1956–57 Tennessee A&I State Tigers men's basketball | |
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NAIA tournament National Champions | |
Conference | Independent |
Record | 31–4 |
Head coach |
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Home arena | Kean Hall |
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]