Men’s basketball preview: Surprise return of point guard could fuel more NSU success

Dallas Graziani is back.

Graziani, a 5-8, 140-pound point guard, started for the Nova Southeastern University Sharks when they won the NCAA Division II national championship in 2023.

He then left for one season at Division I Samford, enticed by a $50,000 NIL deal. Graziani started for Samford, leading the Bulldogs to a 29-6 record and a berth in the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to perennial power Kansas, 93-89, in the first round.

But despite that success, NSU coach Jim Crutchfield “heard through the grapevine” that Graziani wanted to return to NSU, and the connection was made.

Besides the return of Graziani, Crutchfield’s two assistant coaches are his former players Nick Smith and RJ Sunahara.

“People joke that we’re like a cult,” Crutchfield said, “because these guys keep coming back.”

Crutchfield said NSU didn’t offer Graziani an NIL deal.

Either way, Graziani is once again NSU’s starting point guard. The other four starting spots will be contested among five players with extensive experience as starters at the Division II level.

NSU’s returning starters are 6-4 junior guard Ryan Davis; 6-6 senior guard MJ Iraldi; and 6-9 senior forward Ryker Cisarik.

Iraldi, who scored 25 points in last season’s national final, seems like a lock to start. Davis might be a bit delayed in terms of top form since he had foot surgery in the spring.

In addition to those three players, NSU can turn to 6-7 senior forward Tyler Eberhart, who has 61 career starts at the University of Charleston; and 6-4 junior guard Ross Reeves, who started 28 games last season and was the leading scorer (16.7) for Chaminade University in Honolulu. Both of those schools are solid Division II programs.

Eberhart shot 60 percent from the floor last season, averaging 9.9 points and 5.1 rebounds for a nationally ranked team that played at a slower pace. He is adjusting well to NSU’s up-tempo style.

Reeves is a natural scorer who also led the Pacific West Conference in assists-to-turnover ratio (2.0).

“We consider that we have six starters,” Crutchfield said.

Graziani’s backup is 6-4 sophomore Eli Allen, who battled an ankle injury last season but is now healthy.

“Eli hustles and exemplifies what we’re about,” Crutchfield said. “He’s giving (Graziani) all he can handle in practice.”

More depth comes from 6-8 senior forwards Tommy Salla and Alex Mangold.

However, 6-0 sophomore guard Ryan Walsh is out for the season due to a knee injury, and 6-3 guard Jarvis Wright will miss the next month due to mononucleosis.

It remains to be seen if NSU can keep up the amazing pace of the past three years. During that span, NSU has produced a 99-4 record, one national title, one second-place finish and one top-eight showing.

Last season, the Sharks went 32-3 overall, 20-0 at home and 18-2 in the Sunshine State Conference. They nearly won another national title but lost the final 88-85 when Minnesota State hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

In 2022-2023, the Sharks went 36-0 to win the NCAA Division II national title. And, in 2021-2022, the Sharks went 31-1, and their only loss came in the NCAA’s Elite-Eight round.

“i try not to (feel pressure to repeat that success), but I do feel it a bit,” Crutchfield said. “People expect us to win every game now, and it’s not that easy.”

MORE NCAA DIVISION II

Barry University finished last season 17-14 overall, 8-12 in the Sunshine State Conference. The Bucs made it to the SSC tournament final as the seventh seed, losing to NSU, 87-76.

However, James Montgomery, who made first-team All-SSC last season, is now playing pro ball in Canada. Barry’s other top player from last season, third-team All-SSC Nick Anderson, is also gone after transferring to a Division I school, Furman.

As for the returners, the Bucs will be led by a pair of senior guards who missed the second half of last season: Malik Stanley (16.0 scoring average) and Ga’Khari Lacount (8.8 scoring average).

The team’s third top guard is sophomore Gabe Hernandez, who had a 36-point game in a SSC tournament win over Florida Southern. For the season, he averaged 7.2 points, starting just six of his 31 games.

OT Delancy, a 6-6, 225-pound junior wing, is back after starting 30 games last season (8.8 scoring average).

Jimel Lane, a 6-7 junior forward from Miami Palmetto, arrives this season as a transfer from Northwestern State, a Division I school. He started 13 of his 31 games, averaging 5.5 points and 3.4 rebounds.

The Bucs also added Pete Moe II, a 6-9, 215-pound transfer from Division I Marshall, where he sat out last season as a true freshman.

Returners Gavin Welch, Akeem Crandon, Sami Elkamel and others will battle for playing time.

“We should be a good defensive and rebounding team,” Barry coach Butch Estes said. “We’re going to play extremely up-tempo on offense.”

NAIA

▪ Florida Memorial is coming off a 24-7 season, a No. 25 national ranking and a Sun Conference tournament title. The Lions lost in the first round of the NAIA playoffs.

It was a great first season at FMU for coach Delano Thomas, who previously won an NAIA national title at Shawnee State.

This season, the Lions will be led by 6-8, 220-pound senior forward Latavious Mitchell, who averaged 13.3 points and 9.7 rebounds in 2023-2024. He’s coming off a great summer.

▪ St. Thomas University finished 22-9 last season, advancing to the NAIA Sweet 16 for the first time in program history. After the season, coach Patrick Crarey II left to become a Division I head coach at Florida A&M. The new STU coach is Zach Moss, who was Crarey’s assistant. STU, currently ranked No. 21 in the nation, will be led by 6-10 senior center Donavan Short; 6-9 senior power forward Cearius Warren; and 5-9 senior point guard Daniel Ogoro.

JUNIOR COLLEGE

Miami Dade College is coming off a 15-17 season overall, 6-10 in the Sunshine State Conference. The Sharks, however, were 11-5 at home.

This season, the Sharks will be led by 6-2 sophomore guard Jamaal Morris; 6-2 freshman guard Randy Smith; and 6-6 sophomore wing Faheim Saintleger Meran. Watch out for 6-0 freshman guard Ernesto Rodriguez, who is from El Salvador.