1985–86 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team

American college basketball season March 2026 August 2023 Basketball 1985–86 Duke Blue Devils Duke Blue Devils basketball mark.svg 125 Atlantic Coast Conference ACC 1 1 37–3 12–2 Mike Krzyzewski 6th Bob Bender Tom Rogers Chuck Swenson Cameron Indoor Stadium NCAA tournament, Runner-upNCAA Division I regular season championsACC tournament championsACC regular season championsNIT Season Tip-Off champions National Championship Game L Lost 69-72 vs. Louisville thumb|right|A poster released by the team at the beginning of the season The 1985–86 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team represented Duke University. The head coach was Mike Krzyzewski. The team played its home games in the Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, and was a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Blue Devils finished with an overall record of 37–3 (12–2 ACC). Duke was invited to the 1986 NCAA Tournament as a #1 seed. Wins over Mississippi Valley State, Old Dominion, DePaul and Navy put the Blue Devils back in the Final Four for the first time since 1978. One more victory over the Kansas Jayhawks put Duke in the championship game, but the Blue Devils came up short vs the Louisville Cardinals 72–69. Roster 1985 Duke Blue Devils y yes Tommy Amaker y 4 G 6 0 155 JR Falls Church, Virginia W.T. Woodson David Henderson y basketball 12 G 6 5 195 SR Henderson, North Carolina Warren County Quin Snyder y 14 G 6 3 180 FR Mercer Island, Washington Mercer Island Jay Bilas y 21 C 6 8 225 SR Rolling Hills Estates, California Rolling Hills Johnny Dawkins y 24 G 6 2 165 SR Washington, D.C. Mackin Catholic Kevin Strickland 31 G 6 5 195 SO Mount Airy, North Carolina North Surry Mark Alarie y 32 PF 6 7 215 SR Phoenix, Arizona Brophy Prep John Smith 33 F 6 7 225 Fr Fort Washington, Maryland — Danny Ferry y 35 F 6 10 230 FR Hyattsville, Maryland DeMatha Catholic Weldon Williams 40 F 6 6 190 SR Park Forest, Illinois Crete-Monee Martin Nessley y 51 C 7 2 260 JR Whitehall, Ohio Whitehall-Yearling Billy King y basketball 55 F 6 6 205 SO Sterling, Virginia Park View Mike Krzyzewski Bob Bender Tom Rogers Chuck Swenson Schedule yes |- !colspan=9 style=Duke Blue Devils| Regular season November 21 yes 10:00 p.m. Mizlou 6 yes Lamar 66–62 1–0 Henderson 18 Alarie, Henderson 7 Amaker 4 The Summit 1,250 Houston, TX November 24 yes Mizlou 6 16 UAB 66–54 2–0 Dawkins 18 Ferry 11     The Summit 947 Houston, TX November 26 yes 7:30 p.m. 6 yes William & Mary 84–61 3–0 Dawkins 28 Ferry 7     William & Mary Hall 6,400 Williamsburg, VA November 29 yes Mizlou/USA 6 18 St. John's Preseason NIT Semi-Finals 71–70 4–0 Dawkins 20 Ferry 8     Madison Square Garden New York, NY December 1 yes Mizlou/USA 6 5 Kansas Preseason NIT Championship 92–86 5–0 Henderson 30 Alarie 7     Madison Square Garden 8,598 New York, NY December 2 yes 7:30 p.m. 6 East Carolina 98–66 6–0 Alarie 25 Alarie 8     Cameron Indoor Stadium 8,564 Durham, NC December 4 yes 7:30 p.m. 3 Vanderbilt 84–74 7–0 Dawkins 21 Ferry 8     Memorial Gymnasium 14,287 Nashville, TN December 7 9:00 p.m. 3 Virginia 72–64 8–0 1–0 Dawkins 24 Henderson 10     Cameron Indoor Stadium Durham, NC December 18 yes 7:30 p.m. 3 yes Davidson 69–52 9–0 Alarie 13 Ferry 9     Charlotte Coliseum 7,791 Charlotte, NC December 28 yes 1:30 p.m. 3 Appalachian State 88–46 10–0 Dawkins 16 Bilas 8     Cameron Indoor Stadium 8,564 Durham, NC December 30 yes 7:30 p.m. 3 Northwestern 78–55 11–0 Dawkins 21 Ferry 8     Cameron Indoor Stadium 8,564 Durham, NC January 4 9:00 p.m. 3 yes Maryland Rivalry 81–75 12–0 2–0 Henderson 25 Ferry, Henderson 7     Cole Field House 14,500 College Park, MD January 8 yes 7:30 p.m. 3 St. Louis 84–58 13–0 Alarie 21 Ferry 6     Cameron Indoor Stadium 8,564 Durham, NC January 11 12:00 p.m. 3 NC State 74–64 14–0 3–0 Alarie 24 Henderson 8     Cameron Indoor Stadium 8,564 Durham, NC January 13 yes 7:00 p.m. 3 yes St. Joseph's 87–66 15–0 Alarie 22 Alarie 9     The Palestra 9,208 Philadelphia, PA January 16 9:00 p.m. 3 Wake Forest 92–63 16–0 4–0 Henderson 17 Bilas, Henderson 