LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - The Spartans will spend Thanksgiving weekend in Arkansas when the Norfolk State men's basketball team finishes out the Grand Canyon Classic at Little Rock. NSU will take on Robert Morris in a neutral site contest on Friday at 6 p.m. EST before playing the host Trojans of Little Rock on Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Jack Stephens Center to close out the tournament.

Media Coverage
Live stats for Friday's game against Robert Morris will be available through the Little Rock website.

Little Rock will have both live video and live stats available for Sunday's contest through its website.

Series History
This will mark the first-ever meetings between Norfolk State and Robert Morris and Norfolk State and Little Rock. The game against Little Rock marks the fifth of five straight games in which NSU will be facing an opponent for the first time ever. Altogether, the Spartans will face seven opponents this year they have never played before.

Scouting Robert Morris
The Colonials stand 1-3 on the season after downing Duquesne on Sunday by a 66-59 margin. Robert Morris also faced NSU's last two opponents, suffering losses to San Diego (65-53) and Grand Canyon (75-61). The Colonials have struggled on offense, scoring just 61 points per game while shooting just 35 percent overall and 26 percent from 3-point range. Koby Thomas (12.8 points) and Dachon Burke (12.3) have paced them on offense, with Matty McConnell just short of double figures at 9.8. Malik Petteway grabs a team-best 7.8 rebounds to go along with 7.8 points per game. Robert Morris has struggled on the glass (-5.5 rebound margin) and has been outblocked 29-7. They have won the turnover battle, forcing exactly 19.0 per game. Opponents have shot a little less than 30 percent from 3-point range against RMU but nearly 47 percent overall from the floor.

Scouting Little Rock
The Trojans, like NSU, stand 0-4 on the year. And like the Spartans, Little Rock also suffered a 25-point loss to Grand Canyon (76-51) in addition to a setback against San Diego by a 66-52 score. Much like NSU's first opponent this weekend, Robert Morris, Little Rock has also struggled to score, averaging exactly 61.0 points per game. Not a single player scores in double figures, with Andre Jones (8.5 points per game) pacing the way. Damir Hadzic (7.3 points), Oliver Black (6.8 points, 6.0 rebounds) Camron Reedus (6.8 points) are next in line, as seven players average at least six points per game with none of course above nine. The Trojans are no threat from deep, averaging not even five 3-pointers per game while hitting 24.4 percent from beyond the arc. On the other side, so far this year, the opposition has made 48 percent overall and 44 percent from 3-point range against the Trojans.

Last Time Out
Grand Canyon sank 14 3-pointers for the game on the way to an 85-60 win over NSU on Monday at GCU Arena. The host Lopes made 14-of-26 for the game and held a 28-10 advantage in points off turnovers. They used a 33-7 run that spanned both halves to surge ahead for good. The Spartans got their offense going after a slow first half in which they hit just 32 percent. Steven Whitley scored a career-high 18 points to lead NSU on offense. Nic Thomas added 14 points, and Mastadi Pitt totaled 13 points, five rebounds and four assists. GCU shot 49 percent for the game, including nearly 56 percent in the second half. The Lopes had a 12-0 advantage in second-chance points. Oscar Frayer totaled 19 points with six rebounds to lead the way for 4-0 GCU.

Player Tidbits
Alex Long
 • Stands 5th in the MEAC in field goal % (52.6)
 • Ranks No. 283 in NCAA career records in rebounds (315) and No. 703 in points (443)

Kyle Williams
 • Ranks No. 1,360 in NCAA career records in points (212)

Preston Bungei
 • Named league's 1st MEAC Defensive Player of the Week of the year on Nov. 14
 • Had career highs of 19 points, 5 blocks and 4 steals and tied career high with 8 rebounds vs. Lynchburg
 • Made career-high 8-of-11 from the free throw line in career-best 35 minutes at Auburn and tied career high with 4 assists
 • Ranks 3rd in the MEAC in blocks (2.0), 7th in minutes (32.8), 12th in steals (1.3), 16th in rebounding (5.5) and 22nd in scoring (10.3)
 • Also stands 58th in the nation in blocks (2.00) and No. 223 in minutes (32:45)
 • Ranks No. 1,315 in NCAA career records in points (224)

