A trip down memory lane

Duke-Georgia Tech, 1986 style

Mike Krzyzewski started at Duke about the same time Jim Valvano started at NC State. Bobby Cremins came to Georgia Tech a year later.

By the beginning of the 1985-’86 season, Krzyzewski was running third in that three-coach race. Valvano and his Cardiac Pack had famously won the 1983 ACC and NCAA titles. They also made the 1985 Elite Eight, losing to Chris Mullin and St. John’s.

Tech won the 1985 ACC Tournament--beating Duke in the semifinals along the way-and also advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight, where they lost to Georgetown.

By contrast Coach K was still looking for his first ACC title-regular season or tournament— and had only one NCAA Tournament win to his credit, a 75-62 win over Pepperdine in 1985.

The 1985-86 ACC season was memorable in several respects. Georgia Tech started the season ranked number one in the polls but dropped back after losing to Michigan in their opener.

They were replaced at the top by North Carolina. The Tar Heels kept the top spot when they edged Duke in the Smith Center opener but fell back after losses to Maryland and NC State.

Duke replaced them at number one. These three ACC teams were the only teams ranked number one that season.

Those 1986 riches were fueled by an incredible group of seniors. The famous Duke class of Johnny Dawkins, Mark Alarie, David Henderson and Jay Blias led the way. But Tech had Mark Price and John Salley, North Carolina Brad Daugherty (no. 1 pick in the 1986 draft) and Steve Hale. NC State had Nate McMillan and Ernie Myers and Maryland had the supremely talented Len Bias.