6     Cameron Indoor Stadium 8,564 Durham, NC January 18 1:30 p.m. Raycom/JP 3 yes 1 North Carolina Rivalry 92–95 16–1 4–1 Henderson 24 Henderson 7     Dean Smith Center 21,444 Chapel Hill, NC January 21 9:00 p.m. ESPN 2 yes 4 Georgia Tech 80–87 16–2 4–2 Alarie 26 Alarie 8     Alexander Memorial Coliseum 7,126 Atlanta, GA January 25 9:00 p.m. 2 Maryland 80–68 17–2 5–2 Dawkins 24 Bilas 8     Cameron Indoor Stadium 8,564 Durham, NC January 27 yes 7:30 p.m. 2 Harvard 89–52 18–2 Henderson 14 Bilas 10     Cameron Indoor Stadium 8,564 Durham, NC January 29 7:30 p.m. 5 Clemson 89–78 19–2 6–2 Alarie 29 Alarie 7     Cameron Indoor Stadium 8,564 Durham, NC February 1 1:30 p.m. 5 yes Wake Forest 68–58 20–2 7–2 Alarie 20 Bilas, Ferry, Alarie 9     Greensboro Coliseum 13,300 Greensboro, NC February 6 7:30 p.m. 4 yes Virginia 77–65 21–2 8–2 Dawkins, Henderson 20 Bilas, Ferry 7     University Hall 9,000 Charlottesville, VA February 9 1:00 p.m. NBC 4 2 Georgia Tech 75–59 22–2 9–2 Alarie 24 Alarie 9     Cameron Indoor Stadium 8,564 Durham, NC February 11 yes 8:00 p.m. 2 Stetson 85–66 23–2 Dawkins 18 Alarie 10     Ocean Center 5,387 Daytona Beach, FL February 15 7:30 p.m. 2 17 NC State 72–70 24–2 10–2 Dawkins 24 Alarie 7     Reynolds Coliseum 12,400 Raleigh, NC February 16 yes 1:00 p.m. NBC 2 14 Notre Dame 75–74 25–2 Alarie 22 Dawkins 8     Cameron Indoor Stadium 8,564 Durham, NC February 19 yes 7:30 p.m. 2 Miami (FL) 104–82 26–2 Alarie 18 Ferry 9     Cameron Indoor Stadium 8,564 Durham, NC February 22 yes 4:00 p.m. CBS 2 10 Oklahoma 93–84 27–2 Henderson 28 Henderson 8     Cameron Indoor Stadium 8,564 Durham, NC February 26 7:30 p.m. 1 Clemson 77–69 28–2 11–2 Dawkins 27 Henderson 11     Littlejohn Coliseum 8,736 Clemson, SC March 2 1:00 p.m. 1 3 North Carolina 82–74 29–2 12–2 Henderson 27 Amaker 5     Cameron Indoor Stadium 8,564 Durham, NC |- !colspan=12 style=Duke Blue Devils| ACC tournament March 7 yes 1 yes Wake Forest Quarterfinals 68–60 30–2 Alarie 22 Alarie, Bilas 6     Greensboro Coliseum 16,242 Greensboro, NC March 8 yes 1 yes Virginia Semifinals 75–70 31–2 Dawkins 24 Henderson 9     Greensboro Coliseum 16,242 Greensboro, NC March 9 yes 1 yes 6 Georgia Tech Championship 68–67 32–2 Dawkins 20 Bilas, Ferry 8     Greensboro Coliseum 16,242 Greensboro, NC |- !colspan=12 style=Duke Blue Devils| NCAA tournament March 13 yes ESPN (via NCAA Productions) 1 E 1 yes 16 E Mississippi Valley State First Round 85–78 33–2 Dawkins 27 Ferry 11 Snyder 4 Greensboro Coliseum 8,328 Greensboro, NC March 15 yes ESPN 1 E 1 yes Old Dominion Second Round 89–61 34–2 Dawkins 25 Alarie 14 Amaker 7 Greensboro Coliseum 12,096 Greensboro, NC March 21 yes ESPN 1 E 1 DePaul Sweet Sixteen 74–67 35–2 Dawkins 25 Dawkins 10 Amaker Amaker Brendan Byrne Arena 19,454 East Rutherford, NJ March 23 yes CBS 1 E 1 17 Navy Elite Eight 71–50 36–2 Dawkins 28 Bilas 10 Amaker 5 Brendan Byrne Arena 19,454 East Rutherford, NJ March 29 yes CBS 1 E 1 yes 2 Kansas Final Four 71–67 37–2 Dawkins 24 Alarie 8 Amaker 6 Reunion Arena 16,493 Dallas, TX March 31 yes CBS 1 E 1 yes 7 Louisville NCAA Championship 69–72 37–3 Dawkins 24 Alarie 6 Amaker 7 Reunion Arena 16,493 Dallas, TX Eastern Standard Time GoDuke.StatsGeek.com. Retrieved 2015-May-31.The Chronicle, 1986. Retrieved 2020-October-20. 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 Mike Krzyzewski, ACC Coach of the Year Johnny Dawkins, Naismith College Player of the Year Team players drafted into the NBA Year Round Pick Player NBA club 1986 1 10 Johnny Dawkins San Antonio Spurs 1986 1 18 Mark Alarie Denver Nuggets 1986 3 58 David Henderson Washington Bullets 1986 5 108 Jay Bilas Dallas Mavericks 1987 3 55 Tommy Amaker Seattle SuperSonics 1987 6 116 Martin Nessley Los Angeles Clippers 1989 1 2 Danny Ferry Los Angeles Clippers http://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 External links Schedule and results via Sports Reference Duke Category:Duke Blue Devils men's basketball seasons Category:NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Final Four seasons Duke Category:1985 in sports in North Carolina Category:1986 in sports in North Carolina