1985–86 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings Season 1985–86 NCAA Tournament 1986 Preseason No. 1 NCAA Tournament Champions Louisville
The 1985–86 NCAA Division I men's preseason basketball rankings was made up of two human polls, the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll , in addition to various other preseason polls. The Louisville Cardinals would finish the season ranked at the top of both polls after winning the National Championship.
Legend
Increase in ranking
Decrease in ranking
New to rankings from previous week
Italics
Number of first place votes
(#–#)
Win–loss record
т
Tied with team above or below also with this symbol
AP Poll
Preseason [ 1] Week 1 Nov. 25[ 1] Week 2 Dec. 2[ 1] Week 3 Dec. 9[ 1] Week 4 Dec. 16[ 1] Week 5 Dec. 23[ 1] Week 6 Dec. 30[ 1] Week 7 Jan. 6[ 1] Week 8 Jan. 13[ 1] Week 9 Jan. 20[ 1] Week 10 Jan. 27[ 1] Week 11 Feb. 3[ 1] Week 12 Feb. 10[ 2] Week 13 Feb. 17[ 2] Week 14 Feb. 24[ 2] Week 15 Mar. 3[ 2] Final Mar. 10[ 2] [ 3] [ 4] 1. Georgia Tech North Carolina (1–0) North Carolina (5–0) (45) North Carolina (6–0) (47) North Carolina (7–0) (45) North Carolina (10–0) North Carolina (12–0) North Carolina (14–0) North Carolina (16–0) North Carolina (19–0) North Carolina (21–0) North Carolina (22–1) North Carolina (24–1) North Carolina (25–1) Duke (27–2) Duke (29–2) (62) Duke (32–2) 1. 2. North Carolina Georgia Tech (0–0) Michigan (4–0) (12) Michigan (6–0) (13) Michigan (9–0) (14) Michigan (10–0) Michigan (12–0) Michigan (14–0) Michigan (16–0) Duke (16–1) Memphis State (20–0) Georgia Tech (17–2) Duke (22–2) Duke (25–2) Kansas (27–3) Kansas (28–3) (1) Kansas (31–3) 2. 3. Michigan Michigan (2–0) Duke (6–0) (4) Duke (8–0) (4) Duke (8–0) (4) Duke (9–0) Duke (11–0) Duke (12–0) Duke (15–0) Memphis State (17–0) Georgia Tech (16–2) Memphis State (20–1) Kansas (22–3) Kansas (24–3) North Carolina (25–3) Kentucky (26–3) Kentucky (29–3) 3. 4. Syracuse Syracuse (1–0) Syracuse (3–0) Syracuse (5–0) Syracuse (6–0) Syracuse (7–0) Syracuse (8–0) Syracuse (10–0) Syracuse (13–0) Georgia Tech (15–1) Kansas (19–2) Duke (20–2) Memphis State (22–2) Memphis State (23–2) Georgia Tech (21–4) North Carolina (26–4) St. John's (30–4) 4. 5. Kansas Kansas (2–0) Georgia Tech (2–1) Georgetown (4–0) т (1) Georgetown (6–0) (1) Georgetown (8–0) Kansas (12–1) Georgia Tech (10–1) Georgia Tech (14–1) Oklahoma (17–0) Duke (18–2) Oklahoma (20–1) Georgia Tech (18–4) Georgia Tech (19–4) Kentucky (24–3) St. John's (27–4) Michigan (27–4) 5. 