1986 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament

1986 NCAA Division III
men's basketball tournament

Finals site	Grand Rapids, Michigan
Champions	Potsdam State Bears (2nd title)
Runner-up	LeMoyne-Owen Magicians (2nd title game)
Semifinalists	Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves (2nd Final Four) Jersey City State Gothic Knights (1st Final Four)
Winning coach	Jerry Welsh (Potsdam State)
MOP	Roosevelt Bullock (Potsdam State)
Attendance	34,366
NCAA Division III men's tournaments «1985 1987»

The 1986 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament was the 12th annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champions of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's Division III collegiate basketball in the United States.

Held during March 1986, the field included thirty-two teams and the final championship rounds were contested at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

SUNY Potsdam defeated LeMoyne–Owen, 76–73, to claim their second NCAA Division III national title and first since 1981. The Bears also completed an undefeated season (32–0), the first Division III program to complete this feat.

Bracket

Regionals

	First Round				Regional Championship
	Clark	71
	Salem State	73
					Salem State	66
					SE Massachusetts	81
	SE Massachusetts	64
	Western Connecticut State	62			Regional Third-place
					Clark	78
					Western Connecticut State	77

	First Round					Regional Championship
	Jersey City State		67
	Roanoke		61
						Jersey City State		69
						Upsala		64
	Trenton State		64
	Upsala		66			Regional Third-place
						Roanoke		55
						Trenton State		58

	First Round					Regional Championship
	Alfred		88
	Nazareth		86
						Alfred		51
						Potsdam		80
	NYU		67
	Potsdam		83			Regional Third-place
						Nazareth		87
						NYU		73

	First Round					Regional Championship
	DePauw		69
	Wittenberg		55
						DePauw		76
						Otterbein		82
	Calvin		84
	Otterbein		100			Regional Third-place
						Wittenberg		84
						Calvin		77

	First Round					Regional Championship
	North Park		65
	Ripon		68
						Ripon		57
						Illinois Wesleyan		63
	Illinois Wesleyan		79
	Wisconsin–Whitewater		75			Regional Third-place
						North Park		73
						Wisconsin–Whitewater		89

	First Round					Regional Championship
	John Carroll		78
	LeMoyne–Owen		92
						LeMoyne–Owen		72
						Centre (KY)		69
	Centre (KY)		70
	Christopher Newport		62			Regional Third-place
						John Carroll		73
						Christopher Newport		75

	First Round					Regional Championship
	Nebraska Wesleyan		89
	Pomona-Pitzer		59
						Nebraska Wesleyan		61
						Dubuque		50
	Dubuque		71
	Saint John's (MN)		47			Regional Third-place
						Pomona-Pitzer		52
						Saint John's (MN)		71

	First Round					Regional Championship
	Susquehanna		79
	Washington College		75
						Susquehanna		79
						Franklin & Marshall		72
	Franklin & Marshall		61
	Scranton		57			Regional Third-place
						Washington College		94
						Scranton		78

National finals

	National quarterfinals					National semifinals					National championship
	Potsdam		80
	Susquehanna		65
						Potsdam		91
						Jersey City State		89
	Jersey City State		83
	SE Massachusetts		69
											Potsdam		76
											LeMoyne–Owen		73
	Illinois Wesleyan		85
	LeMoyne–Owen		93
						LeMoyne–Owen		86			National third-place game
						Nebraska Wesleyan		80
	Nebraska Wesleyan		87*								Jersey City State		93
	Otterbein		82								Nebraska Wesleyan		97

All-tournament team

• Roosevelt Bullock, Potsdam (Most outstanding player)
• Barry Stanton, Potsdam
• Johnny Mayers, Jersey City State
• Michael Neal, LeMoyne–Owen
• Dana Janssen, Nebraska Wesleyan

See also

• 1986 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
• 1986 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament
• 1986 NAIA men's basketball tournament
• 1986 NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament