Tournament Notes
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The Spartan men's basketball team (10-19) enters the 2011 MEAC Tournament as the No. 6 seed and opens play on Wednesday, March 9 against No. 11 seed Howard (6-23) in the tournament's first round. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
The Spartans are still seeking their first-ever MEAC Tournament championship and NCAA Tournament berth. NSU has advanced to the MEAC Tournament final once previously (2009) and to the semifinals on three other occasions. NSU Is 9-11 in its MEAC Tournament history. Spartan head coach Anthony Evans is 3-3 in MEAC Tournament games.
MEDIA COVERAGE
Radio: WNSB 91.1 FM (Play-by-Play: Chris Park; Color: Ross Gordon)
Live Audio Stream: http://mmedia.nsu.edu:8089/wnsb
Live Statistics: www.hbculivestats.com/meac
SERIES NOTES
NSU and Howard have never met in the MEAC Tournament. The Bison, in fact, are the only MEAC team that NSU has never played in the tournament. The Spartans are very familiar with their potential quarterfinal opponent, however. NSU is 2-2 against third-seeded Coppin State.
TOURNEY OPENERS
Though the Spartans would have preferred to fi nish in the top five in the MEAC standings and get the accompanying fi rst-round bye, NSU has had success over the years when it has been forced to play in the fi rst round. NSU is 4-1 all-time when playing in the tournament's opening round, including a perfect 3-0 when entering as the No. 6 seed. The Spartans' only first-round MEAC Tournament loss came when they were seeded seventh and fell to No. 10 Coppin State in the 2002 tourney's opening round at the Arthur Ashe Center in Richmond, Va. The Spartans are just 3-6 in tournament quarterfinal games, and 1-3 in semifinal round games.
KEEPING THE STREAK ALIVE
With their win over North Carolina A&T in the regular-season finale, the Spartans improved to 8-8 in the MEAC and kept alive their streak of never having a sub-.500 season in MEAC play. This is the 13th year in which the Spartans have avoided a sub-.500 MEAC record.
O'QUINN NAMED MEAC DEFENSIVE POTY
NSU junior center Kyle O'Quinn was named the MEAC Defensive Player of the Year and was voted to the All-MEAC first team, the league announced on March 3. O'Quinn is the first Spartan to ever win the Defensive Player of the Year award. He is second in the MEAC in blocks (95, 3.3 per game) and is first in both total rebounding (10.8) and defensive rebounds per game (7.7). He was a four-time MEAC Defensive Player of the Week honoree during the season. This season, O'Quinn had 19 games with at least 10 rebounds, and eight with at least five blocked shots. He blocked at least one shot in 27 of 29 regular-season games.
WILLIAMS NAMED TO ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Freshman guard Pendarvis Williams was named to the 2010-11 MEAC All-Rookie Team. Williams is the only regular member of the Spartan rotation this year who is not a junior or senior. But he has made himself right at home, nonetheless. Williams is fifth on the team in scoring, at 8.2 points per game. He shoots 48 percent from the floor, 44 from 3-point range and 81 from the foul line. He is second in the MEAC in 3-point percentage and third in free throw percentage. Williams also has just 44 turnovers in 628 minutes of play.
