LIU Sharks men's basketball

Last updated

LIU Sharks
Basketball current event.svg 2023–24 LIU Sharks men's basketball team
Long Island Sharks wordmark LIU.svg
University Long Island University
Head coach Rod Strickland (2nd season)
Conference Northeast Conference
Location Brooklyn, New York
Arena Steinberg Wellness Center and Barclays Center
(Capacity: 3,000/17,732)
Nickname Sharks
ColorsBlue and gold [1]
   
Pre-tournament Premo-Porretta champions
1936, 1941
Pre-tournament Helms champions
1939
NCAA tournament appearances
Division I
1981#, 1984#, 1997#, 2011#, 2012#, 2013#, 2018#
Division II
1962*, 1965#, 1966#, 1967#, 1971*, 1973*, 1974*. 1983*, 1984*, 1985*, 1987*, 1989*, 1990*, 1993*, 2002*, 2003*, 2008*, 2009*, 2011*, 2012*
(# = LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds; * = LIU Post Pioneers)
Conference tournament champions
LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds
1981, 1984, 1997, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2018
LIU Post Pioneers
1990, 1991, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012
Conference regular season champions
LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds
Metro NY: 1936, 1937, 1939
NEC: 1983, 1984, 1997, 1998, 2011, 2012
LIU Post Pioneers
ECC 1990, 1991, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2012

The LIU Sharks men's basketball team represents Long Island University in NCAA Division I basketball competition. They play their home games at their Brooklyn Campus in the Steinberg Wellness Center and Barclays Center, formerly known as the Wellness, Recreation & Athletics Center, and are members of the Northeast Conference. Their current head coach is Rod Strickland who was hired in June 2022. [2]

Contents

The LIU Sharks are the result of the July 1, 2019 unification of the athletic departments which had previously represented two separate campuses of LIU, the Division I LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds and the Division II LIU Post Pioneers. [3] [4]

History

Following Long Island University's founding in 1927, it soon entered intercollegiate athletic competition. Initially, its sports teams wore blue uniforms and became known as the Blue Devils. In 1935, a Brooklyn Eagle reporter saw the basketball team in its new black uniforms and stated that the team looked like blackbirds, and a new nickname was born.

LIU was a national basketball powerhouse in the 1930s and 1940s under Clair Bee, who compiled the highest winning percentage in major college basketball history, and the 1935–36 team was retroactively recognized as the pre-NCAA tournament national champion by the Premo-Porretta Power Poll. [5]

After several players were implicated in the point-shaving scandal of 1951, LIU shuttered its entire athletic program. It returned to the College Division (now Division II) in 1957 as the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds.

Blackbirds

LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds wordmark.svg
LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds

The LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds men's basketball team represented the Brooklyn campus LIU in Division II from 1957. The Blackbirds were members of the Northeast Conference. The team first returned to the University Division (the predecessor to Division I) in the late 1960s. They finally returned to Division I in the 1980s. At the same time as the Blackbirds returned, LIU's C.W. Post College Pioneers began competing, in the College Division with the school being renamed LIU Post in 2012. [6]

Their final head coach was Derek Kellogg, who was hired after his firing from Massachusetts in 2017, with the 2017–18 season was his first as head coach. On March 12, 2013, the team achieved what was the greatest run in Northeast Conference history with a third straight NCAA Tournament bid. [7]

In October 2018, LIU announced that it would merge its two existing athletic programs—the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds and LIU Post Pioneers, the latter an NCAA Division II member—effective with the 2019–20 school year. The merged athletic program now competes as the LIU Sharks, with the new colors of blue and gold, with Kellogg becoming the Sharks' first head men's basketball coach. [8] [9]

Blackbirds Postseason

NCAA Division I Tournament results

The Blackbirds appeared in the NCAA Division I tournament seven times. Their combined record was 0–7.

YearSeedRoundOpponentResult
1981 #12First round#5 VCUL 69–85
1984 #11Preliminary Round#11 NortheasternL 87–90
1997 #13First round#4 VillanovaL 91–101
2011 #15First round#2 North CarolinaL 87–102
2012 #16First round#1 Michigan StateL 67–89
2013 #16First Four#16 James MadisonL 55–68
2018 #16First Four#16 RadfordL 61–71

NCAA Division II tournament results

The Blackbirds appeared in the NCAA Division II tournament three times. Their combined record was 6–3.

