NORFOLK, Va. - The Norfolk State men's basketball team unofficially kicks off its 2017-18 season when the Spartans host Virginia State for an exhibition game on Saturday at Joseph Echols Hall. Tip-off for the Battle of the States is set for 7 p.m.

NSU will be looking for some revenge after the Trojans won last year's exhibition game 83-80 in two overtimes at VSU.

Media Coverage
The game will be broadcast live on Famous 1310 AM as well as Hot 91.1 FM with Ross Gordon on the call. Live audio is available through www.wgh1310.com as well as hot91.nsu.edu:8000/128. Both feeds are available on smartphones through the Famous 1310 website or through www.TuneIn.com or the TuneIn Radio App (search for "WNSB") for Hot 91.1.

Fans can also follow along with the live stats and the live video feed. The live video feed also carries the radio broadcast.

Series History
Saturday's game will not count toward either team's all-time record against the other. The Spartans, though, do hold a sizeable 64-17 lead in the series. The two squads first played during the 1957-58 season and on a regular basis from the early 1960's through the late 1990's during NSU's CIAA days. The teams last met for a regular season game on Jan. 24, 1998, a 75-67 VSU win.

Scouting Virginia State
The Trojans finished 22-6 last year, their second straight 20-win season, and 13-4 in the CIAA. As the CIAA North No. 2 seed, Virginia State was knocked out of the conference tournament in the semifinals by Fayetteville State, 70-61. The team's leading scorer and rebounder, Richard Granberry, is back after tallying 14.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. VSU did lose both Kevin Williams (12.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists) and Elijah Moore (12.3 points, 6.5 rebounds), their second- and third-leading scorers from a season ago. The Trojans do have several players ready to step up along Granberry, including Walter Williams (8.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists), Cyonte Melvin (7.6 points, 3.5 rebounds) and Waymond Wright (6.0 points, 4.3 assists).

2016-17 Season Tidbits
Blocks
 • NSU ranked 14th in the nation in blocks per game at 5.3 and 14th with 180 total blocks. Both marks are the second-most in program history.
 • NSU has averaged 165.7 blocks over the last seven years.

3-Pointers
 • NSU finished with 225 3-pointers in 2016-17, the second-most in program history behind the 2015-16 team (242).

Rebounding
 • NSU ranked 25th in the nation in defensive rebounds per game (27.74) and No. 46 in total rebounds per game (38.47).

Defense
 • The Spartans ranked 27th in the nation in field goal percentage defense (40.6) and No. 121 in 3-point field goal percentage defense (33.9).

MEAC
 • Norfolk State finished the year first in the MEAC in blocks (5.3), second in scoring margin (-1.6), field goal percentage defense (40.6), rebounding margin (+1.9), defensive rebounds (27.7) and defensive rebound percentage (70.9) and third in scoring defense (71.5).

1st vs. 2nd Half
 •  Opponents scored the same amount or more points in the second half than the first period in 23 of NSU's 34 games.

 •  The Spartans scored on average 5.3 more points in the second stanza than the first period, shot 44.2 percent in the second compared to 40.6 percent in the first, and hit 38.6 percent from 3-point range after halftime compared to 29.7 percent in first halves.

Lineups
NSU used 16 different starting lineups, including nine during a 10-game span at one point.