NORFOLK, Va. — The Norfolk State men's basketball team opens the 2026-27 season with two games in three days. The Spartans host Regent on Monday, Nov. 2, and Randolph College on Wednesday, Nov. 4. Both games tip off at 8 p.m. inside Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall, following the women's games at 5:30 p.m.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Both games can be heard live on Hot 91.1, and live stats are available at NSUSpartans.com.
Season Outlook
Norfolk State was picked third in the MEAC preseason poll with 43 points and one first-place vote, after going 15-17 overall and 8-6 in MEAC play last season. Two newcomers, junior guard Bahsil Laster and freshman guard Jordan Skyers, were named to the MEAC Preseason Watch List.
A New-Look Roster
Head coach Robert Jones brings back three players from last season's roster: sophomore guard Adrean Newton, senior guard Dramane Camara and redshirt freshman guard Ahmad Torrence. The three scored 112 of the team's 2,445 points a year ago (4.6%), and they return 7.0% of last season's minutes.
- Newton, a Norfolk native and Maury High School product, started 24 of 27 games as a freshman. He averaged 4.0 points and was second on the team with 57 assists. He shot 47.8% (11-of-23) from three.
- Camara and Torrence combined to play in four games last season.
The Spartans lost their top three scorers from a year ago: Anthony McComb III (548 points, 17.1 ppg), Elijah Jamison (467, 14.6) and Devon Ellis (356, 11.1). Together they scored 1,371 points, or 56.1% of the team's total.
The 10 newcomers include six transfers:
Laster averaged 7.9 points in 26 games at UT Arlington last season and shot 82.0% from the free-throw line. Skyers, a four-star guard from Putnam Science Academy, chose Norfolk State over 16 offers and was named MVP of the 2026 EYBL U20 SuperFinal in Italy.
The four freshmen are Skyers (Harlem, N.Y.), Justin Jones (Virginia Beach, Va.), Jamese Jordan (Hopewell, Va.) and Keon Mitchell (Norfolk, Va.).
Monday: Regent
Series history
Norfolk State leads the all-time series with Regent 3-0. All three meetings were at home, and the Spartans won each by at least 40 points.
The most recent meeting came last season, a 119-55 Spartan win at Echols Hall on Nov. 5, 2025.
- The 64-point margin was the largest of NSU's season.
- The Spartans shot 58.0% (47-of-81) and outrebounded the Royals 47-27.
- Norfolk State set a season high with 19 steals and forced 28 turnovers.
Scouting the Royals
Regent went 6-18 last season under head coach Barry Hollenbeck. The Royals return 11 players who scored 1,171 of the team's 1,734 points (67.5%), but they lost leading scorer Darrin Clark (12.0 ppg).
- Dorian Tema (Sr., F) averaged 10.4 points and 5.7 rebounds and led the team with 33 steals.
- Chauncey Gilliam (Jr., F) averaged 10.9 points and 8.4 rebounds in 12 games, including a 19-rebound game against Johnson & Wales-Charlotte.
- Christian Brown (So., G) averaged 16.2 points in five games, with a season-high 28 against Randolph.
- Grant Worley (So., G) averaged 8.0 points and shot 82.1% from the free-throw line.
- Antoine Brown (Sr., G) added 7.9 points per game.
The Virginia Beach-based Royals have a roster full of local players. Worley and Gilliam played at Chesapeake's Grassfield High School, and both Browns played at Chesapeake's Great Bridge High School. Sophomore forward Chase Mullen played at Ocean Lakes, and freshman guard Joziah Mincey played at Salem.
Wednesday: Randolph
Series history
Norfolk State is 1-0 all-time against Randolph. The Spartans won the only previous meeting 63-43 at home during the 2011-12 season.
Scouting the WildCats
Randolph, a Division III program in the ODAC from Lynchburg, went 5-20 overall and 1-15 in conference play last season. Head coach Evan Kee returns nine players who scored 934 of the team's 1,666 points (56.1%), including the top two scorers.
- Aveion Tucker (So., G) led the WildCats at 12.9 points per game and had a team-high 78 assists (4.1 apg).
- Khalil Caple (So., G) led the team with 256 points (10.7 ppg) and 30 steals.
- Elijah Cox (Sr., F) started 22 games and averaged 8.4 points and 4.2 rebounds.
- Stacy Byrd (Jr., F) shot 53.2% from the field in 14 starts.
Randolph has six players from Hampton Roads. Tucker is from Newport News (Woodside HS), Caple and senior forward Chris Hayes are from Suffolk, and Daisaun Perkins and Brandon Rodgers are from Chesapeake. Freshman guard Jamari Edwards played at Norfolk's Lake Taylor High School.
Regent and Randolph split two meetings last season. Regent won 84-74 in Lynchburg on Nov. 16, and Randolph won 89-63 in Virginia Beach on Nov. 29.
Up Next
Norfolk State plays a pair of in-state rematches from last season's November schedule. The Spartans visit William & Mary on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 6 p.m., then host Old Dominion at Echols Hall on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m. Last season, NSU fell 81-78 to the Tribe and 60-57 at ODU.
