NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State men's basketball team hits the road once again this Wednesday, Dec. 10, traveling to Waco, Texas, for a 12 p.m. ET matchup against the Baylor Bears.
ABOUT THE SPARTANS
Norfolk State (4–6) enters Wednesday's contest coming off a narrow 68–67 road setback at James Madison on Dec. 6. Head Coach
Robert Jones, now in his 13th season, is just 10 wins shy of the 250-win milestone.
The matchup marks game three of NSU's challenging 10-game road stretch spanning 48 days between home games (Nov. 25 vs. VUL to Jan. 12 vs. Maryland Eastern Shore). The Spartans will log approximately 14,900 miles during the stretch as they seek their first road victory of the 2025–26 season.
PLAYER HIGHLIGHTS
Anthony McComb III continues to lead the Spartans, pacing the team with 16.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. He ranks among the MEAC's top performers, sitting second in minutes played, third in scoring, and top six in field goal percentage, free throw percentage, steals, and three-pointers made, underscoring his all-around impact.
Elijah Jamison follows with 14.0 points per game and remains one of the conference's most efficient guards, ranking fourth in both field goal percentage and assist-to-turnover ratio, while also placing sixth in scoring and assists.
Devon Ellis adds 11.0 points per contest and stands eighth in the MEAC in rebounding, providing steady two-way production in the Spartan rotation.
Several other Spartans appear in the conference rankings:
SERIES HISTORY VS. BAYLOR
Wednesday's meeting marks the sixth all-time matchup between NSU and Baylor. The Bears hold a 5–0 lead in the series and have won each meeting to date. The most recent contest came during the 2024–25 season, a 94–69 Baylor victory at Foster Pavilion.
SCOUTING THE BEARS
Baylor enters the game at 6–2 following a 78–71 road loss to Memphis on Dec. 6.
In the loss to the Tigers, Tounde Yessoufou led the Bears with 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. Cameron Carr was the only other Bear in double figures, finishing with 13 points and adding 10 rebounds to secure a double-double.
Carr leads the Bears offensively with 21.8 points per game, followed by Yessoufou at 17.8 points. Dan Skillings Jr. adds 11.2 points per contest, while Obi Agbim and Isaac Williams IV round out Baylor's double-figure scorers with 10.6 and 10.1 points, respectively.
On the glass, Skillings paces the team with 7.8 rebounds per game, with Michael Rataj and Caden Powell close behind at 6.1 each. Yessoufou contributes 5.9 rebounds per outing, and Carr adds 5.6 to strengthen Baylor's balanced presence on the boards.
Team Numbers:
- Points per game: Baylor 87.8 | NSU 78.6
- Shooting: 34.4% FG, 35.7% 3FG, 68.0% FT (last game)
- Season Shooting: 30.1% FG (241-512), 35.1% 3FG (68-194), 73.8% FT (152-206)
- Home Record: 4–0 at Foster Pavilion
- Head Coach Scott Drew is in his 24th season (23rd at Baylor) with a 470-261 record at BU and 490-272 overall.
LAST TIME OUT (NSU at JMU)
Devon Ellis led the Spartans with a well-rounded performance, finishing with 17 points, eight rebounds, and one assist.
Elijah Jamison matched Ellis with 17 points of his own while adding two assists.
Keyontae Lewis contributed 13 points, and
Jordan Leaks anchored the interior with a team-high 10 rebounds, including eight on the defensive end.
Team Stats:
- FG %: NSU 53.8% (28-52) | JMU 44%
- 3PT %: NSU 37.5% (3-8)
- FT %: NSU 47.1% (8-17)
- Rebounding: NSU 38 | JMU 30
- Bench Points: NSU 19 | JMU 10
- Points in the Paint: NSU 42 | JMU 30
- Lead Changes/Ties: 4 lead changes, 3 ties
UP NEXT
The Spartans will have a week to regroup before heading to Atlanta, Ga., for the 2025 Chris Paul HBCU Challenge.
NSU will face Grambling State on Dec. 18 and Jackson State on Dec. 19, with both games tipping at 7:30 p.m. on ESPNU.
