INDIANAPOLIS – Jim Crutchfield notoriously doesn’t watch much basketball outside of his own Nova Southeastern teams, but one has to imagine that the legendary coach cracked a smile as Easton Bazzoli led Gannon to the program’s first ever national championship.
While Bazzoli never worked for Crutchfield, he picked up Crutchfield’s famed “System,” and continued it on as head coach after former NSU assistant Jordan Fee left Gannon. On Sunday, Bazzoli became the second “System”-running head coach – first not named Crutchfield – to win the national championship.
The Golden Knights ran through the Division II NCAA Tournament, winning all but one game by double digits, including an 84-61 thrashing of Lander in Indianapolis to take home the crown. Sophomore guard Pace Prosser dominated with 28 points and 11 rebounds and six assists.
Defined by others for its full-court press and other quantifiable elements, the players who play it characterize it differently.
“It’s a really fun way to play basketball,” Prosser said. “If you’re getting recruited by one of these places, especially Gannon, I would definitely look into it. This style is part of the reason I came to Gannon. The speed of the game and the freedom, you’re able to make decisions both offensively and defensively, just being free.”
Bazzoli, just 30 years old, is one of, if not the youngest coach to ever win a NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship. He showed humility in his press conference, but with the entire Gannon team standing on the side, Prosser wouldn’t pass up the opportunity in front of the nation to hype up his coach.
“You can say it coach, you’re the best coach in the country.”
In order to play The System, which Crutchfield won the national championship with in both 2023 and 2025, it takes tremendous effort and understanding from your players.
Guys are constantly tired, rotating in and out of the game, and need to get rid of some of their previously held basketball habits, per former West Liberty players in Basket Under Review. But the results validate themselves, and it, along with many other reasons, is why Bazzoli is able to get the buy-in that he needs to win at a championship level.
“Whatever our philosophy or style, we’re all fighting for buy-in,” Bazzoli said. “I think that it’s because these guys believe in it. If we’ve done anything well as a staff, it’s in the recruiting process. We’re being very clear about what you’re signing up to do.
“I just don’t want guys coming here that one, aren’t excited about it, and two, just you see it all over the country, they look at everything but does this actually fit me and do I see myself excelling in it.”