YearRoundOpponentResult
1965 Regional semifinals
Regional Finals
Cheyney
Philadelphia Textile
W 57–48
L 58–61
1966 Regional semifinals
Regional Finals
Elite Eight
Drexel
Cheyney
Akron
W 62–54
W 67–64
L 68–74
1967 Regional Quarterfinals
Regional semifinals
Regional Finals
Elite Eight
Rochester
Central Connecticut State
Saint Michael's
Winston-Salem State
W 85–76
W 114–66
W 72–64
L 54–62

NIT results

The Blackbirds appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) ten times. Their combined record was 7–8 and they were NIT champions in 1939 and 1941.

YearRoundOpponentResult
1938 QuarterfinalsNYUL 37–39
1939 Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Championship Game
New Mexico A&M
Bradley
Loyola (IL)
W 52–45
W 36–33
W 45–32
1940 QuarterfinalsDePaulL 38–45
1941 Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Championship Game
Westminster
Seton Hall
Ohio
W 48–36
W 49–26
W 56–42
1942 QuarterfinalsWest VirginiaL 49–58
1947 QuarterfinalsKentuckyL 62–66
1950 QuarterfinalsSyracuseL 52–80
1968 First round
Quarterfinals
Bradley
Notre Dame
W 80–77
L 60–62
1982 First roundIllinoisL 78–126
1998 First roundDaytonL 92–95

Rivalry

The Battle of Brooklyn plaque listing the men's basketball winners since 1976 Ny e brooklyn sy 200.jpg
The Battle of Brooklyn plaque listing the men's basketball winners since 1976

For 44 years, beginning in the 1975–1976 season, an annual Battle of Brooklyn has been a tradition for LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds and St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers men's basketball teams. Each season, a game (the schools usually play each other twice) is dedicated in tribute William Lai and Daniel Lynch, former athletic directors at Long Island University and St. Francis College, respectively. The Battle of Brooklyn has been a tradition between the basketball programs for 40 years. Each year the most valuable player of the game is given the Lai-Lynch Trophy in memory of the two ADs. Long Island now has a Battle record of 23–17 against St. Francis.

Notable players

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference</span> U.S. college athletic conference

The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division I. Its current 11 full members are located in four Northeastern states: Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Maryland. It was announced on October 23, 2023 that Sacred Heart University and Merrimack College will join the conference beginning in the 2024-25 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northeast Conference</span> D-1 college athletic conference

The Northeast Conference (NEC) is a collegiate athletic conference whose schools are members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Teams in the NEC compete in Division I for all sports; football competes in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Participating schools are located principally in the Northeastern United States, from which the conference derives its name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northeast-10 Conference</span> US college athletic conference

The Northeast-10 Conference (NE-10) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Member institutions are located in the northeastern United States in the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont. It is the only Division II collegiate ice hockey conference in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derek Kellogg</span> American college basketball coach (born 1973)

Derek William Kellogg is an American college basketball coach who currently serves as an assistant coach for Creighton. Kellogg previously served as head coach of the Minutemen, his alma mater, being named to the position on April 23, 2008, replacing Travis Ford, who left to take the head coaching job at Oklahoma State University. He was removed from the position on March 9, 2017. After being let go by the Minutemen, he was named head coach of the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds, which represented the school's Brooklyn campus. He was named the first head coach of the current LIU team upon its formation in July 2019 when LIU merged the Brooklyn athletic program with that of its Post campus, creating a new program that now competes as the LIU Sharks, and served in that role until he was fired and replaced by Rod Strickland on June 30, 2022. After his firing from LIU, Kellogg returned to his alma mater UMass as an assistant coach for one season before leaving for Creighton in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of St. Francis College

The St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers were the 21 teams that represented St. Francis College in athletics. The Terriers were members of NCAA Division I and participated in the Northeast Conference (NEC) except in two sports that the NEC does not sponsor—men's and women's water polo. The water polo teams respectively competed in the Collegiate Water Polo Association and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LIU Brooklyn</span> Private university in New York City, New York, U.S.

LIU Brooklyn is a private university in Brooklyn, New York. It is the original unit and first of two main campuses of the private Long Island University system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds</span>

The LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds were the athletic teams representing Long Island University's campus in Brooklyn, New York in intercollegiate athletics, including men's and women's basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, and track; women's-only bowling, lacrosse, softball, tennis, and volleyball; and men's-only baseball. The Blackbirds competed in NCAA Division I and were members of the Northeast Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LIU Post Pioneers</span> Former US college athletic program

The LIU Post Pioneers were the athletic teams that represented the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University, located in Brookville, New York, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports through the 2018–19 school year. The Pioneers most recently competed as members of the East Coast Conference for most sports; the football team was an affiliate of the Northeast-10 Conference. LIU Post has been a member of the ECC since 1989, when the league was established as the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference.

The LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds women's basketball team represented the Brooklyn campus of Long Island University, located in Brooklyn, New York in NCAA Division I basketball competition. They played their home games at the Steinberg Wellness Center, formerly known as the Wellness, Recreation & Athletics Center, and were members of the Northeast Conference (NEC).

The Battle of Brooklyn was the college sports rivalry between Long Island University and St. Francis College. The LIU Sharks and SFBK Terriers were both in the Northeast Conference and competed against each other in various sports. The Battle of Brooklyn was a fierce rivalry, which originated in men's basketball; while the two schools are rivals in all sports that both schools sponsor, the "Battle of Brooklyn" name is currently applied only to matchups in men's and women's basketball and men's soccer. The intensity of the rivalry was augmented by the proximity of the two universities, located less than a half-mile apart in Downtown Brooklyn. The name of the rivalry is in reference to the first major battle of the American Revolutionary War, the Battle of Brooklyn.

The Northeast Conference Men's Basketball Coach of the Year is a basketball award given to head coaches in the Northeast Conference (NEC). The award is presented to the head coach voted to be the most successful that season by the league's coaches. The award was first given following the 1982–83 season, the second year of the conference's existence, to Matt Furjanic of Robert Morris.

The 2018–19 LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds men's basketball team represented LIU Brooklyn during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Blackbirds were led by second-year head coach Derek Kellogg, and played their home games at the Steinberg Wellness Center, with two home games at the Barclays Center, as members of the Northeast Conference (NEC). They finished the season 16–16 overall, 9–9 in NEC play to finish in a tie for fifth place. As the No. 6 seed in the NEC tournament, they advanced to the semifinals, where they were defeated by Saint Francis (PA).

The 2019–20 Northeast Conference men's basketball season began with practices in October 2019, followed by the start of the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season in November. Conference play started in January and ended in February 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LIU Sharks</span> Athletic teams representing Long Island University

The LIU Sharks are the athletics teams representing Long Island University's (LIU) campuses in Brooklyn and Brookville, New York. The Sharks compete in NCAA Division I athletics and are members of the Northeast Conference. The LIU Sharks are the result of the July 1, 2019 unification of the athletic departments which had previously represented two separate campuses of LIU, the NCAA Division I LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds and the NCAA Division II LIU Post Pioneers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LIU Sharks football</span> College football team representing Long Island University

The LIU Sharks football program represents Long Island University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level. The Sharks are members of the Northeast Conference and play their home games in the 6,000 seat Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium.

The 2019–20 NEC women's basketball season will begin with practices in October 2019, followed by the start of the 2019–20 NCAA Division I women's basketball season in November. Conference play will start in January 2020 and concluded in March with the 2020 Northeast Conference women's basketball tournament.

The 2019 Northeast Conference men's soccer season was the 39th season of men's varsity soccer in the conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019–20 LIU Sharks men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2019–20 LIU Sharks men's basketball team represented Long Island University during the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Sharks were led by third-year head coach Derek Kellogg, and played their home games at the Steinberg Wellness Center, with some home games at the Barclays Center, as members of the Northeast Conference (NEC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LIU Sharks women's ice hockey</span> College ice hockey team

The LIU Sharks women's ice hockey team represents Long Island University in NCAA Division I ice hockey competition as a member of the New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA). They play their home games at Islanders Iceworks in Syosset, New York and Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LIU Sharks women's basketball</span> Basketball team representing Long Island University

The LIU Sharks women's basketball team represents Long Island University in NCAA Division I basketball competition. They play their home games at their Brooklyn Campus in the Steinberg Wellness Center and are members of the Northeast Conference. Their current head coach is Rene Haynes, who was hired in April 2019.

References

  1. Long Island University Style Guide for Print and Visual Application (PDF). July 25, 2019. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  2. Warren, Brooks (June 30, 2022). "Rod Strickland Leaving G League Ignite to Become Head Coach of LIU Brooklyn". slamonline.com. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  3. "LIU combining Post and Brooklyn athletic programs". Newsday. October 3, 2018. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  4. "#OneLIU website". Long Island University. Archived from the original on August 21, 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  5. ESPN, ed. (2009). ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game. New York, NY: ESPN Books. p. 544. ISBN   978-0-345-51392-2.
  6. "The Official Site of Long Island University–LIU Post Pioneers Athletics". Long Island University. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  7. "LIU Brooklyn makes history with third consecutive Northeast Conference title after defeating Mount St. Mary's". New York Daily News. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
  8. "LIU combining Post and Brooklyn athletic programs". Newsday. October 3, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
  9. "#OneLIU website". Long Island University. Archived from the original on August 21, 2019. Retrieved May 22, 2019.