Arizona's Big Battle Against Long Island Sets Up Sweet 16 Challenge!
Nov 4, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Long Island Sharks head coach Rod Strickland (left) talks with guard Terell Strickland (right) during the second half against the Mississippi Rebels at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images It’s not just a spot in the second round that’s up for grabs, there’s also iced tea bragging rights at stake when Arizona faces Long Island on Friday in San Diego. If you know, you know.
This is the fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance (and 40 th overall) for Arizona, the No. 1 seed in the West Region, while No. 16 Long Island (24-10) is making its first appearance since 2018 and is seeking its first tourney victory.
The Sharks are coached by former NBA guard Rod Strickland , who is in his fourth season. To better understand LIU, we reached out to Riley Frain of SB Nation sister site Mid-Major Madness . Below are his exuberant answers to our gloomy questions: AZ Desert Swarm: Long Island won the NEC regular season title by three games, then ran the table in the conference tournament on its home court.
What made the Sharks so dominant in their league? Riley Frain: “Honestly, this LIU team is just far more athletic and all-around talented than any of the competition in the NEC. Head coach Rod Strickland returned two all-conference selections from a season ago in Malachi Davis and Jamal Fuller, a rarity in today’s era of the portal, and only built on that with the transfer addition of Greg Gordon.
Davis has high-major experience from Arizona State, Fuller is a mismatch nightmare at the low-major level and Gordon was averaging 16 points per game at Iona two years ago. It was hard not to pick the Sharks as the NEC’s preseason favorite heading into 2025-26. “Both Davis and Fuller went on to finish all-conference First Team while Gordon was selected as the NEC’s Defensive Player of the Year.
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