6. Duke Duke (2–0) Georgetown (2–0) (1) Georgia Tech (4–1) т Kansas (8–1) Kansas (9–1) Georgia Tech (10–1) Memphis State (12–0) Memphis State (15–0) Michigan (17–1) Oklahoma (18–1) Kansas (20–3) UNLV (24–2) St. John's (24–3) Syracuse (22–3) Georgia Tech (23–5) Georgia Tech (25–6) 6. 7. Illinois Illinois (0–0) Kansas (3–1) Kansas (6–1) Georgia Tech (4–1) Georgia Tech (7–1) Oklahoma (11–0) Oklahoma (13–0) Oklahoma (15–0) Kansas (16–2) St. John's (19–2) Michigan (19–2) St. John's (23–3) Michigan (22–3) Memphis State (24–3) Michigan (25–4) Louisville (26–7) 7. 8. Georgetown Georgetown (1–0) Oklahoma (5–0) Oklahoma (6–0) Oklahoma (8–0) Oklahoma (9–0) LSU (12–0) LSU (14–0) Kansas (14–2) St. John's (17–2) Kentucky (16–2) Syracuse (17–2) Oklahoma (21–2) Kentucky (22–3) St. John's (25–4) Syracuse (23–4) North Carolina (26–5) 8. 9. Louisville Louisville (2–0) Kentucky (3–0) Kentucky (5–0) LSU (8–0) LSU (11–0) Memphis State (11–0) Kansas (12–2) St. John's (15–2) Syracuse (13–2) Michigan (17–2) UNLV (21–2) Georgetown (19–4) Syracuse (20–3) UNLV (27–3) Bradley (29–1) Syracuse (25–5) 9. 10. Auburn Kentucky (1–0) Notre Dame (2–0) (1) Illinois (5–1) Memphis State (7–0) Memphis State (8–0) St. John's (12–1) St. John's (14–1) UNLV (15–2) UNLV (17–2) UNLV (19–2) St. John's (20–3) Michigan (20–3) Oklahoma (23–3) Michigan (23–4) Memphis State (25–4) Notre Dame (23–5) 10. 11. Kentucky Notre Dame (1–0) LSU (5–0) LSU (6–0) St. John's (8–1) St. John's (9–1) Georgetown (9–1) Kentucky (10–1) Kentucky (12–2) Kentucky (14–2) Syracuse (15–2) Georgetown (17–3) Kentucky (20–3) UNLV (24–3) Bradley (28–1) Louisville (24–7) UNLV (31–4) 11. 12. Notre Dame LSU (1–0) Illinois (2–1) Memphis State (5–0) UNLV (5–1) UNLV (7–1) Kentucky (9–1) UNLV (13–2) UAB (16–2) Georgetown (13–3) Georgetown (16–3) Kentucky (18–3) Syracuse (18–3) Bradley (26–1) Notre Dame (19–5) Notre Dame (21–5) Memphis State (27–5) 12. 13. Oklahoma Oklahoma (1–0) Memphis State (2–0) UNLV (5–1) Kentucky (5–1) Kentucky (7–1) UNLV (10–2) Georgetown (10–2) Notre Dame (9–2) Louisville (11–4) Bradley (20–1) Bradley (22–1) Bradley (24–1) Georgetown (19–5) Louisville (22–7) UNLV (28–4) Georgetown (23–7) 13. 14. LSU Memphis State (0–0) UNLV (4–1) St. John's (6–1) UAB (8–1) UAB (11–1) Illinois (9–2) UAB (13–2) LSU (15–2) LSU (16–2) Notre Dame (12–3) Notre Dame (14–3) Notre Dame (16–4) Notre Dame (17–5) Oklahoma (23–6) Georgetown (22–6) Bradley (31–2) 14. 15. Memphis State NC State (0–0) St. John's (3–1) Louisville (3–2) Illinois (5–2) Louisville (6–2) Indiana (8–2) UTEP (13–1) Georgetown (11–3) Purdue (16–3) Indiana (13–4) Virginia Tech (18–4) UTEP (21–3) Indiana (17–5) Georgetown (20–6) Oklahoma (24–6) Oklahoma (26–8) 15. 