ORLANDO, Fla. – The Sunshine State Conference announced the 2026-27 Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll on Wednesday morning, the reigning NCAA Division II National Champion, five-time defending Sunshine State Conference regular season and tournament champion Nova Southeastern Men's Basketball team has once again been selected as the preseason favorite to win the league, marking the seventh consecutive year the Sharks have earned that distinction.
Under the continued leadership of Head Coach
Jim Crutchfield, the Sharks have maintained their dominance both in the SSC and nationally. Over the past five seasons, Nova Southeastern has compiled an astounding 166-7 overall record, including 96-4 in SSC play, and has now won 106 consecutive games at the Rick Case Arena, a streak that dates back to February 26, 2020.
The Sharks received 11 points in the 2026-27 preseason poll, including nine first-place votes, reaffirming their position at the top of the conference. Palm Beach Atlantic, runners-up in last year's SSC Tournament, were the only other team to earn first-place votes with two.
NSU went 31-2 in the 2025-26 season, including a 19-1 mark in Sunshine State Conference play. The Sharks clinched their fifth straight SSC and South Region Tournament Championships.
Palm Beach Atlantic, Florida Southern and Tampa chop at the heels of the Sharks in the next three positions in the poll. Barry, Rollins, Lynn and Embry-Riddle make up the middle of the pack while Eckerd, Saint Leo and Florida Tech rounds out the poll. The full results of the poll can be found below.
The Sharks kick off their season on Nov. 13 at the SSC-GSC Crossover in Huntsville, Ala. taking on Montevallo in the season-opener in a neutral site contest, and taking on Alabama-Huntsville the next day.
NSU begins its conference slate on its home opener on Wednesday, Nov. 18 against Florida Tech inside Rick Case Arena. For more information on a full schedule, rosters and ticket information, visit NSUSharks.com.
2026-27 SSC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
- Nova Southeastern – 11 (9)
- Palm Beach Atlantic – 21 (2)
- Florida Southern – 28
- Tampa – 40
- Barry – 42
- Rollins – 64
- Lynn – 66
- Embry-Riddle – 67
- Eckerd – 84
- Saint Leo – 90
- Florida Tech – 92
To stay up to date with Nova Southeastern Men's Basketball, follow us on social media @NSU_MBasketball or by logging online to NSUSharks.com.
