NORFOLK, Va. – For the second time in four years, the Norfolk State men's basketball team will compete in the WestStar Bank Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational, it was announced on Thursday afternoon by the Sun Bowl Association and WestStar Bank.
NSU will join Wyoming, East Tennessee State and host UTEP for the four-team tournament taking place on Dec. 21-22 at the Don Haskins Center on the UTEP campus in El Paso, Texas. The teams will play once on the first day with the championship and consolation games on day 2. Exact matchups for day 1 will be announced at a later time.
This year will mark the tournament's 57
th year in existence and the third time the Spartans will make the trip to El Paso. NSU last competed during the 2015-16 season when it knocked off the host Miners. The Spartans played in the tournament for the first time in 2009-10.
The Sun Bowl Invitational is the second tournament NSU will compete in next year. It was announced two weeks ago that the Spartans will take part in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament in Connecticut in November, with true road games at Michigan and South Carolina also in the mix.
Wyoming and East Tennessee State both won at least 20 games last season and finished in the top 100 in RPI. UTEP will be entering its first season under the guidance of new head coach Rodney Terry.
The full 2018-19 NSU basketball schedule will be released later this summer.
