1985–86 NCAA Division I men's basketball season

1985–86 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
Preseason AP No. 1	Georgia Tech
NCAA Tournament	1986
Tournament dates	March 13 – 31, 1986
National Championship	Reunion Arena Dallas, Texas
NCAA Champions	Louisville
Other champions	Ohio State (NIT)
Player of the Year (Naismith, Wooden)	Johnny Dawkins, Duke (Naismith), Walter Berry, St. John's (Wooden)

Season headlines

• The Big South Conference began conference play. It had been founded in 1983, but its members had played as Division I independents until this season.
• The ECAC South renamed itself the Colonial Athletic Association. It renamed itself the Coastal Athletic Association in 2023.
• The Midwestern City Conference renamed itself the Midwestern Collegiate Conference. It renamed itself the Horizon League in 2001.
• Blocked shots and steals both became official statistics tracked by the NCAA. David Robinson of Navy became the first national blocked shot champion, averaging 5.91 per game for the season. The first steals champion was Darron Brittman of Chicago State, with 4.96 per game.
• LSU, seeded 11th in the 1986 NCAA tournament's Southeast Region, became the first team with a double-digit seed to advance to the Final Four.

Major rule changes

Beginning in 1985–86, the following rules changes were implemented:

• The 45-second shot clock was introduced.
• With the shot clock's introduction, the so-called "lack of action" count (when the offense fails to attempt a shot in a five-second timeframe) was abolished.
• If a shooter was fouled intentionally and the shot was missed, the penalty was two shots and possession of the ball out of bounds to the team who was fouled.
• Conferences were permitted to experiment with a three-point field goal, provided the distance was set to at least 19 feet 9 inches (6.02 metres) from the center of the basket.

Season outlook

Pre-season polls

The top 20 from the AP Poll during the pre-season.

Associated Press Ranking Team 1 Georgia Tech (28) 2 North Carolina (13) 3 Michigan (13) 4 Syracuse 5 Kansas (4) 6 Duke (2) 7 Illinois 8 Georgetown (1) 9 Louisville 10 Auburn 11 Kentucky 12 Notre Dame 13 Oklahoma 14 Louisiana State 15 Memphis State 16 Alabama-Birmingham 17 NC State 18 UNLV 19 Maryland Navy

UPI Coaches Ranking Team 1 Michigan 2 Georgia Tech 3 North Carolina 4 Kansas 5 Duke 6 Syracuse 7 Illinois 8 Georgetown 9 Louisiana State 10 Louisville 11 Auburn 12 Kentucky 13 Notre Dame 14 Iowa NC State 16 Alabama-Birmingham 17 Washington 18 UNLV 19 DePaul 20 UCLA

Conference membership changes

School	Former conference	New conference
Armstrong Atlantic State Pirates	Division II	Big South Conference
Augusta State Jaguars	Division I independent	Big South Conference
Baptist Buccaneers	Division I independent	Big South Conference
Baptist Fighting Camels	Division I independent	Big South Conference
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers	Non-Division I	Big South Conference
Coppin State Eagles	Non-Division I	Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Miami (Fla.) Miami	No team	University Division independent
Monmouth Hawks	Division I independent	ECAC Metro
Oklahoma City Chiefs	Midwestern City Conference	NAIA
Radford Highlanders	Division I independent	Big South Conference
Stetson Hatters	Division I independent	Trans America Athletic Conference
Tulane Green Wave	Metro Conference	No team
Winthrop Eagles	NAIA	Big South Conference

NOTES: The Big South Conference was founded in 1983, but its members played as independents until this season. Tulane discontinued its men's basketball program after the 1984–85 season in response to a point shaving scandal involving four of its players.

