Springbrook standouts lead LIU into tourney
For Long Island University coach Jim Ferry, recruiting Jamal Olasewere came with an unexpected bonus, his former high school teammate C.J. Garner. Two years later, the former standouts at Springbrook have sparked LIU to its first NCAA berth in 14 years.
On Friday in Charlotte, 15th seeded Long Island (27-5), riding the nation’s longest winning streak (13 games), takes on No. 2 North Carolina (26-7). Olasewere and Garner are undaunted by the difficult assignment.
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“I strongly believe — the way we play and the coaching staff and the players we have — that we have a good chance of making a run,” Olasewere told reporters on Sunday night. “UNC is a great team, but we also have a great team.”
The sophomores have had much to do with the revival of the Blackbirds. Olasewere, a 6-foot-7 forward, is second in scoring (12.9 ppg) and rebounding (6.8 pg), while Garner, a 5-10 point guard, averages 9.3 points and 3.4 assists a game.
| UP NEXT |
| No. 2 North Carolina vs. No. 15 Long Island |
| When » Friday, 7:15 p.m. |
| Where » Charlotte, N.C. |
| TV » CBS |
The duo also has lit up the team with their personalities. After Olasewere scored a career-high 31 points in an 85-82 overtime victory against two-time defending champion Robert Morris in the Northeast Conference title game, he was ready to take on the world.
“When I decided to come here, I told coach I was ready to win a national championship,” Olasewere said.
Olasewere was a late-bloomer at Springbrook. When he led the Blue Devils to the Maryland 4A title in 2009, he drew attention from Georgetown and Xavier, but neither offered a scholarship, and Olasewere headed to LIU.
Around the same time, Garner returned home after an unhappy freshman season at the University of South Alabama. Suddenly, Ferry had a package deal.
“He’s a city kid,” Springbrook coach Tom Crowell said. “C.J. was miserable in Alabama. He’s in the right place now.”
Garner was highly productive at Springbrook, leading the Blue Devils to the 2008 state championship. But he was viewed by colleges as too short and too slight.
But after sitting out last season following his transfer, Garner has been neither. Last month against Brooklyn rival St. Francis, Garner demanded the ball in a huddle, then made the winning shot — an off-balance jumper in the lane with less than a second left to deliver LIU its 11th straight road victory.
Garner and Olasewere epitomize LIU’s run-and-gun style. The Blackbirds rank fourth in the nation in scoring (82.6 ppg). Don’t plan on them changing their tactics, even against powerhouse North Carolina.
“They don’t lack confidence,” Ferry said after the conference title game.
