5 Things Wildcats Fans Should Know About LIU

The Arizona Wildcats open NCAA Tournament play as the No. 1 seed in the West region against the No. 16-seed Long Island University Sharks on Friday afternoon in San Diego. But how much do you know about the Wildcats' first-round opponent?

Here are some things to know about LIU before it takes on Arizona in the NCAA Tournament.

ncaa basketball — Nov 22, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Long Island University Sharks guard A.J. Neal, Jr. (10) drives the ball by Illinois Fighting Illini guard Brandon Lee (1) during the second half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

1. LIU Program History

LIU competes in the Northeast Conference (NEC) and got to the NCAA Tournament as the NEC Tournament champion. It started as a Division II program, reaching the DII Elite Eight three times before becoming a Division I program in the late 1960s.

It was originally known as LIU Brooklyn and competed as the "Blackbirds," but it merged with LIU Post in 2019 and changed its nickname to the Sharks.

2. LIU Tournament History

This will be LIU's eighth overall trip to the NCAA Tournament and its first under the current "LIU Sharks" moniker. The Blackbirds made seven appearances, going 0-7 with its best seeding coming as a No. 11-seed in 1984.

LIU most recently made the NCAA Tournament in 2018, and it made three straight appearances from 2011 to 2013 as a 15- or 16-seed.

3. An LIU Alum Scored the First-Ever NBA Basket

This may be the most random fact of them all. Most would expect someone from a Kansas, a Duke, or a North Carolina, etc, to have scored the first points in NBA history, but in reality, it was an LIU Blackbird by the name of Ossie Schectman in 1946.

After helping LIU win a national championship, Schectman began playing pro basketball for the Philadelphia Sphas, where he lasted five seasons before joining the New York Knicks. The Knicks played the Toronto Huskies in the first-ever NBA game (then known as the BAA) in November 1946, where Schectman scored the first basket in a 68-66 win.

Big-Time Basketball/Nov. 1, 1946 @NYKnicks guard Ossie Schectman scored the first basket (lay up) in league history. pic.twitter.com/APAgHAzpvT
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) February 8, 2016

It earned him a spot in the LIU Athletics Hall of Fame and the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. There was also a documentary made about his accomplishment in 2008.

4. Arizona and LIU Have Met Before, and It Was a Close Game

There has been one previous meeting between the Arizona Wildcats and LIU. They played in January 1951, with Arizona winning the game by a single point, 62-61. Back then, LIU was a national powerhouse led by a Hall of Fame coach, and it was considered a major upset.

ncaa tournamamen — Dec 14, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers center Peyton Marshall (21) blocks the shot of LIU Sharks forward Xinyi Li (34) during the first half at Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

According to reports from that game. Arizona made a free throw to go ahead with seconds remaining, and LIU missed the final shot attempt. Oddly enough, LIU would become involved in a point-shaving scandal that same season.

5- LIU Is Coached by a Long-Time NBA Vet

LIU"s head coach is 17-year NBA veteran Rod Strickland, who is in his fourth season at the helm. Strickland won the NEC Coach of the Year this season after leading the Sharks to a 15-3 record in conference play, winning the NEC regular-season title by three games over Central Connecticut State.

He's held several roles in basketball administration, has worked under coaches like John Calipari, and was most recently working for G-League Ignite, the G-League team designed as an alternative path for elite high school players, before being hired by LIU.