Radford vs. LIU-Brooklyn: 2018 NCAA Tournament First Four preview
The first official game of the 2018 NCAA Tournament starts today with LIU-Brooklyn and Radford facing off in the “First Four” game. Who wins to take on Villanova on Thursday?
TV schedule: Tuesday, March 13, 6:40 p.m. ET. truTV
Arena: University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio
There are those who believe that automatic qualifiers shouldn’t have to play in “First Four” games, but these battles between 16 seeds have all the same feeling that the bracketed games have. They also give small schools an opportunity to win their first NCAA Tournament, as the case in this one.
LIU-Brooklyn (Long Island University) 18-16 (10-8) is back to the Big Dance after a four-year absence, after winning the Northeast Conference Tournament Championship over Wagner, 71-61. Joel Hernandez, who is second in the league in scoring at just under 21 ppg, had 32 points in the title game to propel the Blackbirds.
Former UMass Head Coach Derek Kellogg is in his first season at LIU-Brooklyn, who has a history being one of the top teams in the Northeast. And while this is a likely relaunching pad for him, Blackbird fans are hoping he continues making appearances.
Speaking of appearances, this is Radford’s first since 2009. The Highlanders have made the NCAA Tournament twice before, losing both games. But they’re back and cashed their ticket in the grandest way possible, courtesy of Carlik Jones.
The sweet taste of victory..the agony of defeat. THIS is the shot that sent Radford dancing! Radford's Carlik Jones pulls up from deep and buries the long 3 as time expires. pic.twitter.com/ujzxdAWF5R
— WDBJ7 Sports (@WDBJ7Sports) March 4, 2018
It was three of Jone’s team-leading 13 points, while Radford’s leading scorer on the year Ed Polite Jr. chipped in with 11. The Big South Conference Championship win was the Highlander’s seventh in a row to get here.
This is a contrast of strengths, with Radford’s coming on defense (14th nationally in scoring defense) and LIU-Brooklyn on the other side averaging 77.5 ppg. That being said, the Highlanders don’t score much due to their slow style of play, while the Blackbirds will give up some points due to their faster pace.
Next: Ranking the 68 teams in the 2018 NCAA Tournament
This is very simple – can LIU Brooklyn score enough over Radford. Hernandez for the Blackbirds just needs to have a solid performance to propel his team, over the offensively challenged Highlanders.
Prediction: LIU-Brooklyn 73 – Radford 59