Nova Southeastern Takes the #1 Ranking in SSC Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll
Sunshine State Conference - Wide open race with four or five possible champs
The Sunshine State Conference men’s basketball coaches have selected Nova Southeastern as the preseason favorites for the 2023-24 season. The Sharks are pursuing their fourth consecutive regular season championship. In the poll, NSU accumulated 98 points, with eight first-place votes.
Florida Southern secured the second spot in the conference with 93 points, including the last three first-place votes. Embry-Riddle and Palm Beach Atlantic were ranked third and fourth, scoring 74 and 70 points, respectively. Barry completed the Top-5 with 68 points as voted by league coaches. Tampa found itself in the middle of the poll with 51 points. Rollins and Florida Tech took the seventh and eighth positions with 40 and 38 points, respectively, followed by Lynn with 33 points, Eckerd with 26 points, and Saint Leo with 14 points.
2024-25 SSC MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
NSU secured the national runner-up position last season, following their NCAA Division II championship win in 2022-23. The Sharks hold the titles of defending champions for the South Region, SSC postseason, and SSC regular season, with only two conference losses over the past two seasons. In the 2022-23 season, NSU joined the ranks as the sixth team in NCAA Division II history to end the season as undefeated National Champions.
The Sharks’ postseason tournament performance last year resulted in the league’s 13th Final Four and 23rd Elite Eight appearance. In the postseason, they overcame SSC rivals Embry-Riddle in the Regional Semifinals and Florida Southern in the Regional Final.
The 2024-25 season kicks off with Florida Southern hosting nine schools, NSU among them, in Lakeland for the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic. The event takes place on Saturday, November 2nd, and Sunday, November 3rd. The rest of the league teams will commence their season on Friday, November 8th, or Saturday, November 9th. Conference play is set to begin on Wednesday, November 13th, with Florida Southern welcoming Eckerd, and will continue until Saturday, March 1st.
Below are the full results of the 2024-25 SSC preseason coaches’ poll. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their teams (points: 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1, first-place votes in parentheses).
2024-25 SSC MEN’S BASKETBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL
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| Rank | School | Total Votes |
| 1 | Nova Southeastern | 98 (8) |
| 2 | Florida Southern | 93 (3) |
| 3 | Embry-Riddle | 74 |
| 4 | Palm Beach Atlantic | 70 |
| 5 | Barry | 68 |
| 6 | Tampa | 51 |
| 7 | Rollins | 40 |
| 8 | Florida Tech | 38 |
| 9 | Lynn | 33 |
| 10 | Eckerd | 26 |
| 11 | Saint Leo | 14 |
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