Long Island University vs Fordham prediction: Fordham's three-point barrage tests LIU's rebuilt, shot-blocking roster
LIU returns almost none of last season's minutes, and Fordham's shooters will find out early whether the Sharks' new shot-blockers can also chase them off the line.
- Fordham should hunt threes against an LIU group still learning each other; LIU wants a foul-heavy, physical game around the rim.
- Akira Jacobs and Fordham's shooters against an LIU defense that blocked 19.2% of opponent two-point tries in its opener.
- No spread or total is posted yet; both teams failed to cover in their openers, with Fordham's game going over 145.5 and LIU's under 154.5.
An LIU team starting over
Rod Strickland, in his fifth season at LIU, is coaching almost an entirely new team. The Sharks' current roster played just 1.2% of last season's minutes, so last season's 24-11 record and its numbers say very little about this group. Jamal Fuller, who averaged 16.2 points last season, is gone, along with Greg Gordon, Malachi Davis and Jomo Goings.
The new core is guards. Daquan Davis took over the offense in the opener at Florida Atlantic and scored 16. Kamari Jones, a transfer from Cleveland State, added 13 off the bench. Fordham sits in a much steadier spot: Mike Magpayo's second team brings back 49.4% of last season's minutes, led by forwards Rikus Schulte and Jacobs, and adds two scoring guards from the transfer portal.
Fordham lives behind the arc
Against Kansas, Fordham took 47.8% of its shots from three, 80th nationally, and made 39.4% of them. Inside the arc it was a mess: the Rams hit 25.0% of their twos, 346th of 348. Kansas has a lot to do with that, but it shows how Fordham wants to score.
That plays straight into LIU's best early trait. The Sharks blocked 19.2% of Florida Atlantic's two-point attempts, 43rd nationally, and Ryan Bewley had five blocks in 16 minutes off the bench. If Fordham's drives keep dying at the rim, the game rides on its jump shooting. Jacobs went 5 of 6 from deep at Kansas. Amir Lindsey, the transfer from UAlbany, made 8.3% of his shots in his debut, though he still handed out seven assists.
Fouls and the glass
LIU's opener nearly came apart at the start. The Sharks committed 10 fouls in the first 10 minutes, and Florida Atlantic finished with a free throw rate (free throw attempts per field goal attempt) of 50.0%. Fordham rarely gets to the line: its rate at Kansas was 18.8%, 317th nationally. A cleaner LIU night would take away a lot of easy points; another early foul spree would gift Fordham a weapon it hasn't shown.
The boards offer LIU a chance. Fordham grabbed only 54.5% of opponents' misses at Kansas, 326th, after ranking 13th in defensive rebound rate last season. LIU didn't push for second chances in its opener, though, with an offensive rebound rate of 15.4%, 341st. Whether Fordham's rebounding against Kansas was a one-night problem matters more than anything LIU did at FAU.
Two openers that slipped away late
Both teams lost their openers in the final minutes. Fordham stayed close into both halves at Kansas before a 19-3 closing run turned it into a 95-65 loss. LIU cut Florida Atlantic's lead to one in the second half, then went without a field goal over the final five minutes and lost 74-60.
Both will have had 11 days off before this one, and Fordham is home at Rose Hill, where it beat LIU 69-53 last November. Those are the only real games either team has played, against very different opponents. Kansas ranked 22nd in last season's adjusted net rating, and Florida Atlantic ranked 120th. Fordham's 30-point loss looks worse than it was. LIU's offense, which managed 80.0 points per 100 possessions, may simply be what an unfamiliar roster looks like in its first game.
Key players
- Akira Jacobs (Fordham): Scored 20 at Kansas on 5-of-6 three-point shooting after averaging 7.2 points last season.
- Lateef Patrick Jr. (Fordham): Took 9 threes and scored 13 off the bench at Kansas after averaging 15.2 points at Stephen F. Austin last season.
- Amir Lindsey (Fordham): Had seven assists in his debut, a year after averaging 17.9 points at UAlbany.
- Daquan Davis (LIU): Scored 16 on 7-of-15 shooting at Florida Atlantic with a team-high 39.4% usage rate.
- Kamari Jones (LIU): The Cleveland State transfer hit 3 of 7 from deep for 13 points in his LIU debut.
- Ryan Bewley (LIU): Blocked five shots in 16 minutes against Florida Atlantic.
Numbers that matter
| LIU returning minutes | 1.2% | LIU's current roster played almost none of last season's minutes, so last season's numbers mean little for the Sharks. |
|---|---|---|
| Fordham 3-point attempt rate | 47.8% | Fordham took nearly half of its shots from deep at Kansas, 80th nationally. |
| Fordham 2-point % | 25.0% | Fordham ranked 346th inside the arc, and LIU's shot-blocking only makes that harder. |
| LIU block rate | 19.2% | LIU blocked 19.2% of opponent two-point tries in its opener, 43rd in Division I. |
| Fordham defensive rebound % | 54.5% | A steep drop from last season's 13th-ranked mark, and the number to watch on LIU's misses. |
Long Island University vs Fordham: quick answers
When is Long Island University vs Fordham?
Friday, November 13, 2026 at 7:00 PM ET.