Long Island Basketball

This article was originally published by Jesse Kamer on www.thecatchandshoot.com.

Behind a career performance from C.J. Garner, LIU-Brooklyn knocked off Mount St. Mary’s in the NEC title game at the WRAC, 91-70, to complete the first three-peat in NEC tournament history.

Garner, a senior guard is one of the many players to lead the Blackbirds’ to the national spotlight over the last few seasons, was unstoppable with 31 points on 13-of-17 shooting. He also had a two assists and a pair of steals.

Hot shooting in the first half for Mount St. Mary’s kept them within four points at halftime, but the Blackbirds blew the game open with 67.7 percent shooting in the second half, outscoring the Mountaineers 56-39 in the final 20 minutes.

The Mountaineers led 20-12 seven minutes in thanks to three three-pointers from Sam Prescott and one trey from Julian Norfleet, who was questionable for Tuesday’s game after injuring his ankle in the conference semifinals. Garner rattled off eight points in a 2:39 span and LIU tied the score at 25-25.

Named the NEC tournament MVP after the game, Garner really stepped up his play in the three single-elimination games. In the semifinals, he posted 30 points against Quinnipiac, and in the quarterfinals he recorded 23 against Wagner.

“There was a sense of urgency,” the senior said.

“He’s had it in him all along,” LIU-Brooklyn head coach Jack Perri said. “When you have Julian [Boyd], Jason [Brickman] and Jamal [Olasewere], he hasn’t had to do it. He’s done it when he needed to do it, but it was more like everybody can do it at different times... I said it from day one this year: ‘C.J., you’re as good as anybody in this league.’”

The score was still tied, at 31-31, inside of two minutes, and LIU scored back-to-back buckets to take a 35-31 lead to intermission. The Blackbirds held Mount St. Mary’s to one made field goal over the final nine minutes.

“We changed up to a 2-3 zone and extended it to take away those three-point shots,” Perri said.

The Blackbirds stayed in their zone in the second half, and it continued to work. They held the Mountaineers to 3-of-18 shooting from beyond the arc after allowing them to make 6-of-13 in the first period.

LIU’s offense quickly got in a rhythm, ending most possessions with at least a foul if not a made field goal.

An athletic slam by Olasewere over Shivaughn Wiggins with 12:02 left brought the home crowd to its feet and stretched the lead to 56-42. The Blackbirds would build their lead to as many as 24 points with 4:16 on the clock.

When D.J. Griggs dribbled out the clock and the final buzzer sounded, a third consecutive NCAA tournament appearance became official for LIU.

“This means so much to our program,” Perri said, who became the third first-year head coach to win a NEC tournament title. Perri had been at LIU as an assistant for seven seasons under Jim Ferry, including the recent championship years. “Being the leader of the group and having dealt with all that we’ve dealt with, this is definitely the sweetest.”

The Blackbirds were only the No. 3 seed in the tournament, so their quarterfinal matchup against Quinnipiac was expected to be their final home game of the season. But Mount St. Mary’s, the No. 5 seed, upset No. 1 seed Robert Morris in the semifinals, so, as the higher seed, LIU hosted.

“After we beat Wagner [in the semifinals], we all went to the locker room and watched the Mount and Robert Morris game,” said Olasewere, who finished the championship game with 15 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals. “We were cheering when Mount won just because of the fact that we could come back here [to the WRAC].”

It was only fair that these players got to make NEC history on their home floor. LIU’s recent history had been filled with mediocrity, but thanks to players like Olasewere, Garner, Boyd and Brickman, the program has done a complete 180.

Brickman, a junior, has experienced a championship in all three of his season. “It’s great just to come into this program and win three championships and make history,” the starting point guard and nation’s leader in assists said. He finished Tuesday night with seven points and eight assists to only three turnovers.

Perri was quick to peg these four veterans, along with seniors Kenny Onyechi and Booker Hucks, to the “best ever” in the NEC. “Why wouldn’t they be the best ever?” said Perri. “They’ve done what nobody else has ever done.”

