Jay Bilas, a former Duke forward who played for the Blue Devils from 1982 to 1986, described how head coach Mike Krzyzewski simplified the 64-team NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament bracket for his team during the 1985-86 season.[1][2]
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Bilas said Krzyzewski focused the team on smaller, four-team brackets for each stage to reduce pressure. For the first and second rounds at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina, he called it the "Greensboro Invitational."[3]
Duke, the No. 1 seed in the East Region, won its first-round game against Mississippi Valley State 85-78 on March 14 and second-round matchup against Old Dominion 85-73 on March 16.[4][5]
For the East Regional at Meadowlands Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Krzyzewski presented it as another four-team tournament. Duke beat DePaul 77-70 in the Sweet 16 on March 20 and Navy 71-67 in the Elite Eight on March 22.[4][5]
The Blue Devils advanced to the Final Four at Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas, where they lost to Kansas 71-67 in the semifinal on March 29.[4][5] The 1985-86 tournament was the second edition with a 64-team field, expanded from 53 teams the prior year.[6]
Bilas, now an ESPN college basketball analyst, said the approach helped Duke players focus solely on their path and limited recall of other bracket teams.[3]
Mike Krzyzewski coached Duke from 1980 to 2022, winning five NCAA titles.[1]
Sources
- Duke University Athletics. "Jay Bilas Bio". Accessed October 2024. https://goduke.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/jay-bilas/2405
- Sports-Reference.com. "1985-86 Duke Blue Devils Roster and Stats". Accessed October 2024. https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/duke/men/1986.html
- Fox News. "Jay Bilas recalls Coach K's genius March Madness trick that helped Duke focus". March 20, 2024. https://www.foxnews.com/sports/jay-bilas-recalls-coach-ks-genius-march-madness-trick-helped-duke-focus
- Sports-Reference.com. "1986 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament". Accessed October 2024. https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/postseason/1986-NCAAM.html
- NCAA.com. "1986 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament Bracket". Accessed October 2024. https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2016-03-14/1986-ncaa-tournament-bracket-march-madness-recap
- NCAA.com. "NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament History". Accessed October 2024. https://www.ncaa.com/history/basketball-men/d1
