NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State men's basketball team will compete on a national stage for the third time in a span of two weeks when the Spartans take on the Hampton Pirates on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 4 p.m. in the Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic hosted by Michael B. Jordan.
 
Saturday will mark NSU's second meeting with Hampton this season, after clashing at the Boost Mobile HBCU Challenge in December. The game will air on TNT, with Stephanie Ready and Grant Hill on the call. Taylor Rooks will serve as sideline reporter.
 
The matchup, taking place at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., will also be broadcast on WNSB Hot 91 FM.
 
Last Time Out
 
Norfolk State (15-7, 5-2 MEAC) earned a 77-71 home victory over North Carolina Central on Monday evening in front of a packed house at Echols Hall. A back-and-forth matchup the whole way, the teams exchanged leads 11 times as the Spartans held on for their second consecutive win.
 
Dana Tate Jr. led the way with 21 points, shooting 7-of-11 from the field and 5-of-7 from behind the arc, his second straight game scoring over 20 points. Joe Bryant Jr. posted 18 points on an efficient 6-of-9 shooting night, playing just 22 minutes as he battled foul trouble.
 
Cahiem Brown scored 17 points and pulled in a team-high eight rebounds, shooting 11-of-13 from the free throw line. As a team, Norfolk State enjoyed one of its strongest nights of the season from the charity stripe, making 23-of-25 attempts (92 percent).
 
Peek at the Pirates
 
Hampton (5-17, 2-8 CAA) has struggled on away from home this year, winning just one game in away or neutral territory. The Pirates snapped a 10-game losing streak with an 83-66 win over Monmouth on Jan. 21, following that up with a thrilling one-point victory over Delaware a week later.
 
Jordan Nesbitt (15.0 points per game), Russell Dean (13.2), and Marquis Goodwin (12.5) lead a balanced scoring attack for the Pirates. Nesbitt produces at both ends of the floor, securing 6.9 rebounds per game while tallying 1.3 steals per contest.
 
Nesbitt recorded a season high 31 points in the Pirates' win over Delaware last week, adding eight rebounds and three assists.
 
All-Time Series/Last Meeting
 
Norfolk State owns a 89-50 edge in the historic Battle of the Bay rivalry, winning three of the last five matchups. NSU split the last year's series with the Pirates, earning a 76-64 victory at the Boost Mobile HBCU Challenge in Phoenix, Arizona, before dropping a rematch 58-57 on a buzzer-beating heave by Deane.
 
When the team's met in Las Vegas on Dec. 17 for the latest edition of the Boost Mobile HBCU Challenge, the Spartans pulled away in the second half to win 78-66. Joe Bryant Jr. pushed the Spartans to victory, scoring 23 points and grabbing a career high 14 rebounds.
 
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 six nonconference wins against Division I opponents this year, four of them have come against CAA Teams (Monmouth, Hampton, 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 two regular season multi-team events this year, owning a 3-0 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 at the Boost Mobile HBCU Challenge in Las Vegas, Nev.
 
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.