Marquette Game Notes
NORFOLK, Va. - Since moving to Division I in 1997-98, the Norfolk State men's basketball program has seen a steady procession of standout perimeter players come through the corridors of Echols Hall. From MEAC players of the year
Damian Woolfolk and
Chakowby Hicks to high-scoring shooting guards
Tony Murphy and
Michael Deloach, the Spartans' offense has usually centered around prolific perimeter players.
Last year, however, saw a shift in that tendency with the emergence of center Kyle O'Quinn. The 6-10, 240-pound O'Quinn proved he could dominate at both ends of the floor, averaging over 16 points per game while also earning MEAC Defensive Player of the Year honors for his rebounding (11.1 per game) and shot-blocking (3.4) prowess. Now in his senior season, O'Quinn is the unquestioned center of attention for the Spartans and was voted the 2011-12 Preseason MEAC Player of the Year.
O'Quinn is one of two returning starters and 11 letterwinners back from last year's team that finished 12-20 overall, 8-8 in the MEAC. The squad rallied late in the year to keep alive the program's record of 13 straight seasons of .500 or better finishes in MEAC play and advanced to the MEAC semifinals before losing to eventual tournament champion Hampton.
Following is a position by position glance at coach Anthony Evans' 2011-12 Spartans.
Guard/Wings
The Spartans return two wing players who split time as starters in 2010-11, in seniors Chris McEachin (10.3 ppg in 18 games) and Rodney McCauley (3.6 ppg). McEachin was the team's third-leading scorer and its second-best 3-point threat, while McCauley made his presence felt on the defensive end. Those two alternated on the wing with departed senior Rob Hampton, who was second on the team in scoring at 14 points per game. This season, Evans said McEachin (6-6) and McCauley (6-5) could very well start together in the same lineup, giving the Spartans a pair of rangy, experienced players on the perimeter.
The Spartans will look to sophomore guard Pendarvis Williams to assume a larger role in 2011-12. Williams averaged 8.1 points off the bench en route to MEAC All-Rookie Team honors. The 6-6 Williams also hit a team-high 37 3-pointers last season and ranked second in the conference in long-distance accuracy. He can play either guard position.
Three-year NSU point guard Aleek Pauline finished his eligibility last season as the school's all-time leading assists leader for Division I era players, leaving the Spartans with a big hole to fill. Williams, a high school point guard, will likely get the first chance to assume the point guard role. Evans also has two other good options in 6-0 junior college transfer Quasim Pugh and 6-3 first-year sophomore Jamel Fuentes. Pugh spent two years as a backup at the College of Charleston before transferring to Monroe Community College, where he competed last season. Evans said he brings a scorer's mentality to the position. Pugh should be eligible for the second semester. Fuentes, who sat out at NSU last season, is a distributor in the same mold as Pauline, according to Evans.
Other returning reserves from last season who could battle for time in the backcourt and on the wing include senior Brandon Wheeless (3.9 ppg), juniors Kris Brown (0.8 ppg) and Reggie Revels (0.4 ppg), and sophomore Jordan Weathers (1.6 ppg). Another newcomer, 6-6 first-year sophomore Kievyn Lila-St. Rose, adds depth and another shooter to the Spartans' outside arsenal.
Evans also expects to have the services of Winston Graham, who also sat out at NSU last season, for the second semester. Graham has the reputation of being a talented offensive player.
Forwards/Centers
O'Quinn is sure to attract plenty of attention from opponents this season. The Preseason Mid-Major All-American led the MEAC in rebounding and blocked shots and was second in double-doubles. He ranked in the top 10 nationally in all three categories. He was even better in MEAC play, averaging 19.6 points per game.
The Spartans will rely on three returnees and another Division I transfer to complement O'Quinn's presence in the paint. Senior Marcos Tamares (4.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg) was one of the team's more steady performers off the bench last season. He also started seven times and brings an offensive mindset to the lineup. He will compete for the starting power forward position with St. Joe's transfer #A.J. Rogers#, who sat out last season at NSU. Rogers, who like Tamares stands 6-7, is a tenacious player at both ends of the floor who should help the Spartans on the boards, according to Evans.
Sophomores Brandon Goode (1.1 ppg) and Riley Maye (0.3 ppg) saw limited action last season behind starters O'Quinn and graduated senior Tim Zephyr, but will be counted on for more production this season. At 6-11, Goode is the tallest player on the team and one of the tallest in the conference. He blocked 12 shots in just over 100 minutes of play last season. The 6-8 Maye is an athletic, explosive forward who has a tremendous amount of potential, according to coaches.
Marist transfer Rob Johnson should also be eligible to compete for NSU following the completion of the first semester. The 6-7 Johnson spent parts of two seasons at Marist, starting every game as a true freshman in 2009-10. He averaged 6.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game that season, and is another player who can take some of the frontcourt scoring burden off of O'Quinn.
Schedule
The Spartans' 2011-12 schedule includes 14 home games – the program's most since 1991-92 – as well as a first-ever matchup with Virginia Tech and the program's second-ever trip to the Virgin Islands for the annual Paradise Jam.
NSU opens the year on Nov. 14 at Marquette in a game that counts as a first-round matchup in the 2011 Paradise Jam. Two nights later, the Spartans play their home opener – and first of six non-conference home games – against Randolph College at Echols Hall.
The Spartans then travel to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands for three more games in the Paradise Jam. NSU faces Drexel in the ensuing round on Nov. 18, while other potential opponents include TCU, Virginia, Drake, Michigan and Ole Miss.
The Spartans wrap up November with home games against Eastern Kentucky (Nov. 27) and Elizabeth City State (Nov. 30), part of a rare four-game pre-Christmas homestand. MEAC play gets underway on Dec. 3 with new conference member Savannah State, before South Carolina State comes to town on Dec. 5. Following a break for exams, NSU travels to Blacksburg for a first-ever game with Virginia Tech (Dec. 11).
The Spartans' home portion of the 2011 slate concludes with 2011 Northeast Conference champion Long Island at Echols Hall on Dec. 14. The remainder of the December schedule takes NSU on the road for contests at Illinois State, Toledo and St. Francis (N.Y.).
The Spartans open January with a New Year's Day game at the U.S. Naval Academy. Conference play resumes at home on Jan. 7 against UMES. The Spartans also have January home games with Howard (Jan. 9), reigning Ohio Valley champion Morehead State (Jan. 24), and MEAC rivals Coppin State (Jan. 28) and Morgan State (Jan. 30).
February's home games include conference tilts with Hampton (Feb. 11) and Delaware State (Feb. 15), and a Senior Night home finale against Longwood (Feb. 20).
With a new 13-team MEAC league in 2011-12, NSU will face five teams twice: UMES, Delaware State, Hampton, Coppin State and Morgan State. The Spartans play Bethune-Cookman, Florida A&M, Howard, North Carolina A&T, Savannah State and South Carolina State once each. New conference member North Carolina Central is the only team the Spartans do not face at all during MEAC play.
The 2012 MEAC Tournament runs March 5-10 at the Lawrence Joel Veteran Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C.
