1985–86 Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team

American college basketball season March 2026 August 2023 1985–86 Louisville Cardinals Basketball Metro Conference (1975–1995) Metro 7 7 32–7 10–2 Denny Crum 15th Wade Houston Jerry Jones Bobby Dotson Freedom Hall NCAA tournament National ChampionsMetro Conference tournament championsMetro Conference regular season champions National Championship Game W Won 72–69 vs. Duke The 1985–86 Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team represented the University of Louisville during the 1985–86 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, Louisville's 72nd season of intercollegiate competition. The Cardinals competed in the Metro Conference and were coached by Denny Crum. The team played home games at Freedom Hall. The team compiled a 32–7 record and brought Louisville basketball their second NCAA national championship when they defeated Duke, 72–69. Roster 1985 Louisville Cardinals y y Mike Abram 34 G/F 6 4 195 SO Muncie, Indiana Northside Herbert Crook 41 F 6 7 190 SO y Louisville, Kentucky Eastern Pervis Ellison 43 F-C 6 9 195 FR Savannah, Georgia y Savannah Jeff Hall 42 G 6 4 180 SR Ashland, Kentucky Fairview Tony Kimbro 44 F 6 7 190 FR Louisville, Kentucky Seneca Avery Marshall 33 F-C 6 7 210 FR Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Myrtle Beach Mark McSwain 10 F-C 6 7 220 JR Atlanta, Georgia St. Pius X Will Olliges 24 F 6 9 205 SO Louisville, Kentucky St.Xavier Kenny Payne 21 F 6 7 195 FR Laurel, Mississippi y Northeast Jones David Robinson 30 F 6 8 190 FR Gainesville, Florida Eastside Billy Thompson basketball 55 F 6 7 195 SR y Camden, New Jersey Camden Robbie Valentine 00 F 6 6 200 SR Radcliff, Kentucky North Hardin Milt Wagner 20 G 6 5 185 SR y Camden, New Jersey Camden Kevin Walls 15 G 6 1 170 FR Camden, New Jersey Camden Chris West 23 G 6 3 175 JR Louisville, Kentucky Manual Keith Williams 22 G 6 4 180 FR Louisville, Kentucky Seneca Denny Crum (UCLA) Jerry Jones 2012-03-30 Schedule and results |- !colspan=9 style=Louisville Cardinals| Regular Season Nov 22, 1985 yes yes 9 Miami (OH) Riverfront Coliseum Cincinnati, Ohio Preseason NIT 81–65 1–0 Nov 24, 1985 yes yes 9 Tulsa Riverfront Coliseum Cincinnati, Ohio Preseason NIT 80–74 2–0 Nov 29, 1985 yes yes 9 Kansas 5 Madison Square Garden New York, New York Preseason NIT 78–83 2–1 Dec 1, 1985 yes yes 9 St. John's 18 Madison Square Garden New York, New York Preseason NIT 79–86 2–2 Dec 7, 1985 yes 16 Purdue Freedom Hall Louisville, Kentucky 77–58 3–2 Dec 10, 1985 yes 15 1985 men Iona Gaels Iona Freedom Hall Louisville, Kentucky 88–75 4–2 Dec 14, 1985 yes 15 Western Kentucky Freedom Hall Louisville, Kentucky 73–70 5–2 Dec 18, 1985 yes 16 Indiana 17 Freedom Hall Louisville, Kentucky 65–63 6–2 Dec 28, 1985 yes yes 15 Kentucky 13 Rupp Arena Lexington, Kentucky 64–69 6–3 Jan 4, 1986 yes 18 1985 men Wyoming Cowboys Wyoming Freedom Hall Louisville, Kentucky 94–62 7–3 Jan 6, 1986 yes 17 1985 men Eastern Kentucky Colonels Eastern Kentucky Freedom Hall Louisville, Kentucky 86–55 8–3 Jan 9, 1986 yes 17 Memphis State 6 Mid-South Coliseum Memphis, Tennessee 71–73 8–4 0–1 Jan 13, 1986 yes 18 Southern Miss Reed Green Coliseum Hattiesburg, Mississippi 59–54 9–4 1–1 Jan 15, 1986 yes 18 1985 men Florida State Seminoles Florida State Donald L. Tucker Center Tallahassee, Florida 85–64 10–4 2–1 Jan 18, 1986 yes 13 Syracuse 4 Freedom Hall Louisville, Kentucky 83–73 11–4 Jan 20, 1986 13 1985 men Cincinnati Bearcats Cincinnati Freedom Hall Louisville, Kentucky 82–84 11–5 2–2 Jan 25, 1986 yes yes 13 Kansas 7 Allen Fieldhouse Lawrence, Kansas 69–71 11–6 Jan 28, 1986 yes 18 1985 men La Salle Explorers La Salle Freedom Hall Louisville, Kentucky 72–60 12–6 Feb 1, 1986 yes 18 UCLA Freedom Hall Louisville, Kentucky 91–72 19,384 13–6 Feb 3, 1986 16 1985 men South Carolina Gamecocks South Carolina Freedom Hall Louisville, Kentucky 74–72 14–6 3–2 Feb 6, 1986 16 Virginia Tech 15 Freedom Hall Louisville, Kentucky 103–68 15–6 4–2 Feb 8, 1986 yes yes 16 NC State Reynolds Coliseum Raleigh, North Carolina 64–76 15–7 Feb 10, 1986 yes 19 Virginia Tech 20 Cassell Coliseum Blacksburg, Virginia 93–83 16–7 5–2 Feb 13, 1986 yes 19 Cincinnati Riverfront Coliseum Cincinnati, Ohio 74–58 17–7 6–2 Feb 15, 1986 yes yes 19 DePaul Rosemont Horizon Rosemont, Illinois 72–53 15,754 18–7 Feb 17, 1986 16 Southern Miss Freedom Hall Louisville, Kentucky 83–74 19–7 7–2 Feb 19, 1986 16 Florida State Freedom Hall Louisville, Kentucky 