# 1986 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament

The 1986 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament was the 12th annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champions of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's Division III collegiate basketball in the United States.
Held during March 1986, the field included thirty-two teams and the final championship rounds were contested at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
SUNY Potsdam defeated LeMoyne–Owen, 76–73, to claim their second NCAA Division III national title and first since 1981. The Bears also completed an undefeated season (32–0), the first Division III program to complete this feat.

## Bracket
### Regionals

| First Round | First Round | Regional Championship | Regional Championship |
| Clark | 71 | | |
| Salem State | 73 | | |
| Salem State | 73 | Salem State | 66 |
| | | SE Massachusetts | 81 |
| SE Massachusetts | 64 | SE Massachusetts | 81 |
| Western Connecticut State | 62 | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place |
| | | Clark | 78 |
| | | Western Connecticut State | 77 |
| First Round | First Round | First Round | Regional Championship | Regional Championship | Regional Championship |
| Jersey City State | Jersey City State | 67 | | | |
| Roanoke | Roanoke | 61 | | | |
| Roanoke | Roanoke | 61 | Jersey City State | Jersey City State | 69 |
| | | | Upsala | Upsala | 64 |
| Trenton State | Trenton State | 64 | Upsala | Upsala | 64 |
| Upsala | Upsala | 66 | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place |
| | | | Roanoke | Roanoke | 55 |
| | | | Trenton State | Trenton State | 58 |
| First Round | First Round | First Round | Regional Championship | Regional Championship | Regional Championship |
| Alfred | Alfred | 88 | | | |
| Nazareth | Nazareth | 86 | | | |
| Nazareth | Nazareth | 86 | Alfred | Alfred | 51 |
| | | | Potsdam | Potsdam | 80 |
| NYU | NYU | 67 | Potsdam | Potsdam | 80 |
| Potsdam | Potsdam | 83 | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place |
| | | | Nazareth | Nazareth | 87 |
| | | | NYU | NYU | 73 |
| First Round | First Round | First Round | Regional Championship | Regional Championship | Regional Championship |
| DePauw | DePauw | 69 | | | |
| Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 55 | | | |
| Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 55 | DePauw | DePauw | 76 |
| | | | Otterbein | Otterbein | 82 |
| Calvin | Calvin | 84 | Otterbein | Otterbein | 82 |
| Otterbein | Otterbein | 100 | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place |
| | | | Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 84 |
| | | | Calvin | Calvin | 77 |
| First Round | First Round | First Round | Regional Championship | Regional Championship | Regional Championship |
| North Park | North Park | 65 | | | |
| Ripon | Ripon | 68 | | | |
| Ripon | Ripon | 68 | Ripon | Ripon | 57 |
| | | | Illinois Wesleyan | Illinois Wesleyan | 63 |
| Illinois Wesleyan | Illinois Wesleyan | 79 | Illinois Wesleyan | Illinois Wesleyan | 63 |
| Wisconsin–Whitewater | Wisconsin–Whitewater | 75 | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place |
| | | | North Park | North Park | 73 |
| | | | Wisconsin–Whitewater | Wisconsin–Whitewater | 89 |
| First Round | First Round | First Round | Regional Championship | Regional Championship | Regional Championship |
| John Carroll | John Carroll | 78 | | | |
| LeMoyne–Owen | LeMoyne–Owen | 92 | | | |
| LeMoyne–Owen | LeMoyne–Owen | 92 | LeMoyne–Owen | LeMoyne–Owen | 72 |
| | | | Centre (KY) | Centre (KY) | 69 |
| Centre (KY) | Centre (KY) | 70 | Centre (KY) | Centre (KY) | 69 |
| Christopher Newport | Christopher Newport | 62 | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place |
| | | | John Carroll | John Carroll | 73 |
| | | | Christopher Newport | Christopher Newport | 75 |
| First Round | First Round | First Round | Regional Championship | Regional Championship | Regional Championship |
| Nebraska Wesleyan | Nebraska Wesleyan | 89 | | | |
| Pomona-Pitzer | Pomona-Pitzer | 59 | | | |
| Pomona-Pitzer | Pomona-Pitzer | 59 | Nebraska Wesleyan | Nebraska Wesleyan | 61 |
| | | | Dubuque | Dubuque | 50 |
| Dubuque | Dubuque | 71 | Dubuque | Dubuque | 50 |
| Saint John's (MN) | Saint John's (MN) | 47 | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place |
| | | | Pomona-Pitzer | Pomona-Pitzer | 52 |
| | | | Saint John's (MN) | Saint John's (MN) | 71 |
| First Round | First Round | First Round | Regional Championship | Regional Championship | Regional Championship |
| Susquehanna | Susquehanna | 79 | | | |
| Washington College | Washington College | 75 | | | |
| Washington College | Washington College | 75 | Susquehanna | Susquehanna | 79 |
| | | | Franklin & Marshall | Franklin & Marshall | 72 |
| Franklin & Marshall | Franklin & Marshall | 61 | Franklin & Marshall | Franklin & Marshall | 72 |
| Scranton | Scranton | 57 | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place |
| | | | Washington College | Washington College | 94 |
| | | | Scranton | Scranton | 78 |

### National finals

| National quarterfinals | National quarterfinals | National quarterfinals | National semifinals | National semifinals | National semifinals | National championship | National championship | National championship |
| Potsdam | Potsdam | 80 | | | | | | |
| Susquehanna | Susquehanna | 65 | | | | | | |
| Susquehanna | Susquehanna | 65 | Potsdam | Potsdam | 91 | | | |
| | | | Jersey City State | Jersey City State | 89 | | | |
| Jersey City State | Jersey City State | 83 | Jersey City State | Jersey City State | 89 | | | |
| SE Massachusetts | SE Massachusetts | 69 | | | | | | |
| SE Massachusetts | SE Massachusetts | 69 | | | | Potsdam | Potsdam | 76 |
| | | | | | | LeMoyne–Owen | LeMoyne–Owen | 73 |
| Illinois Wesleyan | Illinois Wesleyan | 85 | | | | | | | LeMoyne–Owen | LeMoyne–Owen | 73 |
| LeMoyne–Owen | LeMoyne–Owen | 93 | | | |
| LeMoyne–Owen | LeMoyne–Owen | 93 | LeMoyne–Owen | LeMoyne–Owen | 86 | National third-place game | National third-place game | National third-place game |
| | | | Nebraska Wesleyan | Nebraska Wesleyan | 80 |
| Nebraska Wesleyan | Nebraska Wesleyan | 87* | Nebraska Wesleyan | Nebraska Wesleyan | 80 | Jersey City State | Jersey City State | 93 |
| Otterbein | Otterbein | 82 | | | | Nebraska Wesleyan | Nebraska Wesleyan | 97 |

## All-tournament team

* Roosevelt Bullock, Potsdam (Most outstanding player)
* Barry Stanton, Potsdam
* Johnny Mayers, Jersey City State
* Michael Neal, LeMoyne–Owen
* Dana Janssen, Nebraska Wesleyan