FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Let the countdown begin. Nova Southeastern officially announced it's 2017-18 schedule on Wednesday, as the start of the "Coach Crutch" era is only a shade over a month away with the regular season tip-off set for Friday, November 10 at home against Florida National. 
 
Following the move from West Liberty, first-year head coach Jim Crutchfield brings with him an extraordinary pedigree highlighted by a .855 career win percentage, and will look to reshape the culture in Fort Lauderdale.
 
The Sharks will host 16 of their 26 regular season contests within the confines of the Rick Case Arena, including a six-game home stretch beginning December 9 versus Florida Tech. Crutchfield and company will welcome 2016-17 Sunshine State Conference regular season champion Barry during that run on December 30 before Rollins, an Elite Eight team last season, visits on February 14.
 
"We are excited about our upcoming schedule," said Crutchfield. "However, I think both the coaches and players are both aware of the fact that we have a lot of ground to cover before we put on the uniforms. The challenge of blending the eight returners with our six recruits, along with the installation of a new system and a new coach, certainly makes for a difficult, yet exciting challenge."
 
Similar to their 2016-17 slate, the Sharks won't have much time to ease into the season. Just five days after its opener on November 10, Nova Southeastern will jump into SSC action on the road at Lynn. In the same week, the Sharks will tackle another league opponent in Tampa at home on November 18.
     
"A couple years ago, the SSC was rated as the top conference in the country," said Crutchfield. "Since then, the conference has won a national championship and added two more outstanding programs. For us to have success in this league, we will have to perform at a high level day in and day out."
 
In addition to its matchup with Florida National, Nova Southeastern's non-conference slate features home contests against a variety of programs ranging up-and-down the nation's east coast, including St. Thomas (Fla.) (Nov. 21), Caldwell (N.J.) (Nov. 27), NYIT (Dec. 11), Benedict (S.C.) (Dec. 13) and Elizabeth City State (N.C.) (Dec. 19).
 
"Our main goal in scheduling was to bring in as many quality south region foes as possible," Crutchfield stated. "We had a bit of a late start scheduling with my hiring, but are happy that we have four quality DII teams from four different conferences."
 
Nova Southeastern will ring in the New Year on January 3 when Eckerd, a program that has reached the NCAA Tournament in each of the past two years, comes to town for the first of two meetings in 2017-18. The month of January will also see the Sharks travel to official SSC newcomers Embry-Riddle (Jan. 10) and Palm Beach Atlantic (Jan. 17).
 
Among the ESPN3 Basketball Showcase lineup, Nova Southeastern's trip to Barry on February 17 expects to be much-anticipated. A Senior Night date with PBA follows on February 21, with the regular season set to wrap up at Florida Tech on February 24.
 
The SSC Tournament is scheduled to get underway on February 28, as the higher-seeded teams will host during the quarterfinal rounds. Meanwhile, the semifinals and finals will be played this season on March 3 and 4 on the campus of Florida Southern.
 
For the complete schedule, visit the men's basketball page on NSUSharks.com. For coverage throughout the season, stay up-to-date with the Sharks on Twitter @nsu_mbasketball.