The Nova Southeastern University Sharks are the team to beat in local men’s basketball

NSU is at the top of its class.

Among local men’s basketball teams below the Division I level, the Nova Southeastern University Sharks have distinguished themselves lately, going 31-1 last season, reaching the Elite Eight in the NCAA Division II national playoffs.

Prior to Jim Crutchfield getting hired as NSU coach in March of 2017, the Sharks had never made it to the NCAA postseason.

Now, the Sharks are on a roll, making the Elite Eight in two straight years not affected by COVID.

But NSU is not the only local men’s basketball team coming off a stellar season.

Florida Memorial won the Sun Conference postseason tournament for the first time in 15 years. They lost in the first round of the NAIA national tournament.

Looking forward, NSU is predicted to finish first in the Sunshine State Conference. Barry is predicted to finish second.

In the NAIA, St. Thomas is predicted to finish second in the Sun Conference. Florida Memorial is picked to finish fourth.

Here’s a closer look at the local teams, including Miami Dade College, which competes as a junior college:

▪ NSU graduated three of its top-four scorers: Sekou Sylla (22.4 points, team-high 10.4 rebounds); Eddie Puisis (14.5 points, team-high 79 3-pointers); and Nick Smith (12.8 points, team-high 7.7 assists, team-high 3.1 steals).

But the Sharks have added 6-5 graduate transfer Will Yoakum, a two-time first-team All-Conference player at D-II West Liberty. Yoakum signed with West Liberty just before Crutchfield bolted that school for NSU.

“How often do you get to sign a player twice?” Crutchfield said. “I liked Will’s game five years ago, and I like it even more now. He is a proven winner.

“He’s had a small learning curve since West Liberty runs the same system we do.”

Crutchfield said Yoakum has had knee surgeries the past two years, but he is healthy now. For his career, Yoakum is efficient, shooting 48 percent on 3-pointers, 57 percent on field goals overall and 84 percent on foul shots.

NSU’s two returning starters are 6-8 forward RJ Sunahara and 6-3 guard Kobe Rodgers. Sunahara was second on the team in scoring (19.3) and rebounding (6.7). He made 60.0 percent of his field goals, 41.3 percent of his 3-pointers and 76.2 percent of his free throws, and he led the team with 76 blocks.

“RJ has improved every day since he got here,” Crutchfield said.

Rodgers averaged 8.3 points, and he had a knack for making game-winning shots. Crutchfield said Rodgers may be his best defender.

NSU will likely run more this season, using a five-man-motion offense. Point guard Dallas Graziani, who Crutchfield said is just 5-6 and 130 pounds (smaller than his listed height of 5-9), will lead the offense.

“He will be a fan favorite – worth the price of admission,” Crutchfield said. “He is small but fiery, more of a perimeter shooter than Nick, who was more of a facilitator.”

Other NSU players to watch include: Jake Maranville, a 6-2 guard who started as a freshman but missed last season due to injury; 6-8 forward/Vermont transfer Thomas Murphy; 6-9 wing Jonathan Pierre, who has struggled with injury/illness in camp; and 6-10 post Shane Hunter, who needs to work more inside, according to Crutchfield.

▪ Barry finished 20-9 last season, losing in the first round of the NCAA D-II tournament.

Butch Estes is the only coach in Barry history to take five straight teams to the NCAA Tournament. Since getting hired in April of 2013, he has led Barry to six NCAA Tournaments overall, including two Elite Eight finishes.

Barry returns two double-digit scorers: 6-6 senior power forward Michael Schaefer (13.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, SSC All-Newcomer team) and 6-3 shooting guard Nick Anderson (11.8 points, 45.3 percent on 3-pointers).

The Bucs have also added three senior transfers: 6-6 forward Javon Williams (from Robert Morris); 6-3 shooting guard Tyler Hawkins (Pittsburg State); and 5-11 point guard Rusty Moorer (Saint Leo).

▪ Florida Memorial finished 17-11 last season, but the Lions graduated their top two players: 6-2 guard Corey Benton, who was named an honorable mention NAIA All-American; and 6-8 forward Brent Holcombe, who made second-team all-conference.

Last season marked just the second Sun Conference title in FMU history. Benton scored 22 points in the conference semifinals as FMU upset top-seeded Warner, 71-68. In the league title game, Benton had 29 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists as FMU defeated Ave Maria, 118-115, in double overtime.

Benton scored 18 points in the two overtime periods, and he will be replaced as a team leader this season by junior-college transfers Christian Taylor and Teonta McKeithen.

Taylor, a 6-5 forward, led all California junior colleges with a 27.0 scoring average, and he also added 10.0 rebounds. McKeithen, a 6-6 wing, was the leading scorer (12.4 average) on a Triton team that went 30-6 and made the nationals semifinals.

▪ MDC is led by coach Jorge Fernandez, who went 10-17 in his debut season, a seven-win improvement from the previous season. Fernandez, a former associate head coach at the University of Miami, led Doral Academy to a Florida Class 7A state title in 2018.

▪ St. Thomas finished 13-10 last season, losing 76-74 to Florida Memorial in the first round of the Sun Conference tournament.