And then there were four. The 2024 Division II Men's Basketball Final Four is here, with Nova Southeastern looking for back-to-back championships and the three other participants -- Cal State San Bernardino, Minnesota State and West Texas A&M -- looking for their first title.
Here's how to watch the action unfold from the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana.
Division II Men's Basketball Final Four schedule, times
| TIME (ET) | GAME | TV/STREAM |
|---|---|---|
| 2 p.m. | (1) Nova Southeastern vs. (6) Cal State San Bernardino | CBS Sports Network, cbssports.com, CBS Sports app (with TV provider, authentication required) |
| 4:30 p.m. | (1) Minnesota State vs. (4) West Texas A&M | CBS Sports Network, cbssports.com, CBS Sports app (with TV provider, authentication required) |
Nova Southeastern went 36-0 en route to last year's title -- its first ever -- and that included a 94-87 win over Cal State San Bernardino in the Final Four, making this a great revenge opportunity for the Coyotes. They are the 17-3 over their last 20 games, and they hold opponents to 65.3 points per game, 12th in Division II. On offense, Christopher Mitchell leads the way with 16.2 points per game, while Robby Robinson is just behind him at 14.3 points per game. It was two supporting players, however, that got the Coyotes here: Sedrick Altman (37 points) and LeAndrew Knight (29) both set career highs in their Elite Eight win over Gannon.
Nova Southeastern, meanwhile, is an absolute powerhouse. The Sharks are on a 19-game winning streak and are 98-3 over their last three seasons. Still, the road hasn't been easy. They trailed by 17 against Southern New Hampshire in the Elite Eight before coming back for an 68-60 win. The Sharks lead Division II in scoring margin, offensive rebounds per game and turnovers forced per game this season. Shane Hunter does it all for the reigning champs, leading the team in points per game (15.5), rebounds per game (6.6) and blocks per game (1.9). Isaiah Fuller and MJ Iraldi control the backcourt.
In the second game, we have Minnesota State looking for its first Division II championship game berth. The Mavericks are on a 14-game winning streak, second-longest in their division behind Nova Southeastern, and rarely beat themselves: They have the fifth-best assist-to-turnover ratio this season and are whistled for the 11th-fewest fouls per game. They also shoot 38% from 3. The Willingham brothers -- Malik and Kyreese -- are the stars. Both were first-team All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference selections, and Malik was the conference's player of the year.
Waiting for the Mavericks is West Texas A&M, which makes its third Final Four appearance since 2018. Lone Star Conference and D2CCA South Central Region Player of the Year Larry Wise leads the way for the Buffs, who lost consecutive games entering the tournament but have won three of their four tournament games by double digits. Sharpshooter Zach Toussaint, conference freshman of the year Kieran Elliott and conference defensive player of the year Ryland Holt round out the supporting cast.
