NORFOLK, Va. — Back to back regular season titles. Back to back MEAC tournament crowns. Back to back trips to the NCAA Tournament. That's all good. What Norfolk State is not happy about is being seeded #16 in back to back seasons heading into the big dance.
The Spartans got their NCAA Tournament marching orders on Sunday night and found out they're headed to Forth Worth, Texas to take on the defending national champions and a #1 seed Baylor University.
NSU head coach Robert Jones put it simply enough, "I feel disrespected, honestly. I feel like we were 24-6. We beat UNC Wilmington which won the league that Delaware got a #15 seed in."
Spartans guard and team leader Joe Bryant Jr. was thinking his team would be seeded higher as well, "There's some good teams in the tournament but I feel like we're good enough to be a 15, but 16 ain't bad. We're still going dancing. We've just got to come with our hard hat on and be ready to compete."
Last year, Norfolk State got a win in the First Four round, but then as a #16 seed lost by 43 points to #1 seeded Gonzaga.
It's pretty common knowledge in our area that only one #16 seed has ever won a tournament. UVA will long remember UMBC being that team.
In NSU's first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2012, playing as a #15 seed they stunned a #2 in Missouri.