The 1956–57 Tennessee A&I State Tigers basketball team represented Tennessee A&I State College (now called Tennessee State University) in National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) men's basketball during the 1956–57 season. Coached by third-year head coach John McLendon, the Tigers finished the season with a 31–4 record and were crowned NAIA national champions by winning the 1957 NAIA tournament.[1] This marked the first of three consecutive national championships, a feat that no other team at any level of college basketball had previously accomplished.[2] In addition, the 1956–57 team became the first historically black college to win a national basketball title.[3] In 2019, all three national championship teams were inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[2][4]
Schedule
Date time, TV
Opponent
Result
Record
Site city, state
Philander Smith
W134-51
1-0
Philander Smith
W108-76
2-0
Philander Smith
W87-86
3-0
Lincoln University
W91-80
4-0
Lincoln University
W114-74
5-0
Arkansas-Pine Bluff
W94-75
6-0
Arkansas-Pine Bluff
W83-64
7-0
Knoxville
W118-100
8-0
Knoxville
W113-81
9-0
Kentucky St
W79-75
10-0
Kentucky St
W95-71
11-0
Grambling
L75-76
11-1
Grambling
W98-74
12-1
Central State
W89-63
13-1
Central State
W92-78
14-1
Jackson College
L73-79
14-2
Jackson College
W84-81
15-2
Omaha University
W96-80
16-2
South Dakota State
L85-95
16-3
South Dakota State
W88-74
17-3
Illinois State
W98-91
18-3
Rockhurst
L63-71
18-4
North Dakota
W84-51
19-4
Rockhurst
W69-57
20-4
Dillard
W79-61
21-4
Xavier University
W85-73
22-4
Grambling
W118-94
23-4
Kentucky St
W89-74
24-4
North Carolina A&T
W91-72
25-4
Winston-Salem
W100-80
26-4
Adrian College
W87-69
27-4
Portland University
W87-60
28-4
Western Illinois
W90-88
29-4
Pacific Lutheran
W71-70
30-4
Southeastern Oklahoma State
W92-73
31-4
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
