BY: JOSEPH SIMILE / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The Long Island University men’s basketball team is off to its best start in conference play in well over a decade, and opponents are learning not to swim in Shark-infested waters, as someone off the court is making a huge difference. The Sharks started conference play going 6-0 before Friday night’s loss to Saint Francis. Four of the Sharks’ wins have come at home. The Steinberg Wellness Center, the home of the Sharks, has looked awfully different this season.
This year’s Sharks team has been largely aided by a special section of fans called The Reef, and they have made all the difference this season. Headlined by custom shirts, enthusiastic chants, and starting a tradition of doing “Fins Up” during free throws, where members of The Reef and the crowd press their hands together over their head, simulating a shark fin. It’s caught on to the point where the majority of the Sharks’ bench routinely joins in.
The leader of the reef is Cameron Koffman. Koffman owns a real estate company called Havenly Ventures, which invests in off-campus student housing for public universities. Some of the campus communities they’ve invested around include Michigan, Virginia Tech, and Miami University of Ohio. However, that’s not where Koffman’s connection to LIU comes from.
Koffman was born and raised on the Upper East Side. He went to school at Yale, where he was the voice of Yale basketball. He previously worked in politics, working for New York Councilwoman Julie Menin.
So you may be wondering, why LIU?
The Yale grad still loves Bulldog basketball, and makes a trip up to watch his alma-mater annually. But he also loves mid-major college basketball.
“I’m (also) a big Knicks fan, so a couple years ago I went to an LIU game, and thought it was really cool to see (Sharks head coach) Rod (Strickland).
“The team obviously was not really good a couple years ago, but it was exciting to be on the ground level, and could immediately see that despite the program struggling in recent years, there is a lot of history, there’s a lot more history tied to LIU than any other mid-major program in the area, any of these NEC schools or MAAC schools. From playing in the Brooklyn Paramount to having a little run in like 2011, 2012, 2013.”
Koffman said he and his Reef partner-in-crime David Pochapin went to a number of mid-major programs in the area. They were drawn to what he described as a “cool program” in LIU.
“We went to a Manhattan game, we went to Fordham, we went to Fairfield, Wagner, LIU, and it was like a no-brainer that we wanted to be big on LIU, and it was really exciting to be rooting for them.”.
Koffman said their first game was on Martin Luther King Jr. Day a couple of seasons ago.
“They did not win. We went with one other friend, and we had the best time. He was not as enthused as we were. Then we went to a couple more games that year. Last year was when things really started to pick up. We would start bringing people, we had a pretty good gaggle of people at a few of the games.
“We hadn’t customized the t-shirts or anything (yet). This year was when we really went full on and tried to make an event amongst our friends. (David and I) went to high school together, but we’ve been bringing both of our separate college friends, people from work, people from all walks of life, and then it’s sort of all culminating.”
It has culminated into a special Shark dedication, which will take place on Thursday, January 30th prior to the Sharks’ home matchup against the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils, who are largely seen as LIU’s primary competition in the NEC.
It started midway through last season, when Koffman’s stepfather, a fisherman, had caught and released a 12 foot long bull shark in Florida. He had gotten a full replica made of the shark before realizing he wasn’t sure what to do with it after Koffman’s mother vetoed the replica being placed in the house.
“Coincidentally, we were rooting for LIU. And I was like, ‘oh, I wonder if they would want this big shark. It's sort of a cool thing.’ And eventually, the athletic department got it to the people that made decisions. And they were like, ‘oh, this is hilarious.’ And it's really exciting.
“And it's really a cool thing to have for the program. Because it's a pretty legit thing that you could start a tradition with, like Clemson has Howard's Rock when they run out.
“It’s sort of a nice way to galvanize and energize the fan base. I was happy to give it to the program. It was a perfect situation because it was someone who really wanted it and I think can do cool stuff with it.”
Koffman and Pochapin are certainly not your typical fans. They come to each and every game donning custom-made Reef t-shirts. They bang on tables, start chants, and energize the team. For a pair that were never students at LIU, they put a lot of time, effort and passion into the Sharks.
“When we went to the game two years ago, there were not a lot of fans there. There wasn’t a lot of energy in the building, which you hate to see. But you’re right in the center of New York City. Right in Downtown Brooklyn, right by the Barclay’s Center. You’ve got a really famous NBA legend coaching at a program that’s got an unbelievable storied history, and there were not a lot of fans there. There wasn’t a lot of engagement and excitement. David and I, we like a good project, and we love college basketball.
