Norfolk State Spartans
MEAC (25-9, 13-3)
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference has one representative in the NCAA tournament, and it wasn’t who many thought would advance. Conference champion Savannah State ended up bounced in the MEAC tournament quarterfinals, opening the door for Norfolk State to upend Bethune-Cookman 73-70 and claim the conference tournament and NCAA automatic bid. This is the school’s first NCAA tournament appearance in history, but how long will it last? Can the Spartans pull off an upset?
Big Wins: 11/18 Drexel (61-56), 12/14 LIU Brooklyn (73-62), 3/10 vs Bethune-Cookman (73-70)
Bad Losses: 11/21 Marquette (57-59), 1/30 Coppin State (82-87), 2/15 Delaware State (63-73)
Coach: Anthony Evans (5 seasons at Norfolk State)
Why They Can Surprise:
Even though Norfolk State lost twice to Marquette, the second time it came within three points of scoring a major upset against a Big East opponent. Now that would have opened a few eyes by itself. The upset didn’t happen, but teams knew what Norfolk State could do. The Spartans have 36.4 rebounds per game, which is 80th in the nation among all Division I schools. This is in large part due to the double-duty strength of Kyle O’Quinn, who has an average of 15.9 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. It was O’Quinn’s 18 points that helped key the win over Bethune-Cookman and get the NCAA tournament bid. Chris McEachin (12.8) and Pendarvis Williams (11.8) are also solid double-figure scorers.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Yes, Norfolk State did pull off the upset by qualifying for the NCAA tournament, but there are signs it could be a short stay based on which team the Spartans draw. Although O’Quinn is a dual threat in scoring and rebounding, the drop-off level from leading rebounder to second on the boards is quite steep. Williams is the second-leading rebounder at 3.8, while O’Quinn is at 10.4. If O’Quinn can’t crash the boards effectively, the Spartans’ rebounding edge is essentially taken away. While McEachin and Williams combined for 120 3-pointers, the entire team had 184. Again, weaker shooting from the perimeter by either player could damn the Spartans’ chances right away. The main culprit, however, is the conference itself. The MEAC isn’t a conference that features a dominant school. To have your conference leader in the regular season fall in the tournament quarterfinals to a 12-21 program (Hampton) that went 6-10 in the league just exudes confidence. Only five teams finished above .500 in the MEAC and two of those five were one or two games above even.
Probable Starters:
Pendarvis Williams, Sophomore, Guard, 11.8 ppg, 2.5 apg
Rodney McCauley, Senior, Guard/Forward, 3.4 ppg, 1.2 apg
Chris McEachin, Senior, Guard/Forward, 12.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg
Marcos Tamares, Senior, Forward, 6.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg
Kyle O’Quinn, Senior, Center, 15.9 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 2.7 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Jamel Fuentes, Sophomore, Guard, 3.2 ppg, 3.0 apg
Rob Johnson, Junior, Forward, 6.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg
A.J. Rogers, Junior, Forward, 2.4 ppg, 1.4 rpg
Brandon Wheeless, Senior, Guard/Forward, 5.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 69.2 (145th in nation, 4th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 66.8 (173, 5)
Field-Goal Percentage: 44.2 (135, 2)
Field-Goal Defense: 40.5 (44, 2)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.5 (226, 7)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 30.6 (272, 8)
Free-Throw Percentage: 65.1 (284, 8)
Rebound Margin: 1.9 (118, 2)
Assists Per Game: 12.2 (227, 5)
Turnovers Per Game: 15.5 (307, 7)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
None
*all team stats through 3/4
See All Women’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
