Work Samples 2009-10 LIU Brooklyn Basketball Media Guide | Page 67

Record Book Blackbirds History NCAA Tournament History Long Island University’s storied basketball history includes three trips to the NCAA Postseason Appearances Division I Tournament. The Blackbirds earned their ?rst trip to the NCAA Tournament NCAA by defeating Wagner, Fordham and Iona to capture the 1981 ECAC Metropolitan playoffs. 1981, 1984, 1997 LIU entered the tournament as a 12-seed and was led by Riley Clarida and Eric Short. In the ?rst round LIU met ?fth-seeded Virginia Commonwealth in Oklahoma City and fell to NIT Appearances the Rams, 85-69. 1938, 1939*, 1940, 1941*, 1942, Led by Carey Scurry, the nation’s leading rebounder, the 1983-84 Blackbirds posted a 1947, 1950, 1968, 1982, 1998 20-11 record and made the school’s second trip to the NCAA Tournament. LIU entered * - NIT Champions the tournament with a six-game win streak before falling to Northeastern, 90-87, in the preliminary round in Philadelphia. The Blackbirds returned to the tournament in 1997 with the nation’s highest-scoring offense and a ?nal record of 21-9. LIU played a strong schedule and boasted an upset of St. John’s, 76-73, in the season-opener, as well as the nation’s leading scorer in Charles Jones who averaged 30.1 points per game. The Blackbirds dropped a hard-fought 101-91 decision to fourth-seeded Villanova in the ?rst round in Winston-Salem, N.C. NIT Tournament History Under the tutelage of Clair Bee, LIU earned seven NIT berths. Beginning in 1938 the Blackbirds made ?ve consecutive trips to the tournament. The 1939 team capped an undefeated season by winning LIU’s ?rst championship with a 44-32 win over Loyola-Chicago. The title game featured the only meeting in major-college history between two unbeaten teams in a national postseason tournament. The Blackbirds captured their second NIT crown in 1941. In the semi?nals, LIU snapped Seton Hall’s 42-game win streak with a 49-26 win. The Blackbirds defeated Ohio, 56-42 in the title game. LIU was heavily favored to win its third NIT in ?ve years in 1942, but suffered a ?rst round defeat by West Virginia. LIU also earned NIT berths in 1947 and 1950, but fell to Kentucky and Syracuse in the ?rst round both times, respectively. The 1968 squad entered the NIT as the top-ranked small college team in the country and advanced to the quarte?nals before falling 62-60 to Notre Dame. LIU made return trips to the NIT in 1982; and most recently, 1998. The Blackbirds fell to Dayton 95-92 in their last visit to the postseason. Blackbirds in the NBA A total of 24 former Long Island stars have gone onto play in the NBA. At the league’s inception in 1946 LIU had eight former players in the NBA, more than any other University in the country. Below is a list of former Blackbirds who have appeared in the NBA: Buddy Ackerman New York Knicks, 1953-54 Hank Beenders Providence Steamrollers, 1946-47 Providence Steamrollers/ Philadelphia Warriors, 1947-48 Boston Celtics, 1948-49 George Feigenbaum Baltimore Bullets, 1949-50 Milwaukee Hawks, 1952-53 Ray Felix Baltimore Bullets, 1953-54 (NBA Rookie of the Year) New York Knicks, 1954-59 Minneapolis Lakers 1959-60 Los Angeles Lakers, 1960-62 Frido Frey New York Knicks, 1946-47 Frank Fucarino Toronto Huskies, 1946-47 Luther Green New York Nets, 1969-72 Rollen Hans Baltimore Bullets, 1953-55 Art Hillhouse Philadelphia Warriors, 1946-48 Dick Holub New York Knicks, 1947-48 Howie Janotta Baltimore Bullets, 1949-50 Charles Jones Chicago Bulls, 1998-99 Los Angeles Clippers, 1999-2000 Fred Lewis Sheboygan Redskins, 1946-47 Baltimore Bullets/ Indianapolis Jets, 1948-49 Philadelphia Warriors/ Baltimore Bullets, 1949-1950 * Lewis was selected to the NBA’s ?rst All-Star Game Barry Leibowitz Oakland Oaks, 1967-68 Carl “Red” Meinhold Baltimore Bullets, 1947-48 Chicago Stags/ Providence Steamrollers, 1948-49 Howie Rader Baltimore Bullets, 1948-49 Al Roges Baltimore Bullets, 1953-54 Ft. Wayne Zollner Pistons, 1954-55 Irv Rothenberg Cleveland Rebels, 1946-47 Baltimore Bullets/ Washington Capitals St. Louis Bombers, 1947-48 New York Knicks, 1948-49 Ossie Schectman New York Knicks, 1946-47 * First Knicks captain; Scored ?rst basket in NBA history Herb Scherer Tri-Cities Blackhawks, 1950-51 New York Knicks, 1951-52 Carey Scurry Utah Jazz, 1986-88 New York Knicks, 1988 Dick Surhoff Milwaukee Hawks, 1952-53 New York Knicks, 1953-54 The father of major league baseball player, B.J. Surhoff Irv Torgoff Washington Capitals, 1946-48 Baltimore Bullets/ Philadelphia Warriors, 1948-49 Hal Uplinger Baltimore Bullets, 1953-54 Carey Scurry 2009-10 Long Island University Basketball Luther Green Long Island Blackbirds • 2009-10 Basketball • www.liuathletics.com 65