89–67 20–7 8–2 Feb 22, 1986 yes yes 16 Houston Hofheinz Pavilion Houston, Texas 76–59 21–7 Feb 24, 1986 yes 13 1985 none South Alabama Jaguars South Alabama Freedom Hall Louisville, Kentucky 66–55 22–7 Feb 26, 1986 yes 13 South Carolina Carolina Coliseum Columbia, South Carolina 65–63 23–7 9–2 Mar 2, 1986 13 Memphis State 7 Freedom Hall Louisville, Kentucky 70–69 24–7 10–2 |- !colspan=9 style=Louisville Cardinals| Metro Conference tournament Mar 7, 1986 yes 11 1 Cincinnati 4 Freedom Hall Louisville, Kentucky Semifinals 86–65 25–7 Mar 8, 1986 yes 11 1 Memphis State 10 2 Freedom Hall Louisville, Kentucky Championship 88–79 26–7 |- !colspan=9 style=Louisville Cardinals| NCAA Tournament Mar 13, 1986 yes yes 7 2 W Drexel 15 W Dee Events Center Ogden, Utah First round 93–73 9,037 27–7 Mar 15, 1986 yes yes 7 2 W Bradley 14 7 W Dee Events Center Ogden, Utah Second Round 82–68LOUISVILLE WEARS BRADLEY DOWN, OUT https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1986-03-16-8601200010-story.html Chicago Tribune March 16, 1986 May 18, 2019 10,061 28–7 Mar 20, 1986 yes yes 7 2 W North Carolina 8 3 W The Summit Houston, Texas Regional semifinal – Sweet Sixteen 94–79https://www.nytimes.com/1986/03/21/sports/louisville-tops-north-carolina-94-79-auburn-gains.html LOUISVILLE TOPS NORTH CAROLINA, 94-79; AUBURN GAINS New York Times March 12, 2019 29–7 Mar 22, 1986 yes yes 7 2 W Auburn 8 W The Summit Houston, Texas Regional Final – Elite Eight 84–76 30–7 Mar 29, 1986 yes yes 7 2 W LSU 11 SE Reunion Arena Dallas, Texas National semifinal – Final Four 88–77 31–7 Mar 31, 1986 yes yes 7 2 W Duke 1 1 E Reunion Arena Dallas, Texas National Championship Game 72–69 16,493 32–7 AP poll Eastern Time W West https://gocards.com/sports/mens-basketball/schedule/1985-86 1985-86 Men's Basketball Schedule gocards.com April 9, 2025 NCAA basketball tournament West region Regional semifinals Regional Finals 1 St John's 83 16 Montana St 74 8 Auburn 73 9 Arizona 63 5 Maryland 69 12 Pepperdine 64 4 UNLV 74 13 Northeast Louisiana 51 6 UAB 66 11 Missouri 64 3 North Carolina 84 14 Utah 72 7 Bradley 83 10 UTEP 65 2 Louisville 93 15 Drexel 73 1 St John's 65 8 Auburn 81 5 Maryland 64 4 UNLV 70 6 UAB 59 3 North Carolina 77 7 Bradley 68 2 Louisville 82 8 Auburn 70 4 UNLV 63 3 North Carolina 79 2 Louisville 94 8 Auburn 76 2 Louisville 84 Final Four National semifinals National Championship Game E1 Duke 71 M1 Kansas 67 S11 LSU 77 W2 Louisville 88 E1 Duke 69 W2 Louisville 72 Rankings 1985–86 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game Random House 932–933 2009 978-0-345-51392-2 Awards and honors Billy Thompson, first team All-Metro Conference Billy Thompson, AP honorable mention All-American Billy Thompson, NCAA All-Tournament team Billy Thompson, NCAA All-West regional Milt Wagner, first team All-Metro Conference Milt Wagner. AP honorable mention All-American Pervis Ellison, Final Four Most Outstanding Playerhttp://www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/mayhem/history/outstandingplayer Final Four Most Outstanding Players cbs.sportsline.com 31 March 2008 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20080907123518/http://sportsline.com/collegebasketball/mayhem/history/outstandingplayer 7 September 2008 Pervis Ellison, NCAA All-West regional Pervis Ellison, Metro Conference Freshman of the Year Pervis Ellison, second team All-Metro Conference Herbert Crook, NCAA All-West regional Tony Kimbro, Metro Conference All-Freshman team Team players drafted into the NBA Year Round Pick Player NBA club 1986 1 19 Billy Thompson Atlanta Hawks 1986 2 35 Milt Wagner Dallas Mavericks 1986 6 118 Jeff Hall Indiana Pacers 1988 3 61 Herbert Crook Indiana Pacers 1989 1 1 Pervis Ellison Sacramento Kings 1989 1 19 Kenny Payne Philadelphia 76ershttp://www.databasebasketball.com/draft/draftyear.htm?yr=1986&lg=N 1986 NBA Draft on Databasebasketball.com 2012-02-06 usurped https://web.archive.org/web/20120205173232/http://databasebasketball.com/draft/draftyear.htm?yr=1986&lg=N 2012-02-05 References Louisville Cardinals Category:Louisville Cardinals men's basketball seasons Category:NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament championship seasons Category:NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Final Four seasons Louisville Louisville Cardinals men's basketball, 1985-86 Louisville Cardinals men's basketball, 1985-86 Category:1985 in Louisville, Kentucky Category:1986 in Louisville, Kentucky Category:Long stubs with short prose