Regular season

Conferences

Conference winners and tournaments

Conference	Regular season winner	Conference player of the year	Conference Coach of the Year	Conference tournament	Tournament venue (City)	Tournament winner
AMCU–8	Cleveland State	Jon Collins, Eastern Illinois	Kevin Mackey, Cleveland State	1986 AMCU-8 men's basketball tournament	Hammons Student Center (Springfield, Missouri)	Cleveland State
Atlantic 10 Conference	Saint Joseph's	Maurice Martin, Saint Joseph's	Jim Boyle, Saint Joseph's	1986 Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament	Brendan Byrne Arena (East Rutherford, New Jersey)	Saint Joseph's
Atlantic Coast Conference	Duke	Len Bias, Maryland	Mike Krzyzewski, Duke	1986 ACC men's basketball tournament	Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, North Carolina)	Duke
Big East Conference	St. John's & Syracuse	Walter Berry, St. John's	Lou Carnesecca, St. John's	1986 Big East men's basketball tournament	Madison Square Garden (New York City, New York)	St. John's
Big Eight Conference	Kansas	Danny Manning, Kansas	Larry Brown, Kansas	1986 Big Eight Conference men's basketball tournament	Kemper Arena (Kansas City, Missouri) (Semifinals and Finals)	Kansas
Big Sky Conference	Montana & Northern Arizona	Larry Krystkowiak, Montana	Stu Starner, Montana State	1986 Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament	Lawlor Events Center (Reno, Nevada)	Montana State
Big South Conference	Baptist	Fred McKinnon, Winthrop	Tommy Gaither, Baptist	1986 Big South Conference men's basketball tournament	Savannah Civic Center (Savannah, Georgia)	Baptist
Big Ten Conference	Michigan	None Selected	Jud Heathcote, Michigan State	No Tournament
Colonial Athletic Association	Navy	David Robinson, Navy	Dick Tarrant, Richmond	1986 CAA men's basketball tournament	Patriot Center (Fairfax, Virginia)	Navy
East Coast Conference	Drexel	Michael Anderson, Drexel	Edward Burke, Drexel	1986 East Coast Conference men's basketball tournament	Towson Center (Towson, Maryland)	Drexel
ECAC Metro	Fairleigh Dickinson	Terrance Bailey, Wagner	Tom Green, Fairleigh Dickinson	1986 ECAC Metro men's basketball tournament	William T. Boylan Gymnasium (West Long Branch, New Jersey)	Marist
ECAC North	Northeastern	Reggie Lewis, Northeastern	Jim Calhoun, Northeastern	1986 ECAC North men's basketball tournament	Matthews Arena (Boston, Massachusetts)	Northeastern
Ivy League	Brown	Jim Turner, Brown	None selected	No Tournament
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference	Fairfield	Tony George, Fairfield	Mitch Buonaguro, Fairfield	1986 MAAC men's basketball tournament	Meadowlands Arena (East Rutherford, New Jersey)	Fairfield
Metro Conference	Louisville	Dell Curry, Virginia Tech	M. K. Turk, Southern Miss	1986 Metro Conference men's basketball tournament	Freedom Hall (Louisville, Kentucky)	Louisville
Mid-American Conference	Miami (OH)	Ron Harper, Miami (OH)	Jerry Peirson, Miami (OH)	1986 MAC men's basketball tournament	Rockford MetroCentre (Rockford, Illinois)	Ball State
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference	North Carolina A&T	Don Hill, Bethune–Cookman	Don Corbett, North Carolina A&T	1986 MEAC men's basketball tournament	Philadelphia Civic Center (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)	North Carolina A&T
Midwestern Collegiate Conference	Xavier	Byron Larkin, Xavier	Pete Gillen, Xavier & Don Sicko, Detroit	1986 Midwestern Collegiate Conference men's basketball tournament	Market Square Arena (Indianapolis, Indiana)	Xavier
Missouri Valley Conference	Bradley	Jim Les, Bradley	Dick Versace, Bradley	1986 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament	Tulsa Convention Center (Tulsa, Oklahoma)	Tulsa
Ohio Valley Conference	Akron & Middle Tennessee State	Marcel Boyce, Akron	Bob Huggins, Akron	1986 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament	James A. Rhodes Arena (Akron, Ohio)	Akron
Pacific-10 Conference	Arizona	Chris Welp, Washington	Lute Olson, Arizona	No Tournament
Pacific Coast Athletic Association	UNLV	Greg Grant, Utah State & Anthony Jones, UNLV	Bill Mulligan, UC Irvine	1986 Pacific Coast Athletic Association men's basketball tournament	The Forum (Inglewood, California)	UNLV
Southeastern Conference	Kentucky	Kenny Walker, Kentucky	Eddie Sutton, Kentucky	1986 SEC men's basketball tournament	Rupp Arena (Lexington, Kentucky)	Kentucky
Southern Conference	Tennessee–Chattanooga	Gay Elmore, VMI	Mack McCarthy, Tennessee–Chattanooga	1986 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament	Asheville Civic Center (Asheville, North Carolina)	Davidson
Southland Conference	Northeast Louisiana	Bobby Jenkins, Northeast Louisiana	Mike Vining, Northeast Louisiana	1986 Southland Conference men's basketball tournament	Fant–Ewing Coliseum (Monroe, Louisiana)	Northeast Louisiana
Southwest Conference	TCU, Texas & Texas A&M	John Brownlee, Texas	Jim Killingsworth, TCU	1986 Southwest Conference men's basketball tournament	Reunion Arena (Dallas, Texas)	Texas Tech
Southwestern Athletic Conference	Alcorn State & Southern	Frank Sillmon, Alabama State	Davey Whitney, Alcorn State	1986 SWAC men's basketball tournament		Mississippi Valley State
Sun Belt Conference	Old Dominion	Kenny Gattison, Old Dominion	Clem Haskins, Western Kentucky & Tom Young, Old Dominion	1986 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament	Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex (Birmingham, Alabama)	Jacksonville
Trans America Athletic Conference	Arkansas–Little Rock	Myron Jackson, Arkansas–Little Rock	Mike Newell, Arkansas–Little Rock	1986 TAAC men's basketball tournament	Barton Coliseum (Little Rock, Arkansas)	Arkansas–Little Rock
West Coast Athletic Conference	Pepperdine	Dwayne Polee, Pepperdine	Hank Egan, San Diego & Jim Harrick, Pepperdine	No Tournament
Western Athletic Conference	Utah, UTEP & Wyoming	Anthony Watson, San Diego State	Jim Brandenburg, Wyoming	1986 WAC men's basketball tournament	Arena-Auditorium (Laramie, Wyoming)	UTEP

