REMEMBERING NAVY’S NCAA TOURNAMENT RUN
The greatest service academy basketball team ever: Remembering Navy’s 1986 March Madness run to the Elite Eight
“The mid-majors who have made the Final Four this century all became national heroes. If a military academy team did that, or came close in today’s era, someone might build a statue to them.”
Nobody understood the challenges a service academy basketball team faces like Mike Krzyzewski. ¶ Long before he coached Duke to five national titles, Krzyzewski was senior captain of the 1968-69 Army team under legendary coach Bob Knight. He never reached the NCAA Tournament as a player or as head coach of the Cadets from 1975 to 1980. ¶ In fact, no other team has done what Navy did in the mid-1980s. ¶ As the tournaments head into the Final Four games this weekend, it’s been 35 years since future Hall of Famer David Robinson and the 1985-86 Midshipmen embarked on one of the most improbable runs in college basketball — and staked a claim to be the greatest service academy team in history. ¶ As schools like George Mason, VCU, Florida Gulf Coast and Loyola-Chicago became darlings of March Madness during the social media-age, one Midshipmen team was ahead of their time.
Navy reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament as a No. 7 seed during that magical 1985-86 season, taking down national power Syracuse in the second round as Robinson stunned the basketball world by scoring 35 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and blocking seven shots inside the 49,250-seat Carrier Dome.
Washington Post columnist and renowned author John Feinstein covered that Navy team and says it has never received its proper respect.
“I’m not sure people appreciated how much Navy had accomplished,” Feinstein said. “The tournament wasn’t covered in those days the way it is now. The mid-majors who have made the Final Four this century all became national heroes. If a military academy team did that, or came close in today’s era, someone might build a statue to them.”
Coaches and veterans of that team, several of which went on to successful careers in and out the Navy and are now in their mid-50s, recently spoke with The Capital about the 1986 Elite Eight squad, the run they made and how it was several years in the making.
“What I take away from it all and what sits in my heart is there were a lot of pieces
that fell perfectly into place and we captured lightning in a bottle that season,” said Kylor Whitaker, a three-year starter at shooting guard. “It was a team with tremendous chemistry. Nobody executed as well as we did, nobody was as unselfish as we were, nobody was as disciplined as we were.
“It was the perfect team for Navy.”
NO RESPECT
Coach Paul Evans built a mediocre program into a powerful one in the 198384 season, but nobody knew it. Navy had its most successful team since the late 1950s but didn’t even receive an invitation to the NIT.
Evans, a New York native who had enjoyed tremendous success at Division III St. Lawrence before coming to Annapolis, was angry. He told the players before the following season they could not put their fate in the hands of a selection committee.
Navy responded by setting a then-school and service academy record by winning 26 games during the 1984-85 season and earned an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. A No. 13 seed, Navy stunned a fourthseeded LSU team featuring four future NBA players in the first round, 78-55.
Power forward Vernon Butler scored 20 points, while Robinson posted an impressive double-double with 18 points and 18 rebounds.
Two days later, Navy lost to in-state rival Maryland, led by legendary power forward Len Bias. He scored 20 points as the fifthseeded Terrapins pulled out a 64-59 victory.
Maryland took the lead late in the game and a controversial charging call wiped out the subsequent Navy possession. Coach Charles “Lefty” Driesell salted away the last three minutes by holding the ball.
“If there had been a shot clock back then we probably would have beaten Maryland,” Evans said.
Heading into the 1985-86 season, Navy was on the map in college basketball.
“I think the cat was out of the bag as far as our ability to play at a high level,” said Butler, a two-year team captain. “We knew from the outset that we weren’t going to surprise anyone.”
THE UNSTOPPABLE
ONE
The magical season did not start on the right foot. Navy entered the 1985-86 season ranked No. 19 by the Associated Press but lost its opener to St. John’s, which featured future NBA standouts Walter Berry and Mark Jackson.
The Red Storm were coming off a Final Four appearance and Berry was on the way to being named national Player of the Year, but Doug Wojcik, Navy’s starting point guard from 1984 through 1987, recalls the Midshipmen being upset about the loss.
“We had moved past the point of just wanting to play ranked teams tough. We were disappointed because we knew we belonged and felt we let that one get away,” he said.
Two weeks later, Navy suffered its worst defeat of the season to Syracuse in the championship game of the Carrier Classic, 89-67, but it proved to be a blessing.
