RALEIGH, NC — The NCAA Tournament has long been a proving ground for underdogs, and Norfolk State is no stranger to the role. As the Spartans prepare to face No. 1 seed Florida—an overwhelming 28.5-point favorite—head coach Robert Jones is embracing the moment, fueled by a familiar chip on his shoulder.
“I’ve been a little angry,” Jones admitted. “And I’m angry about the way the point spread is and things like that. I know Florida’s really, really good, and they’re a great program with great players. But are we that bad that the point spread is like that?”
Jones and his Spartans have thrived in these moments before. He was an assistant in 2012 when Norfolk State stunned the college basketball world by knocking off No. 2 Missouri. Seven years later, in 2019, they took down Alabama in the NIT. Now, facing one of the most dominant teams in the country, Jones knows the blueprint for an upset.
“Any upset I ever had—2012 Missouri, 2019 Alabama—those were all close games in the first half,” he said. “And it gave us the confidence to kind of push it through the second half. That’s what we’re hoping for tomorrow as well.”
The Spartans are more than just another HBCU team happy to be in the NCAA Tournament. Jones has built a program that has won 20-plus games in four consecutive seasons and that expects to win, no matter the opponent.
“We’re starting to show that it’s not just about the MEAC or HBCUs — that we’re really one of the best mid-majors in the country,” Jones said.
Norfolk State has tested itself against top competition all season.
“We played Tennessee pretty close. We played — and we beat — High Point. We played Alabama State and a couple of those schools,” Jones noted. “This shouldn’t be a shell shock to us. We have to withstand that first blow. Because I know Florida’s playing for a national championship. But I told my team — we’re one of the 68 teams here—we’re playing for a national championship too.”
That mentality resonates throughout the Norfolk State locker room, especially with veterans like Christian Ings, a rare four-year Division I player in today’s transfer-heavy era.
“Christian Ings is like a dinosaur—the last remaining four-year guy in Division I,” Jones said. “There are kids averaging four points a game transferring, but he’s stuck with us, and he’s been good to Norfolk State. I know he’d love to cap off his career with a win.”
While many see this matchup as a David vs. Goliath story, Jones refuses to accept that narrative.
“A lot of times in the MEAC, we’re always the hunted,” Jones said. “But out of conference, we’re the hunters. And that’s when we try to prove ourselves, to show that it’s more than just the MEAC, more than just being an HBCU.”
As the Spartans prepare for tipoff, Jones has one message for his team.
“No one in the locker room is scared. No one in that locker room is afraid,” he said. “We’re excited about the challenge of playing the University of Florida.”
Norfolk State is set to tip off against Florida in the NCAA Tournament on Friday at 6:50 PM. The HBCU will look to once again show that it can be a giant killer against the odds.
