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Big Red standout Haney commits to Nova Southeastern

By From staff reports 2 min read
Andrew Grimm COMMITTED — Big Red standout Santino Haney, shown scoring a bucket during the state tournament this past season, announced on Monday he has committed to play college basketball at Nova Southeastern University, a program coached by former West Liberty coach Jim Crutchfield that has won two of the last three NCAA National Championships.

STEUBENVILLE -- A Big Red standout is going to play for an Ohio Valley legend.

Steubenville senior Santino Haney announced on social media on Monday that he has committed to NCAA Division II basketball powerhouse Nova Southeastern, the program currently led by West Liberty legend Jim Cruthfield.

Haney is the reigning Division III, East District Player of the Year, District 5 Coaches Association Player of the Year and a First Team All-Ohio selection last season, a season in which he helped Big Red finish as OVAC, East/Southeast District and Region 11 Champions on the way to a state runner-up finish.

Haney averaged 21.3 points, five rebounds, 6.3 assists and 3.8 steals, all team-highs, in what was his junior season.

A starter since he was a freshman, Haney has already passed 1,000 career points, sitting with 1,378 with a season to go and has a strong chance to become Big Red's all-time leading scorer this winter.

Nova Southeastern won the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2023 and 2025, has been in the Final Four each of the last three seasons and the Elite Eight four-straight years.

They have a 100-plus game home winning streak.

Crutchfield coached at West Liberty from 1989-2017, spending from 2004-2017 as the head coach before his success at Nova Southeastern.

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