“Best thing that ever happened,” Wojcik said of the Carrier Classic. “Playing two games in that arena helped us get used to the sightlines and depth. I think the fact Syracuse beat us so badly sort of established their mindset for the NCAA Tournament game later that season.”
Evans recognized he had a strong, veteran team and therefore beefed up the nonconference schedule considerably.
“I knew we could play with anybody that next season and I wanted to prove it. I also didn’t want the NCAA Tournament committee to be able to say we didn’t play a tough schedule,” the coach said.
Expectations were extremely high for Navy, and rightfully so. The Midshipmen returned all five starters from the 1984-85 squad that finished 26-6, and had an established star in Butler, a four-year starter at power forward well on the way to establishing program records for career points and rebounds.
Wojcik, the tough and gritty junior point guard, and sweet-shooting senior swingman Whitaker were also back.
“There was a lot of optimism,” said Whitaker, who came from Lebanon, Oregon, and was the epitome of the laid-back West Coast kid. “We had a very talented core group of players coming back. We were excited and felt we could do even better than we did in 1985.”
However, it was the emergence of Robinson as a transcendent performer that sparked excitement among the Navy faithful — and attention from around the country.
Robinson played just one season of high school basketball in Northern Virginia, and as a raw, skinny 6-foot-7 plebe did not start a game during the 1983-84 season.
Robinson grew 6 inches and developed his basketball skills during his four years at Navy — transforming into a dominant 7-foot1, 235-pound center. He blossomed into a powerful force as a sophomore in 1984-85 when he averaged 23.6 points, 11.6 rebounds and 4.0 blocks to earn conference player of the year honors.
Robinson had several eye-opening games in 1984-85, scoring 37 points and grabbing 18 rebounds versus Western Illinois then totaling 39 points and 18 boards against East Carolina. He snagged a season-high 21 rebounds twice and surpassed 30 points on eight occasions.
“David came out of nowhere as a sophomore. He was simply unstoppable at times,” Evans said. “It was very obvious that season he was going to be really, really good.”
But even Robinson knew Butler was the straw that stirred the drink.
“David was an absolutely phenomenal player, a generational type of player,” Evans said. “That said, there was no way we could have done what we did without Vernon
Butler. He was the most fierce competitor I ever coached and played with a ton of heart.”
Sophomore guard Cliff Rees, who had been the fifth starter during the 1984-85 season, was the sixth man with freshman power forward Derrick Turner and freshman point guard Neal Fenton the other top reserves. Senior forward Tony Wells, junior forward Carey Manhertz and freshman guard Bobby Jones provided quality minutes whenever called upon.
SHIPS AND BASKETBALL
Following a two-week layoff after the loss to Syracuse, Navy traveled 7,000 miles to Japan for a round-robin series of games against service academy rivals Army and Air Force. It was a strange interlude to the season, but the players have fond memories of the Suntory Ball.
“We were excited to go to Japan,” Whitaker said. “I remember the Suntory corporation sponsored the whole event and it was very first-class on every level. I thought it was a wonderful cultural experience.”
Robinson scored 19 points, grabbed 13 rebound and blocked seven shots as Navy routed Air Force, 70-53, at Osaka-jo Hall in Osaka. It marked the first meeting between the schools in nine seasons.
Two days later, Navy blew out archrival Army, 93-63, at Ryogoku Stadium in Tokyo. Butler posted a double-double with 16 points and 17 rebounds, Robinson scored 19 points and blocked seven shots, while Whitaker chipped in 17 points.
After returning to the United States on Dec. 24, Navy players only had a few days to spend Christmas with their families before reporting back to the academy. That’s because Evans had the Midshipmen playing two games in the Cotton States Classic, which began Dec. 27.
Carl Liebert, a junior who took over as the starter at small forward midway through the season, recalls the whirlwind well.
“I remember leaving Tokyo on Christmas Eve and landing at JFK Airport in New York on Christmas Eve,” Liebert said. “Wojcik and I shared a taxi to LaGuardia Airport. We got on a plane to Pittsburgh. He got off in Pittsburgh and I flew on to Louisville. I arrived home at 9 p.m. We stopped by White Castle on the way home. I went to bed, got up Christmas morning, we opened presents, then I got on a plane at noon to go back to BWI for practice.”
One day later, Navy flew to Atlanta for its tourney opener against DePaul, led by speedy point guard “Hot” Rod Strickland. Blame it on jet lag or travel weariness, but the Midshipmen fell behind by 12 points early.
The Blue Demons, whose roster included two other future NBA players in Dallas Comegys and Stanley Brundy, maintained a double-digit lead into the second half and was in position to close things out when Robinson picked up his fourth foul.
