Unbeaten NSU basketball team bonded by NFL games, mainly the Super Bowl-bound Bengals

The NSU Sharks are the only undefeated men’s basketball team among NCAA Division II schools, and the Cincinnati Bengals are AFC champions – two facts that are intertwined in a way.

NSU is ranked No. 1 in the nation, but that’s only part of the story.

Sharks freshman standout Kobe Rodgers spent the final five frantic minutes of Cincinnati’s 27-24 overtime upset win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Jan. 30 on the phone with his mother, Dorothy, who was back home in Ohio.

“We were going play after play – screaming every single time,” Rodgers said of his experience watching the Bengals reach the Super Bowl for the first time in 33 years.

Rodgers is one of six Ohio natives on NSU’s 13-player roster. The Sharks players who are from the Cincinnati area and root for the Bengals include Rodgers, star guard Eddie Puisis and reserve Alex Mangold.

“Knowing how the (Bengals have) struggled,” Rodgers said, “it’s crazy to see.”

The same can be said about the transformation made by the Sharks, who were a 6-20 team when coach Jim Crutchfield was hired on March 21, 2017.

Due to the pandemic, Crutchfield has only had two completed seasons at NSU so far. His first season brought an 11-win improvement (17-10), and he followed that with an equally amazing 12-win improvement (29-4) and a berth in the NCAA’s Elite Eight.

The Sharks were 23-6 and about to start the 2020 NCAA Tournament when the pandemic stopped everything.

NSU decided to skip last season because of COVID concerns, which brings us to this season’s 20-0 record. The Sharks had just pounded Florida Tech, 115-58, this past Saturday in Melbourne when Crutchfield heard “a nice hoot” coming from the back of their chartered bus.

As it turned out, Lubbock Christian – which had been ranked No. 1 – had lost, and NSU’s players were overjoyed to find out this news on their phones.

NSU, which started the season ranked 13^th in the nation, is now No. 1.

“It’s something we should be proud of,” Crutchfield said of the ranking. “It gives us more credibility.”

The Sharks seemingly have plenty of that as evidenced by their 15-0 record in the Sunshine State Conference, 13-0 mark at home and 7-0 on the road. They haven’t lost a game since March 8, 2020.

NSU is powered by Brooklyn’s Sekou Sylla, who leads the conference in scoring (22.7) and ranks fourth in rebounds (9.5). The Sharks’ RJ Sunahara, who is from Cleveland, ranks sixth in the league in scoring (19.3) and 11^th in rebounds (6.9).

Puisis, who is averaging 15.1 points, ranks second in the league in three-point percentage (46.1).

The other Sharks star is Pittsburgh’s Nick Smith, who averages 11.8 points and leads the team in assists (8.1) and steals (3.6).

NSU does have injury issues, however. Jake Maranville (knee) and Dallas Graziani (foot) are unlikely to return this season.

The news is better for Lukas Speidel, who is NSU’s second-best three-point shooter (41.8 percent). He should return soon, and Rodgers (fractured hand) could be back for the playoffs.

NSU’s regular season ends Feb. 26, but, before that, there’s Sunday’s Super Bowl between the Los Angeles Rams and the Bengals.

Rodgers said the entire NSU roster will meet up to watch the Super Bowl.

“Everything off the court is just as important as on the court,” Rodgers said. “We’ve grown our friendship as well as our team chemistry by hanging out with each other and watching NFL games.”

Therefore, no matter how the Bengals do on Sunday, that’s yet another victory for the NSU Sharks.

This story was originally published February 8, 2022 at 1:04 PM.