Courtesy of Norfolk State Athletics
NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State men’s basketball team has made its way back into the national rankings. The Spartans earned the No. 25 slot in the latest CollegeInsider.com Men’s Mid-Major Top 25 poll, released by the website on Monday evening. Norfolk State (3-0) is the only Historically Black College or University (HBCU) featured in the rankings.
Entering its 26th season of existence this year, the Mid-Major Top 25 poll is made up of teams from the following conferences: America East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Coastal Athletic, Conference USA, Horizon, Independents, Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, Mid-East, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, Southwestern, Summit, Sun Belt, West Coast, and Western Athletic. The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) are comprised of HBCU institutions.
The recognition marks Norfolk State’s first ranking in the mid-major poll this season, reaching as high as No. 19 during the 2023-24 season.
Norfolk State hits the road for its first away test on Tuesday night, facing a non-HBCU opponent in William & Mary (1-1) at 7 p.m. at Kaplan Arena.
Norfolk State vs William & Mary Game Preview
LAST TIME OUT
- Norfolk State dominated the second half of an 83-69 victory over JMU on Saturday
- Christian Ings led the Spartans with 22 points, scoring 17 in the first half
- Brian Moore Jr. contributed all 17 of his points in the second half
- Kuluel Mading added nine points and six rebounds, knocking down all three of his shot attempts
- JMU attempted 42 3-pointers, shooting 31.0 percent from behind the arc (13-of-42)
- Norfolk State shot 16-of-21 (76.2 percent) in the second half, holding JMU to a 35.3 percent clip in that period (12-of-34)
SERIES HISTORY
- NSU leads the all-time series with William and Mary, 3-2
- The Spartans have won the last three matchups against the Tribe, all in the last three seasons
- William & Mary’s last win against Norfolk State came on Nov. 19, 2008
- Norfolk State cruised past the Tribe, 96-62, in the last meeting between the schools on Nov. 28, 2024. Jamarii Thomas led the Spartans with 23 points and nine assists, while Ings added 15 points off the bench
- Ings enjoyed the strongest scoring performance of his career against the Tribe during the 2021-22 season, totaling 31 points on a 12-of-15 shooting night
TRIBE SCOUT
- William & Mary enters Monday’s matchup with a 1-1 record
- The Tribe opened the season with an 84-36 win over Dickinson, before falling 89-77 at Radford
- Noah Collier scored 15 points against Radford, shooting 9-of-10 from the free-throw line
- William & Mary is led by head coach Brian Earl, entering his first season with the Tribe after spending seven years as the head coach at Cornell