One of the most exciting parts of the opening weekend can be learning about new programs from across the country, seeing teams from Arizona to New York and everywhere in between take the court. And while there will be plenty of Power 4 matchups on Thursday and Friday through the weekend, the Wildcats are taking on a school that many folks may not be as familiar with. Check out our preview and get to know Arizona Men’s Basketball’s (32-2) First Round opponent in the NCAA Tournament, the Long Island Sharks.
Get to know the Long Island Sharks
Long Island University (24-10, 15-3) swept the Northeast Conference regular season and tournament titles. LIU won the regular season by three games, then defeated Chicago State, Wagner, and Mercyhurst in the NEC Tournament on its way to its pair of championships. The Sharks are making their eighth NCAA Tournament appearance and first under head coach Rod Strickland, the former NBA guard who spent 17 years in the league and is in his fourth season at the helm for LIU.
The LIU Sharks are actually a result of a unification of the Division I Long Island Blackbirds and the Division II LIU Post Pioneers, which happened in 2019.
Long Island features a group of guards that can get things going on both ends of the floor. Senior Jamal Fuller leads the Sharks with 16.4 points, 5.5 rebounds (tied for a team-high), 2.5 assists, 1.0 steal, and 1.1 blocks, all while shooting 52.5% from the field, including 43.8% from 3-point range. Fellow guards Malachi Davis, Greg Gordon, and Jomo Goings can all score in bunches as well, averaging 14.4, 14.1, and 10.0 points per game, respectively. The quartet of guards, including Fuller, make up four of the five top rebounders on the team, and all four members of the Sharks’ backcourt average 1.0+ steals per game.
Long Island by the Numbers
LIU checks in at No. 216 in the latest KenPom.com ratings, with the 239th-rated offensive efficiency and 187th-rated defensive efficiency. In a number of ways, the Sharks are built like the Wildcats, relying on high-percentage shots in the paint for the majority of their scoring. Long Island ranks ninth in the country in 2-pointer point distribution, one spot above Arizona, with 58.0% of its scoring coming inside the arc.
And while the Sharks check in with a top 50 3-point percentage, they are 355th in 3-point attempts, averaging 16.5 shots from downtown. On the defensive end however, LIU is one of the best in the country at defending the 3-point line. The Sharks are 23rd in the country in 3-point attempt percentage defense, at 33.2%. LIU also boasts a Top 20 free throw defense and block percentage this season.
Slowing teams down isn’t necessarily part of the game plan for LIU, but neither is playing with incredible pace for a full 40 minutes. The Sharks have the 154th-fastest tempo in college basketball this season.
Arizona-LIU Preview & Prediction:
Arizona has weathered just about every storm that has been thrown its way this season and Friday’s contest against Long Island should be no different. Unlike years past, where the Wildcats have faced a team that excels at slowing opponents down, or can light it up from 3-point range in the First Round, the Sharks will be trying to beat the UA at its own game. LIU’s 3-point defense might give other programs that are more dependent on the triple a hard time, but Arizona takes the fourth fewest threes in the country, effectively neutralizing the Sharks’ best advantage on defense.
Size will also be a factor in this one. Arizona has the eighth tallest team in the nation, compared to LIU, which checks in at 167th in the land. The Wildcats have a size advantage at just about every position, with none being a starker contrast than LIU’s 6-foot-8 center Shadrak Lasu and Motiejus Krivas standing at 7-foot-2.
Given the 10:35 AM PST/MST tip-off, expect Arizona to come out sluggish to start the game and don’t be surprised if Long Island has a slim lead at the first media timeout. Between the Wildcats’ roster composition, Tommy Lloyd’s ground and pound style of physical play, and being battle test in the Big 12, Arizona should cruise into the Second Round on Sunday. Expect the Wildcats handle Long Island 83-59, give or take a few points on either end.
[…] road to the Final Four begins on Friday in San Diego. Ahead of the Wildcats’ first round matchup against the Long Island Sharks, see what Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd and seniors Jaden Bradley, Tobe Awaka, and Anthony […]