16. UAB UNLV (1–0) Louisville (2–2) UAB (5–1) Louisville (5–2) Illinois (7–2) UAB (12–2) Notre Dame (7–1) Virginia Tech (12–2) Notre Dame (10–2) Virginia Tech (16–4) Louisville (13–6) Indiana (16–5) Louisville (18–7) Indiana (18–6) Indiana (20–6) Indiana (21–7) 16. 17. NC State Maryland (1–0) UAB (2–1) Notre Dame (3–1) Indiana (4–1) Indiana (6–2) Notre Dame (6–1) Louisville (7–3) UTEP (14–2) Bradley (18–1) LSU (16–3) UTEP (18–3) NC State (17–6) Navy (20–4) Michigan State (18–6) Michigan State (20–6) Navy (27–4) 17. 18. UNLV St. John's (2–0)Iowa (4–0)Indiana (2–1) DePaul (4–0) Notre Dame (5–1) Louisville (6–3) Illinois (10–3) Louisville (9–4) UAB (16–4) Louisville (11–6) Indiana (14–5) Alabama (17–4) Virginia Tech (19–6) NC State (18–9) Navy (25–4) Michigan State (21–7) 18. 19. Maryland тAuburn (0–1) Auburn (1–1) DePaul (3–0)Notre Dame (4–1) Virginia Tech (8–1) UTEP (11–1)Virginia Tech (10–2) Purdue (14–3) UTEP (15–3) UTEP (17–3) Western Kentucky (17–3)Louisville (16–7) Michigan State (17–6)Navy (23–4) Illinois (20–8) Illinois (21–9) 19. 20. Navy тUAB (1–1) Indiana (1–0)Ohio State (5–0)Virginia Tech (7–1)DePaul (6–2) Virginia Tech (8–2) Purdue (13–2)Bradley (16–1)Virginia Tech (14–3) Richmond (16–2)Alabama (15–4)Virginia Tech (18–6) NC State (17–8) Purdue (21–7) NC State (18–11) UTEP (27–5) 20. Preseason [ 1] Week 1 Nov. 25[ 1] Week 2 Dec. 2[ 1] Week 3 Dec. 9[ 1] Week 4 Dec. 16[ 1] Week 5 Dec. 23[ 1] Week 6 Dec. 30[ 1] Week 7 Jan. 6[ 1] Week 8 Jan. 13[ 1] Week 9 Jan. 20[ 1] Week 10 Jan. 27[ 1] Week 11 Feb. 3[ 1] Week 12 Feb. 10[ 2] Week 13 Feb. 17[ 2] Week 14 Feb. 24[ 2] Week 15 Mar. 3[ 2] Final Mar. 10[ 2] [ 3] [ 4] Dropped: NavyDropped: Dropped: Dropped: Ohio StateNone Dropped: DePaulDropped: IndianaDropped: IllinoisNone Dropped: Dropped: Dropped: Western KentuckyDropped: UTEP (21–5) Alabama (17–6) Dropped: Virginia TechDropped: PurdueDropped: NC State (18–12)
Coaches Poll
Preseason [ 1] Week 2 Dec. 2[ 1] Week 3 Dec. 9[ 1] Week 4 Dec. 16[ 1] Week 5 Dec. 23[ 1] Week 6 Dec. 30[ 1] Week 7 Jan. 6[ 1] Week 8 Jan. 13[ 1] Week 9 Jan. 20[ 1] Week 10 Jan. 27[ 1] Week 11 Feb. 3[ 1] Week 12 Feb. 10[ 2] Week 13 Feb. 17[ 2] Week 14 Feb. 24[ 2] Week 15 Mar. 3[ 2] Final Mar. 10[ 2] 1. Michigan North Carolina (5–0) North Carolina (6–0) North Carolina (7–0) North Carolina (10–0) North Carolina (12–0) North Carolina (14–0) North Carolina (16–0) North Carolina (19–0) North Carolina (21–0) North Carolina (22–1) North Carolina (24–1) North Carolina (25–1) Duke (27–2) Duke (29–2) Duke (32–2) 1. 2. Georgia Tech Michigan (4–0) Michigan (6–0) Michigan (9–0) Michigan (10–0) Michigan (12–0) Michigan (14–0) Michigan (16–0) Duke (16–1) Memphis State (20–0) Georgia Tech (17–2) т Duke (22–2) Duke (25–2) Kansas (27–3) Kansas (28–3) Kansas (31–3) 2. 