Long Island did not need to win the NEC Tournament in order to claim the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament — Mercyhurst's ineligibility due to the NCAA's transition rule had already wrapped that up for the Sharks once they beat Wagner in the NEC semifinals — but head coach Rod Strickland's squad did anyway, ousting Mercyhurst 79-70.
The program last made the NCAA Tournament in 2018 when it was known as LIU Brooklyn, losing to Radford in the First Four at Dayton. Still looking for its first-ever victory in the Big Dance, the Sharks may end up in Dayton again as each of the last four NEC representatives (remember, the FDU team that beat Purdue did not win the NEC Tournament!) played in the First Four.
Long Island was the best team in the NEC all year long, entering as the preseason favorite and remaining in pole position for the entire season.
Malachi Davis has been a first-team All-NEC performer for LIU each of the last two seasons after transferring in from Arizona State and is the team's most lethal offensive threat. His 24-point performance against Mercyhurst on Tuesday showcased his ability to score from all three levels.
But the Sharks are far more than just a one-man show. Jamal Fuller joined Davis on the NEC first team while fellow guard Greg Gordon was named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year.
LIU's Defensive Focus
Gordon obviously leads the charge in this department, but LIU was able to impose its will defensively throughout league play. Its defensive rating ranks 67th in the entire country, largely thanks to the pressure it puts on opposing ball handlers.
The Sharks sit top 50 nationally in steal rate and force nearly 13 turnovers per game. This isn't done through a press or trapping opponents — it's mostly accomplished through an aggressive man-to-man style that switches everything.
Everybody in the rotation stands between 6-foot-4 and 6-foot-8 and can guard on the perimeter, so switching everything works. It allows the Sharks to maintain tight coverages and limit opponent three-point attempts — another hallmark for this group. They are 21st in the country in opponent three-point attempt rate, per KenPom, meaning only 20 teams allow fewer shots from deep than they do.
This strategy has been effective against high major competition, too. LIU still ranks in the top 50 in steal rate against power conference opponents, per CBB Analytics, and they forced an average of 13.3 turnovers in those four games (Notre Dame, Illinois, Mississippi State, Georgia).
The other benefit to this strategy is how it generates easy offense, too. Strickland made it a point to recruit athletic players who can handle the ball along with their defensive prowess, and that makes it a chore to slow LIU down on the break. It ranks in the top 25 nationally in fast-break points per game and top 20 in paint points because of how those athletic guards attack the basket.
Being in the top 20 in paint points shows that LIU's lack of size doesn't really hamper it on the offensive end, and it doesn't defensively, either. The Sharks have not had to trade perimeter pressure for a lack of rim protection.
Led by Shadrak Lasu, LIU is also top 20 in block rate on the season — and top 40 in games against power conference competition. It has been able to protect the rim even against the biggest teams on its schedule.
Rebounding struggles did arise in those four games against high major competition on the defensive end, though offensive rebounding has never been a concern. The Sharks crash the offensive glass with the best of them, using that athleticism to grab over 34 percent of their misses.
Experience & Continuity Matters
Defense always matters in March because of the way it can dictate the way a game is played. Quality guard play and experience are the other two factors you always hear about this time of year, and the Sharks have those, too.
Led by Davis, Fuller, and Lasu, LIU is 29th nationally in minutes continuity, which allowed it to build on last season's second-place finish in the NEC.
Add experience to that continuity and you generally have a stable, consistent team — and the Sharks have that. Lasu is the only underclassman in the rotation with four seniors, three of whom are in their fifth years of college basketball.
Other Weaknesses
You would like to see a team with this much experience be more careful with the ball offensively, but turnovers have been a byproduct of LIU trying to get out in transition as much as possible. It ranks 320th in turnover rate and, while the Sharks force about 13 turnovers per game, they give it away about that much as well.
And for a team that doesn't have a ton of size, LIU doesn't shoot as many threes as you'd expect. The Sharks do shoot it well from deep — 36.1 percent on the season — yet rank in the bottom 10 nationally in terms of attempts, per KenPom. The get-to-the-rim-at-all-costs mentality also contributes to those turnover problems.
Similar NCAA Tournament efficiency profiles
Tournament Index evaluation
As it stands, LIU is a projected No. 16 seed both by our bracketology at Basket Under Review as well as on the Bracket Matrix.
The Tournament Index rates the Sharks as a slightly-above-average No. 16 seed (21st in power rating out of 49 teams) compared to the last 12 NCAA Tournament fields. If they land a line higher, the TI would rate them as the second-weakest No. 15 seed over the time frame. The TI projects an average of 0.06 wins for LIU given its projected seed (No. 16) and strength.
