NORFOLK, Va. - Coming off one of their most successful seasons yet in the Division I era, the Spartans carry a lot of momentum into the upcoming 2019-20 campaign. Despite falling in the MEAC final, the Norfolk State men's basketball team upset No. 1 seed Alabama in the NIT first round on the way to posting its second-most wins ever in D-I.
 
But if that momentum is to carry over to this season, it will have to be carried by a whole new set of Spartans. Seven of the team's top eight scorers from a season ago are gone, four through graduation and three via transfer. How will all the new players mesh? That is the big question head coach Robert Jones and his staff must answer coming out of preseason.
 
Preseason ends this Tuesday when the Spartans host Greensboro College at Joseph Echols Hall for the season opener. Tip-off will take place following the conclusion of the women's game versus Liberty that begins at 6 p.m.
 
Of the 15 players on the roster, 10 are new and 11 have yet to suit up for the Spartans – redshirt senior Jermaine Bishop sat out last year at NSU. The coaching staff will have a lot to figure out once game action gets underway in terms of mixing and matching lineups and what each player will ultimately bring to the table when it's crunch time. It could very much remain a fluid situation even after the season kicks off.
 
And of the top eight scorers from a season ago, the only one back is redshirt senior guard Steven Whitley. He ranked fourth on the team in scoring at 9.6 points per game with 5.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists in his second season with the program. He was one of five players to earn All-MEAC status after getting voted to the third team. He is also a big part of the just 20.3 percent of the team's scoring that is back from a year ago.
 
He and the highly-touted Bishop will be counted on to lead the way early in the season, barring any breakout performances from anyone else. A multi-faceted scorer, Bishop was an Atlantic-10 All-Rookie Team member during his freshman year at Saint Louis when he averaged 8.9 points, 2.3 assists and 2.0 rebounds per game. But that was all the way back in 2015-16. Since then, he has played in just nine games over the previous three seasons after getting hurt his sophomore year and then sitting out a season each at Saint Louis and NSU. As long as there is no rust, Bishop should be one of the better players in the league.
 
There is a lot of unproven at the Division I level beyond those two. Who will be the next breakout star? Take your pick. A good place to start are with some of the upperclassmen newcomers. Four of the juniors on the team could play big roles. Junior guard and local product Devante Carter is one name to look out for after arriving from junior college. Carter and even Bishop could give Whitley a break at the point guard position, and Carter has the ability to get to the rim and add some scoring as well.
 
Central Connecticut State transfer Kashaun Hicks and junior college transfer Spirit Ricks both fit into that guard/forward mold with their unique skill sets. Both will step outside, and both have some size to face up down low as well. Hicks posted modest numbers in his two seasons at CCSU, while Ricks was a two-time all-conference player at Allan Hancock College. With NSU having lost almost all of its prolific 3-point shooting, Hicks and Ricks will be just two of the many players looking to make a difference there.
 
Another name to potentially look out for is junior forward/center Efstratios Kalogerias. A native of Greece, he was a big rebounder as a sophomore at Hillsborough Community College last year while also showing good hands. He ranked 24^th in NJCAA Division I with 9.3 boards per game. He too can step outside but will need to play a big role down low and adjust to the physical mentality of NCAA D-I.
 
NSU could go more athletic inside the arc and rely less maybe on the 3-point shot than a year ago. Eight of the 15 players are between 6-foot-6 and 6-8, in addition to the 6-10 Kalogerias. But Bishop and others won't let the team go cold from deep. Another player who could help in that department, and who now has an opportunity to take a big step forward, is sophomore guard Joe Bryant Jr. Last year he averaged less than three points a game in a limited role, but with so many players in front of him now gone, Bryant could be a breakout star. His ability to get downhill but also hit some 3-pointers could help expand his role this season and maybe even leapfrog him ahead of the four previously mentioned junior newcomers.
 
Two other players back from last year are junior guard Kyonze Chavis and sophomore forward Chris Ford. A former walk-on, Chavis earned a scholarship over the summer and takes on a bigger role as one of three captains. A solid reserve who averaged 3.5 points and 1.8 rebounds and brought lots of energy to the team, he could also see his time on the court increase as an all-important glue guy. And like Bryant, Ford saw limited action last year, but the upperclassmen in front of him are now gone. NSU is in need of big men to step up this year, especially with rebounding and blocking, so the opportunity is there for the 6-8 forward.
 
That still leaves six freshmen in the mix, including two walk-ons. One player who has been making a name for himself is guard/forward Yoro Sidibe. He adds some size, hops, and a motor down low at 6-7. With NSU in need of some solid play at the 3 and 4 positions, Sidibe could fit the bill with his ability to score in various ways.
 
Another player with some hops is forward Nyzaiah Chambers. Also at 6-7, he has shown the ability to get up around the rim while playing a little more of a true post player role. As mentioned earlier, with so many players who don't fit a traditional position, throwing lineups together will be a trial and error process for the coaching staff as the season progresses. But Chambers could very much add to NSU's down-low presence.
 
Two other scholarship freshmen, 6-6 guards Tyrese Jenkins and Daryl Anderson, could also carve out a role. Both have the ability to shoot the ball from deep, but like all freshmen, both will need time to adjust to the collegiate game both physically and mentally. But both could have bright futures as they learn from the upperclassmen and potentially add some scoring as solid reserves off the bench.
 
The last two freshmen are walk-on guard Caleb Dawkins and walk-on forward Jared White. Dawkins can give NSU a lift at the 3-point line with his solid shooting, and White adds depth to NSU's true frontcourt presence.
 
Jones will have time to break in a new team, as three of the first four games of the year are at home against non-D-I opponents. But with a difficult non-conference schedule after that, the growing pains will need to be short-lived if NSU wants to be ready for conference play in January.