Now, the Blackbirds will wait until they hear their name called on Selection Sunday. Most likely, they will be a No. 16 seed.

“We’ve had some pretty rough losses in the beginning of the year, so I would imagine the play-in game is a clear option,” Perri said. “That’s fine. We’ll take whoever we get. We’ll have confidence one way or the other.”

And that confidence is not wrong.

With a scorer like C.J. Garner, a versatile forward like Jamal Olasewere, and the nation’s leading assist man in Jason Brickman, they could give a top-seeded team a good fight.

Jesse Kramer is the founder of The Catch and Shoot, a blog dedicated to college basketball news, observations and insights on nationwide topics. You can follow Jesse on Twitter at Jesse_Kramer, and you can follow The Catch and Shoot at Catch_N_Shoot.

All quotes in this article were received in person.

LIU-Brooklyn received some crushing news over the weekend, as Nelson Castillo of Blackbirds Hoops Journal reported that star forward Julian Boyd will miss the remainder of the 2012-13 season with a torn ACL. Boyd was injured during the Blackbirds' matchup at Rice last week.

Without Boyd, who won the NEC Player of the Year award last season with 17.4 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, Long Island is still one of the top teams in its conference. The Boyd-less Blackbirds showed that on Sunday with a 27-point win over Manhattan, which was picked to finish No. 2 in the MAAC this season.

But with the Blackbirds now short-handed, they are no longer the hands-down favorite in the conference.

Robert Morris has been red hot, with wins in six of its last seven games. Most recently, the Colonials dominated Duquesne, 91-69.

As one of the more successful mid-major programs in the northeast over the past four seasons, with four appearances in the NEC championship game and two NCAA tournament berths, it would be no surprise to see the Colonials destroy Long Island's dreams of a three-peat.

Wagner, which finished second in the NEC last season, has been off to a slow start, but the Seahawks are easily the best defensive team in the conference. Ken Pomeroy ranks Wagner No. 29 in defensive efficiency, and the next-best team in the conference is Quinnipiac at No. 144.

Even when Long Island had Boyd, Robert Morris and Wagner were considered contenders for the NEC title, picked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. In fact, the Colonials even garnered three first-place votes.

But now a few other teams, such as Central Connecticut State, Mount St. Mary's and Quinnipiac, could also get their names in the mix.

With a pair of dynamic scorers in Kyle Vinales and Matt Hunter, Central Connecticut State can give any NEC team fits on any given night. The Blue Devils are 4-4 so far this season, with three losses coming by three or fewer points on the road. Their only other loss was to then-No. 1 Indiana.

Mount St. Mary's and Quinnipiac have both struggled early in the season, but the Mountaineers have an exciting, young coach in Jamion Christian, who has adapted many pieces of VCU coach Shaka Smart's system. And with Boyd no longer in Long Island's frontcourt, Quinnipiac's combination of Ike Azotam, Ousmane Drame and Jamee Jackson is the best front line in the league.

Part of what made Long Island so dangerous over the last two seasons was that it had both Boyd and fellow senior Jamal Olasewere in the frontcourt. Having arguably the two best players in the conference playing side-by-side made the Blackbirds extremely explosive.

Olasewere is still good enough to do plenty of damage on his own. So far this season he is averaging 18.1 points, and against Manhattan he posted 11 points and nine rebounds in only 20 minutes.

But he now must adjust to being the main target of every opponent's defensive scheme, in addition to being more mindful about foul trouble.

Although the Blackbirds have a few other competent forwards in Booker Hucks and freshman E.J. Reed, their front line will not be able to do much damage if Olasewere's playing time is limited by fouls.

The loss of Boyd will be the biggest obstacle in Long Island's path to a three-peat, but fortunately the Blackbirds do have three more non-conference games to adjust to a new rotation until they begin NEC competition.

