LIU is not backing down from long March Madness contention as the No. 1 seed. 16
SAN DIEGO – LIU knows how to tell.
Sharks understand the long odds incredibly well.
They saw a massive 30.5 point spread in favor of their opponent, the No. 1 seed. 1 and Big 12 champion Arizona.
Rod Strickland’s team doesn’t care.
The NEC regular season and postseason champions are here in the NCAA Tournament, for the first time in eight years, for a reason.
“You have to go in with the mindset that you’re going to win,” LIU freshman forward Shadrak Lasu said. “I think all of our guys have prepared for it so far in this game, and I think we all have the mindset that we’re going to come in and win.”
There is a connection to one of these two No. 16 who produced the highest seed.
Guard Greg Gordon played for Tobin Anderson at Iona — the same coach who led Fairleigh Dickinson to a shocking upset of Purdue in the 2023 championship.
“He spoke his mind to his team before they came out and did the unthinkable,” Gordon recalled. “That’s a big thing, he always talked about it and that they never backed down, they went in with pride.
There was a lot of pride coming out of LIU (24-10) on Thursday.
This is a program that won three games four years ago, in Strickland’s first season as Sharks coach.
Each year, they have gotten better, and this winter LIU won its most games (24) since the 2011-12 campaign.
During this run, LIU and its fan section, “The Reef,” became an Internet sensation thanks to the famous “Fins Up” chant.
It is a hand gesture where fans raise their hands above their heads to form a dorsal fin.
It caught on — LIU’s bench now participates in “Fins Up” during games — and Nebraska fans are starting to do it.
“I feel like the first ‘Fins Up’ is going to send shivers down everyone’s spine,” Gordon said. “I feel like even Arizona can do it. It’s a great move. Everyone loves it.”
LIU’s defense leads the NEC in conference play in 3-point field goal percentage (30.1 percent) and blocked shot percentage (14.6), and is a top-50 team in offensive rebounding percentage.
The big three of Gordon, Malachi Smith and Jamal Fuller lead the way, averaging 44.9 points per game.
Arizona (32-2) is one of the favorites to break the net in the Final Four in Indianapolis next month.
LIU feels prepared for this level of competition.
It faced championship teams Illinois and Georgia during the regular season.
“You have to believe in yourself. I mean, there’s no way you can go into any game feeling like you’re a loser,” said Strickland, a former Knicks point guard in the Bronx. “Our goal from the beginning was to win the regular season, win the conference, then get to the dance, and make some noise.
“And they’re confident. But I’m sure they know what they’re up against, and that’s a good thing.”
The odds are clearly not in LIU’s favor.
Since the NCAA tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, only two No. 16 seeds have beaten a No. 1 seed in 161 tries.
But Siena nearly upset Duke on Thursday afternoon, leading by 13 in the second half before running out of gas in a 71-65 loss.
It has happened before, and one of them was a NEC student of the FDU school.
The Knights were outscored by 23.5 points in 2024, and Anderson guided them to a shocking victory.
“I hope you left a little magic,” said Gordon, “for me to use.”
Three keys to LIU’s upset
Get started immediately
This is the key to any major upset. Put doubt in the heads of the favorite. The closer the game, the more confident LIU will be, and the stronger Arizona will be. Under coach Tommy Lloyd, the Wildcats did not fare well in the tournament. In 2023, Arizona lost as the No. 1 seed. 2 at No. 15 Princeton.
Do 3s
LIU doesn’t take a ton of 3-pointers (15.6 attempts per game), but it shoots 36.1 percent from long range. The Sharks need to make 10 from beyond the arc. It will be incredibly difficult to score inside against Arizona’s mammoth front line bolstered by 7-foot-2 Lithuanian center Motiejus Krivas.
Pray
Arizona is a national title favorite. The Wildcats have lost two all year, arguably the best point guard in the country in Jaden Bradley and are ranked in the top five in both offensive (fifth) and defensive efficiency (third).
