As the Coastal Athletic Conference opened up last week even the most die hard Long Island basketball fan could not have predicted the exciting road we would travel down to get to where we wound up on Sunday. New York has always been a hotbed for basketball and for college basketball talent, but over the past few decades the state, along with the island, has watched that talent leave and play elsewhere. St. John's might be on it's way back, but it has been sparse as far as college basketball excitement throughout the local area for some time.
This Sunday changed all of that, setting up one heck of a game Monday night in a clash of the Island. Both Hofstra and Stony Brook walked away winners in their tournament games, setting up the #3 vs. #7 matchup. The Seawolves shocked everyone en route to their victory, not only because they were +3000 to win their own tournament, but the fashion that they won was as exciting as we have seen in a long time for island basketball. Stony Brook won their game in double OT, with contributions from their entire lineup and clutch late shots to take down #2 Drexel. Meanwhile, Hofstra had no issues defeating Delaware to advance as a 3 seed. The Pride might have been a 3 seed but even they had to feel disrespected at the +400 number that was put on them to win the tournament as well.
That set up a Monday clash between the two schools. Nassau vs. Suffolk on a big stage. The outcome wouldn't matter much because the point had been proven. Long Island college basketball is back and it holds an excitement level that we haven't watched in decades. Both of these programs are pointing in the right direction and it gives everyone hope for what the future might bring.