NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State men's basketball team plays its final home games of the 2022-23 campaign in the coming days, hoping to close out another dominant year at Echols Hall with a pair of victories.
 
The Spartans (18-7, 7-2 ACC) face Morgan State at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18, a chance for revenge after dropping the first meeting of the series. NSU matches up with Coppin State for Senior Night at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 20, looking for a regular season sweep.
 
Both games will be live streamed on HBCU League Pass+, while being broadcast on WNSB Hot 91.1 FM.
 
Last Time Out
 
Norfolk State extended its win streak to five on Monday night, dominating Delaware State from start to finish in a 97-58 victory at Echols Hall. The 39-point win marked the Spartans' largest-ever margin of victory in a MEAC contest, the previous high also coming against the Hornets in a 93-58 result on Feb. 12, 2017.
 
Kris Bankston racked up highlight play after highlight play, scoring a game-high 22 points while recording a career-best six blocks. The graduate senior shot 9-of-11 (81.8 percent) from the floor, going 4-of-4 from the free throw line.
 
Bankston wasn't the only player who couldn't miss from the charity stripe. The Spartans made 23-of-24 free throw attempts on Saturday (95.8 percent), their second-best mark in program history (min. 15 attempts).
 
Scouting the Bears/Eagles
 
After jumping out to a 4-1 start in conference play, Morgan State has struggled down the stretch, losing its last four league games. The team did earn some momentum with a win over Delaware State in the Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic, but it did not count towards the MEAC standings.
 
Two productive scorers lead the Bear offense in Isaiah Burke and Malik Miller, averaging 19.6 and 17.5 points per game, respectively. Burke has scored a conference-best 23.1 points per game in league play, earning three consecutive MEAC Player of the Week honors earlier this season.
 
Coppin State has struggled in conference play, earning their lone victory against South Carolina State 85-73. Sam Sessoms leads the Eagles with a MEAC-best 21.5 points per game, while Nendah Tarke gathers 6.0 rebounds per contest.
 
Last Meeting/All-Time Series
 
Norfolk State leads the all-times series with Morgan State 45-18, winning six of the last eight matchups.
 
The Spartans lost the first meeting of the season with the Bears on the road, struggling from behind the arc (0-of-13), while Morgan State caught fire from deep. Kris Bankston recorded a career high 24 points, securing eight rebounds and swiping a pair of steals. Nyzaiah Chambers tied his career best with 11 points while pulling in seven rebounds.
 
NSU holds a commanding 38-14 advantage over Coppin State, dating back to the 1982-83 season. The Spartans have won the last four matchups against the Eagles.
 
Norfolk State dominated the first meeting of the season between the teams, earning a 96-65 win at the Physical Education Complex in Baltimore, Md. Cahiem Brown led the Spartans with 21 points on an efficient shooting day (7-of-11 from the field and 7-of-9 from the free throw line).
 
Tests with the Top
 
To be the best you have to compete against the best, and the Spartans have done just that this year, facing three teams ranked in the AP Top 10 in a span of one month. The Spartans battled Baylor in their third matchup of the season (ranked No. 5 at the time), before facing UCLA just two days later (No. 8). NSU played Houston on Nov. 29, the number-one ranked team in the country.
 
Dominance Against CAA
 
Of Norfolk State's seven nonconference wins against Division I opponents this year, five of them have come against CAA Teams (Monmouth, Hampton (2x), William & Mary, North Carolina A&T). The Spartans have also picked up victories against SWAC (Alabama A&M) and MAC (Bowling Green) opponents.
 
Neutral Site, No Problem
 
Norfolk State has played in three regular season multi-team events this year, owning a 4-0 record during those showcase opportunities. The Spartans defeated Alabama A&M 89-83 at the ATL Has Something to Say HBCU Challenge in Atlanta, Ga., before besting Hampton (78-66) and North Carolina A&T (70-66) at the Boost Mobile HBCU Challenge in Las Vegas, Nev.
 
NSU battled Hampton once again in the Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic Hosted by Michael B. Jordan, coming away with an 83-71 victory for a Battle of the Bay sweep.
 
NSU in the Polls
 
Norfolk State entered the 2022-23 campaign ranked No. 20 in College Insider's Preseason Mid-Major Top-25 poll, after recording the team's highest-ever finish in the poll in 2021-22 at No. 16.
 
When the Norfolk State women's basketball team entered the College Insider Women's Mid-Major Top-25 for the first time in program history this December, NSU became the first HBCU ever to be represented in both the men's and women's mid-major polls at the same time.
 
Quick Hits
• NSU has the best overall record of any MEAC team (18-7) this year, with 16-10 Howard owning the next strongest overall win-loss record.
• Kris Bankston is shooting 68.9 percent from the floor this season, after breaking the Norfolk State single-season field goal percentage record last year on a 71.1 percent clip. Bankston's current mark leads the conference.
• Joe Bryant Jr. ranks third in the MEAC with 17.8 points per game, while adding 3.6 assists per game (sixth in the MEAC) and 2.4 3-pointers per contest (second). Cahiem Brown is seventh in the MEAC with 2.9 assists per game.
• Bankston's 7.0 rebounds per game rank third in the MEAC, while his 1.5 blocks per game stand second in the conference.
• Chris Ford ranks eighth in the MEAC in blocks per game (0.8). His seven blocks against William & Mary on Dec. 10 are tied for the most by any MEAC player this season, with North Carolina Central's Brendan Medley-Bacon also recording seven blocks against Delaware State.
• Norfolk State was predicted to finish first in the MEAC this season in the conference's annual preseason poll, with 127 points and 15 first-place votes. Morgan State was predicted fourth, while Coppin State followed right behind at fifth.
• Three Norfolk State players were selected to Preseason All-MEAC Teams: Joe Bryant Jr. (First Team, Player of the Year), Kris Bankston (First Team), and Dana Tate Jr. (Third Team). One Morgan State player earned a Preseason All-MEAC nod: Malik Miller (second team). Nendah Tarke (first team) represented Coppin State.
• Joe Bryant Jr. ranks first in the MEAC with a free throw percentage of 85.3. Last year, Bryant led the MEAC and set Norfolk State's single-season record for the category (91.5).
• As a team, Norfolk State ranks first in the MEAC in free throw percentage (74.8).
• Norfolk State leads the MEAC in assist to turnover ratio at 1.08. Bryant ranks second in the category individually (1.6).
• NSU leads the MEAC with a field goal percentage of 48.3, while also sitting atop the conference in defensive field goal percentage (40.9).