Men’s basketball claims second national championship title

COURTESY OF NSU ATHLETICS

The NSU men’s basketball team celebrates wining the 2024-2025 NCAA Division II National Championship title.

The NSU men’s basketball team won its second NCAA Division II National Championship title after defeating California State Dominguez Hills 74-73 on March 29. In an intense run against Cal. State Dominguez Hills, MJ Iraldi, fifth -year interdisciplinary studies major, led the Sharks with 27 points, followed by Tyler Eberhart, graduate student with 14 points, and Dallas Grazini, junior sports management major, with 13.

This win, however, was more than just another victory—it was the culmination of a year-long journey following the team’s defeat at the buzzer against Minnesota State during the 2023-2024 national championship game. Iraldi, NABC and DII CCA National Player of the year, who experienced that loss firsthand, attests to this win being a moment for redemption.

“It was surreal, definitely exciting and satisfying for sure. I was on the team last year and the way we ended our season last year was not fun, so I was just really happy to end up on top,” said Iraldi.
Jim Crutchfield, men’s basketball head coach and NABC National Coach of the Year, highlights the contrasting outcomes of the last two national championship games.

“We played good defense down the stretch and fortunately for us, the last shot that they shot [Cal State] didn’t go in the basket. We went through this last year where we were unfortunate when the last shot someone shot actually went in the basket,” Crutchfield said.

Two-time national champion, Dallas Graziani, who contributed to the Sharks first national championship win from the 2022-2023 season, described his emotions from each victory.

“With the first one, I didn’t know what the feeling was going to feel like, it was amazing but it also wasn’t as close of a game,” Graziani said. “This one was a one-point game, so I didn’t really know what was going to happen but when we did win, it was more of a shock.”

Eberhart, who played in his first season with the Sharks, said the team’s internal strength contributed to their championship win.

“We got a tough group, we got a lot of guys that are trained for this,” Eberhart said. “Throughout the fall and the winter we played long games together so when it got down to the final minutes, we knew we were in great shape, in great condition, and we could do it.”

The team’s high-intensity approach, highlighted by its full-court press, is central to its continuous success. When Eberhart joined the Sharks, their style of play presented a unique challenge for him.

“I came from a program in Charleston, West Virginia, where we played pretty slow, so it was very different,” Eberhart said. “Throughout the fall I struggled a lot for the first few months but the coaching staff did a great job at putting confidence in me and telling me that ‘you’re doing fine’,‘you’ll get the hang of it’ so I just kept working at it and it eventually came to me.”

However, the team’s success extended beyond its on-court performance. The unwavering support from the NSU community played a crucial role in its journey.

“We felt it throughout the whole year in the Sharktank here, but even on road games, we had people watching us, so we definitely feel the love and support, and it helps us a ton, and we’re super appreciative of everything,” Eberhart said.
Looking beyond the national championship win, Crutchfield spoke to the program’s growth and the positive impact on NSU’s overall visibility.
“We’re kind of on the map now, not just in this community but on the national stage. NSU as a basketball program is getting well known,” Crutchfield said. “This brings exposure to our university and we have a great university here so when we get that exposure, people can see how great this place is.”