Stony Brook Looks to End Its Heartbreaker Streak and Join the Big Dance

Pro-wrestling legend Mick Foley has attended dozens of Stony Brook University basketball games over the years. He lives near the school, which sits on a scenic stretch of Long Island's North Shore, and his brother is a season ticket holder. Foley has even endowed a scholarship for a men's or women's basketball player from nearby Suffolk County. There is one thing that Foley and his fellow Seawolves fans have not seen over that time: their team clinching a bid for the NCAA tournament. Since moving up to Division I in 1999, Stony Brook has come close—often agonizingly so—but they still have yet to grab a ticket for the big dance.

Stony Brook is 24-6 and has looked like the conference's top team all season, though that's nothing new for this program. With three senior starters and arguably the best mid-major player in the country, however, this might be the year they finally break the streak.

Last Wednesday, Foley sat in the front row across from Stony Brook's bench—the first time he's been to a Seawolves game this season, he told me—as the top-seeded Seawolves struggled through their first-round America East conference tournament game, against University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He wore his customary black-and-red flannel shirt, and while he was as shaggy and imposing as he was during his wrestling days, he was in character not as Mankind or Cactus Jack but as one of many on-edge fans on hand at the Island Federal Credit Union Arena. He was calm and polite when kids asked for his autograph at halftime, and didn't show much emotion, even as the Seawolves came back to beat UMBC, 86-76. He was just like any other Stony Brook supporter, in other words—pleased that the team had kept its NCAA tournament dream alive, and nervous about seeing them finish the job.

Longtime fans could be forgiven for worrying about another March heartbreaker: the Seawolves have lost in the America East final four times in the past five years, and in a one-bid conference like the America East, that's enough to keep them out of the tournament. Wednesday's game would have been an improbable upset—UMBC had entered the game with a 7-24 record and had finished last in the conference during the regular season—but the Retrievers led for much of the first half and had a one-point advantage midway through the second. UMBC guard Will Darley finished with a career-high 32 points and tied a school record with eight three-pointers, including six in the last 11 minutes of the first half.

In the second half, junior guard Ahmad Walker made it difficult for Darley to get open on defense. At the other end, Stony Brook focused on feeding senior Jameel Warney, a four-year starter, three-time America East player of the year, and two-time conference defensive player of the year. Warney, a 6'8'', 260-pound power forward, scored 10 of his team-high 27 points in the final eight-plus minutes. He also had a tournament record 23 rebounds, including 10 on the offensive end. His putback gave Stony Brook a 63-62 lead with 8:35 remaining, and they never trailed again.

"That's something that I've seen him do since he's gotten into this league," UMBC coach Aki Thomas said. "Offensive rebounds or a huge and-one play or a defensive rebound that kind of just seals the game. He's a really good player, and he's got a bright future."

Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell and associate head coach Jay Young first noticed Warney late in his junior year at Roselle Catholic High School in New Jersey and offered him a scholarship. That summer, Warney played well in an AAU tournament and received interest from Iowa, Tennessee, and other schools from major conferences. Still, he enjoyed his visit to Stony Brook, and respected Pikiell and Young. he liked that the school was within driving distance from home and knew he could play right away.

"He's one of the rare kids that picked the best fit," Pikiell said. "I'm going to give you 99 out of 100 kids—they're gonna pick the highest level even if it's not the right place for them. He was the one kid that picked the right fit for him."

Warney is the school's all-time leading scorer (2,045 points) and rebounder (1,237), one of the most dominant players in league history, and a future pro. The only thing missing from his career is an NCAA tournament appearance. During Warney's freshman season, Stony Brook won a school-record 25 games and the America East regular season title before losing to Albany 61-59 in the semifinals of the conference tournament. Stony Brook has lost to Albany in the America East final both times in the past two seasons, including a devastating 51-50 defeat last March when Albany's Peter Hooley grabbed a loose ball and made a three-pointer with 1.6 seconds remaining.

Stony Brook won't be facing Albany again this season. With 42.9 seconds remaining in Wednesday night's game, the Seawolves' public address announcer told the crowd that second seed Albany had lost to seventh seed Hartford in another tournament game. The cheering that followed was as loud as the gym got all night. Warney said afterward that he hadn't heard the announcement.

"Not at all," said Warney, who is averaging 18.9 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. "We were trying to find a way to win our game. We're focused on just us, and we're gonna be focused on us for the next game. Hopefully we can play one more after that."

As the top seed, Stony Brook will play Hartford at home on Monday night and, if they advance, will also host the championship game on Saturday.

Despite the Seawolves' enviable position, it is understandable if they have no interest in looking ahead. Pikiell has built Stony Brook into one of the most consistently good mid-major programs since he took over in 2005. The Seawolves have won at least 20 games in each of the past five seasons, won four America East regular season titles, and made the postseason NIT tournament three times. This year's team might be his best. Unlike Pikiell's past squads, which relied on their defense, these Seawolves can put up points: they are averaging 76.6 points per game, and can score inside and out. Their 18-game winning streak was the longest in the nation this year, although it was snapped when the team dropped two of its final three regular-season games.

As a guard at UConn, Pikiell played on two NCAA tournament teams, but he has yet to lead Stony Brook to an NCAA tournament appearance. With two more victories, that burden will finally be lifted. That's easier said than done, but UMBC had shot about as well as it had all season, and Stony Brook survived.

"This is March Madness," Pikiell said after the game, seemingly more relieved than elated. "That's what it is." All that's left to do, for him and his program, is something this program has never done.