Conference standings

1985–86 AMCU-8 Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Cleveland State † 13 – 1   .929 29 – 4   .879 Southwest Missouri State 10 – 4   .714 24 – 8   .750 Eastern Illinois 8 – 6   .571 19 – 13   .594 Western Illinois 7 – 7   .500 13 – 15   .464 UIC 7 – 7   .500 13 – 16   .448 Valparaiso 5 – 9   .357 9 – 19   .321 Green Bay 3 – 11   .214 5 – 23   .179 Northern Iowa 3 – 11   .214 8 – 19   .296 † 1986 AMCU-8 tournament winner	1985–86 ACC men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 1 Duke† 12 – 2   .857 37 – 3   .925 No. 6 Georgia Tech 11 – 3   .786 27 – 7   .794 No. 8 North Carolina 10 – 4   .714 28 – 6   .824 NC State 7 – 7   .500 21 – 13   .618 Virginia 7 – 7   .500 19 – 11   .633 Maryland 6 – 8   .429 19 – 14   .576 Clemson 3 – 11   .214 19 – 15   .559 Wake Forest 0 – 14   .000 8 – 21   .276 † 1986 ACC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1985–86 Atlantic 10 Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Saint Joseph's† 16 – 2   .889 26 – 6   .813 West Virginia 15 – 3   .833 22 – 11   .667 Temple 15 – 3   .833 25 – 6   .806 St. Bonaventure 10 – 8   .556 15 – 13   .536 Duquesne 9 – 9   .500 15 – 14   .517 George Washington 7 – 11   .389 12 – 16   .429 UMass 6 – 12   .333 9 – 9   .500 Rhode Island 5 – 13   .278 9 – 19   .321 Penn State 5 – 13   .278 12 – 17   .414 Rutgers 2 – 16   .111 8 – 21   .276 † 1986 Atlantic 10 Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll
1985–86 Big East men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 4 St. John's † 14 – 2   .875 31 – 5   .861 No. 9 Syracuse 14 – 2   .875 26 – 6   .813 No. 13 Georgetown 11 – 5   .688 24 – 8   .750 Villanova 10 – 6   .625 23 – 14   .622 Providence 7 – 9   .438 17 – 14   .548 Pittsburgh 6 – 10   .375 15 – 14   .517 Boston College 4 – 12   .250 13 – 15   .464 Connecticut 3 – 13   .188 12 – 16   .429 Seton Hall 3 – 13   .188 14 – 18   .438 † 1986 Big East tournament winner As of March 31, 1986 Rankings from AP Poll	1985–86 Big Eight Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 2 Kansas † 13 – 1   .929 35 – 4   .897 Iowa State 9 – 5   .643 22 – 11   .667 Nebraska 8 – 6   .571 19 – 11   .633 Missouri 8 – 6   .571 21 – 14   .600 No. 15 Oklahoma 8 – 6   .571 26 – 9   .743 Oklahoma State 6 – 8   .429 15 – 13   .536 Kansas State 4 – 10   .286 16 – 14   .533 Colorado 0 – 14   .000 8 – 20   .286 † 1986 Big Eight tournament winner As of March 31, 1986 Rankings from AP Poll	1985–86 Big Sky Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Northern Arizona 9 – 5   .643 19 – 10   .655 Montana 9 – 5   .643 21 – 11   .656 Idaho State 8 – 6   .571 15 – 12   .556 Weber State 7 – 7   .500 18 – 11   .621 Nevada 7 – 7   .500 13 – 15   .464 Montana State † 6 – 8   .429 14 – 17   .452 Boise State 6 – 8   .429 12 – 16   .429 Idaho 4 – 10   .286 11 – 18   .379 † 1986 Big Sky tournament winner
1985–86 Big South Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Baptist † 5 – 1   .833 21 – 9   .700 Winthrop 5 – 3   .625 20 – 9   .690 Augusta State 4 – 4   .500 13 – 17   .433 Radford 3 – 4   .429 11 – 17   .393 UNC Asheville 4 – 2   .667 20 – 9   .690 Campbell 3 – 5   .375 8 – 19   .296 Armstrong State 4 – 3   .571 15 – 12   .556 Coastal Carolina 1 – 7   .125 10 – 17   .370 † 1986 Big South tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1985–86 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 5 Michigan 14 – 4   .778 28 – 5   .848 No. 16 Indiana 13 – 5   .722 21 – 8   .724 No. 18 Michigan State 12 – 6   .667 23 – 8   .742 No. 19 Illinois 11 – 7   .611 22 – 10   .688 Purdue 10 – 8   .556 22 – 10   .688 Iowa 10 – 8   .556 20 – 12   .625 Ohio State 8 – 10   .444 19 – 14   .576 Minnesota 5 – 13   .278 15 – 16   .484 Wisconsin 4 – 14   .222 12 – 16   .429 Northwestern 2 – 16   .111 8 – 20   .286 Rankings from AP Poll	1985–86 CAA men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 17 Navy † 13 – 1   .929 30 – 5   .857 Richmond 12 – 2   .857 23 – 7   .767 George Mason 10 – 4   .714 20 – 12   .625 UNC Wilmington 6 – 8   .429 16 – 13   .552 East Carolina 6 – 8   .429 12 – 16   .429 American 3 – 11   .214 10 – 18   .357 William & Mary 3 – 11   .214 8 – 20   .286 James Madison 3 – 11   .214 5 – 23   .179 † 1986 CAA tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll
1985–86 ECC men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Drexel † 11 – 3   .786 19 – 12   .613 Hofstra 9 – 5   .643 17 – 13   .567 Bucknell 8 – 6   .571 17 – 12   .586 Lafayette 8 – 6   .571 14 – 15   .483 Lehigh 6 – 8   .429 13 – 15   .464 Rider 5 – 9   .357 9 – 19   .321 Towson State 5 – 9   .357 8 – 20   .286 Delaware 4 – 10   .286 11 – 16   .407 † 1986 ECC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll	1985–86 ECAC Metro men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Fairleigh Dickinson 13 – 3   .813 22 – 8   .733 Marist† 11 – 5   .688 19 – 12   .613 Loyola (MD) 10 – 6   .625 16 – 12   .571 Wagner 10 – 6   .625 16 – 13   .552 Saint Francis (PA) 8 – 8   .500 10 – 18   .357 Robert Morris 6 – 10   .375 10 – 18   .357 Monmouth* 6 – 10   .375 9 – 19   .321 St. Francis (NY) 4 – 12   .250 9 – 19   .321 Long Island 4 – 12   .250 9 – 19   .321 † 1986 ECAC Metro tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll *Ineligible for conference tournament	1985–86 ECAC North men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Northeastern † 16 – 2   .889 26 – 5   .839 Canisius 14 – 4   .778 21 – 8   .724 Boston University 13 – 5   .722 21 – 10   .677 Siena 12 – 6   .667 21 – 8   .724 Niagara 10 – 8   .556 14 – 14   .500 Hartford 10 – 8   .556 12 – 16   .429 New Hampshire 5 – 13   .278 11 – 17   .393 Maine 5 – 13   .278 7 – 20   .259 Vermont 5 – 13   .278 9 – 19   .321 Colgate 0 – 18   .000 1 – 24   .040 † 1986 ECAC North tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll
1985–86 Gulf Star Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Sam Houston State 9 – 1   .900 27 – 6   .818 Stephen F. Austin 7 – 3   .700 22 – 5   .815 Northwestern State 7 – 3   .700 11 – 16   .407 Southeastern Louisiana 3 – 5   .375 10 – 18   .357 Nicholls State 2 – 8   .200 8 – 16   .333 Southwest Texas State 1 – 9   .100 6 – 22   .214 Rankings from AP Poll	1985–86 Ivy League men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Brown 10 – 4   .714 16 – 11   .593 Penn 9 – 5   .643 15 – 11   .577 Cornell 9 – 5   .643 14 – 12   .538 Princeton 7 – 7   .500 13 – 13   .500 Yale 7 – 7   .500 13 – 13   .500 Columbia 6 – 8   .429 12 – 14   .462 Dartmouth 6 – 8   .429 11 – 15   .423 Harvard 2 – 12   .143 6 – 20   .231 Rankings from AP Poll	1985–86 MAAC men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Fairfield † 13 – 1   .929 24 – 7   .774 Iona 9 – 5   .643 14 – 15   .483 La Salle 8 – 6   .571 14 – 14   .500 Saint Peter's 7 – 7   .500 16 – 12   .571 Fordham 7 – 7   .500 13 – 17   .433 Holy Cross 6 – 8   .429 12 – 18   .400 Army 5 – 9   .357 9 – 18   .333 Manhattan 1 – 13   .071 2 – 26   .071 † 1986 MAAC tournament winner
