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1986: All the Pieces Come Together
2/8/2016 5:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The following article appears in the recent Anniversary Edition of GoDuke the Magazine.
DURHAM -- The outcome looks inevitable only in retrospect.
The season that brought breakthrough prominence to modern Duke men's basketball materialized slowly, prefaced by painful struggles. But as the pieces came together over a few formative years, and skills were developed and polished, as the momentum built, you could see the emergence of a special group, a special team, a special time.
Perhaps only Duke's fiery young coach, scrambling to establish his program, foresaw the impact the 1985-86 season would have on his school, his career, his sport. And surely even he couldn't envision the 37 victories in a season, a mark that would go unmatched in college basketball for more than 20 years; the dual finishes atop the ACC in the regular season and conference tournament; the advance to the first of a dozen Final Fours; and the Blue Devils' emergence as a force to be reckoned with in virtually every season since.
“This is one of the great teams I've seen in college basketball,” no less an authority than Dean Smith, North Carolina's late Hall of Fame coach, said at the time, “and our team is no slouch.”
The roots of greatness were planted prior to the 1982-83 season with a six-man recruiting class regarded as the best in the nation. The previous year, struggling Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski whiffed on all the big-time recruits he sought, most prominently shooter Chris Mullen, who went to St. John's and became an All-American and later an all-pro and Hall of Famer.
Then Krzyzewski landed a trove of talent from all over the country: 6-8 Mark Alarie from Arizona, 6-8 Jay Bilas from California, 6-2 Johnny Dawkins from D.C., 6-5 David Henderson from North Carolina, 6-8 Bill Jackman from Nebraska, and 6-6 Weldon Williams from Illinois.
Alarie, a smooth forward, was forced to play that first year at center. Dawkins, a wiry, graceful, natural scorer at guard, was similarly pressed into service as a playmaker. Bilas thought and fouled too much, got pushed around inside. Henderson, largely overlooked in recruiting, built a role as a jack-of-all- trades. Williams stumbled academically, and never became a regular. Jackman transferred.
By the end of his career Alarie was a three-time All-ACC choice and a consistent scorer and rebounder. Henderson became one of the best defenders and all-around players in the ACC, and was honored as the tournament MVP in the first Preseason NIT in the fall of 1985. Bilas bulked up, was nicknamed “Arnold” for actor and bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger, and became a reliable post presence.
Dawkins, a slashing driver with a soft touch on his left-handed jumpers, paced Duke in scoring annually and was picked all-conference every year he played. His 2,556 career points, largely accumulated without benefit of a 3-point field goal, stood second in league annals until surpassed by Duke's J.J. Redick in 2006.
“Duke was down when I came here and it's great to grow with the program,” said Dawkins, whose jersey number 24 was retired when his career concluded, “because as the program grows, your success grows as an individual player.”
While individuals emerged as stars, an intense sense of “camaraderie” also developed, according to Billy King, who joined the team in 1985 and became a defensive stopper. “We were very close, and we're still close today. That to me was the best thing about the '86 season,” says King, an NBA executive. “We were doing it for each other.”
The Blue Devils won only 11 games in '83, outscored by 3.5 points per outing. They reached a regular-season nadir in an early-January loss at Cameron Indoor Stadium against lowly Wagner College, a disaster to which Krzyzewski referred for many years as a humbling reminder of competitive vulnerability.
Then, come the ACC Tournament in Atlanta, the Devils were crushed by a veteran Virginia squad led by Ralph Sampson, a 109-66 verdict that remains the most decisive in the history of the event.
All the while Krzyzewski stuck with his preferred approach to the game, embodied in motion offense and pass-denying, physical man-to-man defense.
“When I took this job I knew there were going to be some tough times,” Krzyzewski said back then. “They actually were even tougher than I anticipated. However, you have to do what you think is right and just have some patience and persistence, and just stay with it.”
As Duke struggled, its Triangle neighbors enjoyed conspicuous prosperity.
In 1981, Krzyzewski's first season after coming south from the U.S. Military Academy, North Carolina reached the national championship game. In 1982, even as the Devils lost 17 games, won but 10, and endured internal strife between the new guys and Bill Foster holdovers, the Tar Heels won Smith's first NCAA title. Then in 1983, while Duke again suffered 17 defeats, N.C. State won the national championship under coach Jim Valvano, who arrived at Raleigh as Krzyzewski, his contemporary, landed in Durham.
The Devils' fortunes clearly turned in 1983-84 when a slight playmaker from Virginia, Harold “Tommy” Amaker, joined a squad populated entirely with Krzyzewski's recruits. His steady hand and keen understanding of the game, well-attuned to his coach, helped transform an already talented unit into an exceptional one. Amaker's presence freed his backcourt mate from running the offense; with the ball skills Dawkins already had developed he was the ACC's No. 2 scorer each season from 1984 through 1986.
“Playing with Tommy over the last few years has been a two-guard's dream,” said Dawkins, who graduated in 1986. “I think his unselfishness has spread to our whole club, and that has made us the team we are today.”
Added Bilas, who roomed with Amaker on the road: “Tommy was the best teammate I've ever had. It's no accident that Duke started winning when he took over the ball.”
Amaker's freshman year the Blue Devils immediately became a force, improving to 24-10. The '84 squad made the ACC Tournament finals — in the process handing a UNC team led by Michael Jordan its only league loss in 16 games — and earned the first of 31 NCAA berths under Krzyzewski.
The same core group, bolstered by freshmen King and wing Kevin Strickland, went 23-8 in 1985 and again reached the NCAAs. The Devils also finished in the Associated Press top 10 for the first time under Krzyzewski.
But it was the 1986 squad, augmented by freshmen Danny Ferry and Quin Snyder, that firmly established Krzyzewski's program among the game's elite.
The '86 Blue Devils opened with 16 straight victories, lost twice on the road in mid-January, then reeled off 21 more wins. They finished atop the ACC regular-season standings, a first for the school since 1979, and won the ACC Tournament for the first time since 1980.
Ranked No. 1 entering NCAA competition, Duke reached the championship game, only to lose to Louisville. The Devils outrebounded opponents by 5.9 per game, best at Duke under Krzyzewski until 1999, and outscored rivals by an average of 12.7 points. They were also a stifling defensive force, creating 19.3 turnovers per game while collecting nine steals.
When the 1986 season ended Duke was 37-3, still the most wins in school history. Along the way the squad accomplished two rare feats. On a grand scale, it set a standard of excellence that's become an accustomed part of the college basketball landscape. And, more personally, it shaped the lives of those who were along for the ride.
Three members of the '86 team remain in coaching today. Two more served as NBA general managers. Several others moved in and out of coaching. Bilas does commentary on college basketball telecasts. It's not hyperbole to say the game captured them, just as that special squad captured the respect and admiration of those who saw it in action.
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