Unbeaten NSU men’s basketball team set to host NCAA regional as it chases national title

The field for the NCAA Division II South Region men’s basketball tournament has been set.

Nova Southeastern University, the nation’s No. 1 team by virtue of its 28-0 record, is the host team for all three rounds. The Sharks will open against No. 8 seed Savannah State (15-13) at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

The other South Florida team in the field is second-seeded Barry (20-8). The Bucs will play No. 7 Alabama Huntsville (22-10) at 2:30 p.m.

At noon, the tournament tips off with third-seeded Embry-Riddle (22-9) playing sixth-seeded West Alabama (24-6).

The final game of the night is set for 7:30 p.m. as fourth-seeded Union (23-8) faces fifth-seeded Miles (24-4).

NSU is 3-0 this season against Barry and 2-0 versus Embry-Riddle. But NSU hasn’t faced any of the other teams in the field this season.

Barry, which has qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time under coach Butch Estes, will open against a hot Huntsville team. Huntsville won the Gulf South Conference tournament championship by beating top-seeded West Alabama 76-65 n the semifinals and second-seeded Union 86-72 in the title game.

Saturday’s first semifinal, at 5 p.m., will feature the winner between Embry-Riddle and West Alabama versus the winner between Barry and Huntsville. The second semifinal, set for 7:30 p.m., will feature the winner between NSU and Savannah State against the winner between Union and Miles.

The South Region title game is set for Tuesday March 15 at 7 p.m., also at NSU’s Rick Case Arena. The winner will advance to the Elite Eight, set for March 22-26 at the 10,000-seat Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana.

Both NSU and Barry are looking for their first national championship.

Barry made it as far as the Elite Eight in 2015 and 2017. NSU made it to the Elite Eight in 2019.