1985–86 Metro Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 7 Louisville † 10 – 2   .833 32 – 7   .821 No. 12 Memphis State 9 – 3   .750 28 – 6   .824 Virginia Tech 7 – 5   .583 22 – 9   .710 Southern Mississippi 6 – 6   .500 17 – 12   .586 Cincinnati 5 – 7   .417 12 – 16   .429 Florida State 3 – 9   .250 12 – 17   .414 South Carolina 2 – 10   .167 12 – 16   .429 † 1986 Metro Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1985–86 Midwestern Collegiate Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Xavier † 10 – 2   .833 25 – 5   .833 Saint Louis 8 – 4   .667 18 – 12   .600 Detroit 7 – 5   .583 14 – 15   .483 Loyola (IL) 7 – 5   .583 13 – 16   .448 Oral Roberts 5 – 7   .417 10 – 18   .357 Evansville 3 – 9   .250 8 – 19   .296 Butler 2 – 10   .167 9 – 19   .321 † 1986 MCC tournament winner	1985–86 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Miami (OH) 16 – 2   .889 24 – 7   .774 Ohio 14 – 4   .778 22 – 8   .733 Ball State † 11 – 7   .611 21 – 10   .677 Northern Illinois 10 – 8   .556 15 – 12   .556 Toledo 8 – 10   .444 12 – 17   .414 Western Michigan 7 – 11   .389 12 – 16   .429 Central Michigan 7 – 11   .389 11 – 17   .393 Kent State 7 – 11   .389 11 – 16   .407 Eastern Michigan 5 – 13   .278 9 – 18   .333 Bowling Green 5 – 13   .278 7 – 20   .259 † 1986 MAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll
1985–86 MEAC men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT North Carolina A&T † 12 – 2   .857 22 – 8   .733 Howard 11 – 3   .786 18 – 9   .667 Delaware State 7 – 7   .500 11 – 17   .393 Coppin State 7 – 7   .500 10 – 17   .370 Morgan State 7 – 7   .500 7 – 20   .259 South Carolina State 5 – 9   .357 10 – 18   .357 Bethune–Cookman 4 – 10   .286 7 – 22   .241 Maryland Eastern Shore 3 – 11   .214 5 – 23   .179 † 1986 MEAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1985–86 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 14 Bradley 16 – 0   1.000 32 – 3   .914 Tulsa † 10 – 6   .625 23 – 9   .719 Drake 10 – 6   .625 19 – 11   .633 Illinois State 9 – 7   .563 15 – 14   .517 Wichita State 7 – 9   .438 14 – 14   .500 Creighton 7 – 9   .438 12 – 16   .429 Indiana State 7 – 9   .438 11 – 17   .393 West Texas State 4 – 12   .250 11 – 17   .393 Southern Illinois 4 – 12   .250 8 – 20   .286 † 1986 MVC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1985–86 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Akron † 10 – 4   .714 22 – 8   .733 Middle Tennessee 10 – 4   .714 23 – 11   .676 Murray State 8 – 6   .571 17 – 12   .586 Austin Peay 8 – 6   .571 14 – 14   .500 Youngstown State 8 – 6   .571 14 – 15   .483 Tennessee Tech 6 – 8   .429 14 – 15   .483 Eastern Kentucky 5 – 9   .357 10 – 18   .357 Morehead State 1 – 13   .071 8 – 19   .296 † 1986 OVC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll
1985–86 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Arizona 14 – 4   .778 23 – 9   .719 Washington 13 – 5   .722 19 – 12   .613 California 11 – 7   .611 19 – 10   .655 UCLA 9 – 9   .500 15 – 14   .517 Arizona State 8 – 10   .444 14 – 14   .500 Washington State 8 – 10   .444 15 – 16   .484 Stanford 8 – 10   .444 14 – 16   .467 Oregon State 8 – 10   .444 12 – 15   .444 Oregon 6 – 12   .333 11 – 17   .393 USC 5 – 13   .278 11 – 17   .393 As of March 25, 1986 Rankings from AP Poll	1985–86 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 3 Kentucky † 17 – 1   .944 32 – 4   .889 Alabama 13 – 5   .722 24 – 9   .727 Auburn 13 – 5   .722 22 – 11   .667 Florida 10 – 8   .556 19 – 14   .576 LSU 9 – 9   .500 26 – 12   .684 Georgia 9 – 9   .500 17 – 13   .567 Vanderbilt 7 – 11   .389 13 – 15   .464 Tennessee 5 – 13   .278 12 – 16   .429 Ole Miss 4 – 14   .222 12 – 17   .414 Mississippi State 3 – 15   .167 6 – 22   .214 † 1986 SEC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1985–86 Southern Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Chattanooga 12 – 4   .750 21 – 10   .677 Davidson† 10 – 6   .625 20 – 11   .645 Marshall 10 – 6   .625 19 – 11   .633 Appalachian State 9 – 7   .563 17 – 12   .586 Western Carolina 8 – 8   .500 14 – 14   .500 East Tennessee State 8 – 8   .500 13 – 16   .448 VMI 5 – 11   .313 11 – 17   .393 The Citadel 5 – 11   .313 10 – 18   .357 Furman 5 – 11   .313 10 – 17   .370 † Tournament winner As of April 30, 1986 Rankings from AP poll
