Jay Bilas, a former Duke University men's basketball forward who played from 1982 to 1986, described how his coach Mike Krzyzewski simplified the 64-team NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament bracket during Bilas's senior year in 1986.[1][2]

The 1986 tournament was the second edition with 64 teams, following the expansion from 53 teams in 1984.[3] Krzyzewski focused Duke's attention on a four-team sub-bracket for the first weekend, dubbing it the "Greensboro Invitational," where the top-seeded Blue Devils played their opening games at Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina.[1][4]

Duke defeated Mississippi Valley State 85-62 in the first round and Old Dominion 78-55 in the second round, both on March 13 and 15, 1986.[4][5]

For the East Regional at Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey—referred to by Krzyzewski as the "Meadowlands Invitational"—Duke faced DePaul in the Sweet 16, with Navy on the opposite side of that regional bracket. Navy featured center David Robinson, the national player of the year.[1][4]

Duke beat DePaul 77-70 on March 20 before losing to Navy 71-70 in the Elite Eight on March 22.[4][5] Bilas credited the approach with reducing pressure, noting in a recent Fox News Digital interview that it helped the team process the tournament.[1]

Bilas, now an ESPN analyst, said the method limited focus to immediate opponents, a strategy he believes many teams still use.[1]

Sources

1. Fox News. "Jay Bilas explains how legendary Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski simplified March Madness bracket." 19 March 2024. https://www.foxnews.com/sports/jay-bilas-march-madness-duke-coach-mike-krzyzewski-simplified-tournament-bracket
2. Duke University Athletics. "Jay Bilas - 2022-23 - Men's Basketball (1982-86)." Accessed 2024. https://goduke.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/jay-bilas/1985
3. NCAA. "A look back at the first 64-team NCAA tournament bracket." 12 March 2021. https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2021-03-12/look-back-first-64-team-ncaa-tournament-bracket
4. NCAA. "1986 NCAA tournament: Bracket, scores, stats, highlights." 14 March 2023. https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2023-03-14/1986-ncaa-tournament-bracket-march-madness-revisited-march-madness-history
5. Duke University Athletics. "1985-86 Men's Basketball Schedule." Accessed 2024. https://goduke.com/sports/mens-basketball/schedule/1985-86