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On Thursday, four LIU-Brooklyn men's basketball players were arrested on charges of third-degree assault, according to a tweet by Pat O'Keefe of News 12 in The Bronx and Brooklyn. The arrests came following an on-campus fight.

Those arrested include forwards Julian Boyd and Jamal Olasewere, combo-guard C.J. Garner and reserve Troy Joseph. Boyd, Olasewere and Garner were the team's top three scorers and all started for the Blackbirds last season, when they won their second consecutive NEC championship.

CBSSports.com's Matt Norlander reported that all four players are suspended indefinitely.

If these players do not return to the team for the basketball season, the Blackbirds' seemingly inevitable three-peat in the NEC is in question.

Boyd was the NEC Player of the Year last season, averaging 17.4 points and 9.3 rebounds. He also made the conference's first team as a redshirt sophomore. Boyd became a feel-good story by making an unforeseen comeback to hoops after missing his sophomore season with a heart condition.

Olasewere and Garner were also huge contributors, averaging 16.9 points and 12.6 points, respectively. Olasewere led the team in field-goal percentage at 57.1 percent and was the Blackbirds' best defender with 1.5 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.

LIU was the clear favorite in the NEC prior to these arrests, although Robert Morris, Wagner and Quinnipiac were all expected to put up a solid fight. But without Boyd, Olasewere and Garner, the Blackbirds would at best be the second-best team in the conference, behind the Colonials. The Blackbirds would be in danger of falling behind Wagner and possibly even Quinnipiac.

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I know, I know. When you looked up Long Island University the first time for 2011 NCAA March Madness, you read that:

A. The Blackbirds won the automatic bid of the Northeast Conference—a league ranked 18th in the RPI,

B. They were the only team in the NEC with an RPI in the top 100,

C. They lost all three games against teams with an RPI in the top 100,

D. They had a strength of schedule of 258, and

E. They're playing NORTH CAROLINA...IN CHARLOTTE!

Nevertheless, I believe the Blackbirds absolutely have the chance to win. Instead of being shocked when the talking heads break the news to you late Friday night, change your bracket NOW so that you can be smiling when it happens instead.

LIU can score.

You want to run? They can run. You want to lock down the lane? All five players on the floor will take turns draining three-pointers. You want to deny them on the perimeter? The nation's leader in free throws attempted will go banging inside and begin their "And One" parade. Don't forget that they are also the fourth-highest scoring offense in the country at 82.6 points per game. The Tarheels are tough in the paint, but LIU doesn't need to go there to score.

The Blackbirds have scored 80 or more points 24 times in their 32 games this season. The Tarheels? Just 12.

The key to LIU's success this year is that they are a team of interchangeable parts. More importantly, the players have totally bought into head coach Jim Ferry's ultimate basketball platoon system.

There is no one person to stop on offense. North Carolina will need to stop all five players on the court. And if they do, Ferry will simply look down his bench and sub. My prediction is that at least eight Blackbirds will see action within the first six minutes of play, regardless of the score.

Tune in, it's a thing of beauty to watch. For example, when an LIU player commits a foul, he knows to immediately head to the bench, and his replacement is already on his way to the scorer's table. Back-to-back fouls do not happen. Foul trouble is no trouble at all for the Blackbirds. And by the way, Jason Brickman led the NEC in assists as LIU's backup point guard.

Finally, let's rate the hometown crowd "advantage" for what it is: a non-factor. These kids go about their daily business walking around Brooklyn. They simply don't scare that easily, a fact further confirmed by their 13 straight road wins.

And as soon as LIU takes their first lead of the night, I'm fairly confident that the Duke fans in the arena will sit up and take notice. And once the three-point barrage begins, the Blue Devil faithful might even get loud.

Last time I checked, they enjoy rooting against the Tar Heels.