1985–86 Southland Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT NE Louisiana † 9 – 3   .750 20 – 10   .667 McNeese State 8 – 4   .667 21 – 11   .656 Arkansas State 7 – 5   .583 18 – 11   .621 Lamar 6 – 6   .500 18 – 12   .600 Louisiana Tech 6 – 6   .500 20 – 14   .588 North Texas State 4 – 8   .333 10 – 18   .357 UT Arlington 2 – 10   .167 12 – 18   .400 † 1986 Southland Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1985–86 Southwest Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT TCU 12 – 4   .750 22 – 9   .710 Texas 12 – 4   .750 19 – 12   .613 Texas A&M 12 – 4   .750 20 – 12   .625 SMU 10 – 6   .625 18 – 11   .621 Texas Tech † 9 – 7   .563 18 – 13   .581 Houston 8 – 8   .500 14 – 14   .500 Arkansas 8 – 8   .500 14 – 14   .500 Baylor 3 – 13   .188 11 – 16   .407 Rice 2 – 14   .125 9 – 19   .321 † 1986 SWC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1985–86 SWAC men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Southern 11 – 3   .786 19 – 8   .704 Alcorn State 11 – 3   .786 16 – 13   .552 Mississippi Valley State † 10 – 4   .714 20 – 11   .645 Jackson State 9 – 5   .643 14 – 15   .483 Texas Southern 6 – 8   .429 9 – 18   .333 Grambling State 4 – 10   .286 14 – 12   .538 Alabama State 4 – 10   .286 11 – 17   .393 Prairie View A&M 1 – 13   .071 5 – 25   .167 † 1986 SWAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll
1985–86 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Old Dominion 11 – 3   .786 23 – 8   .742 Western Kentucky 10 – 4   .714 23 – 8   .742 UAB 9 – 5   .643 25 – 11   .694 Jacksonville † 9 – 5   .643 21 – 10   .677 VCU 6 – 8   .429 12 – 16   .429 South Alabama 5 – 9   .357 16 – 16   .500 South Florida 5 – 9   .357 14 – 14   .500 UNC Charlotte 1 – 13   .071 8 – 20   .286 † 1986 Sun Belt Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1985–86 Trans America Athletic Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Arkansas–Little Rock † 12 – 2   .857 23 – 11   .676 Samford 8 – 6   .571 16 – 13   .552 Houston Baptist 7 – 7   .500 14 – 14   .500 Hardin–Simmons 7 – 7   .500 15 – 13   .536 Mercer 6 – 8   .429 15 – 14   .517 Centenary 6 – 8   .429 13 – 17   .433 Georgia Southern 6 – 8   .429 15 – 13   .536 Georgia State 4 – 10   .286 10 – 18   .357 Stetson - – -   – 10 – 18   .357 † 1986 TAAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll
1985–86 West Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Pepperdine 13 – 1   .929 25 – 5   .833 Loyola Marymount 10 – 4   .714 19 – 11   .633 San Diego 9 – 5   .643 19 – 9   .679 Gonzaga 8 – 6   .571 15 – 13   .536 Santa Clara 7 – 7   .500 12 – 16   .429 Portland 4 – 10   .286 13 – 15   .464 Saint Mary's 3 – 11   .214 10 – 17   .370 San Francisco 2 – 12   .143 7 – 21   .250 Rankings from AP Poll	1985–86 WAC men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Wyoming 12 – 4   .750 24 – 12   .667 No. 20 UTEP † 12 – 4   .750 27 – 6   .818 Utah 12 – 4   .750 20 – 10   .667 Brigham Young 11 – 5   .688 18 – 14   .563 New Mexico 8 – 8   .500 17 – 14   .548 San Diego State 7 – 9   .438 10 – 19   .345 Colorado State 6 – 10   .375 11 – 18   .379 Air Force 3 – 13   .188 10 – 19   .345 Hawaii 1 – 15   .063 4 – 24   .143 † 1986 WAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll

Division I independents

A total of 17 college teams played as Division I independents. Among them, Notre Dame (23–6) had both the best winning percentage (.793) and the most wins.

1985–86 NCAA Division I men's basketball independents standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 10 Notre Dame - – -   – 23 – 6   .793 Chicago State - – -   – 22 – 6   .786 Eastern Washington - – -   – 20 – 8   .714 Texas–Pan American - – -   – 20 – 8   .714 Marquette - – -   – 19 – 11   .633 DePaul - – -   – 18 – 13   .581 New Orleans - – -   – 16 – 12   .571 Dayton - – -   – 17 – 13   .567 Southwestern Louisiana - – -   – 15 – 13   .536 Miami (Fla.) - – -   – 14 – 14   .500 Tennessee State - – -   – 14 – 14   .500 Utica - – -   – 13 – 14   .481 Florida A&M - – -   – 12 – 16   .429 Brooklyn - – -   – 9 – 22   .290 U.S. International - – -   – 8 – 20   .286 Texas–San Antonio - – -   – 7 – 24   .226 Central Florida - – -   – 6 – 22   .214 Rankings from AP Poll

Informal championships

Conference	Regular season winner	Most Valuable Player
Philadelphia Big 5	Saint Joseph's & Temple	Harold Pressley, Villanova

Saint Joseph's and Temple both finished with 3–1 records in head-to-head competition among the Philadelphia Big 5.

Statistical leaders

Points per game				Rebounds per game				Assists per game				Steals per game
Player	School	PPG		Player	School	RPG		Player	School	APG		Player	School	SPG
Terrance Bailey	Wagner	29.4		David Robinson	Navy	13.0		Mark Jackson	St. John's	9.1		Darron Brittman	Chicago St.	5.0
Scott Skiles	Michigan St.	27.4		Greg Anderson	Houston	12.9		Taurence Chisholm	Delaware	8.5		Jim Paguaga	St. Francis (NY)	4.3
Joe Yezbak	U. S. International	27.0		Brad Sellers	Ohio St.	12.6		Tyrone Bogues	Wake Forest	8.4		Leroy Allen	Hofstra	3.6
Reggie Miller	UCLA	25.9		Ron Harper	Miami (OH)	11.7		Ralph Lee	Xavier	8.4		Ron Harper	Miami (OH)	3.3
Ron Harper	Miami (OH)	24.4		Larry Krystkowiak	Montana	11.4		Derric Thomas	Monmouth	8.2		Harold Starks	Providence	3.2

