The 1985–86 Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team represented the University of Louisville during the 1985–86 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, Louisville's 72nd season of intercollegiate competition. The Cardinals competed in the Metro Conference and were coached by Denny Crum. The team played home games at Freedom Hall. The team compiled a 32–7 record and brought Louisville basketball their second NCAA national championship when they defeated Duke, 72–69.

Roster

Schedule and results

!colspan=9 style=| Regular Season !colspan=9 style=| Metro Conference tournament !colspan=9 style=| NCAA Tournament

NCAA basketball tournament

West region

Final Four

Awards and honors

Team players drafted into the NBA