“Even though the team wasn’t particularly good two years ago, they still were very gritty. We thought they were scrappy, which is what we like. Then this year, it seems to finally have been put together. We really want to see a situation where you could have like, 800, 1,000 people at the Wellness Center and have a culture around the program.
“It was also fun because we met some students along the way that were excited, they wanted more people to come to the games too. We felt like we could work with them and could bring some excitement. It’s fun to see it all come to fruition. We’ve enjoyed “Fins Up” becoming a tradition and having the entire arena do it every single time. It’s pretty special. Now the players and the bench and assistants (do it too). My big goal is to get Rod to do it once. I don’t think it’ll ever happen, but if it does, it’ll be pretty awesome. You can hear me yelling at him to do it every single game.”
Koffman hopes that LIU can get some of the same buzz that St. John’s does with Rick Pitino, as the Red Storm lead the Big East.
“There’s no reason why people shouldn’t be coming to these games, right by the Barclay’s Center, right in Downtown Brooklyn, watching a team that’s in first place for the first time in a very long time.”
One common misconception about The Reef is the belief that it is a student section. However, since Koffman and Pochapin are not students, it’s tough to call it that. Especially since The Reef doesn’t reside in the dedicated “Student Section” of the bleachers in the Steinberg Wellness Center.
“We would call it a supporter section. We don’t want to be exclusive to just students. We’re not students. But, we’ve had a lot of support from students, particularly the men’s and women’s volleyball teams who have been sitting with us since last year. We know more sports teams will be coming out to the game next Thursday. But, The Reef is a supporter section of really passionate fans who want to uphold some exciting traditions that we’re starting to have an impact on the game. I think the fact of the matter is, you’re so close to the court you can really change the game. I think we’ve felt that a few times, both in lifting the morale of LIU and also frazzling some of the opponent’s players. We’re hoping to Rock the Reef on Thursday and to establish it as a thing because it’ll be really fun for the LIU players to have a true home court advantage.
“We listen to the broadcast and watch it after the games to see and hear what they’re saying, and they were saying during one of the runs that it felt like the first home court advantage, at least during the Rod era and in a long time. And then Nelson Castillo, ‘Mr. NEC Twitter’ had said the same thing, which was nice, he gave us a shout out. We want to have a section of very passionate fans, and the students enjoy it. We’ve been workshopping chants back and forth with them. We became friendly with the head of the marching band and we’ve got a little cross thing going with them now.”
The players have certainly been enjoying The Reef. The bench joins in on “Fins Up” during free throws, and multiple players have come over and spoken with Koffman and Pochapin. Malachi Davis, the Sharks’ leading scorer and a potential NEC Player of the Year candidate, had a lengthy conversation with them after his family spent Saturday and Monday’s game in The Reef, joining in on chants.
“I don’t know what they thought initially, they were probably like ‘who are these people that are yelling in customized shirts. I think that they appreciate the energy that we’re bringing.”
Davis’ family isn’t the only one to become friendly with Koffman. Freshman guard Gavin Pendergast’s family reached out to Koffman about the custom t-shirts, wanting some for themselves as big Shark fans, who even do the “Fins Up” at home. Koffman arranged an order of 10 for the Pendergast family, who are all going to wear them as the Sharks head to Chicago on February 1st to take on the Chicago State Cougars.
The Sharks players and staff are certainly aware and appreciative of the reef.
Pendergast said of The Reef, “The Reef helps us a lot, they bring lots of energy at home games. Usually it’s just the bench yelling ‘defense’ on every possession, but The Reef gets the entire crowd involved and makes it way louder. They get the crowd involved more in between timeouts and after every basket which brings us energy that we can feed off of.”
Davis was quick to respond, saying “The reef is for Shark members only! (They) play a role on our team as we thrive off of their energy and the culture we have at LIU.”
Freshman forward Shadrak Lasu is a big fan of the name.
“I think it’s actually pretty cool we called it that. It’s creative and unique and creates a great atmosphere every game. It means a lot for our school community.”
Sharks’ starting point guard Terell Strickland echoed Lasu’s thoughts on the name.
“I think it’s great. I’ve heard people refer to the Steinberg Wellness Center as the Shark Tank so The Reef makes sense. The first time they showed up I think we were all a little shocked and confused but they’ve definitely turned into a steady force for us and another place to find motivation at home.”