Blocked shots per game				Field-goal percentage				Free-throw percentage
Player	School	BPG		Player	School	FG%		Player	School	FT%
David Robinson	Navy	5.9		Brad Daugherty	N. Carolina	64.8		Greg Peters	Tulsa	100.0
Tim Perry	Temple	4.0		Ken Norman	Illinois	64.1		Jim Barton	Dartmouth	94.2
Rodney Blake	St. Joseph's	3.8		Kenny Gattison	Old Dominion	63.7		Damon Goodwin	Dayton	93.1
Lester Fonville	Jackson St.	3.2		Derrick McKey	Alabama	63.6		Rick Suder	Duquesne	91.8
Curtis Kitchen	S. Florida	3.2		Albert Thomas	Centenary	63.2		Scott Coval	William & Mary	91.7

Postseason tournaments

NCAA tournament

Main article: 1986 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament

Final Four - Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas

The Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas, hosted the NCAA men's Final Four.

	National semifinals					National championship game
	E1	Duke	71
	M1	Kansas	67
						E1	Duke	69
						W2	Louisville	72
	S11	LSU	77
	W2	Louisville	88

National Invitation tournament

Main article: 1986 National Invitation Tournament

NIT Semifinals and Finals

Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City

	Semifinals				Finals
	Louisiana Tech	66
	Ohio State	79
					Ohio State	73
					Wyoming	63
	Florida	58
	Wyoming	67			Third place
					Louisiana Tech	67
					Florida	62

Award winners

Consensus All-American teams

Main article: 1986 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans

Consensus First Team

Player	Position	Class	Team
Steve Alford	G	Junior	Indiana
Walter Berry	F	Junior	St. John's
Len Bias	F	Senior	Maryland
Johnny Dawkins	G	Senior	Duke
Kenny Walker	F	Senior	Kentucky

Consensus Second Team

Player	Position	Class	Team
Dell Curry	G	Senior	Virginia Tech
Brad Daugherty	C	Senior	North Carolina
Ron Harper	G/F	Senior	Miami (OH)
Danny Manning	F	Sophomore	Kansas
David Robinson	C	Junior	Navy
Scott Skiles	G	Senior	Michigan State

Major player of the year awards

• Wooden Award: Walter Berry, St. John's
• Naismith Award: Johnny Dawkins, Duke
• Associated Press Player of the Year: Walter Berry, St. John's
• UPI Player of the Year: Walter Berry, St. John's
• NABC Player of the Year: Walter Berry, St. John's
• Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): Walter Berry, St. John's
• Adolph Rupp Trophy: Walter Berry, St. John's
• Sporting News Player of the Year: Walter Berry, St. John's

Major coach of the year awards

• Associated Press Coach of the Year: Eddie Sutton, Kentucky
• UPI Coach of the Year: Mike Krzyzewski, Duke
• Henry Iba Award (USBWA): Dick Versace, Bradley
• NABC Coach of the Year: Eddie Sutton, Kentucky
• CBS/Chevrolet Coach of the Year: Mike Krzyzewski, Duke
• Sporting News Coach of the Year: Denny Crum, Louisville

Other major awards

• Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (Best player under 6'0): Jim Les, Bradley
• Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Harold Pressley, Villanova
• NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Walter Berry, St. John's

Coaching changes

A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended.

Team	Former Coach	Interim Coach	New Coach	Reason
Boston College	Gary Williams		Jim O'Brien
Connecticut	Dom Perno		Jim Calhoun
Houston	Guy Lewis		Pat Foster
Kansas State	Jack Hartman		Lon Kruger
Lamar	Pat Foster		Tom Abatemarco
Maryland	Lefty Driesell		Bob Wade
Northern Iowa	James Berry		Eldon Miller
Northeastern	Jim Calhoun		Karl Fogel
Ohio State	Eldon Miller		Gary Williams
St. Bonaventure	Jim O'Brien		Ron DeCarli
Texas–Pan American	Lon Kruger		Kevin Wall