The 1986–87 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began in November 1986 and ended with the Final Four in New Orleans on March 30, 1987.
Season headlines All NCAA tournament teams were subject to drug testing for the first time.
Major rule changes Beginning in 1986–87, the following rules changes were implemented: The three-point field goal was introduced and set at from the center of the basket. A television replay could be used to prevent or rectify a scorer’s or timer’s mistake or a malfunction of the clock.
Season outlook
Pre-season polls The top 20 from the AP Poll during the pre-season.* Associated PressRankingTeam1 North Carolina2 Louisville3 Indiana4 Purdue5 UNLV6 Georgia Tech7 Oklahoma8 Kansas9 Navy10 Iowa11 Kentucky12 Auburn13 Alabama14 Illinois15 Syracuse16 Pittsburgh17 NC State18 Georgetown19 Arizona20
Conference membership changes SchoolFormer conferenceNew conference Division II independent Division I independent Division I independent Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Division II independent Division I independent Mid-American Conference Division I independent Division I independent Trans America Athletic Conference Missouri Valley Conference Lone Star Conference (D-II)
Regular season Conferences Conference winners and tournaments ConferenceRegular season winnerConference player of the yearConference Coach of the YearConference tournamentTournament venue (City)Tournament winnerAMCU–8 Southwest Missouri State Winston Garland, Southwest Missouri State Charlie Spoonhour, Southwest Missouri State 1987 AMCU-8 men's basketball tournament Hammons Student Center(Springfield, Missouri) Southwest Missouri StateAtlantic 10 Conference Temple Nate Blackwell, Temple2008–09 A-10 men's basketball media guide – Awards section , Atlantic 10 Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 John Chaney, Temple 1987 Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament McGonigle Hall(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) TempleAtlantic Coast Conference North Carolina Horace Grant, Clemson2008–09 ACC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Year by Year section , retrieved 2009-06-27 Cliff Ellis, Clemson 1987 ACC men's basketball tournament Capital Centre(Landover, Maryland) NC StateBig East Conference Georgetown, Pittsburgh &Syracuse Reggie Williams, Georgetown2008–09 Big East Men's Basketball Media Guide – Awards section , Big East Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 John Thompson, Georgetown 1987 Big East men's basketball tournament Madison Square Garden(New York City, New York) GeorgetownBig Eight Conference Missouri Danny Manning, Kansas2008–09 Big 12 Men's Basketball Media Guide – Awards section, Big 12 Conference, retrieved 2009-02-04 Norm Stewart, Missouri 1987 Big Eight Conference men's basketball tournament Kemper Arena(Kansas City, Missouri)(Semifinals and Finals) MissouriBig Sky Conference Montana State Tom Domako, Montana State, Big Sky Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Bobby Dye, Boise State & Jim Boutin, Idaho State 1987 Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament Walkup Skydome(Flagstaff, Arizona) Idaho State Big South Conference Baptist Clarence Grier, Campbell Billy Lee, Campbell 1987 Big South Conference men's basketball tournament Savannah Civic Center(Savannah, Georgia) BaptistBig Ten Conference Indiana & Purdue Dennis Hopson, Ohio State Tom Davis, Iowa No TournamentColonial Athletic Association Navy David Robinson, Navy John Thurston, James Madison 1987 CAA men's basketball tournament Hampton Coliseum(Hampton, Virginia) NavyEast Coast Conference Bucknell Daren Queenan, Lehigh &Ron Simpson, Rider Charlie Woollum, Bucknell 1987 East Coast Conference men's basketball tournament Towson Center(Towson, Maryland) BucknellECAC Metro Marist Rik Smits, Marist Dave Magarity, Marist 1987 ECAC Metro men's basketball tournament McCann Field House(Poughkeepsie, New York) MaristECAC North Northeastern Reggie Lewis, NortheasternAmerica East Men's Basketball Players of the Year, America East Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Karl Fogel, Northeastern 1987 ECAC North men's basketball tournament Matthews Arena(Boston, Massachusetts) NortheasternIvy League Penn Perry Bromwell, PennMen's Ivy League Outstanding performers , Ivy League, retrieved 2009-06-27 None selected No TournamentMetro Atlantic Athletic Conference Saint Peter's Kevin Houston, ArmyMen's Basketball All-MAAC Awards , Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Ted Fiore, Saint Peter's 1987 MAAC men's basketball tournament Meadowlands Arena(East Rutherford, New Jersey) FairfieldMetro Conference Louisville Herbert Crook, Louisville Larry Finch, Memphis State 1987 Metro Conference men's basketball tournament Freedom Hall(Louisville, Kentucky) Memphis StateMid-American Conference Central Michigan Booker James, Western Michigan2008–09 MAC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Records Section, Mid-American Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Charlie Coles, Central Michigan 1987 MAC men's basketball tournament Centennial Hall(Toledo, Ohio) Central MichiganMid-Eastern Athletic Conference Howard George Cale, North Carolina A&T A. B. Williamson, Howard 1987 MEAC men's basketball tournament Greensboro Coliseum(Greensboro, North Carolina) North Carolina A&TMidwestern Collegiate Conference Evansville & Loyola (IL) Andre Moore, Loyola (IL)2008–09 Horizon League Men's Basketball Record Book , Horizon League, retrieved 2009-06-27 Jim Crews, Evansville 1987 Midwestern Collegiate Conference men's basketball tournament Market Square Arena(Indianapolis, Indiana) XavierMissouri Valley Conference Tulsa Hersey Hawkins, Bradley2008–09 MVC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Honors Section, Missouri Valley Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Eddie Fogler, Wichita State 1987 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament Tulsa Convention Center(Tulsa, Oklahoma) Wichita StateOhio Valley Conference Middle Tennessee State Bob McCann, Morehead State2008–09 OVC men's basketball media guide, Ohio Valley Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Max Good, Eastern Kentucky 1987 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament Murphy Center(Murfreesboro, Tennessee) Austin PeayPacific-10 Conference UCLA José Ortiz, Oregon State2008–09 Pacific-10 Men's Basketball Media Guide- Honors Section , Pacific-10 Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Walt Hazzard, UCLA 1987 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball tournament Pauley Pavilion(Los Angeles, California) UCLAPacific Coast Athletic Association UNLV Armon Gilliam, UNLV2008–09 Big West Men's Basketball Media Guide , Big West Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Jerry Tarkanian, UNLV 1987 Pacific Coast Athletic Association men's basketball tournament The Forum(Inglewood, California) UNLVSoutheastern Conference Alabama Derrick McKey, Alabama2008–09 SEC Men's Basketball Record Book , Southeastern Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Wimp Sanderson, Alabama 1987 SEC men's basketball tournament Omni Coliseum(Atlanta, Georgia) AlabamaSouthern Conference Marshall Gay Elmore, VMI2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Honors Section , Southern Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Butch Estes, Furman 1987 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament Asheville Civic Center(Asheville, North Carolina) MarshallSouthland Conference Louisiana Tech Jerome Batiste, McNeese State2008–09 Southland Conference Men's Basketball Media Guide, Southland Conference, retrieved 2009-02-07 Tommy Joe Eagles, Louisiana Tech 1987 Southland Conference men's basketball tournament Thomas Assembly Center(Ruston, Louisiana) Louisiana TechSouthwest Conference TCU Carven Holcombe, TCU Jim Killingsworth, TCU 1987 Southwest Conference men's basketball tournament Reunion Arena(Dallas, Texas) Texas A&MSouthwestern Athletic Conference Grambling State George Ivory, Mississippi Valley State& Avery Johnson, Southern2006–07 SWAC Men's Basketball Media Guide Bob Hopkins, Grambling State 1987 SWAC men's basketball tournament SouthernSun Belt Conference Western Kentucky Tellis Frank, Western Kentucky2007–08 Sun Belt Men's Basketball Media Guide, Sun Belt Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Murray Arnold, Western Kentucky 1987 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament E. A. Diddle Arena(Bowling Green, Kentucky) UABTrans America Athletic Conference Arkansas–Little Rock Brian Newton, Georgia SouthernAtlantic Sun men's basketball record book, Atlantic Sun Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Frank Kerns, Georgia Southern 1987 TAAC men's basketball tournament Barton Coliseum(Little Rock, Arkansas) Georgia SouthernWest Coast Athletic Conference San Diego Scott Thompson, San Diego2008–09 WCC Men's Basketball Media Guide , West Coast Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Hank Egan, San Diego 1987 West Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament War Memorial Gymnasium(San Francisco, California) Santa ClaraWestern Athletic Conference UTEP Fennis Dembo, Wyoming2008–09 WAC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Records Section , Western Athletic Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Don Haskins, UTEP 1987 WAC men's basketball tournament The Pit(Albuquerque, New Mexico) Wyoming
Conference standings
Division I independents A total of 18 college teams played as Division I independents. Among them, DePaul (28–3) had both the best winning percentage (.903) and the most wins.
Informal championships ConferenceRegular season winnerMost Valuable PlayerPhiladelphia Big 5 Temple Nate Blackwell, Temple Temple finished with a 4–0 record in head-to-head competition among the Philadelphia Big 5.
Statistical leaders Player School PPG Player School RPG Player School APG Player School SPG Kevin Houston Army 32.9 Jerome Lane Pittsburgh 13.5 Avery Johnson Southern 10.7 Tony Fairley Baptist 4.1 Dennis Hopson Ohio St. 29.0 Chris Dudley Yale 13.3 Mark Wade UNLV 10.7 Doug Usitalo Boise St. 3.5 David Robinson Navy 28.2 Andre Moore Loyola (IL) 12.4 Tony Fairley Baptist 9.6 Joe Jeter Delaware St. 3.4 Terrance Bailey Wagner 28.1 David Robinson Navy 11.8 Tyrone Bogues Wake Forest 9.5 Roderick Ford UT Arlington 3.4 Hersey Hawkins Bradley 27.2 Brian Rowsom UNC Wilmington 11.5 Andre Van Drost Wagner 9.3 Duane Washington Middle Tenn. St. 3.2 Player School BPG Player School FG% Player School 3FG% Player School FT% David Robinson Navy 4.5 Alan Williams Princeton 70.3 Reginald Jones Prairie View 57.1 Kevin Houston Army 91.2 Derrick Lewis Maryland 4.4 Tyrone Howard E. Kentucky 67.8 Eric Rhodes SF Austin 54.7 Daryl Johnson Michigan St. 91.0 Lester Fonville Jackson St. 3.9 Horace Grant Clemson 65.6 Anthony Davis George Mason 53.6 Scott Haffner Evansville 90.9 Dallas Comegys DePaul 3.5 Robert Godbolt Louisiana Tech 64.7 Scott Dimak SF Austin 53.5 Nate Blackwell Temple 90.4 Tim Perry Temple 3.2 Claude Williams NC A&T 63.7 Steve Alford Indiana 53.0 Michael Smith BYU 90.4
Postseason tournaments
NCAA tournament
Final Four - Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
National Invitation tournament
NIT Semifinals and Final
Award winners
Consensus All-American teams
+ Consensus First Team Player Position Class Team Steve Alford G Senior Indiana Danny Manning F Junior Kansas David Robinson C Senior Navy Kenny Smith G Senior North Carolina Reggie Williams F Senior Georgetown
+ Consensus Second Team Player Position Class Team Armon Gilliam F Senior UNLV Horace Grant F/C Senior Clemson Dennis Hopson G Senior Ohio State Mark Jackson G Senior St. John's Ken Norman F Senior Illinois
Major player of the year awards
Wooden Award: David Robinson, Navy Naismith Award: David Robinson, Navy Associated Press Player of the Year: David Robinson, Navy UPI Player of the Year: David Robinson, Navy NABC Player of the Year: David Robinson, Navy Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): David Robinson, Navy Adolph Rupp Trophy: David Robinson, Navy Sporting News Player of the Year: David Robinson, Navy
Major coach of the year awards Associated Press Coach of the Year: Tom Davis, Iowa UPI Coach of the Year: John Thompson, Georgetown Henry Iba Award (USBWA): John Chaney, Temple NABC Coach of the Year: Rick Pitino, Providence