Nova Southeastern Tops SSC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
ORLANDO, Fla. – Nova Southeastern has been selected as the preseason favorite to capture the 2026-27 Sunshine State Conference men's basketball title, according to the league's preseason coaches poll. The Sharks received nine of 11 first-place votes and totaled 11 points to claim the top spot in the rankings. Nova Southeastern enters the season seeking its sixth consecutive SSC regular-season and tournament championships. The Sharks finished the 2025-26 campaign with a 19-1 conference record and a 35-2 overall mark, capturing both league titles for the fifth straight season.
Palm Beach Atlantic was selected second in the preseason poll with 21 points and the remaining two first-place votes. The Sailfish finished second in the SSC standings last season with a 16-4 conference record and a 27-6 overall mark. Palm Beach Atlantic also reached the SSC Tournament championship game.
Florida Southern earned the third spot in the preseason rankings with 28 points. The Moccasins finished third in the conference last season with a 13-7 SSC record and a 22-11 overall mark.
Tampa was picked fourth with 40 points after finishing fifth in the league standings last season with a 10-10 conference record.
Barry rounds out the preseason top five with 42 points following a fourth-place SSC finish in 2025-26.
Rollins was selected sixth with 64 points, followed closely by
Lynn (66) and
Embry-Riddle (67).
Eckerd (84),
Saint Leo (90) and
Florida Tech (92) complete the 11-team preseason rankings.
Nova Southeastern won the 2026 NCAA DII South Regional and advanced to the National Semifinals (Final Four). Florida Southern made the NCAA DII tournament as a No. 4 seed in the South Region.
2026-27 SSC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
| Rank |
School |
Points |
| 1 |
Nova Southeastern |
11 (9) |
| 2 |
Palm Beach Atlantic |
21 (2) |
| 3 |
Florida Southern |
28 |
| 4 |
Tampa |
40 |
| 5 |
Barry |
42 |
| 6 |
Rollins |
64 |
| 7 |
Lynn |
66 |
| 8 |
Embry-Riddle |
67 |
| 9 |
Eckerd |
84 |
| 10 |
Saint Leo |
90 |
| 11 |
Florida Tech |
92 |
First-place votes in parentheses. Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own teams. Teams are ranked by total points, with the lowest point total receiving the highest ranking.
About the SSC
Founded in 1975, the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) is headquartered in Orlando, Florida, and sponsors 21 NCAA Division II sports. SSC member institutions have won 144 NCAA national championships across 15 sports and boast a Division II-leading 89% Academic Success Rate. In 2025-26, the SSC set an NCAA Division II record with nine national team championships.