“We were flat, we were spent. Coach had some really choice words for us at halftime,” Liebert recalled. “Around the 12-minute mark, we just woke up. It was like we made it through the Ambien fog.”
Butler scored nine of his team-high 23 points over the final four minutes as Navy closed the contest on a 13-4 run to defeat DePaul, 67-64.
“That was a big-time win because DePaul was a very talented, very athletic team,” Wojcik said.
Afterward, many of the Blue Demons, most of whom hailed from Chicago where the school was located, asked the Midshipmen how they went to school and played basketball when they were out at sea all the time.
Navy advanced to the championship game against host Georgia Tech, which was ranked No. 1 in most of the preseason polls and had all five of its starters go on to play in the NBA. The Yellow Jackets won, 82-64.
The Midshipmen went on to win 23 of their next 24 games.
OPTION 1: DAVID
Now in his sixth season at Navy, Evans had firmly established his offensive and defensive systems along with his overall coaching philosophy.
Evans espoused an offense he called “power” and it was perfect for a Navy team that featured a towering center in Robinson and a strong, relentless forward in Butler.
Regular power saw Butler and Robinson rotate between the high and low posts. Strong power put both Butler and Robinson on the low block with Whitaker serving as the passer or shooter in the high post.
Whitaker described it as a triangle offense and remembers most teams did not play Navy straight up, choosing to double down on Butler and Robinson. Whitaker was most responsible for making opponents pay for that approach, although Rees and Wojcik knocked down enough open jumpers to keep defenses honest.
“Coach Evans made it very clear: Option 1 was David. Option 2 was Vernon. Option 3 was Kylor,” Whitaker said.
Most teams struggled to defend Navy and both Butler and Robinson made a living at the charity stripe. Those two post players combined to attempt 557 free throws, more than almost every other team in Division I basketball during the 1985-86 season.
“It all started with David and Vernon. They were the workhorses,” Rees said. “The rest of us just needed to do our jobs — make good decisions, play solid defense and compete.”
Evans described Wojcik, Navy’s all-time leader with 714 career assists, as a master at feeding the post in the half-court set. Whitaker was also an outstanding passer and ranks fifth in program history with 453 career assists.
However, Navy was not solely a half-court team. Evans also implemented an up-tempo system. He taught rebounders to always pivot to the outside and look for an immediate outlet pass to a guard positioned just shy of midcourt.
“Doug or Cliff were always at the hash mark and we went right into our transition offense. I remember that team scoring a lot of fastbreak baskets,” Butler said. “That team had great stamina and conditioning. I don’t think we ever got out-hustled on the court.”
Navy’s fastbreak revolved around having a pair of athletic big men in Butler and Robinson who could beat defenders downcourt. Rees is also remembered for routinely finishing on fast breaks.
“Whoever didn’t get the rebound was filling the lane on the opposite side. We figured our big guys were in better shape and could outrun the opposition,” Evans said.
Defensively, Evans exclusively employed a 2-3 zone with Butler patrolling the middle. It would seem surprising to have a 7-footer work the wing, but it was a way to keep Robinson out of foul trouble and allow him to block shots from the weak side.
The final piece of the puzzle was a veteran coaching staff led by Evans, who compiled a 119-60 record in six seasons at Navy.
“I remember we strove for perfection in practice. When you look at how we ran offensive sets, how we set screens for each other and passed the ball — we executed with tremendous efficiency,” Butler said.
Evans was supported by a veteran staff spearheaded by lead assistant Pete Hermann, who took over as head coach after his boss left Navy for Pittsburgh. Dave Laton and John Fitzpatrick were the other full-time assistants, while Jim Leary was a volunteer coach.
“Coach Evans was very demanding and held us to a high standard. His mantra was that it didn’t matter what the other team did: as long as Navy executed what it wanted to do, everything would be fine,” Whitaker said. “I always felt [Evans] was a tough coach for a tough-minded group of midshipmen.”
“We were the squids from Navy. No one really took us seriously as a basketball program, which was fine. I think it gave us more of an opportunity to make a statement.”
— David Robinson
CAUGHT IN THE WEB
It wasn’t clear going into the conference schedule that Navy was a step above the rest in the fledging Colonial Athletic Association. The Midshipmen made it a goal to go undefeated in the conference but knew it would not be easy.
Foremost was Richmond, led by longtime coach Dick Tarrant and featuring forward Johnny Newman, who enjoyed a 16-year career in the NBA. UNC-Wilmington, East Carolina and George Mason were also familiar foes from the defunct ECAC South.
