| Teams | 32 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finals site | Evansville, Indiana | ||||
| Champions | Wheaton Thunder (1st title) | ||||
| Runner-up | Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers (1st title game) | ||||
| Semifinalists |
| ||||
| Winning coach | Lee Pfund (1st title) | ||||
| MOP | Mel Peterson (Wheaton) | ||||
| Attendance | 13,000 | ||||
| |||||
The 1957 NCAA College Division basketball tournament involved 32 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA College Division college basketball as a culmination of the 1956-57 NCAA College Division men's basketball season. This was the first College Division men's basketball tournament and it was won by Wheaton College. Wheaton's Mel Peterson was named the Most Outstanding Player.
Jackson State, citing policy of the Mississippi Board of Trustees, was compelled to withdraw from the tournament rather than competing in an interracial contest. This would be the only time such an occurrence would directly mar the tournament, and Jackson State themselves would return to the tournament in 1964.
Regionals
East
| Semifinal at North Carolina College Round of 32 March 4 | ||||
| North Carolina Central | 78 | |||
| Florida A&M | 61 | |||
| Semifinal at Mount Saint Mary's Round of 32 March 4 | ||||
| Mount St. Mary's | 93 | |||
| CCNY | 84 | |||
| Final at Mount Saint Mary's Sweet 16 March 9 | ||||
| Mount St. Mary's | 106 | |||
| North Carolina Central | 88 | |||
Northeast
| Semifinal at Amherst Round of 32 March 4 | ||||
| St. Michael's | 80 | |||
| Amherst | 63 | |||
| Final at Saint Michael's Sweet 16 March 9 | ||||
| St. Michael's | 68 | |||
| Rider | 69 | |||
South
| Semifinal at East Tennessee State Round of 32 March 4 | ||||
| East Tennessee State | 62* | |||
| Centenary (LA) | 61 | |||
| Semifinal at Kentucky Wesleyan Round of 32 March 4 | ||||
| Kentucky Wesleyan | 77 | |||
| DePauw | 62 | |||
| Final at Kentucky Wesleyan Sweet 16 March 9 | ||||
| Kentucky Wesleyan | 84 | |||
| East Tennessee State | 73 | |||
Mideast
| Semifinal at Evansville Round of 32 March 4 | ||||
| Evansville | 108 | |||
| Illinois State | 96 | |||
| Final at Buffalo Sweet 16 March 9 | ||||
| Buffalo | 77 | |||
| Evansville | 75 | |||
Great Lakes
| Semifinal at Beloit Round of 32 March 4 | ||||
| Beloit | 103 | |||
| Wisconsin–Superior | 79 | |||
| Semifinal at Minnesota-Duluth Round of 32 March 4 | ||||
| Wheaton (IL) | 84 | |||
| Minnesota–Duluth | 75 | |||
| Final at Wheaton (IL) Sweet 16 March 9 | ||||
| Wheaton | 77 | |||
| Beloit | 75 | |||
Midwest
| Semifinal at Jackson State Round of 32 March 4 | ||||
| Jackson State | 93 | |||
| Philander Smith | 65 | |||
| Semifinal at Monmouth (IL) Round of 32 March 4 | ||||
| South Dakota | 62 | |||
| Monmouth (IL) | 52 | |||
| Final at South Dakota Sweet 16 March 9 | ||||
| South Dakota | 2 | |||
| Jackson State | 0† | |||
West
| Semifinal at Pacific (OR) Round of 32 March 4 | ||||
| Linfield | 83* | |||
| Pacific (OR) | 79 | |||
| Semifinal at Nevada Round of 32 March 4 | ||||
| Cal State Los Angeles | 75 | |||
| Nevada | 69 | |||
| Final at Cal State-Los Angeles Sweet 16 March 9 | ||||
| Cal State Los Angeles | 85 | |||
| Linfield | 74 | |||
Pacific Coast
| Semifinal at San Diego State Round of 32 March 4 | ||||
| San Diego State | 75 | |||
| Chapman | 56 | |||
| Semifinal at Regis (CO) Round of 32 March 4 | ||||
| Regis (CO) | 88 | |||
| Wartburg | 82 | |||
| Final at Regis (CO) Sweet 16 March 9 | ||||
| Regis | 78 | |||
| San Diego State | 81 | |||
*denotes each overtime played
† denotes forfeited game
National Finals - Evansville, Indiana
Location: Roberts Municipal Stadium Host: Evansville College
| National Quarterfinals Elite Eight March 13 | National Semifinals Final Four March 14 | National Championship March 15 | ||||||||||||
| Rider | 66 | |||||||||||||
| Mount St. Mary's | 86 | |||||||||||||
| Mount St. Mary's | 81 | |||||||||||||
| Kentucky Wesleyan | 99 | |||||||||||||
| Buffalo | 68 | |||||||||||||
| Kentucky Wesleyan | 72 | |||||||||||||
| Kentucky Wesleyan | 65 | |||||||||||||
| Wheaton | 89 | |||||||||||||
| South Dakota | 80 | |||||||||||||
| Wheaton | 90 | |||||||||||||
| Wheaton | 71 | |||||||||||||
| Cal State Los Angeles | 53 | |||||||||||||
| San Diego State | 55 | |||||||||||||
| Cal State Los Angeles | 57 | |||||||||||||
- Third Place - Mount St. Mary's 82, Cal State Los Angeles 72
*denotes each overtime played
† denotes forfeited game
All-tournament team
- Mason Cope (Kentucky Wesleyan)
- Jim Daniels (South Dakota)
- Mel Peterson (Wheaton)
- Jack Sullivan (Mount Saint Mary's)
- Bob Whitehead (Wheaton)