FinalFourCount2=1st

| COTY=Ken Anderson

| COTYSchool=Wisconsin–Eau Claire

| MVP=George Torres

| MVPTeam=Bethany Nazarene

| POTY=

| POTYSchool=

| Hustle=James Mundie

| HustleSchool=Alabama-Huntsville

| Attendance=unknown

| TopScorer=Todd Thurman

| TopScorerTeam=Bethany Nazarene

| TopScorer2=George Torres

| TopScorer2Team=Bethany Nazarene

| Points=104

}}

The 1981 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. The 44th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.{{Cite web |url=http://naia.cstv.com/ |title=NAIA.org |access-date=2020-05-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090501033134/http://naia.cstv.com/ |archive-date=2009-05-01 |url-status=dead }} The championship game featured Bethany Nazarene College and the University of Alabama in Huntsville. It was the first time that the championship game went into overtime. Bethany Nazarene edged out Alabama-Huntsville with the final score of 86-85 (OT). 1981 was also the first year the NAIA held a women's national basketball championship tournament. For the second time since 1963, the year the award was established, there was a tie for the leading scorer. Todd Thurman and George Torres both scored 104 over the course of the 1981 tournament. There have been no ties since. And for the first time since the Coach of the Year Award was established, Ken Anderson, won Coach of the Year for the second time. No other coach has won the award twice.

Awards and honors

Leading scorers; tie: Todd Thurman, Bethany Nazarene (Okla.); 5 games, 42 field goals, 20 free throws, totaling 104 points (averaging 20.8 points per game); George Torres, Bethany Nazarene (Okla.); 5 games, 33 field goals, 38 free throws, totaling 104 points (averaging 20.8 points per game)
Leading rebounder: Ricky Knight, Alabama-Huntsville. In 5 games, 62 total rebounds (averaging 12.4 rebounds per game)
Player of the Year: est. 1994
All-time leading scorer; second appearance: Tony Carr 13th, Wisconsin–Eau Claire (1979,80,81,82); 15 games, 114 field goals, 45 free throws, totaling 273 points (18.2 average points per game).[http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/naia/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/MBBDIChampionshipHistory1223.pdf NAIA Championship History] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523103053/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/naia/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/MBBDIChampionshipHistory1223.pdf |date=2011-05-23 }}

1981 NAIA bracket

{{32TeamBracket

| RD1=First round

| RD2=Second round

| RD3=Elite Eight

| RD4=NAIA national semifinals

| RD5=NAIA national championship

| RD2-group1=TOP TIER

| RD2-group2=TOP TIER

| RD2-group3=BOTTOM TIER

| RD2-group4=BOTTOM TIER

| RD1-seed01=1

| RD1-team01=Briar Cliff (Iowa)

| RD1-score01=76

| RD1-seed02=-

| RD1-team02=Fairmont State (W. Virginia)

| RD1-score02=67

| RD1-seed03=-

| RD1-team03=Dominican (N.Y.)

| RD1-score03=64

| RD1-seed04=16

| RD1-team04=Hillsdale (Mich.)

| RD1-score04=70

| RD1-seed05=9

| RD1-team05=Western New Mexico

| RD1-score05=55

| RD1-seed06=-

| RD1-team06=Midwestern State (Texas)

| RD1-score06=56

| RD1-seed07=-

| RD1-team07=Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.)

| RD1-score07=71

| RD1-seed08=8

| RD1-team08=Rockhurst (Mo.)

| RD1-score08=68

| RD1-seed09=5

| RD1-team09=Alabama-Huntsville

| RD1-score09=105

| RD1-seed10=-

| RD1-team10=Norfolk State (Virginia)

| RD1-score10=75

| RD1-seed11=-

| RD1-team11=Xavier (La.)

| RD1-score11=66

| RD1-seed12=12

| RD1-team12=Oregon College

| RD1-score12=98

| RD1-seed13=13

| RD1-team13=Henderson State (Ark.)

| RD1-score13=50

| RD1-seed14=-

| RD1-team14=South Carolina-Spartanburg

| RD1-score14=61

| RD1-seed15=-

| RD1-team15=Hanover (Ind.)

| RD1-score15=66

| RD1-seed16=4

| RD1-team16=Fort Hays State (Kan.)

| RD1-score16=64

| RD1-seed17=3

| RD1-team17=Augsburg (Minn.)

| RD1-score17=56

| RD1-seed18=-

| RD1-team18=Drury (Mo.)

| RD1-score18=54

| RD1-seed19=-

| RD1-team19=Campbellsville (Ky.)