“It was a very competitive conference. We couldn’t just show up and expect to win,” Wojcik said.
Richmond was 14-1 with wins over Virginia and Wake Forest of the Atlantic Conference and was more than ready when Navy, riding a seven-game winning streak, arrived at the near-sold out Robins Center for the first showdown of 1986.
“Richmond was a huge bar for us. They were a very, very good team — and not just in the CAA,” Robinson said.
The Spiders used full-court pressure to change the tempo and disrupt the Midshipmen during the second half. Newman scored 17 points while forward Peter “Butch” Woolfolk netted 16 as Richmond handed Navy its first league loss, 67-61. Shooting guard Rodney Rice added 14 and delivered the dagger by making a long jumper with 24 seconds left.
“I thought the turning point in the season was that close loss to Richmond down there,” Butler said. “We were in shock. Reality set in that [Richmond] could win the league. It really opened everyone’s eyes.”
Navy would not falter again during league play, reeling off seven straight wins with most coming by double digits. That set the stage for a winner-take-all scenario when Richmond came to Annapolis a month later.
NIGHT SWEATS
Before that big game, Navy took a break from conference action to face archrival Army on Feb. 23 at West Point. The Mids had superior talent, as the 30-point blowout in Japan had shown clearly. However, this was the Star game, and the Cadets would not go down easily on their home court of Christl Arena.
Army resorted to familiar tactics, slowing the contest to a crawl by using every second of the shot clock and double-teaming Robinson. Navy wanted to push the tempo but was unable to do so and the halftime score that saw Army leading 24-17 was ideal for the home team.
“Every possession was critical, and we struggled offensively,” Whitaker recalled.
Navy came out of the locker room with more intensity and held Army without a field goal for the first five minutes of the second half. Robinson scored six points to spark a 10-2 run that put the Mids ahead, 27-26.
It was back-and-forth the rest of the way and turned into a nail-biter at the end. Mark Michaelson scored off an offensive rebound to give the Cadets a 44-43 lead with 11 seconds remaining.
Evans went to Robinson on the final possession and the big man was fouled with two seconds to go. The All-American made the first free throw but missed the second and the 44-44 tie produced just the second overtime contest in the 66-year history of the series.
Butler fouled out with 3:28 remaining in the extra session and Army leading by three. The captain was picked up by his teammates with Rees and Robinson making big shots down the stretch to enable Navy to escape with a 55-52 victory. The Mids earned the Star for the sixth straight season as Butler and Whitaker finished 4-0 versus the archrival.
“We made just enough plays to get out of there by the skin of our teeth,” Whitaker said. “I still wake up with night sweats thinking about if we had lost that Army game.”
There was no time to celebrate as two days later Navy welcomed Richmond into Halsey Field House. The Spiders (22-4 overall, 12-1 CAA) and Midshipmen (23-4, 12-1) came into the contest with almost identical records.
Halsey was packed to the rafters and standing-room-only spectators lined the court. There were ticket scalpers outside and fans who could not find seats surrounded the court and filled the hallways. The Annapolis fire marshal reportedly cleared out many of the fans with attendance listed at 6,315.
Liebert will never forget an atmosphere akin to Cameron Indoor Stadium at Duke. Members of the Brigade of Midshipmen unfurled sheet posters with messages of support and encouragement.
“You walk out there and holy cow, this is a giant game. It was great because I think we all felt appreciated for our work from that season by the Mids, the town, the families,” Liebert said. “It finally felt like we were a nationally-ranked team playing a home game. It was really inspiring.”
In the locker room beforehand, Evans told his players: “If you need a psych-up speech, you don’t have a pulse,” according to the Washington Post.
Whitaker had not forgotten what happened in the first game with Richmond when he was the focal point of a box-andone tactic and did not take a shot in the second half. It would not happen again. The cool Oregonian made the Spiders pay for playing a packed-in zone defense designed to shut down Butler and Robinson.
Whitaker scored a season-high 24 points on 10-for-14 shooting, loosening the Richmond zone enough to allow Butler to power inside for 27 points and Robinson to contribute 19. Butler, Whitaker and Wojcik played 39 of 40 minutes, while Robinson got just two minutes rest as Navy posted an emphatic 85-72 win to capture the regular-season championship and secure top seed for the CAA Tournament.
“Across the board, everyone played really well in that second Richmond game and we made a strong statement,” Whitaker said. “We were very motivated after what happened in the first game. We were determined to prove Navy was the best team in the league.”
