The 1985–86 Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team represented the University of Iowa as members of the Big Ten Conference. The team was led by third-year head coach George Raveling and played their home games at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. They finished the season 20–12 overall and 10–8 in Big Ten play. The Hawkeyes received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as #11 seed in the Midwest Region, losing in the first round to the NC State Wolfpack.