Long Island University Basketball History

The Long Island University (LIU) Sharks men's basketball team represents Long Island University in NCAA Division I basketball competition. The team plays its home games at the Steinberg Wellness Center and Barclays Center, located on their Brooklyn Campus. The Sharks are members of the Northeast Conference.

Early History and the Blue Devils

Long Island University was founded in 1927 and soon after entered intercollegiate athletic competition. Initially, its sports teams wore blue uniforms and became known as the Blue Devils.

The Point-Shaving Scandal and Program Suspension

The program faced a significant setback when several players were implicated in the point-shaving scandal of 1951. As a result, LIU shuttered its entire athletic program.

Return and Division II Era

LIU returned to intercollegiate athletics in 1957 as a member of the College Division (now Division II). At the same time as the Blackbirds returned, LIU's C.W. Post campus also fielded athletic teams. The Blackbirds joined the Tri-State Collegiate Basketball League for the 1959-60 season, a conference that included only College Division teams. In 1965, they finished tied for first place with Wagner. The teams met in a playoff game on Hofstra's home court on March 3 to determine the conference champion and the league's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

The Blackbirds appeared in the NCAA Division II tournament seven times: 1962, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1973, and 1974.

Read also: Decoding College Classes

Transition to Division I and NCAA Tournament Appearances

The LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds team represented the Brooklyn campus of LIU in NCAA Division I. The Blackbirds appeared in the NCAA Division I tournament seven times: 1981, 1984, 1997, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2018. Their combined record was 0-7.

Merger of Athletic Programs

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.

NIT Appearances

The Blackbirds appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) ten times.

The Battle of Brooklyn

Beginning in the 1975-76 season, an annual "Battle of Brooklyn" was a tradition for the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds and St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers men's basketball teams. Each season, a game (the schools usually played each other twice) was dedicated in tribute to William Lai and Daniel Lynch, former athletic directors at Long Island University and St. Francis College, respectively. Each year the most valuable player of the game was given the Lai-Lynch Trophy in memory of the two ADs. Long Island was 27-21 in Battle of Brooklyn games. St. Francis won the final game in 2023.

Current Status

The LIU Sharks are currently led by head coach Rod Strickland, who is in his third season. They compete in the Northeast Conference.

Coaching and Arena

The LIU Sharks play their home games at the Steinberg Wellness Center and Barclays Center. The Steinberg Wellness Center has a capacity of 3,000, while the Barclays Center has a capacity of 17,732.

Read also: The Length of a College Semester

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