Jay Bilas, who played forward for Duke University from 1982 to 1986 and now serves as an ESPN college basketball analyst, described how head coach Mike Krzyzewski simplified the 64-team NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament for players during Bilas' senior season in 1986.
The 1986 tournament was the second year of the expanded 64-team format.[1] In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, Bilas said Krzyzewski reduced the field by focusing on sub-brackets, starting with the idea that only one team would emerge from the opposite half of the bracket to face Duke in the championship.[2]
For the East Region's first and second rounds at Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina, Krzyzewski called it the "Greensboro Invitational." Duke, seeded No. 1 in the region, defeated No. 16 Mississippi Valley State 85-62 on March 13 and No. 9 Old Dominion 71-61 on March 15.[1][3]
The regional semifinals and final took place at Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey, dubbed the "Meadowlands Invitational" by Krzyzewski. Duke beat No. 4 DePaul 70-49 on March 20 and No. 2 Navy -- led by center David Robinson -- 71-67 on March 22.[1][3]
Duke advanced to the Final Four at Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas, where it lost to Louisville 72-69 in the semifinals on March 29. Louisville went on to win the national title.[1][3]
Bilas credited the approach with easing pressure and narrowing focus, noting he remembers few details about other tournament games because the team concentrated solely on its path.[2]
Sources
- NCAA, "1986 NCAA tournament bracket: March Madness", March 21, 2024, https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2024-03-21/1986-ncaa-tournament-bracket-march-madness
- Fox News, "Jay Bilas reveals Coach K's brilliant March Madness trick that helped Duke Blue Devils", March 20, 2024, https://www.foxnews.com/sports/jay-bilas-reveals-coach-ks-brilliant-march-madness-trick-duke-blue-devils
- Sports-Reference.com, "1986 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament", accessed October 2024, https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/postseason/1986-NCAAM.html
