1980–81 Long Island Blackbirds men's basketball team

The 1980–81 Long Island Blackbirds men's basketball team represented Long Island University during the 1980–81 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Blackbirds, led by head coach Paul Lizzo, played their home games at the Schwartz Athletic Center and were members of the ECAC Metro Conference. They finished the season 18–11. The Blackbirds won the ECAC Metro tournament to earn an automatic bid in the 1981 NCAA tournament where they lost in the opening round to VCU, 85–69.^[1]

1980–81 Long Island Blackbirds men's basketball
ECAC Metro tournament champions
NCAA tournament, First round
Conference	ECAC Metro
Record	18–11 ( ECAC-M)
Head coach	Paul Lizzo (7th season)
Home arena	Schwartz Athletic Center
Seasons ← 1979–80 1981–82 →

1980–81 ECAC Metro men's basketball standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		PCT			W		L		PCT
Fordham		–			–			19	–	9		.679
Saint Peter's		–			–			17	–	9		.654
Siena		–			–			17	–	10		.630
Long Island		–			–			18	–	11		.621
Wagner		–			–			16	–	11		.593
Iona		–			–			15	–	14		.517
Fairfield		–			–			13	–	13		.500
Fairleigh Dickinson		–			–			12	–	14		.462
St. Francis (NY)		–			–			10	–	16		.385
Army		–			–			7	–	19		.269
Manhattan		–			–			6	–	20		.231
Rankings from AP Poll

Roster

1980–81 Long Island Blackbirds men's basketball team
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Hometown F 40 Riley Clarida 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) — Jr Brooklyn, New York	Head coach Paul Lizzo Assistant coach(es) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible (W) Walk-on Injured Current redshirt

^[2]

Schedule and results

Date time, TV	Rank#	Opponent#	Result	Record	Site (attendance) city, state
Regular season
Dec 2, 1980*		Drexel	W 80–68	1–0	Schwartz Athletic Center  Brooklyn, New York
ECAC Metro tournament
Mar 5, 1981*	(5)	at (4) Wagner	W 89–78	16–10	Sutter Gymnasium  Staten Island, New York
Mar 6, 1981*	(5)	vs. (1) Fordham	W 85–78[3]	17–10	Nassau Coliseum  Uniondale, New York
Mar 7, 1981*	(5)	vs. (6) Iona	W 77–72[4]	18–10	Nassau Coliseum  Uniondale, New York
NCAA tournament
Mar 13, 1981*	(12 E)	vs. (5 E) VCU First round	L 69–85[1]	18–11	Charlotte Coliseum  Charlotte, North Carolina
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. E=East. All times are in Eastern Time.

^[5]

References

1. "L.I.U. Eliminated From N.C.A.A." The New York Times. March 14, 1981. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
2. "1980–81 LIU Sharks Roster and Stats". Sports Reference. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
3. "L.I.U. in Metro Final; Iona Ousts St. Peter's". The New York Times. March 6, 1981. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
4. "L.I.U. Topples Iona And Captures Berth In N.C.A.A. Tourney". The New York Times. March 8, 1981. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
5. "2018-19 LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds Men's Basketball Record Book" (PDF). LIU Brooklyn Athletics. Retrieved April 30, 2023.