SSC Unveils Preseason Men's Basketball Poll

MELBOURNE, Fla. - Sunshine State Conference men's basketball coaches select Nova Southeastern University to win a second consecutive regular-season championship. The Sharks take the top spot following 98 total votes and eight first-place votes in the preseason poll. The University of Tampa was selected eighth in the release.
 
Florida Southern College finished second in the ranking with 85 points and two first-place votes, while Barry University and Lynn University tied for third place with 69 points. Saint Leo University rounds out the Top-5 after receiving 60 points and the final first-place vote from league coaches.
 
NSU (29-4, 18-2) captured its first SSC men's basketball regular-season title in 2018-19 following a .900 winning percentage in conference play. Florida Southern (25-8, 14-6) took the postseason tournament crown for the 24th time in league history by defeating the Sharks, 92-84, in the title game. Both the Moccasins and Sharks, along with the Fighting Knights of Lynn (25-7, 15-5), gained entry into the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship Tournament.
 
NSU took the regional championship by defeating Lynn, 89-74, in the title game. The Sharks advanced to the national quarterfinals, where their season came to an end against Saint Anselm College. NSU's efforts mark the fifth consecutive year an SSC team has represented the south region in the Elite Eight.
 
The 2019-20 season tips off with all 11 league teams in action on Friday, November 8th or Saturday, November 9th. Conference play begins on Wednesday, November 20th, with Florida Southern visiting Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
 
Below are the full results of the 2019-20 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).