Annual NCAA college basketball competition
The1979National Invitation Tournament was the 1979 edition of the annualNCAAcollege basketball competition.Indiana University defeated theirrivalPurdue University 53–52 in the championship game. Purdue appeared in the1980 NCAA Men's Final Four while Indiana won the national championship at the1981 NCAA Men's Final Four.
Below is a list of the 24 teams selected for the tournament.[1]
Below are the three first round brackets, along with the four-team championship bracket.[1]
| First Round | | | Second Round | | | Quarterfinals | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Indiana | 78 | | | |
|
| Texas Tech | 59 | |
| | Indiana | 72 | |
| | |
| | | Alcorn State | 68 | |
| Alcorn State | 80 | |
| |
| Mississippi State | 78 | |
| | Indiana | 64 | |
| | |
| | | Ohio State | 55 | |
| Maryland | 67 | | |
| |
| Rhode Island | 65 | |
| | Maryland | 72 | |
| | |
| | | Ohio State | 79 | |
| Ohio State | 80 | |
| |
| Saint Joseph's | 66 | |
- Indiana and Ohio State received byes to the Semifinals.
| First Round | | | Second Round | | | Quarterfinals | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Purdue | 97 | | | |
|
| Central Michigan | 80 | |
| | Purdue | 84 | |
| | |
| | | Dayton | 70 | |
| Dayton | 105 | |
| |
| Holy Cross | 81 | |
| | Purdue | 67 | |
| | |
| | | Old Dominion | 59 | |
| Clemson | 68 | | |
| |
| Kentucky | 67 | |
| | Clemson | 59 | |
| | |
| | | Old Dominion | 61 | |
| Old Dominion | 83 | |
| |
| Wagner | 81 | |
| First Round | | | Second Round | | | Quarterfinals | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Nevada | 62 | | | |
|
| Oregon State | 61 | |
| | Nevada | 64 | |
| | |
| | | Texas A&M | 67 | |
| Texas A&M | 79 | |
| |
| New Mexico | 68 | |
| | Texas A&M | 68 | |
| | |
| | | Alabama | 72 | |
| Alabama | 98 | | |
| |
| St. Bonaventure | 89 | |
| | Alabama | 90 | |
| | |
| | | Virginia | 88 | |
| Virginia | 79 | |
| |
| Northeast Louisiana | 78 | |
Semifinals & finals
[edit] | Semifinals | | | Finals | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Indiana | 64 | | |
|
| Ohio State | 55 | |
| | Indiana | 53 | |
| | |
| | | Purdue | 52 | |
| Purdue | 87 | |
| |
| Alabama | 68 | |
| Third place game | |
| | | | |
| Ohio State | 86 | |
|
| Alabama | 96 | |