MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Sunshine State Conference released its 2022-23 All-SSC Men’s Basketball teams on Wednesday afternoon. The top-ranked Sharks, the two-time defending Sunshine State Conference regular season Champions, earned six All-SSC awards, including Player, Newcomer, and Coach of the Year.
RJ Sunahara, the recipient of six Sunshine State Conference Player of the Week awards during the season, earned SSC Player of the Year recognition following a dominant 2022-23 campaign. Sunahara was superb all season leading NSU to the program’s second consecutive undefeated regular season. The junior forward averaged 19.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, 1.6 steals, and 24.6 minutes-per-game, while also leading the league in field goal percentage (62%). Sunahara becomes the second NSU Men’s Basketball Player to be honored as the Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year, joining Sekou Sylla (2021-22). With the SSC Player of the Year honor, Sunahara adds the award to his 2021-22 Defensive Player of the Year and 2019-20 Freshman of the Year accolades.
Will Yoakum earns his Sunshine State Conference Newcomer of the Year honors, following a season in which the senior guard averaged 18.4 points-per-game. Yoakum is the fourth Shark to earn SSC Newcomer of the Year and second consecutive – David Dennis (2017-18), Mark Matthews (2018-19) and Sekou Sylla (2021-22). The senior was also named to the All-SSC Newcomer team.
In addition to their specialty awards, Sunahara and Yoakum both earned Sunshine State Conference First-Team honors.
Jim Crutchfield earned his third Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year honor guiding No. 1 Nova Southeastern to a 27-0, 20-0 SSC regular season record. Crutchfield and the Sharks earned the program’s third SSC title, averaging 104.4 points-per-game and recording a turnover margin of +27.3, both leading NCAA Division II. The 2022-23 Sharks are the second undefeated team in conference play since the 1981-1982 expansion, matching the accomplishment of Crutchfield’s 2021-22 NSU team.
All-conference selections and individual award winners are determined by a vote of Sunshine State Conference head coaches with oversight and approval from member institution Athletic Directors.
Player of the Year: RJ Sunahara, Nova Southeastern
Defensive Player of the Year: Jalen Cooper, Palm Beach Atlantic
Newcomer of the Year: Will Yoakum, Nova Southeastern
Freshman of the Year: Nordin Kapic, Lynn
Coach of the Year: Jim Crutchfield, Nova Southeastern
| 2022-23 Men’s Basketball All-SSC First Team | ||||
| Pos. | Name | School | Yr. | Hometown |
| F | RJ Sunahara*!Δ‡ | Nova Southeastern | Jr. | Bay Village, Ohio |
| G | Jadin Booth | Florida Southern | So. | Omaha, Neb. |
| G | Hutton Yenor* | Rollins | Sr. | Orlando, Fla. |
| G | Will Yoakum | Nova Southeastern | Sr. | Delaware, Ohio |
| G | EJ Dambreville^† | Florida Southern | Gr. | Dorchester, Mass. |
| 2022-23 Men’s Basketball All-SSC Second Team | ||||
| Pos. | Name | School | Yr. | Hometown |
| G | Sesan Russell† | Florida Tech | Sr. | London, England |
| G | Kanon Koster | Saint Leo | Gr. | Kearney, Neb. |
| F | Marty Jackson | Saint Leo | Sr. | Kansas City, Mo. |
| G | Sean Houpt | Florida Tech | Sr. | Danville, Ill. |
| G/F | Jalen Cooper | Palm Beach Atlantic | So. | Holiday, Fla. |
| F | Chris Murray | Embry-Riddle | Sr. | Miami, Fla. |
| 2022-23 Men’s Basketball All-SSC Newcomer Team | ||||
| Pos. | Name | School | Yr. | Hometown |
| G | Will Yoakum | Nova Southeastern | Sr. | Delaware, Ohio |
| F | Marty Jackson | Saint Leo | Sr. | Kansas City, Mo. |
| G | Kanon Koster | Saint Leo | Gr. | Kearney, Neb. |
| F | Nordin Kapic | Lynn | Fr. | Vienna, Austria |
| G | Carr Thiam | Eckerd | So. | Detroit, Mich. |
* = 2021-22 All-SSC First Team ^ = 2021-22 All-SSC Second Team ! = 2021-22 Defensive of the Year
† = 2020-21 All-SSC First Team Δ = 2019-20 Freshman of the Year ‡ = 2019-20 All-SSC Newcomer Team