| RD1-score19=96

| RD1-seed20=14

| RD1-team20=Kearney State (Neb.)

| RD1-score20=108

| RD1-seed21=11

| RD1-team21=Southern Tech (Ga.)

| RD1-score21=82

| RD1-seed22=-

| RD1-team22=Franklin Pierce (N.H.)

| RD1-score22=75

| RD1-seed23=-

| RD1-team23=Chicago State (Ill.)

| RD1-score23=63

| RD1-seed24=6

| RD1-team24=Bethany Nazarene (Okla.)

| RD1-score24=69

| RD1-seed25=7

| RD1-team25=Huron (S.D.)

| RD1-score25=59

| RD1-seed26=-

| RD1-team26=Gardner–Webb (N. C.)

| RD1-score26=52

| RD1-seed27=-

| RD1-team27=Central Washington

| RD1-score27=42

| RD1-seed28=10

| RD1-team28=Biola (California)

| RD1-score28=57

| RD1-seed29=15

| RD1-team29=Cedarville (Ohio)

| RD1-score29=57

| RD1-seed30=-

| RD1-team30=Waynesburg (Pa.)

| RD1-score30=60

| RD1-seed31=-

| RD1-team31=St. Mary's (Texas)

| RD1-score31=59

| RD1-seed32=2

| RD1-team32=Wisconsin–Eau Claire

| RD1-score32=61

| RD2-seed01=1

| RD2-team01=Briar Cliff

| RD2-score01=46

| RD2-seed02=16

| RD2-team02=Hillsdale

| RD2-score02=53

| RD2-seed03=-

| RD2-team03=Midwestern State

| RD2-score03=104

| RD2-seed04=-

| RD2-team04=Lincoln Memorial

| RD2-score04=87

| RD2-seed05=5

| RD2-team05=Alabama-Huntsville

| RD2-score05=67

| RD2-seed06=12

| RD2-team06=Oregon College

| RD2-score06=62

| RD2-seed07=-

| RD2-team07=South Carolina-Spartanburg

| RD2-score07=60

| RD2-seed08=-

| RD2-team08=Hanover

| RD2-score08=72

| RD2-seed09=3

| RD2-team09=Augsburg

| RD2-score09=81

| RD2-seed10=14

| RD2-team10=Kearney State

| RD2-score10=77

| RD2-seed11=-

| RD2-team11=Southern Tech

| RD2-score11=58

| RD2-seed12=6

| RD2-team12=Bethany Nazarene

| RD2-score12=88

| RD2-seed13=7

| RD2-team13=Huron

| RD2-score13=52

| RD2-seed14=10

| RD2-team14=Biola

| RD2-score14=50

| RD2-seed15=-

| RD2-team15=Waynesburg

| RD2-score15=21

| RD2-seed16=2

| RD2-team16=Wisconsin–Eau Claire

| RD2-score16=22

| RD3-seed01=16

| RD3-team01=Hillsdale

| RD3-score01=65

| RD3-seed02=-

| RD3-team02=Midwestern State

| RD3-score02=64

| RD3-seed03=5

| RD3-team03=Alabama-Huntsville

| RD3-score03=94

| RD3-seed04=-

| RD3-team04=Hanover

| RD3-score04=74

| RD3-seed05=3

| RD3-team05=Augsburg

| RD3-score05=69

| RD3-seed06=6

| RD3-team06=Bethany Nazarene

| RD3-score06=84

| RD3-seed07=7

| RD3-team07=Huron

| RD3-score07=29

| RD3-seed08=2

| RD3-team08=Wisconsin–Eau Claire

| RD3-score08=35

| RD4-seed01=16

| RD4-team01=Hillsdale

| RD4-score01=60

| RD4-seed02=5

| RD4-team02=Alabama-Huntsville

| RD4-score02=65

| RD4-seed03=6

| RD4-team03=Bethany Nazarene

| RD4-score03=62

| RD4-seed04=2

| RD4-team04=Wisconsin–Eau Claire

| RD4-score04=54

| RD5-seed01=5

| RD5-team01=Alabama-Huntsville

| RD5-score01=85*

| RD5-seed02=6

| RD5-team02=Bethany Nazarene

| RD5-score02=86

}}

* denotes overtime.

=Third-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.

{{2TeamBracket

| RD1=NAIA third-place game

| RD1-seed1=16

| RD1-team1=Hillsdale

| RD1-score1=60

| RD1-seed2=2

| RD1-team2=Wisconsin–Eau Claire

| RD1-score2=90

}}