No. 1 NSU men on track for 2nd straight national title
Nova Southeastern University’s men’s basketball team is two wins away from what would be their second straight national title.
On Thursday at 2 p.m., the top-ranked Sharks (31-2) will face 20th-ranked Cal State Bernadino (27-7). The game will be televised by CBS Sports Network.
NSU got here by rallying to defeat Southern New Hampshire, 68-60, on Tuesday afternoon in Evansville, Indiana, site of the Elite Eight.
The Sharks bench outscored Southern New Hampshire’s reserves, 31-17. Mike Moore (11 points) and Trey Doomes (nine) were the keys to NSU’s superior bench.
In addition, NSU forced 21 turnovers, outscoring Southern New Hampshire, 27-5, off of miscues.
NSU, which trailed by 17 points in the first half on Tuesday, is 98-3 over the past three seasons.
The 17-point comeback is the second largest in the history of the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.
“Southern New Hampshire is well coached and came in with. a good game plan to win,” NSU coach Jim Crutchfield said. “I liked our effort.
“When all else fails, sometimes you just have to play harder, and our guys did just that.”
Cal State, which upset thirdranked Gannon, 99-65, on Tuesday, spoiled a great story line. That’s because Gannon is coached by ex-NSU assistant
Jordan Fee.
But there’s still an angle to Thursday’s game as NSU beat Cal State, 94-87, in last year’s national semifinals.
Then again, NSU lost all five starters from last season — four by transfer and one who had exhausted his eligibility.
The four players who transferred to NCAA Division I after helping NSU to a national title last year are: Jonathan Pierre (Memphis), RJ Sunahara (Georgia); Kobe Rodgers (College of Charleston); and Dallas Graziani (Samford).
Ironically, the biggest success stories among those four this season were the two players who earned the least amount of NIL (name, image and likeness) money: Rodgers ($80,000) and Graziani ($50,000).
Both of them led their new teams to the NCAA Tournament.
Rodgers played 31 games this season and made 18 starts, averaging 21.7 minutes and 9.7 rebounds for a College of Charleston team that went 27-8.
Graziani started all 35 games for a Samford team that went 29-6 and qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2000. For the season, Graziani averaged 18.7 minutes and just 4.1 points, but he also ranked second on the team in assists and steals. In the NCAA Tournament, Samford came close to a huge upset, losing 93-89 to Kansas.
Meanwhile, Pierre got $500,000, and Sunahara got $400,000, but neither of them made the NCAA Tournament.
Pierre had a disappointing season, averaging just 6.1 minutes and 1.8 points for a 22-10 team.
Sunahara averaged 10.2 points and 2.0 points for an 18-16 team.