On December 7, 1985, the team set the current Big Ten Conference single-game record for team blocked shots with 18 against Florida Southern,[6] and Tarpley led the conference with a 2.50 blocked shot average in conference games for the season.[7] The team repeated as scoring margin statistical champion with a 10.6 average in conference games.[8] Additionally, the team led the conference in rebounding average (35.1), rebounding margin (5.8), steals (8.61) and block shots (3.94).[9]
For the second of five consecutive seasons, the team set the school record for single-season field goal percentage with a 51.6% (1049-for-2032) performance.[10] The team also set a school single-season free throw percentage record of 74.8% that would be eclipsed the following season, surpassing the 74.4% set in 1975.[11]Gary Grant's single-season total of 185 assists established a school record that he would surpass two seasons later. It surpassed Antoine Joubert's 164 total set in 1985.[12] His single-season steals total of 84 and average of 2.55 surpassed Ricky Green's 1977 school records, but Grant would better each of these statistics the following year.[13] The team set the school single-season total steals record of 265 that stood until 1994, surpassing the 1977 total of 263.[13]Roy Tarpley surpassed his school single-season blocked shots average record of 2.20 set the prior season with an average of 2.94. He broke his two-year-old single-season total record of 69 with a total of 97. Both records still stand as of 2010[update].[14] He also set the career blocks average of 2.06 that remained unsurpassed until Chris Webber averaged 2.50 during his career that ended in 1993. His career total of 251 remains unsurpassed.[14] On December 7, 1985, against Florida Southern, Tarpley totaled 10 blocks in a game break his own school single-game record of 7 set the prior year.[14] That night the team totaled 18 blocks. Both numbers are current school records.[14] For the season, the team posted 146 blocks which stood as a school record until 1992.[14]Richard Rellford ended his career with 124 games played, which surpassed Steve Grote's 1977 record of 116. Antoine Joubert would surpass the record the following season.[15] On January 5, 1985, the team began a 24-game home winning streak against Ohio State that continued through a February 15, 1986, victory over Iowa. This stands as the longest home winning streak in school history. The streak ended with a February 20, 1986 74–59 loss to Michigan State.[16] January 12, 1985, victory over Purdue also marked the start of a 10-game road winning streak that continued through a January 4, 1986, victory over Ohio State. This stands as the longest road winning streak in school history. The streak ended with a January 16, 1986 73–63 loss to Minnesota.[16]
1985-86
Overall: 28-5
Big Ten: 14-4 (1st | Champions)[17]
Postseason: NCAA (Midwest), #2 seed (Second Round)
Head Coach: Bill Frieder
Staff: Mike Boyd, Steve Fisher & David Hammer
Captains: Roy Tarpley & Butch Wade
Home Arena: Crisler Arena (13,609)