2020–21 Norfolk State Spartans men's basketball team explained

Mode:Basketball
Year:2020–21
Team:Norfolk State Spartans
Conference:Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Division:Northern Division
Short Conf:MEAC
Record:17–8
Conf Record:8–4
Hc Year:8th
Asst Coach1:Jamal Brown
Asst Coach2:C.J. Clemons
Asst Coach3:Leonard Fairley
Champion:MEAC North Division and tournament champions
Tourney Result:First round

The 2020–21 Norfolk State Spartans men's basketball team represented Norfolk State University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Spartans, led by eighth-year head coach Robert Jones, played their home games at the Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall in Norfolk, Virginia as members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. With the creation of divisions to cut down on travel due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, they played in the Northern division.[1] They finished the season 17–8, 8–4 in MEAC play to finish in tie for first place in the Northern division. They defeated North Carolina Central in the quarterfinals of the MEAC tournament and advanced to the championship when North Carolina A&T withdrew from the tournament due to COVID-19 protocols. They defeated Morgan State to win the tournament championship. As a result, they received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as a No. 16 seed in the West region. They defeated Appalachian State in the First Four, but were eliminated by No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga in the first round.

Previous season

The Spartans finished the 2019–20 season 16–15, 12–4 in MEAC play to finish in a tie for second place. They were scheduled to play Coppin State in the quarterfinals of the MEAC tournament, but the remainder of the tournament was canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[2]

Schedule and results

|-!colspan=12 style=| Regular season|-!colspan=12 style=| MEAC tournament|-|-!colspan=12 style=| NCAA tournament|-|-Sources[3]

Notes and References

  1. News: MEAC Announces Revised Conference Schedules for Men's, Women's Basketball. Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. December 14, 2020. January 7, 2021. en.
  2. News: MEAC ANNOUNCES SUSPENSION OF ALL SPORTS COMPETITIONS. Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. March 12, 2020. January 7, 2021. en.
  3. News: 2020-2021 Men's Basketball Schedule. Norfolk State University Athletics. January 7, 2021. en.