Coach Jim Valvano, in his 6th season at North Carolina State, brought his mens basketball team into the NCAA Midwest Regional Finals against the Kansas Jayhawks at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, MO with a record of 21 – 12….after the Wolfpack had placed 4th in the ACC with a record of 7 – 7….as they entered the NCAA tournament as the # 6 seed in the Midwest Region. The Wolfpack averaged 70.3 points per game…. while giving up 63.8 points per game for the season….as 6′ 11″ C Chris Washburn led the Pack with 17.6 pts 6.7 rebounds and 0,9 assists per game….with 6’5″ G Nate McMillan having 9.4 pts. 4.6 rebs and 6.9 ast….6’5″ G Ernie Myers with 9.3 pts. 2.9 rebs 2.9 ast….while 6’10” C Charles Shackleford averaged 10.3 pts 6.1 rebs 0.6 ast…..when 6’8″ F Bennie Bolton produced 8.7 pts 3.0 rebs 1.6 ast….as 6th man 6’7″ G Walker Lambiotte posted 4.5 pts 1.3 rebs 0.9 ast….as this team definitely had some talent.
In the 1986 Midwest Regionals, the Wolfpack defeated Iowa 66 – 64 in the 1st round…..Arkansas-Little Rock 80 – 66 in the 2nd…..Iowa State 70 – 66 in the semifinal…..as they faced off against the # 1 Midwest seeded Kansas Jayhawks in the finals of the Midwest Region…..as seen in this video herewith.
Coach Larry Brown, in his 4th year as head coach of the Kansas Jayhawks mens basketball team, brought his team into the 1986 NCAA Midwest Regionals tournament with a 31 – 3 season record….and being seeded # 1 in the Midwest….after the Jayhawks won the Big 8 Conference Title with a record of 13 – 1….while having season averages of 80.3 pts/game….after giving up 67.5 pts/game. In the 1986 Midwest Regionals, the Jayhawks won the 1st round against North Carolina A&T by a score of 71 – 46…..to which they followed up with a 65 – 43 win over Temple….followed by a 96 – 86 victory over the Michigan State Spartans in the semifinals….when they took on NCSt in the finals….which they won convincingly by a score of 75 – 67. The Jayhawks were led throughout the season by 6’10” F Danny Manning with 16.7 pts/game 6.3 rebs 2.4 ast…..with 6’5″ G Ron Kellogg’s 15.9 pts 3.4 rebs 2.8 ast…..followed by 6’6″ F Calvin Thompson’s 13.4 pts 4.5 rebs 3.0 ast….along with 7’1″ C Greg Dreiling garnering 11.6 pts 6.7 rebs 1.5 ast…..as 6’0″ G Cedric Hunter averaged 9.1 pts 3.6 rebs 7.1 ast…..and 6th man 6’7″ F Archie Marshall had 7.0 pts 3.8 rebs 1.0 ast.
This 1986 Kansas Jayhawk team proceeded to the 1986 Final Four…..and would lose in the National Semifinals to Duke by a score of 71 – 67…..but became the nucleus of what would become known as Danny and The Miracles the following season….as Kansas would win the National Championship the following year.
The talent on the hardwoods….along with the college coaching legends on the benches…..makes this video MUST SEE TV for any and all fans of the NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament and college basketball.