It was hard to tell if the water coming from the face of LIU coach Jim Ferry was that of sweat or of tears. In all likelihood it was a mixture of both. It was just that type of night for the Blackbirds who blew a late game lead on their home court to Robert Morris before grinding out the win in overtime, 85-82 over the two-time defending champions.

Russell Johnson, who had hit a three at the end of regulation to tie it, had 0.8 seconds left in overtime to do the same, but it was well short and as the buzzer sounded, many of the 1,300 fans who had filled the Wellness and Recreation and Athletic Center to the brim rushed the court in absolute jubilation as LIU had captured their first NEC Championship in 14 long years.

Located just off of Flatbush Ave. in Brooklyn, LIU isn't a beautiful school, and the WRAC isn't a stunning facility. Yet these Blackbirds found a way to be tough and just force their way to victory. They were led by sophomore sensation Jamal Olasaware who had 31-points on the night to lead all scoring.

Long Island is the best offensive team in the league (sixth in the division one) and Robert Morris is the best defensive team in the conference. This led to what many were hoping would be a thrilling matchup. They were not disappointed.

Leading 72-64 with 1:51 to go, it looked like things were about to get wrapped up. The student sections were moving down the aisle, getting ready to storm the court. Then the unthinkable happened. In the span of 10 seconds the Colonials cut the lead to three off a tip shot by Johnson, then a steal by Velton Jones and a three by Gary Wallace. LIU made the lead five once again, but a layup by Jones sliced the lead to three. With 55 seconds to go Olasaware missed Jason Brickman on the pass and turned it over, leading to a three by Johnson with 16 seconds to go.

In overtime, Robert Morris led most of the first half of it, but LIU took an 82-80 lead with 1:16 to go, and never looked back.

LIU is one of those teams that gets everyone involved. They play so unselfishly and no player averages more than 13.1 ppg on their team. They are so team-oriented and you can bet that no four or five seed is hoping that they draw these Blackbirds in the first round. They are a projected 13-15 seed for the first round as they finish up what has been an incredible season.

They are currently 27-5, and have won 13 in a row, the longest current streak in the country. They have also won 21 out of 22. Their last loss at home was to Robert Morris on December 3rd. They also lead the nation in road wins with 13 and lead the nation in drawing fouls.

So dust off those dancin' shoes LIU, cause it's time to party! 

The LIU Blackbirds aren't your typical team. They are the sixth-highest scoring team in the country, yet the highest scoring player on their team only averages 13.1 ppg. They are the third-highest rebounding squad in the NCAA, but not a single player averages more than nine boards a contest. To put it simply, they are one of the most well rounded team out there.

They enter tonight's game at home, the Wellness and Recreational Athletic Complex, a.k.a. the WRAC, having won 12 games in a row, the longest streak in the nation. They are 13-2 at home, the last time they lost in their tiny gym in the northern part of Brooklyn was to these same Colonials, on December 3, a 70-69 defeat in their first conference game. They also have 13 road wins on the season, which is the most in the country.

Their leading scorer and rebounder, Julian Boyd, is coming back this season after being forced to sit all of last season with a heart condition. Part of his heart was enlarged, and he was unable to play. However, he has played with quite a bit of heart this season after receiving the news last summer that he was okay to go, and has been the spark for this LIU team.

Head coach Jim Ferry, who has taken this team with the good and the bad was named the NEC coach of the year, and no doubt deserves it after the dominance this team has had over nearly all their opponents. The coach is also recognized with his unique recruiting tactics. Only two of his players are from the tri-state area. He has one player from Long Island, and another from New Jersey. The rest are mostly from Texas and Canada, and a few others are scattered about the country. Ferry believed that since some of the other schools had monopolies over the good players in the NYC area, that it would be best to find players that hoped to play in New York City.

They are one of the most unselfish teams that you will find. They all split playing time and ball time, and no one complains. They are one of the best all around teams out there. One of the core players is Jamal Olasaware, who has been a consistent spark. Whenever his team can't find a shot, he can take the ball to the hole and either get two or get fouled, and sometimes both. He can also hit the three and find his teammates when they are open. 