3. North Carolina Duke (6–0) Duke (8–0) Duke (8–0) Duke (9–0) Duke (11–0) Duke (12–0) Duke (15–0) Georgia Tech (15–1) Georgia Tech (16–2) Duke (20–2) т Kansas (22–3) Kansas (24–3) North Carolina (25–3) т North Carolina (26–4) St. John's (30–4) 3. 4. Kansas Georgia Tech (2–1) Kansas (6–1) Kansas (8–1) Kansas (9–1) Kansas (12–1) Syracuse (10–0) Syracuse (13–0) Michigan (17–1) Duke (18–2) Memphis State (20–1) UNLV (24–2) Memphis State (23–2) Georgia Tech (21–4) т Kentucky (26–3) Kentucky (29–3) 4. 5. Duke Syracuse (3–0) Syracuse (5–0) Syracuse (6–0) Syracuse (7–0) Syracuse (8–0) Georgia Tech (10–1) Georgia Tech (14–1) Memphis State (17–0) Kansas (19–2) Kansas (20–3) Georgia Tech (18–4) Georgia Tech (19–4) Kentucky (24–3) St. John's (27–4) Michigan (27–4) 5. 6. Syracuse Kansas (3–1) Georgia Tech (4–1) Georgetown (6–0) Georgia Tech (7–1) Georgia Tech (10–1) Memphis State (12–0) Memphis State (15–0) Oklahoma (17–0) Oklahoma (18–1) Oklahoma (20–1) Memphis State (22–2) St. John's (24–3) Syracuse (22–3) Georgia Tech (23–5) Georgia Tech (25–6) 6. 7. Illinois Georgetown (2–0) Georgetown (4–0) Georgia Tech (4–1) Georgetown (8–0) Oklahoma (11–0) LSU (14–0) Oklahoma (15–0) Kansas (16–2) St. John's (19–2) Syracuse (17–2) St. John's (23–3) Kentucky (22–3) UNLV (27–3) Michigan (25–4) Louisville (26–7) 7. 8. Georgetown Kentucky (3–0) Kentucky (5–0) Oklahoma (8–0) LSU (11–0) St. John's (12–1) Oklahoma (13–0) Kansas (14–2) St. John's (17–2) Michigan (17–2) Michigan (19–2) Kentucky (20–3) Michigan (22–3) Memphis State (24–3) Syracuse (23–4) North Carolina (26–5) 8. 9. LSU UNLV (4–1) Oklahoma (6–0) St. John's (8–1) Oklahoma (9–0) LSU (12–0) Kansas (12–2) St. John's (15–2) Kentucky (14–2) Kentucky (16–2) UNLV (21–2) Michigan (20–3) Oklahoma (23–3) Bradley (28–1) Bradley (29–1) Syracuse (25–5) 9. 10. Louisville Oklahoma (5–0)UNLV (5–1) UNLV (5–1) Kentucky (7–1) Kentucky (9–1) St. John's (14–1) UNLV (15–2) UNLV (17–2) Syracuse (15–2) St. John's (20–3) Oklahoma (21–2) Syracuse (20–3) St. John's (25–4) Memphis State (25–4) UNLV (31–4) 10. 11. Auburn LSU (5–0) Illinois (5–1) LSU (8–0) т St. John's (9–1) Georgetown (9–1) Kentucky (10–1) Kentucky (12–2) Syracuse (13–2) UNLV (19–2) Georgetown (17–3) Georgetown (19–4) UNLV (24–3) Michigan (23–4) UNLV (28–4) Notre Dame (23–5) 11. 12. Kentucky Illinois (2–1) LSU (6–0) Memphis State (7–0) т UNLV (7–1) Memphis State (11–0) UNLV (13–2) UAB (16–2) Georgetown (13–3) Georgetown (16–3) Kentucky (18–3) Bradley (24–1) Bradley (26–1) Notre Dame (19–5) Louisville (24–7) Memphis State (27–5) 12. 