Stony Brook is in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history after winning the America East Tournament, but are they capable of pulling off an upset or two in the Big Dance? Here's everything you need to know about the Seawolves:
Resume:
Record – 26-6 (14-2 in Am. East)
RPI – 69
Strength of Schedule – 237
Starting Lineup:
G Lucas Woodhouse (Jr.) – 6.9 ppg, 3.6 apg
G Ahmad Walker (Jr.) – 10.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg
G Carson Puriefoy (Sr.) – 14.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg
F Jameel Warney (Sr.) – 19.0 ppg, 10.7 rpg
F Rayshaun McGrew (Sr.) – 10.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg
Key Player:
Jameel Warney
Warney is one of the five finalists for the Karl Malone Award, given annually to the best power forward in the country, and for good reason. He is an automatic scoring machine on the block, a menace on the boards, and never tires. He also showed he can play his best in big games, scoring 43 points in the America East championship game.
Biggest Strength:
Defense
Most mid-major teams rely on small, offensively-minded lineups, but not Stony Brook. They have the size and versatility to matchup with anyone, and that shows on the defensive end. As a result, they rank 12th in the country in points allowed per game (63.1)
Biggest Weakness:
Free throw shooting
This Seawolves is very balanced and does a lot of things well, but their one big Achilles heel is their free throw shooting. They shoot just 66.7 percent from the foul line as a team (295th in the country).
Outlook:
Warney is the kind of guy who can carry Stony Brook to a win in the first round given the right matchup, but they don't have the overall talent to make a Sweet 16 run. One win is the best they can do.