The 1985 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men’s NCAA Division I college basketball. This was the first year the field was expanded to 64 teams, from 53 in the previous year’s tournament. It began on March 14, 1985, and ended with the championship game on April 1 in Lexington, Kentucky. A total of 63 games were played. Eighth-seed Villanova, coached by Rollie Massimino, won their first national title with a 66–64 victory in the final game over Georgetown, coached by John Thompson….as Wildcats C Ed Pinckney was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player…..furthermore, this game is often cited as “The Perfect Game”…and is widely considered among the greatest upsets in college basketball history….while this Villanova team remains the lowest-seeded team to ever win the tournament. . The game is also notable as the last played without a shot clock.
This game between Villanova and Maryland not only featured two legendary college basketball coaches in Villanova’s Rollie Massimino (816 wins – 462 losses) and Maryland’s Lefty Driesell (785 wins – 394 losses) ….but also showcased two outstanding college forwards in the Wildcats Ed Pinckney….who was the 10th player picked in the 1985 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns….and the Terps Len Bias….who was picked # 2 in the same NBA draft by the Boston Celtics…..which makes this a video well worth watching. On their way to a national title….the Villanova Wildcats pulled off this Southeast Region Semifinal victory over the Maryland Terps by a score of 46 – 43.