Lasu had never played with a student section before, so when he first encountered The Reef, he wasn’t sure what to think.
“I was confused at first with the way they were so passionately cheering for us. But over time you realize that they bring energy and positive vibes. It’s so great.”
Jamal Fuller had high praise for The Reef.
“(The) Reef is like family. They bring a lot of energy to the games. (They) bring a different type of energy. It adds extra fuel to the team. (I appreciate) how dedicated they are. I don’t think they’ve missed a home game yet. I respect them for always being at the games.”
Brent Davis called The Reef the “best section in the NEC”.
Jerome Adu-Acquah, who is a graduate assistant and has been on Coach Strickland’s staff for three years, said “The reef is something that brings a level of energy that is contagious inside our gym. Win or lose they stay with us. I give major props to Cameron Koffman and the rest of the guys that have stayed loyal with us throughout this rebuilding process. LIU is going to be a name that is respected in the college basketball world and it starts with the fans.”
Every player that spoke to Seawanhaka mentioned The Reef’s ability to ignite the team and bring energy, making the Steinberg Wellness Center a tough road environment for opponents. Koffman was pleased to hear the team singing his praises.
“I'm so excited and thrilled that it boosts them and that they notice because that's really the whole purpose of that is we want them to feel appreciated and to feel rooted for, and to know that there are people that are putting their time and energy and effort into supporting the team full throated and wholeheartedly. And it's so great to hear that they feel that way.“
It’s not just Sharks players who notice The Reef. Chicago State point guard Gabe Spinelli stuck his tongue out at the section after a good defensive possession during their game in the Steinberg Wellness Center. Spinelli came down the court and immediately pulled a three pointer in transition that just hit the rim.
“If you look from when we chirped Spinelli, he stuck his tongue out and then he shot a three in transition with like 26 on the shot clock. There's no point in shooting this three-pointer. His dad sat him after he shot that three. So I do feel like we had an impact there.”
Koffman also referenced an incident with the NEC’s leading scorer last season, current Rutgers guard Jordan Derkack. “We had gotten into a little bit of a back and forth with Jordan Derkack during the Merrimack game last year. We were just yelling Derkack, Derkack, and whenever he had an air ball, or he had a couple of travels, we went crazy for that. He was definitely frazzled. I don’t think you face a lot of loud opposition in the NEC. They were in first place at the time and hadn’t really been tested, and after the game, he was so frazzled. He took a ball and threw it at us and actually hit an LIU student.”
“(In my opinion) that was one of the worst officiated games in the history of the NEC. Everyone was fouling out on LIU. The lead official during that game was Guy Pagano. We like to chant that when we think the refs made a bad call. Every ref knows each other and they all find it funny that we’re calling them out for their colleague. (When) you hear us yelling Guy Pagano, that’s what we’re referring to.”
“From that point, we’re certainly very respectful and would never want to do anything to stain the reputation of the school or create an unsafe or uncomfortable environment. But we do like to be a little hostile to a couple of players on the other team. Like Spinelli. Generally, if someone seems that they’re susceptible to getting frazzled by The Reef, we’re all over them. Riley Parker on St. Francis was one we were going after. We would just yell his name. We would chant like ‘Riley’s in the corner, Riley’s in the corner’ every time he’s in the corner. We would sing the whole O’Reilly Auto Parts song all the time. I guarantee that (other players) notice and they’re amused and it does affect them.”
Koffman reminisced about former Shark C.J. Delancey’s homecoming, in which he was called a “traitor” by The Reef. He also said that Wagner’s R.J. Greene will have the Reef rocking for his return to the Steinberg Wellness Center after spending his first two seasons with the Sharks and leading the NEC in rebounds.
Coleman Crawley, a TikTok creator, has made a number of TIkToks on the subject of the Sharks.
“At the game on Saturday, there was a group of eight people who were doing some chants with us. We started a new one where we point at one half and we do ‘Shark’ and the other half does ‘Attack’ call and response. And they were getting really involved in that. And it turned out that they had heard about the games from TikTok. So it's definitely getting the word out.“
Koffman emphasized that he wants as many students to make it out to the game on the 30th.
“We really are so excited about the budding enthusiasm for the team and how the team’s been performing. We want to be building traditions with them. We’ve had fun doing it with the students we’ve met and we’d love to meet more.We’re going to need all the help that we can get.”
The Sharks will look to bounce back after dropping their last two games on the road. Their matchup against Central Connecticut State University is Thursday at 7 p.m.
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