EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The NCAA Division II Elite Eight will tip-off on Tuesday afternoon at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana, where the No. 1 Nova Southeastern Sharks Men's Basketball program capped off the sixth undefeated, national championship season in NCAA Division II history last year. This season, just three wins away from repeating as national title winners, the Sharks will take on the seventh-seeded Southern New Hampshire Penmen.
HOW THEY GOT HERE
No. 1 Nova Southeastern (30-2) | Sunshine State Conference Regular Season & Tournament Champions, NCAA South Regional Champions
The Sharks are beginning to make Evansville a "home away from home;" For the program's fourth consecutive season under Head Coach
Jim Crutchfield, Nova Southeastern has advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight as the representatives from the South Region.
NSU has been the most dominant program in the country the last three years, accumulating a 97-3 record, winning three Sunshine State Conference regular season crowns, three SSC tournament championships, three NCAA South Region titles, and won the national championship in the 2022-23 season.
Nova Southeastern enters the Elite Eight on an 18-game winning streak and off a dominant performance in the NCAA South Region Tournament. The Sharks dismantled Sunshine State Conference rival Florida Southern in the regional championship, defeating FSC 98-66.
MJ Iraldi paced Nova Southeastern throughout the South Region Tournament, averaging 14.7 points-per-game, while shooting at a 55% clip in the three games.
NSU leads Division II in scoring, averaging 102.1, as well as scoring margin, holding opponents to 78.6 points-per-game.
Despite losing all five members of last season's title winning lineup, two starters for the Sharks,
Ryker Cisarik (Black Hills State) and
Isaiah Fuller (Missouri-St. Louis) both bring Elite Eight experience into the lineup.
Southern New Hampshire (24-10) | NE10 Tournament Champions, NCAA East Region Champions
The Penmen clinched the program's eighth trip, the first since 2014-15, to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight by defeating Saint Michael's College, the East region's top-seed, 73-61 and closed the title match on a 17-0 run.
Southern New Hampshire enters Evansville on a 10-game winning streak, including seven consecutive postseason wins, which is the most in program history.
Entering the Elite Eight, the Penmen are averaging 76.6 points-per-game and feature five players scoring in double figures throughout the season. Matt Becht has led Southern New Hampshire throughout the season, averaging 16.4 points, and is shooting at a 43/45/89 clip.
The Elite Eight will tip-off at 3:30 p.m. EDT at the Ford Center. To stay up-to-date on Sharks Men's Basketball throughout their championship run, be sure to follow on Instagram & X at NSU_MBasketball.
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