A dream season for Potsdam State didn't lose its charm during the Final Four as the Bears finished off an undefeated season, winning their second Division III men's basketball national championship. Coach Jerry Welsh's squad finished 1986 with a 32-0 mark, outscoring opponents by an average of 27 points per game during the regular season. In the title game the Bears were tested by veteran coach Jerry Johnson's LeMoyne-Owen squad. Keys to the win were Potsdam's 63 percent shooting from the floor (31-for-49) while holding LeMoyne Owen to 44 percent.

Championship
Potsdam State 76, LeMoyne-Owen 73
at Grand Rapids, Mich. (att. not recorded)

All-Tournament Team
Roosevelt Bullock, Potsdam State (Most Outstanding Player) 
Barry Stanton, Potsdam State
Johnny Mayers, Jersey City State
Michael Neal, LeMoyne-Owen
Dana Janssen, Nebraska Wesleyan 

Third Place
Nebraska Wesleyan 97, Jersey City State 93

National Semifinals
Potsdam State 91, Jersey City State 89
LeMoyne-Owen 86, Nebraska Wesleyan 80

Quarterfinals
at LeMoyne-Owen 93, Illinois Wesleyan 85
at Potsdam State 80. Susquehanna 65
at Nebraska Wesleyan 87, Otterbein 82 (OT)
at Jersey City State 83, Mass-Dartmouth 69

Regional Championships
Mass-Dartmouth 81, Salem State 66 (at Clark)
Jersey City State 69, at Upsala 64
at Potsdam State 80, Alfred 51
at Otterbein 82, DePauw 76
at Illinois Wesleyan 63, Ripon 57
LeMoyne-Owen 72, at Centre 69
Nebraska Wesleyan 61, Dubuque 50 (at St. John's)
Susquehanna 79, at Franklin & Marshall 72 (OT)

Regional Third Place
Clark 78, Western Connecticut 77; Trenton State 58, Roanoke 55; Nazareth 87, New York University 73; Wittenberg 84, Calvin 77; UW-Whitewater 89, North Park 73; Christopher Newport 75, John Carroll 73; St. John's 71, Pomona-Pitzer 52; Washington College 94, Scranton 78

First Round
Salem State 73, Clark 71
Massachusetts-Dartmouth 64, Western Connecticut 62
Jersey City State 67, Roanoke 61
Upsala 66, Trenton State 64
Alfred 88, Nazareth 86
Potsdam State 83, New York University 67
DePauw 69, Wittenberg 55
Otterbein 100, Calvin 84
Ripon 68, North Park 65
Illinois Wesleyan 79, UW-Whitewater 75
LeMoyne-Owen 92, John Carroll 78
Centre 70, Christopher Newport 62
Nebraska Wesleyan 89, Pomona-Pitzer 59
Dubuque 71, St. John's 47
Susquehanna 79, Washington College 75
Franklin & Marshall 61, Scranton 57

Jersey City State is now known as New Jersey City University. Trenton State is now known as The College of New Jersey.