So make sure you look out tonight when they host Robert Morris at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN2. LIU fans planning on doing a "white-out" in which all the fans and students where white to the game in support of the Blackbirds whose main colors are Black and White.

When people think of a resurgence in New York City basketball, they probably think of the New York Knicks or the St. John's University Red Storm, both of whom were a joke the past decade, but have now become no laughing matter. However, there is one team that seems to be overlooked, LIU.

Yes, their school name is Long Island University; however, the Blackbirds are 100 percent Brooklyn. They have two separate campuses, one in Brookville, which is located in Nassau Country, Long Island. Then they have the Brooklyn campus, which is where most of the magic from this 14-4 season has occurred. 

The average college basketball fan has probably never heard of the LIU Blackbirds. They play in a notoriously small conference, the Northeast Conference, and have not really been successful in many years. However, they do have a very rich history. Way back in 1939, the Blackbirds were the best team in College Basketball. They finished the season with a record of 24-0 and won the NIT, which at the time was the bigger postseason tournament. They went on to win the NIT again in 1941. 

However, in 1951, the Blackbirds were part of the infamous CCNY Point Shaving Scandal, which caused them to cancel their athletic program for six seasons. All the schools involved suffered greatly, including CCNY and NYU, who both became division III athletic schools. However, those days are in the past for Long Island, and now finally, they are becoming the dominant force that they know they are capable of.

The team plays in their newly renovated WRAC (Wellness Recreation and Athletics Center), after recently moving from the Brooklyn Paramount Theatre. The WRAC is a nice, yet small gym, which can fit several thousand fans. 

The Blackbirds came into the 2010-2011 season really not knowing what to expect. Their best player from last season, Jaytornah Wisseh, had just graduated and they were welcoming back their big man Julian Boyd, who had to sit out last season due to heart problems. It was thought he may never play basketball again. However, after their first few games it was apparent that this team was special. They started off the season at 4-0, while scoring an average of nearly 88 points per game over that winning streak. 

The Blackbirds would go onto lose the next four out of six games, including a one-point loss to conference rival, Robert Morris, who is the two-time defending Northeast Conference Champion. The losing skid would eventually end on December 13th, when the Blackbirds took their talents to Evanston, IL, and lost by 16 to a then-undefeated Northwestern Wildcats team. Since that game, which was 39 days ago, the Blackbirds have not lost. 

They have won eight games in a row, five of which were by more than 10, and have averaged more than 85 ppg during the streak. They are currently ranked 12th in the NCAA in scoring averaging at exactly 82 ppg. They also rank ninth in the NCAA in rebounding at 41.1 boards per game.

The Blackbirds, led by coach Jim Ferry, are a balanced team, and although they have a prolific scoring offense, they don't have a single player averaging more than 12.4 ppg. They have four players who average in double figures including Julian Boyd, who also averages nearly eight rpg, along with his 11 ppg. In fact the scoring is so balanced, they have 12 players who average at least two ppg. It's pretty rare that you see a team that uses even 10 players, let alone 12.  

The team also has a great mix of young and old. The experience is really there for some players like seniors Kyle Johnson and David Hicks. However, they are really led by a core group of younger players like sophomores Jamal Olasaware and Kenny Onyechi. 

With Long Island currently sitting in first place at 6-1 in conference play, including a 16-point win last night over the tough Robert Morris squad, the Blackbirds are red hot and don't seem to be slowing up anytime soon.

It is a shame that nothing that they do in the regular season can really be a boost to getting them into the NCAA tournament, however. In order to get into the NCAA tournament from the NEC, the team needs to win the conference tournament. It is a three-round, eight team tournament that has all its games held at the highest seed. If LIU can win the regular season title, the road to the NCAA tournament will have to go through Brooklyn.  

And after all this team has been through, you better be sure that they'll take that.