The most entertaining (and successful) coach in men's college basketball

Nova Southeastern won the Division II national championship last week, capping off an undefeated season. It was the latest accomplishment for Jim Crutchfield, the most anonymous winner in the sport

Last Saturday, as Florida Atlantic, Kansas State, Connecticut and Gonzaga competed to secure two of the coveted four spots on their sport’s biggest and grandest stage, the most dominant season in men’s college basketball in 2022-23 was drawing to a close in the relative quiet of Evansville, Ind.

There, Nova Southeastern, a private college in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., capped off an undefeated run through its schedule by racing past West Liberty, 111-101, in the Division II national championship game. With that final win, the Sharks not only captured their first title in program history, but they became just the sixth Division II men’s team ever to finish a season undefeated.

Even among past champions, Nova Southeastern’s victory stands out. The 111 points were the most ever by a team in an NCAA men’s or women’s championship game at any division. 

What will live as a historic performance was actually quite routine for the Sharks. In a sport in which teams regularly fail to crack 80 or even 70 points consistently at the Division I level, Nova Southeastern is an enthralling outlier. On its way to a 36-0 record, it averaged 102.5 points per game, more than 16 points more than the Division I scoring leader, Gonzaga, recorded this season. The Sharks not only win, but they do so with a certain flair.

Overseeing it all from the sideline was one of the most innovative minds in college basketball, the man responsible for conducting the fluid and frenetic orchestra that rolled its way to outlandish achievements for years.

To many, even those who ardently follow the sport, the name Jim Crutchfield likely doesn’t resonate much, if it’s even recognized at all. It should.