# 1985–86 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
## 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 |
| 19 | 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 |
| 14 | 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 | No Tournament | 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 | No Tournament | 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 | No Tournament | 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 | No Tournament | 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 :
| 1985–86 AMCU-8 Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Cleveland State †13–1 .92929–4  .879 Southwest Missouri State10–4 .71424–8  .750 Eastern Illinois8–6 .57119–13  .594 Western Illinois7–7 .50013–15  .464 UIC7–7 .50013–16  .448 Valparaiso5–9 .3579–19  .321 Green Bay3–11 .2145–23  .179 Northern Iowa3–11 .2148–19  .296 † 1986 AMCU-8 tournament winner | 1985–86 ACC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 1 Duke†12–2 .85737–3  .925 No. 6 Georgia Tech11–3 .78627–7  .794 No. 8 North Carolina10–4 .71428–6  .824 NC State7–7 .50021–13  .618 Virginia7–7 .50019–11  .633 Maryland6–8 .42919–14  .576 Clemson3–11 .21419–15  .559 Wake Forest0–14 .0008–21  .276 † 1986 ACC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1985–86 Atlantic 10 Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Saint Joseph's†16–2 .88926–6  .813 West Virginia15–3 .83322–11  .667 Temple15–3 .83325–6  .806 St. Bonaventure10–8 .55615–13  .536 Duquesne9–9 .50015–14  .517 George Washington7–11 .38912–16  .429 UMass6–12 .3339–9  .500 Rhode Island5–13 .2789–19  .321 Penn State5–13 .27812–17  .414 Rutgers2–16 .1118–21  .276 † 1986 Atlantic 10 Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1985–86 Big East men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 4 St. John's †14–2 .87531–5  .861 No. 9 Syracuse14–2 .87526–6  .813 No. 13 Georgetown11–5 .68824–8  .750 Villanova10–6 .62523–14  .622 Providence7–9 .43817–14  .548 Pittsburgh6–10 .37515–14  .517 Boston College4–12 .25013–15  .464 Connecticut3–13 .18812–16  .429 Seton Hall3–13 .18814–18  .438 † 1986 Big East tournament winner As of March 31, 1986 Rankings from AP Poll | 1985–86 Big Eight Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 2 Kansas †13–1 .92935–4  .897 Iowa State9–5 .64322–11  .667 Nebraska8–6 .57119–11  .633 Missouri8–6 .57121–14  .600 No. 15 Oklahoma8–6 .57126–9  .743 Oklahoma State6–8 .42915–13  .536 Kansas State4–10 .28616–14  .533 Colorado0–14 .0008–20  .286 † 1986 Big Eight tournament winner As of March 31, 1986 Rankings from AP Poll | 1985–86 Big Sky Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Northern Arizona9–5 .64319–10  .655 Montana9–5 .64321–11  .656 Idaho State8–6 .57115–12  .556 Weber State7–7 .50018–11  .621 Nevada7–7 .50013–15  .464 Montana State †6–8 .42914–17  .452 Boise State6–8 .42912–16  .429 Idaho4–10 .28611–18  .379 † 1986 Big Sky tournament winner |
| 1985–86 Big South Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Baptist †5–1 .83321–9  .700 Winthrop5–3 .62520–9  .690 Augusta State4–4 .50013–17  .433 Radford3–4 .42911–17  .393 UNC Asheville4–2 .66720–9  .690 Campbell3–5 .3758–19  .296 Armstrong State4–3 .57115–12  .556 Coastal Carolina1–7 .12510–17  .370 † 1986 Big South tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1985–86 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 5 Michigan14–4 .77828–5  .848 No. 16 Indiana13–5 .72221–8  .724 No. 18 Michigan State12–6 .66723–8  .742 No. 19 Illinois11–7 .61122–10  .688 Purdue10–8 .55622–10  .688 Iowa10–8 .55620–12  .625 Ohio State8–10 .44419–14  .576 Minnesota5–13 .27815–16  .484 Wisconsin4–14 .22212–16  .429 Northwestern2–16 .1118–20  .286 Rankings from AP Poll | 1985–86 CAA men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 17 Navy †13–1 .92930–5  .857 Richmond12–2 .85723–7  .767 George Mason10–4 .71420–12  .625 UNC Wilmington6–8 .42916–13  .552 East Carolina6–8 .42912–16  .429 American3–11 .21410–18  .357 William & Mary3–11 .2148–20  .286 James Madison3–11 .2145–23  .179 † 1986 CAA tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1985–86 ECC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Drexel †11–3 .78619–12  .613 Hofstra9–5 .64317–13  .567 Bucknell8–6 .57117–12  .586 Lafayette8–6 .57114–15  .483 Lehigh6–8 .42913–15  .464 Rider5–9 .3579–19  .321 Towson State5–9 .3578–20  .286 Delaware4–10 .28611–16  .407 † 1986 ECC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 1985–86 ECAC Metro men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Fairleigh Dickinson13–3 .81322–8  .733 Marist†11–5 .68819–12  .613 Loyola (MD)10–6 .62516–12  .571 Wagner10–6 .62516–13  .552 Saint Francis (PA)8–8 .50010–18  .357 Robert Morris6–10 .37510–18  .357 Monmouth*6–10 .3759–19  .321 St. Francis (NY)4–12 .2509–19  .321 Long Island4–12 .2509–19  .321 † 1986 ECAC Metro tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll *Ineligible for conference tournament | 1985–86 ECAC North men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Northeastern †16–2 .88926–5  .839 Canisius14–4 .77821–8  .724 Boston University13–5 .72221–10  .677 Siena12–6 .66721–8  .724 Niagara10–8 .55614–14  .500 Hartford10–8 .55612–16  .429 New Hampshire5–13 .27811–17  .393 Maine5–13 .2787–20  .259 Vermont5–13 .2789–19  .321 Colgate0–18 .0001–24  .040 † 1986 ECAC North tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1985–86 Gulf Star Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Sam Houston State9–1 .90027–6  .818 Stephen F. Austin7–3 .70022–5  .815 Northwestern State7–3 .70011–16  .407 Southeastern Louisiana3–5 .37510–18  .357 Nicholls State2–8 .2008–16  .333 Southwest Texas State1–9 .1006–22  .214 Rankings from AP Poll | 1985–86 Ivy League men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Brown10–4 .71416–11  .593 Penn9–5 .64315–11  .577 Cornell9–5 .64314–12  .538 Princeton7–7 .50013–13  .500 Yale7–7 .50013–13  .500 Columbia6–8 .42912–14  .462 Dartmouth6–8 .42911–15  .423 Harvard2–12 .1436–20  .231 Rankings from AP Poll | 1985–86 MAAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Fairfield †13–1 .92924–7  .774 Iona9–5 .64314–15  .483 La Salle8–6 .57114–14  .500 Saint Peter's7–7 .50016–12  .571 Fordham7–7 .50013–17  .433 Holy Cross6–8 .42912–18  .400 Army5–9 .3579–18  .333 Manhattan1–13 .0712–26  .071 † 1986 MAAC tournament winner |
| 1985–86 Metro Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 7 Louisville †10–2 .83332–7  .821 No. 12 Memphis State9–3 .75028–6  .824 Virginia Tech7–5 .58322–9  .710 Southern Mississippi6–6 .50017–12  .586 Cincinnati5–7 .41712–16  .429 Florida State3–9 .25012–17  .414 South Carolina2–10 .16712–16  .429 † 1986 Metro Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1985–86 Midwestern Collegiate Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Xavier †10–2 .83325–5  .833 Saint Louis8–4 .66718–12  .600 Detroit7–5 .58314–15  .483 Loyola (IL)7–5 .58313–16  .448 Oral Roberts5–7 .41710–18  .357 Evansville3–9 .2508–19  .296 Butler2–10 .1679–19  .321 † 1986 MCC tournament winner | 1985–86 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Miami (OH)16–2 .88924–7  .774 Ohio14–4 .77822–8  .733 Ball State †11–7 .61121–10  .677 Northern Illinois10–8 .55615–12  .556 Toledo8–10 .44412–17  .414 Western Michigan7–11 .38912–16  .429 Central Michigan7–11 .38911–17  .393 Kent State7–11 .38911–16  .407 Eastern Michigan5–13 .2789–18  .333 Bowling Green5–13 .2787–20  .259 † 1986 MAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1985–86 MEAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT North Carolina A&T †12–2 .85722–8  .733 Howard11–3 .78618–9  .667 Delaware State7–7 .50011–17  .393 Coppin State7–7 .50010–17  .370 Morgan State7–7 .5007–20  .259 South Carolina State5–9 .35710–18  .357 Bethune–Cookman4–10 .2867–22  .241 Maryland Eastern Shore3–11 .2145–23  .179 † 1986 MEAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1985–86 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 14 Bradley16–0 1.00032–3  .914 Tulsa †10–6 .62523–9  .719 Drake10–6 .62519–11  .633 Illinois State9–7 .56315–14  .517 Wichita State7–9 .43814–14  .500 Creighton7–9 .43812–16  .429 Indiana State7–9 .43811–17  .393 West Texas State4–12 .25011–17  .393 Southern Illinois4–12 .2508–20  .286 † 1986 MVC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1985–86 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Akron †10–4 .71422–8  .733 Middle Tennessee10–4 .71423–11  .676 Murray State8–6 .57117–12  .586 Austin Peay8–6 .57114–14  .500 Youngstown State8–6 .57114–15  .483 Tennessee Tech6–8 .42914–15  .483 Eastern Kentucky5–9 .35710–18  .357 Morehead State1–13 .0718–19  .296 † 1986 OVC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1985–86 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Arizona14–4 .77823–9  .719 Washington13–5 .72219–12  .613 California11–7 .61119–10  .655 UCLA9–9 .50015–14  .517 Arizona State8–10 .44414–14  .500 Washington State8–10 .44415–16  .484 Stanford8–10 .44414–16  .467 Oregon State8–10 .44412–15  .444 Oregon6–12 .33311–17  .393 USC5–13 .27811–17  .393 As of March 25, 1986 Rankings from AP Poll | 1985–86 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 3 Kentucky †17–1 .94432–4  .889 Alabama13–5 .72224–9  .727 Auburn13–5 .72222–11  .667 Florida10–8 .55619–14  .576 LSU9–9 .50026–12  .684 Georgia9–9 .50017–13  .567 Vanderbilt7–11 .38913–15  .464 Tennessee5–13 .27812–16  .429 Ole Miss4–14 .22212–17  .414 Mississippi State3–15 .1676–22  .214 † 1986 SEC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1985–86 Southern Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Chattanooga12–4 .75021–10  .677 Davidson†10–6 .62520–11  .645 Marshall10–6 .62519–11  .633 Appalachian State9–7 .56317–12  .586 Western Carolina8–8 .50014–14  .500 East Tennessee State8–8 .50013–16  .448 VMI5–11 .31311–17  .393 The Citadel5–11 .31310–18  .357 Furman5–11 .31310–17  .370 † Tournament winner As of April 30, 1986 Rankings from AP poll |
