Transfer wing a big reason NSU basketball team is 3 wins from repeat national title
At this time last year, MJ Iraldi was – essentially – a fan.
One year later, Iraldi is a starter on the Nova Southeastern University Sharks, who are in Evansville, Indiana this week looking to win their second straight national title in men’s basketball. The top-ranked Sharks (30-2) will play seventh-seeded Southern New Hampshire (24-10) on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
Last year, the Sharks (36-0) earned their first NCAA Division II national title by defeating West Liberty 111-101.
“I was thinking, ‘I’ve never seen this (wide-open) style of play before,’” said Iraldi, a 6-6 wing who played the past two seasons for Chestnut Hill College. “I was a little confused as to what I was watching, but it looked like fun.”
After last season, Iraldi put his name into the transfer portal.
“The portal is an interesting place,” Iraldi said. “I didn’t know (that NSU) is where I was going to end up. But when (assistant coach Nick Smith) reached out, I knew immediately that this is where I wanted to be.”
Iraldi made the South Regional all-tournament team last week as the Sharks extended their home win streak to 64 games.
For the season, Iraldi is third on the team in points (13.1), rebounds (5.0) and total assists (68).
Iraldi, though, admits he has felt pressure to live up to NSU’s championship expectations.
On Jan. 3, the Sharks had their 46-game win streak snapped in a 93-82 loss at Florida Southern.
“Walking around campus (after the loss), it felt like we were at somebody’s funeral,” Iraldi said. “I know the expectations here, and I carry that with me every day.”
The Sharks are led by fifth-year senior Shane Hunter, a 6-10 power forward from St. Thomas Aquinas. Hunter tops NSU in scoring (15.8), rebounds (6.6) and blocks (2.0).
But Hunter says the Sharks are not a one-man band.
“Of course, I’m a veteran,” Hunter said. “But we have (Isaiah) Fuller, (Iraldi) and other guys who have played a lot of years of college basketball at a high level.
“It’s not just me. I don’t want to make it sound like I’m ‘the guy.’ We’re a team.”
NSU’s Jim Crutchfield – the gold standard in Division II coaching – plays a talented 10-man rotation.
“We have 10 guys who are legit,” Iraldi said. “We have so many options.”
Crutchfield said his team is balanced and intelligent.
“You never know who will score for us, and that makes us hard to scout,” Crutchfield said.
“Our guys are so smart that I don’t have to pound in the details. We thrive on our guys making (good) decisions. I trust these guys. They say: ‘We’ll figure it out, Coach.’”
“We’re playing with a lot of confidence. We deserve to be the No. 1 team in the nation.”
Here’s a look at the other seven teams competing for the national title, the first five of which are nationally ranked:
No. 2 Minnesota State: The Mavericks (32-2) advanced with a 43-42 victory over Northwest Missouri State, winning on Elijah Hazekamp’s mid-range shot at the buzzer. It’s the Mavericks’ first trip to the Elite Eight since 2011.
No. 3 Gannon: The Pennsylvania-based Golden Knights (32-2) are led by head coach Jordan Fee, who made the Elite Eight the past two years as Crutchfield’s top assistant. The Knights are on a 21-game win streak, including a 67-65 victory over Charleston in the Atlantic Regional final. Gannon trailed by as many as 16 points, and its only lead came at the buzzer on Nigel Haughton’s put-back.
No. 9 West Texas A&M: The Buffs (29-4) beat Colorado Mesa 88-76 to advance to the Elite Eight for the fourth time in 10 years under coach Tom Brown. The Buffs lost three of their final four games in the regular season, but they have recovered to make it back for the first time since 2021.
No. 14 North Georgia: The Nighthawks (28-6) defeated Lander 70-67 to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time. They are the only “newbie” in this field.
No. 20 Cal State Bernadino: The Coyotes (26-7) defeated Azusa Pacific 74-67 to win their second straight West Regional. They now have to face Gannon, which leads the nation in scoring (101.4).
Southern New Hampshire: The Penmen (24-10) upset Saint Michael’s College 73-61 to advance to play NSU. The Penmen closed out that game on a shocking 17-0 run to make the Elite Eight for the first time since 2015. Saint Michael’s was held scoreless for the final 6:41.
Ferris State: The Michigan-based Bulldogs (28-7) are the eighth seed after rallying from a 16-point deficit to beat Lake Superior State, 86-81. This is just the third time the Bulldogs have reached the Elite Eight. However, the last time they got here was in 2018, when they won the national title.