Dan Robinson
 • Ranks 14th in the MEAC in blocks (0.8)

Stavian Allen
 • Set career highs with 14 points and 4 steals at Auburn and tied career best with 31 minutes played
 • Tied career high with 2 blocks at San Diego
 • Ranks 14th in the MEAC in defensive rebounds (4.0) and blocks (0.8)

Steven Whitley
 • Tallied a career-high 18 points in career-best 35 minutes played at Grand Canyon
 • Hit 2 3-pointers for the first time in his career at San Diego; Also tied career best by shooting 5-of-7 from the free throw line
 • Tallied a career-high 9 rebounds against Lynchburg
 • Set career high with 6 assists at Auburn
 • Ranks 8th in the MEAC in free throw % (82.6), 9th in 3-point field goal % (41.7), 12th in steals (1.3), 13th in scoring (13.5), 14th in assists (2.8) and 20th in rebounding (5.0)

Mastadi Pitt
 • Led team in scoring in both games this year (18 at Auburn, 23 vs. Lynchburg)
 • Ranks 2nd in the MEAC in 3-point field goal % (53.3), 7th in 3-point field goals (2.0), 9th in field goal % (50.0) and free throw % (80.0) and 10th in scoring (14.0)

Nic Thomas
 • Made 8-of-9 at the free throw line with 16 points at San Diego; Completed 3 3-point plays in the 2nd half
 • Ranks 5th in the MEAC in free throw % (86.7) and 20th in scoring (10.8)
 • Stands No. 152 in the nation in free throw % (86.7)

Early-Season Tidbits
 • This year marks the first time since 2005-06 that the Spartans have lost their first four games of the season. They are attempting to avoid the first 0-5 start since the 2001-02 season. The Spartans have never started a season 0-6.

 • NSU scored just 16 points in the first half at San Diego. It marked the first time in three years the Spartans failed to score 20 points in a half. It was also the fewest points in a half since tallying just 15 in an eventual win at Maryland Eastern Shore on Jan. 12, 2013.

 • The loss to Lynchburg broke an eight-game win streak for the Spartans in home openers. The last loss occurred during the 2008-09 season against Jacksonville State.

 • NSU was +17 on the glass against Lynchburg. Only once last year did the Spartans have a bigger rebound margin in a game.

 • The Spartans shot 12-of-34 from 3-point range at Auburn, the most attempts from beyond the arc in school history. They broke the previous school record of 32 set in January of 2012 and tied in January of 2016. The 12 makes are two off the school record of 14.

 • The Spartans gave up 100 points for the first time since Jan. 3, 2014 in a 104-84 loss to Mount St. Mary's.

 • NSU had 11 steals as well against Auburn, the most since posting 11 at home against Hampton on March 3, 2016.

 • The Spartans dropped their third straight season opener, with all three coming against SEC foes (South Carolina, 2015; Mississippi State, 2016).

 • NSU ranks second in the MEAC in defensive rebound percentage (75.0) and opponent rebounding (35.5), third in blocks (4.0), fourth in rebounding margin (+0.5) and fifth in free throw percentage (70.8) and defensive rebounds (25.5).

 • The Spartans also stand No. 121 in the nation in blocks (4.0).

Good from 3
Norfolk State has made a 3-pointer in 253 straight games, dating back to a contest at South Carolina State on Jan. 25, 2010, when NSU finished 0-of-17 from 3-point range.

Winning the State
Since the start of the 2011-12 season, NSU has the third-most wins (120) among the 14 Division I schools in the state of Virginia. The Spartans trail VCU (162) and Virginia (161).