| 1985–86 Southland Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT NE Louisiana †9–3 .75020–10  .667 McNeese State8–4 .66721–11  .656 Arkansas State7–5 .58318–11  .621 Lamar6–6 .50018–12  .600 Louisiana Tech6–6 .50020–14  .588 North Texas State4–8 .33310–18  .357 UT Arlington2–10 .16712–18  .400 † 1986 Southland Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1985–86 Southwest Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT TCU12–4 .75022–9  .710 Texas12–4 .75019–12  .613 Texas A&M12–4 .75020–12  .625 SMU10–6 .62518–11  .621 Texas Tech †9–7 .56318–13  .581 Houston8–8 .50014–14  .500 Arkansas8–8 .50014–14  .500 Baylor3–13 .18811–16  .407 Rice2–14 .1259–19  .321 † 1986 SWC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1985–86 SWAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Southern11–3 .78619–8  .704 Alcorn State11–3 .78616–13  .552 Mississippi Valley State †10–4 .71420–11  .645 Jackson State9–5 .64314–15  .483 Texas Southern6–8 .4299–18  .333 Grambling State4–10 .28614–12  .538 Alabama State4–10 .28611–17  .393 Prairie View A&M1–13 .0715–25  .167 † 1986 SWAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1985–86 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Old Dominion11–3 .78623–8  .742 Western Kentucky10–4 .71423–8  .742 UAB9–5 .64325–11  .694 Jacksonville †9–5 .64321–10  .677 VCU6–8 .42912–16  .429 South Alabama5–9 .35716–16  .500 South Florida5–9 .35714–14  .500 UNC Charlotte1–13 .0718–20  .286 † 1986 Sun Belt Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1985–86 Trans America Athletic Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Arkansas–Little Rock †12–2 .85723–11  .676 Samford8–6 .57116–13  .552 Houston Baptist7–7 .50014–14  .500 Hardin–Simmons7–7 .50015–13  .536 Mercer6–8 .42915–14  .517 Centenary6–8 .42913–17  .433 Georgia Southern6–8 .42915–13  .536 Georgia State4–10 .28610–18  .357 Stetson-–- –10–18  .357 † 1986 TAAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1985–86 West Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Pepperdine13–1 .92925–5  .833 Loyola Marymount10–4 .71419–11  .633 San Diego9–5 .64319–9  .679 Gonzaga8–6 .57115–13  .536 Santa Clara7–7 .50012–16  .429 Portland4–10 .28613–15  .464 Saint Mary's3–11 .21410–17  .370 San Francisco2–12 .1437–21  .250 Rankings from AP Poll | 1985–86 WAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Wyoming12–4 .75024–12  .667 No. 20 UTEP †12–4 .75027–6  .818 Utah12–4 .75020–10  .667 Brigham Young11–5 .68818–14  .563 New Mexico8–8 .50017–14  .548 San Diego State7–9 .43810–19  .345 Colorado State6–10 .37511–18  .379 Air Force3–13 .18810–19  .345 Hawaii1–15 .0634–24  .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 :
* 1985–86 NCAA Division I men's basketball independents standings
* vteConfOverall
* TeamW L PCTW 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 | Points per game | Points per game | Rebounds per game | Rebounds per game | Rebounds per game | Assists per game | Assists per game | Assists per game | Steals per game | Steals 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 | Blocked shots per game | Blocked shots per game | Field-goal percentage | Field-goal percentage | Field-goal percentage | Free-throw percentage | Free-throw 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
#### Final Four - Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas

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

### National Invitation tournament
#### NIT Semifinals and Finals

Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City
| Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals |
| Louisiana Tech | 66 | | |
| Ohio State | 79 | | |
| Ohio State | 79 | Ohio State | 73 |
| | | Wyoming | 63 |
| Florida | 58 | Wyoming | 63 |
| Wyoming | 67 | Third place | Third place |
| | | Louisiana Tech | 67 |
| | | Florida | 62 |

## Award winners
### Consensus All-American teams

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 | New Coach |
| 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 |