AMATEUR VERSUS
PROFESSIONAL
Navy went on to win the CAA Tournament, ensuring it wouldn’t be left out of the NCAA Tournament.
The top-seeded Midshipmen blew out James Madison, 81-67, at Halsey Field House as Robinson put forth a virtuoso performance with 32 points, 19 rebounds, seven blocked shots and three steals. They followed with wins over UNC-Wilmington and George Mason, which couldn’t stop Robinson (26 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks) and Butler (24 points).
“I don’t think we could have beaten Navy with the Marines, Air Force and Army all in one,” George Mason head coach Joe Harrington told the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
The selection committee showed respect for Navy by awarding the CAA champion seventh seed in the East Region. However, it also slighted the Midshipmen by sending them to the Carrier Dome where host Syracuse loomed in a potential second-round matchup.
“I remember we were disappointed with the draw. Being put into the same bracket with Syracuse and having to play at the Carrier Dome, we thought that was a bit of a bad deal,” Rees said.
The Midshipmen showed up with laser focus and rolled in the first round. Robinson and Butler combined to score 55 points on 20-for-30 field goal shooting as Navy routed No. 10 Tulsa, 87-68.
“We’ve never been close to being humiliated like that,” said Tulsa head coach J.D. Barnett, whose team trailed by 21 points late. “And that’s what it was — humiliation.”
Most observers figured the Midshipmen would be eliminated in the second round again considering how badly they’d been beaten by the second-seeded Orange earlier in the season.
Robinson recalls Evans posting an article from the Syracuse Herald-American in the locker room before the game. Executive sports editor Bod Poliquin belittled the Midshipmen in the column, which basically asked if fans would even show up to watch the supposed mismatch.
“Will the masses, 30,000 strong and in full battle array, descend, as previously advertised, upon the great bubble at $17 a pop to watch the Orangemen play a bunch of shorthairs they beat by 22 points 98 days ago?” Poliquin wrote.
Robinson found the overall level of disrespect laughable. It was obvious outsiders still did not know what this Navy team was all about.
“We were the squids from Navy. No one really took us seriously as a basketball program, which was fine. I think it gave us more of an opportunity to make a statement,” he said.
On paper, Syracuse had a center capable of matching up with Robinson in 6-foot-11, 253-pound Rony Seikaly. Robinson was not buying that and was determined to prove he was the better All-American.
“I remember David saying: ‘If Rony Seikaly scores more than four points in this game, I’ll consider it a personal embarrassment.’ As soon as I heard that, I knew we could beat Syracuse,” Rees said. “That was just stunning because Dave never said a damn word. That’s the day I learned the difference between an amateur athlete and a professional one. Dave went out there and did exactly what he said he would.”
Robinson delivered one of the most impressive performances of his collegiate career as Navy shocked Syracuse, 97-85, to silence a crowd of 21,713 at the Carrier Dome. Meanwhile, Seikaly fouled out with just four points and four rebounds.
“David would block Seikaly’s shot at one end then dunk on him on the other end,” Evans said.
“That was the breakout game for David Robinson. He totally dominated in every respect,” Wojcik said.
Butler will never forget looking up at the scoreboard high atop the court at the massive Carrier Dome and seeing Navy was leading by 14 points with five minutes left.
“You could hear a pin drop because the Syracuse fans were so quiet,” he said. “As a team, we put it all together and played incredibly well that day.”
Navy did not handle the Syracuse press well during the regular-season meeting, committing 21 turnovers in the 89-67 loss. It was a different story during the rematch.
“In the first game, if we got the ball across half-court we pulled it out and that enabled Syracuse to set up that stifling 2-3 zone,” Wojcik said. “We had a different strategy the second time around. We figured out how to throw over the top of the press then took the ball to the basket.”
Robinson threw down a slew of alley-oop dunks while Butler got most of his 23 points on layups as the Mids repeatedly beat the press for easy baskets. Rees was 10-for-10 from the foul line in scoring 14 points off the bench as the Midshipmen stamped their ticket to the Sweet 16.
“I can’t begin to tell you how incredibly good it felt. It is one thing to do that when you are playing LSU in Dayton on a neutral court. It was a different level doing it with 23,000 people cheering against you,” Robinson said.
“In my opinion, if we run into any other team in the regional final, they would have taken us lightly. There was no way Coach K, as a West Point alum, was ever going to overlook Navy.”
— Doug Wojcik, point guard