5 takeaways, including Crutchfield staying at NSU and FIU football standouts

The good news for local college basketball fans is that coach Jim Crutchfield is staying at NSU, where he is three wins away from his third NCAA Division II national title in four years.

The bad news for local college basketball fans is that Crutchfield – according to multiple sources – has declined to interview for the job at FIU due to the changing landscape of NCAA Division I ball.

Here are your 5 local sports takeaways:

1. GAME HAS CHANGED

Crutchfield, who declined to comment, is known to not be a fan of the transfer portal and having to pay players through NIL deals, which is especially prevalent at the Division I level.

Recruiting is now more than just a coach, a player and his family. An agent is almost always involved in today’s D-1 ball.

In addition, coaches rarely get to build that treasured four-year relationship with a player due to an epidemic of transfers.

So, Crutchfield will stay with the top-ranked Sharks, who will play eighth-seeded South Dakota power Black Hills State (30-4) on Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the national quarterfinals in Pittsburgh.

FIU, meanwhile, is deep into the interview process with current active head coaches, according to a source.

Stay tuned.

2. STERLIN STEPS UP

Over at the football fields, FIU coach Willie Simmons is looking to rebuild his secondary.

After all, first-team All-Conference USA cornerback Mister Clark has transferred to Purdue. Safety Jessiah McGrew, a Freshman All-American last year after intercepting four passes, transferred to Arizona State. And cornerback Brian Blades, who started 32 games for FIU over the past three years, transferred to Wake Forest.

Fortunately for the Panthers, they return starting safety Shamir Sterlin, who made the league’s All-Freshman team.

Sterlin said he has matured since graduating high school a couple of years ago. He has been one of FIU’s biggest community-service stars, passing out food for the homeless and picking up aluminum cans to raise money for cancer research.

On the field, Sterlin said he has added patience.

“I’m not coming out of my breaks too quickly,” he said. “I’m grounded in my technique and letting the play develop.”

3. MORE LEADERS

Demetrius Hill, who was a standout FIU starter in 2022 before transferring to Illinois and then returning, is another option at safety.

Hill has played 30 college games at the Division I level.

“’D-Hill is a mentor for me and the team,” Sterling said. “He has the playbook down pat. I take his wisdom.”

At cornerback, Jai-Ayviauynn Celestine, a backup last year, is in his fifth season of college football, including two years at Arizona. This could be his breakout year.

Other players who could figure into the secondary this year are Websley Etienne, a second-string safety last year who has starting experience at Arkansas State; 5-foot-5 cornerback Da’Vontae Floyd, who played 14 games as a backup at Duke; Ryan Gadson, who was a starter last year at Lafayette; Lawrence Johnson, who was a backup at Florida Atlantic the past two years; and Wesley Miller, who started 23 games at South Alabama the past two years.

“We have guys who are willing to work,” Sterling said.

4. IMPRESSIVE VETERANS

Simmons said other players who worked hard in the offseason include wide receivers Kyle McNeal and JoJo Stone and running back Anthony Carrie on offense and linebackers Josiah Taylor and Percy Courtney Jr. on defense.

“Carrie can also line up as a slot receiver,” Simmons said. “We will be able to do a lot of things with ‘AC’ to maximize his ability.”

5. KICK RETURNERS

There’s an interesting battle at punt returner between veteran Maguire Anderson and true freshman Jayden Ford.

Anderson scored on a 97-yard punt return last year in FIU’s bowl game, showing his potential.

Ford, a small and speedy type listed at 5-5 and 160 pounds, could be a game-breaker if he proves to his coaches that he won’t fumble.

“He has shown the ability to return kicks in high school,” Simmons said of Ford. “It’s going to be critical the consistency of tracking the ball, catching the ball and protecting the ball. That’s the most important aspect. If he can hold on to it, he will have a great chance to be back there for punt and kickoff returns.”

Simmons said Ford will be challenged by Anderson; Stone; Tyson Carter; Andre Brown and Celestine.

As for Anderson – whose primary position is wide receiver -- he admits he was nervous when he first started returning punts.

“At first, it seemed like the ball was sitting up there for a long time,” Anderson said. “But now I love it.”