13. Notre Dame Notre Dame (2–0) St. John's (6–1) Illinois (5–2) Memphis State (8–0) UNLV (10–2) UAB (13–2) Notre Dame (9–2) LSU (16–2) Bradley (20–1) Bradley (22–1) Syracuse (18–3) Georgetown (19–5) Oklahoma (23–6) Notre Dame (21–5) Bradley (31–2) 13. 14. NC State тSt. John's (2–0)Louisville (3–2) Kentucky (5–1) Louisville (6–2) Illinois (9–2) UTEP (13–1) LSU (15–2) Louisville (11–4) UTEP (17–3) UTEP (18–3) Notre Dame (16–4) т Indiana (17–5) Louisville (22–7) Indiana (20–6) Indiana (21–7) 14. 15. Iowa тLouisville (2–2) Memphis State (5–0) UAB (8–1) Illinois (7–2) Indiana (8–2) Georgetown (10–2) UTEP (14–2) Notre Dame (10–2) Louisville (11–6) Virginia Tech (18–4) UTEP (21–3) т Notre Dame (17–5) Georgetown (20–6) Georgetown (22–6) Georgetown (23–7) 15. 16. UAB Memphis State (2–0)Notre Dame (3–1) т Indiana (4–1) Indiana (6–2) UTEP (11–1) Notre Dame (7–1) Georgetown (11–3) Purdue (16–3) Indiana (13–4) Louisville (13–6) Indiana (16–5) Louisville (18–7) Indiana (18–6) Oklahoma (24–6) UTEP (27–5) 16. 17. Washington UAB (2–1) Indiana (2–1) т Louisville (5–2) Notre Dame (5–1) UAB (12–2) Louisville (7–3) Purdue (14–3) Bradley (18–1) LSU (16–3) Notre Dame (14–3) Alabama (17–4)NC State (17–8) Michigan State (18–6)UTEP (24–5) Oklahoma (26–8) 17. 18. UNLV Auburn (1–1) UAB (5–1) DePaul (4–0) DePaul (6–2) Louisville (6–3) Purdue (13–2)Louisville (9–4) UTEP (15–3) Notre Dame (12–3) Indiana (14–5) NC State (17–6) Alabama (17–6) NC State (18–9) Michigan State (20–6) Michigan State (21–7) 18. 19. DePaul Iowa (4–0) Ohio State (5–0)Notre Dame (4–1) UTEP (8–1)Notre Dame (6–1) Illinois (10–3) т Bradley (16–1) UAB (16–4) Virginia Tech (16–4) NC State (14–6) Louisville (16–7) т UTEP (21–5) Alabama (19–6) Illinois (20–8) Alabama (22–8) 19. 20. UCLA Indiana (1–0)DePaul (3–0)Pepperdine (6–1)Washington (6–2) NC State (7–3) Bradley (12–1) тVirginia Tech (12–2)Pepperdine (14–3) Pepperdine (16–3) т Purdue (16–5) т Virginia (14–5)Pepperdine (19–4) т Pepperdine (20–4) Pepperdine (22–4) Pepperdine (24–4) Illinois (21–9) 20. Preseason [ 1] Week 2 Dec. 2[ 1] Week 3 Dec. 9[ 1] Week 4 Dec. 16[ 1] Week 5 Dec. 23[ 1] Week 6 Dec. 30[ 1] Week 7 Jan. 6[ 1] Week 8 Jan. 13[ 1] Week 9 Jan. 20[ 1] Week 10 Jan. 27[ 1] Week 11 Feb. 3[ 1] Week 12 Feb. 10[ 2] Week 13 Feb. 17[ 2] Week 14 Feb. 24[ 2] Week 15 Mar. 3[ 2] Final Mar. 10[ 2] Dropped: NC State Washington DePaul UCLA Dropped: Dropped: Ohio StateDropped: Dropped: Dropped: Dropped: IllinoisDropped: Virginia Tech (14–3)Dropped: Dropped: LSU Pepperdine (17–4) Purdue Dropped: Virginia Tech (18–6) Virginia None Dropped: UTEPDropped: Dropped:
References
NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings