The 1984–85 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began in November 1984 and ended with the Final Four in Lexington, Kentucky on April 1, 1985. The Villanova Wildcats won their first NCAA national championship with a 66–64 victory over the defending champion, top-ranked Georgetown Hoyas. It was the second time in three seasons that the national champion had 10 losses.
Season headlines The 1985 NCAA Tournament was the first to feature a 64-team field, expanding from 53 teams the year before. Three teams from the Big East Conference (Georgetown, St. John's, and Villanova) advanced to the NCAA tournament's Final Four. It was the first time that three teams from the same conference reached the Final Four. Georgetown was the first defending champion to return to the Final Four since the 1975–76 UCLA Bruins did it in the 1976 NCAA Tournament. Basketball analysts consider Villanova's defeat of Georgetown in the 1985 NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game to be one of the biggest upsets in NCAA tournament history. Villanova made 22 of 28 field goal attempts for a field goal percentage of 78.6 percent, a record for an NCAA championship game. Villanova won its first national championship and became the first unranked team to win the national championship. Xavier McDaniel of Wichita State became the first player to lead the United States in scoring and rebounding in the same season. On March 27, 1985, John "Hot Rod" Williams was among four Tulane players arrested on charges of accepting money and cocaine in an alleged point shaving scheme. The incident prompted Tulane to disband its men's basketball program at the end of the season. The school did not resume men's basketball competition until the 1989–90 season.
Major rule changes Beginning in 1984–85, the following rules changes were implemented: The coaching box was introduced, whereby a coach and all bench personnel had to remain in the coaching box unless seeking information from the scorers’ table.
Season outlook
Pre-season polls The top 20 from the AP Poll during the pre-season.* Associated PressRankingTeam1 Georgetown2 Illinois3 DePaul4 Indiana5 Oklahoma6 Duke7 St. John's8 Memphis State9 Washington10 SMU11 12 Syracuse13 NC State14 15 Virginia Tech16 Arkansas17 Louisville18 Kentucky19 Kansas 20 Georgia Tech
Conference membership changes SchoolFormer conferenceNew conference East Coast Conference ECAC South Conference Division II independent Division I independent Sunshine State Conference (D-II) Division I independent NAIA Independent Division I independent Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Division I independent Division I independent Trans America Athletic Conference Division II independent ECAC North Conference Division II independent Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Trans America Athletic Conference (provisional) Gulf Star Conference Trans America Athletic Conference Gulf Star Conference Division II independent Division I independent Lone Star Conference (D-II) Gulf Star Conference ECAC Metro Conference ECAC North Conference Division I independent Gulf Star Conference Lone Star Conference (D-II) Gulf Star Conference Lone Star Conference (D-II) Gulf Star Conference Division I independent ECAC South Conference NOTE: Prior to the season, Nicholls State left the Trans America Athletic Conference after two seasons as a provisional member, during which it played no conference games.
Regular season Conferences Conference winners and tournaments
ConferenceRegular season winnerConference player of the yearConference Coach of the YearConference tournamentTournament venue (City)Tournament winnerAMCU–8 Cleveland State Jon Collins, Eastern Illinois Kevin Mackey, Cleveland State 1985 AMCU-8 men's basketball tournament Hammons Student Center(Springfield, Missouri) Eastern IllinoisAtlantic 10 Conference West Virginia Granger Hall, Temple2008–09 A-10 men's basketball media guide – Awards section , Atlantic 10 Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 John Chaney, Temple 1985 Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament Rutgers Athletic Center(Piscataway, New Jersey) TempleAtlantic Coast Conference Georgia Tech, North Carolina & NC State Len Bias, Maryland2008–09 ACC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Year by Year section , retrieved 2009-06-27 Bobby Cremins, Georgia Tech 1985 ACC men's basketball tournament The Omni(Atlanta, Georgia) Georgia TechBig East Conference St. John's Patrick Ewing, Georgetown &Chris Mullin, St. John's2008–09 Big East Men's Basketball Media Guide – Awards section , Big East Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Lou Carnesecca, St. John's 1985 Big East men's basketball tournament Madison Square Garden(New York City, New York) GeorgetownBig Eight Conference Oklahoma Wayman Tisdale, Oklahoma2008–09 Big 12 Men's Basketball Media Guide – Awards section, Big 12 Conference, retrieved 2009-02-04 Billy Tubbs, Oklahoma 1985 Big Eight Conference men's basketball tournament Kemper Arena(Kansas City, Missouri)(Semifinals and Finals) OklahomaBig Sky Conference Nevada–Reno Larry Krystkowiak, Montana, Big Sky Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Sonny Allen, Nevada–Reno 1985 Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament Dee Events Center(Ogden, Utah) Nevada–RenoBig Ten Conference Michigan None Selected Bill Frieder, Michigan No TournamentEast Coast Conference Bucknell Jaye Andrews, Bucknell Charlie Woollum, Bucknell &Ronald Rainey, Delaware 1985 East Coast Conference men's basketball tournament Towson Center(Towson, Maryland) LehighECAC Metro Marist Carey Scurry, Long Island Tom Green, Fairleigh Dickinson 1985 ECAC Metro men's basketball tournament Reitz Arena(Baltimore, Maryland) Fairleigh DickinsonECAC North Canisius & Northeastern Reggie Lewis, NortheasternAmerica East Men's Basketball Players of the Year, America East Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 John Griffin, Siena 1985 ECAC North men's basketball tournament Matthews Arena(Boston, Massachusetts) NortheasternECAC South Navy & Richmond David Robinson, Navy Paul Evans, Navy 1985 ECAC South men's basketball tournament William & Mary Hall(Williamsburg, Virginia) NavyIvy League Penn Ken Bantum, CornellMen's Ivy League Outstanding performers , Ivy League, retrieved 2009-06-27 None selected No TournamentMetro Atlantic Athletic Conference Iona Randy Cozzens, ArmyMen's Basketball All-MAAC Awards , Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Les Wothke, Army 1985 MAAC men's basketball tournament Meadowlands Arena(East Rutherford, New Jersey) IonaMetro Conference Memphis State Keith Lee, Memphis State Tony Yates, Cincinnati 1985 Metro Conference men's basketball tournament Freedom Hall(Louisville, Kentucky) Memphis StateMid-American Conference Ohio Ron Harper, Miami (OH)2008–09 MAC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Records Section, Mid-American Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Danny Nee, Ohio 1985 MAC men's basketball tournament Centennial Hall(Toledo, Ohio) OhioMid-Eastern Athletic Conference North Carolina A&T Eric Boyd, North Carolina A&T Don Corbett, North Carolina A&T 1985 MEAC men's basketball tournament Palestra(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) North Carolina A&TMidwestern City Conference Loyola (IL) Alfredrick Hughes, Loyola (IL)2008–09 Horizon League Men's Basketball Record Book , Horizon League, retrieved 2009-06-27 Gene Sullivan, Loyola (IL) 1985 Midwestern City Conference men's basketball tournament Mabee Center(Tulsa, Oklahoma) Loyola (IL)Missouri Valley Conference Tulsa Xavier McDaniel, Wichita State2008–09 MVC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Honors Section, Missouri Valley Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Nolan Richardson, Tulsa 1985 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament Tulsa Convention Center(Tulsa, Oklahoma) Wichita StateOhio Valley Conference Tennessee Tech Stephen Kite, Tennessee Tech2008–09 OVC men's basketball media guide, Ohio Valley Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Tom Deaton, Tennessee Tech 1985 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament Murphy Center(Murfreesboro, Tennessee) Middle Tennessee StatePacific-10 Conference USC & Washington Wayne Carlander, USC2008–09 Pacific-10 Men's Basketball Media Guide- Honors Section , Pacific-10 Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Stan Morrison, USC No TournamentPacific Coast Athletic Association UNLV Richie Adams, UNLV2008–09 Big West Men's Basketball Media Guide , Big West Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Jerry Tarkanian, UNLV 1985 Pacific Coast Athletic Association men's basketball tournament The Forum(Inglewood, California) UNLVSoutheastern Conference LSU Kenny Walker, Kentucky2008–09 SEC Men's Basketball Record Book , Southeastern Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Bob Boyd, Mississippi State & Hugh Durham, Georgia 1985 SEC men's basketball tournament Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex(Birmingham, Alabama) AuburnSouthern Conference Tennessee–Chattanooga Regan Truesdale, The Citadel2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Honors Section , Southern Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Marty Fletcher, VMI 1985 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament Asheville Civic Center(Asheville, North Carolina) MarshallSouthland Conference Louisiana Tech Joe Dumars, McNeese State2008–09 Southland Conference Men's Basketball Media Guide, Southland Conference, retrieved 2009-02-07 Andy Russo, Louisiana Tech 1985 Southland Conference men's basketball tournament Thomas Assembly Center(Ruston, Louisiana) Louisiana TechSouthwest Conference Texas Tech Bubba Jennings, Texas Tech Gerald Myers, Texas Tech 1985 Southwest Conference men's basketball tournament Reunion Arena(Dallas, Texas) Texas TechSouthwestern Athletic Conference Alcorn State Mike Phelps, Alcorn State2006–07 SWAC Men's Basketball Media Guide Davey Whitney, Alcorn State 1985 SWAC men's basketball tournament Mississippi Coliseum(Jackson, Mississippi) SouthernSun Belt Conference VCU Terry Catledge, South Alabama2007–08 Sun Belt Men's Basketball Media Guide, Sun Belt Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Gene Bartow, UAB 1985 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament Hampton Coliseum(Hampton, Virginia) VCUTrans America Athletic Conference Georgia Southern Sam Mitchell, MercerAtlantic Sun men's basketball record book, Atlantic Sun Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Bill Bibb, Mercer 1985 TAAC men's basketball tournament Hanner Fieldhouse(Statesboro, Georgia) MercerWest Coast Athletic Conference Pepperdine Dwayne Polee, Pepperdine2008–09 WCC Men's Basketball Media Guide , West Coast Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Jim Harrick, Pepperdine No TournamentWestern Athletic Conference UTEP Timo Saarelainen, BYU2008–09 WAC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Records Section , Western Athletic Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Smokey Gaines, San Diego State 1985 WAC men's basketball tournament Special Events Center(El Paso, Texas) San Diego State
Conference standings
Division I independents A total of 22 college teams played as Division I independents. Among them, Notre Dame (21–9) had both the best winning percentage (.700) and the most wins.
Informal championships ConferenceRegular season winnerMost Valuable PlayerPhiladelphia Big 5 Villanova Ed Pinckney, Villanova Villanova 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 FG% Xavier McDaniel Wichita St. 27.2 Xavier McDaniel Wichita St. 14.8 Robbie Weingard Hofstra 9.5 Keith Walker Utica 71.3 Alfredrick Hughes Loyola (IL) 26.3 Benoit Benjamin Creighton 14.1 Carl Golston Loyola (IL) 9.2 Vernon Moore Creighton 67.4 Dan Palombizio Ball St. 26.3 Carey Scurry Long Island 14.1 Jim Les Bradley 8.8 Dave Hoppen Nebraska 64.6 Joe Dumars McNeese St. 25.8 Karl Towns Monmouth 12.3 Taurence Chisholm Delaware 8.0 David Robinson Navy 64.4 Terry Catledge S. Alabama 25.6 Robert Sanders Miss. Valley St. 11.9 Brian Carr Nebraska 7.9 John Staves Southern 63.8 Derrick Gervin UTSA 25.6