Rim-rattling NSU forward looking to lead Sharks to first national championship
In the summer of 2019, Sekou Sylla -- playing in New York City’s famed Rucker Park -- dunked so ferociously that he brought down the rim and backboard.
“They were calling me ‘Shaq’,” said Sylla, a 6-5, 200-pound forward for the Nova Southeastern University Sharks men’s basketball team. “They told me that nobody had ever done that before at Rucker Park.”
On Tuesday afternoon at 3:30, Sylla is hoping for another first.
His Sharks, who are 31-0 and ranked No. 1 in the nation, will play No. 22 Black Hills State University (25-7) in the NCAA Division II playoffs in Evansville, Indiana.
With a victory, NSU would advance to the Final Four (also in Evansville) for the first time in program history.
The Sharks advanced to the Elite Eight by winning three straight games at home in the South Region. The last two of those contests were heart-pounders as NSU overcame a 19-point deficit to beat Union 81-80 on Kobe Rodgers’ last-second shot, and the Sharks overcame a 13-point deficit to vanquish Embry-Riddle, 71-68.
Embry-Riddle coach Steve Ridder was effusive in his praise for NSU.
“We just played a great basketball team,” he said after his team’s loss. “They are well coached by a class staff. What they are doing to be undefeated at this point in the season is amazing.
“I wish I could say I didn’t like (NSU coach Jim Crutchfield) or that he isn’t coaching for the right reasons. But he is, and they have great kids. It’s not fun to lose, but those aren’t just great players. They have a special team.”
As for NSU’s next challenge, Black Hills State -- based in Spearfish, South Dakota – is led by 6-7, 225-pound junior forward Joel Scott, who this year set the program’s single-season scoring record. He was also named the MVP of the South-Central region. He has 20 double-doubles this season, including 20 points and 12 rebounds in the region final.
For the season, Scott leads the team in scoring (23.2), rebounds (10.6) and field goal percentage (61.9). He’s also an excellent 3-point shooter (40.4 percent), and he makes 72.4 percent from the foul line.
Sindou Cisse and Adam Moussa are the other Black Hills stars. Cisse averages 14.8 points. Moussa averages 14.0 points and a team-high 4.6 assists.
Black Hills shoots it well (50.5 percent overall, 37.2 percent on 3-pointers).
NSU is powered by Sylla, the Brooklyn native. Sylla leads NSU in points (22.6) and rebounds (10.5). He is the Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year.
RJ Sunahara, a 6-8 forward, leads NSU in field-goal percentage (60.8) and blocks (2.5). He ranks second in scoring (19.5) and rebounds (6.7), and he’s the league’s Defensive Player of the Year.
NSU’s other double-digit scorers are shooting guard Eddie Puisis (14.8) and point man Nick Smith (12.7). Puisis is NSU’s top 3-point shooter (45.4) and foul shooter (83.6). Smith leads the squad in assists (7.8) and steals (3.1).
The other quarterfinal matchups are: Massachusetts’ Bentley University (25-4) against Northeast Missouri State (31-5); Indiana University of Pennsylvania (32-2) versus Michigan’s Hillsdale College (23-7); and Georgia’s Augusta University (30-3) against California’s Chico State (22-4).
Semifinals are set for Thursday, and the title game is on Saturday.
Among the eight schools at nationals – who represent eight different states – there are four teams ranked among the nation’s top 10 in the final poll before regionals. Besides No. 1 NSU, there’s No. 3 Indiana, No. 5 Augusta and No. 10 Northwest Missouri State.
Bentley was ranked No. 14, Chico State 15th, and Hillsdale is the longshot of the tournament as they were unranked heading into regionals.