As Local Big East Schools Watch From the Sidelines, Iona & LIU Are Repping New York in The Dance
The New York metropolitan area will be represented in the NCAA Tournament by a couple of overachievers from mid-major conferences.
The Big Apple and its surrounding area won’t be repped by Big East schools like St. John’s, Seton Hall or Rutgers, but by Iona and LIU-Brooklyn instead. (We’re not counting Syracuse, which is located in upstate New York.)
“I think [we’re] a team that epitomizes New York,” LIU coach Jim Ferry told the New York Post. “For one, it’s a bit of a melting pot. I think we have kids from all over the country, that’s really blended well together. It’s a group of kids that really sacrifice for one another.
“They’re tough-minded, they’re hard-nosed, they respect everybody, but at the same time they don’t fear anybody. And I think that symbolizes what New York’s about.”
Following his official visit to Georgetown, Nerlens Noel will head to visit North Carolina next week.
When Ames (Iowa) High School coach Vance Downs first saw the NCAA tournament bracket, his initial reaction was, “I thought Creighton would be a little higher than that.”
St. John’s has landed a verbal commitment from Felix Balamou, a 6-foot-3 wing from Our Savior New American.
Here are the U.S. Basketball Writers Association All-America Teams:
