Spartans' MEAC loss stings, but CIT trip to Ky. awaits

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Norfolk State's first practice after losing in last week's MEAC tournament went better than coach Robert Jones expected.

But the Spartans aren't all the way there yet when it comes to coping.

Jones described his team's disposition as one of gradual improvement as it prepares to take on Eastern Kentucky at 7 tonight in Richmond, Ky., to tip off the CollegeInsiders.com tournament.

The Spartans (20-13) practiced Sunday for the first time since bowing out in the MEAC semifinals two nights earlier. The loss hurt enough; that it came to eventual champion Hampton is what still stings.

"I think by game time, they'll be ready to play, of course," Jones said Monday. "But as I call it, the morgue feeling is still lingering a little bit because of not getting into the (NCAA) tournament. And then of course, our rival won the whole thing. That's still setting in."

The postseason Plan C that is the CIT has been in the works for weeks. Jones knew about the bid as NSU entered the MEAC tournament, but he didn't tell his players because he wanted them thinking there was no safety net.

Hampton is on to the NCAA tournament to face Manhattan tonight and, with a first-round win, No. 1 Kentucky.

NSU was hoping for an invitation to the NIT but for the second straight season had to settle for the CIT, a 6-year-old event for mid- and low-majors.

Eastern Kentucky went 19-11 overall and 11-5 in the Ohio Valley Conference before losing in the semifinals of the league tournament. The Colonels haven't played since March 6.

Jones isn't sure what to make of the layoff.

"That could go either way," he said. "Either they're going to be really rusty, or they're going to be really fired up because that loss has been long gone at this point."

With seven players set to return next season, Jones is hoping the Spartans can build on another postseason appearance.

This time, though, there really is no safety net.

"This is valuable experience that could potentially carry over to next year," Jones said. "We're playing in a little more pressure-packed situation, because now it really is lose and the season is over."

 

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EKU seniors get another chance to play in front of the home crowd


The Colonels (19-11, 11-5 OVC) will play host to Norfolk State (20-13, 12-4 MEAC) at 7 p.m. today in McBrayer Arena in the opening round of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT).

This will be EKU?s second appearance in the CIT in the past three years. It is also the third-straight national postseason tournament appearance for EKU and the sixth in the past 11 years.

The Colonels beat Gardner-Webb, 69-62, in the opening round of the CIT two years ago, before falling to Evansville, 86-72, in the second round. The win over Gardner-Webb was EKU?s first national tournament win in 68 years.

Tonight?s game gives the Colonels players an opportunity to get the taste of the disappointing 53-52 loss to Belmont in the OVC Tournament semifinals out of their mouths.
EKU led for most of the game before Belmont took a 51-50 lead with just more than three minutes remaining.
Senior Timmy Knipp put EKU back on top 52-51 with 2:19 left but the Bruins reclaimed a one-point lead, 53-52 on two Evan Bradds free throws with 25.5 seconds remaining, giving the Colonels an opportunity to pull it out at the end.

But after being forced to call two timeouts, Corey Walden missed a contested shot at the buzzer that would have given the Colonels the win.

Despite the loss, the Colonels won eight of their last 10 games of the season and tonight?s contest gives them another shot at picking up their 20th win of the season, something EKU has done only nine other times.
EKU coach Jeff Neubauer said he brought seniors, Eric Stutz, Walden, Deverin Muff and Knipp into his office after last weekend?s Belmont loss and they all expressed that they didn?t want their EKU careers to end just yet.

?There were two things that really stood out in my conversations with them,? Neubauer said. ?Number one, they really wanted to continue to play. And number two, they thought it would be really cool if we could somehow play at home. Those two things worked out and hopefully we can make the most of this opportunity.?

Norfolk State comes into tonight?s contest off a 75-64 upset loss to Hampton in the MEAC championship game.
The Spartans finished second in the MEAC regular season and had their third 20-win season in the past four years ? since joining Division I ? and will be making their fourth-straight postseason appearance.
Norfolk State has three players ? all juniors ? averaging in double figures on the year.
Six-foot-four Guard Jeff Short leads the way at 19.2 points per game.
Forward R?Shid Gaston is averaging 15.3 points and a team-best 9.5 rebounds per contest, while D?Shon Taylor contributes 13 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

Neubauer said the Colonels will have their hands full with the Spartans.


?Norfolk State is a very athletic and very talented group. They have one of the best scorers in the country in Jeff Short and their big guy, R?Shid Gaston, is just a special rebounder and shot blocker and a really talented player,? he said. ?They have already won 20 games this year. They have been in the postseason for several years in a row. So It should be a great game.?

Defensively, Norfolk State is holding its opponents to an average of 65.8 points per contest on 41 percent shooting from the field and 33 percent from behind the three point line.

EKU led the OVC in defense, holding its opponents to an average of 63 points per game. The Colonels finished fourth in the nation in steals per game (9.7). EKU forced its opponents into an average of 18.9 turnovers per game and lead the nation in turnover margin at +7.3 per game.

Neubauer said fans coming to McBrayer Arena should expect a competitive ball game.
?All the teams that are still playing this time of year are good teams. We know that we are in for a fight,? Neubauer said. ?But we?ve had really good practices and everybody has had the right approach and I do know that our guys will come out and really compete tonight.?

The Colonels? experience playing in the 2013 CIT was a factor in that team?s success the following season and Neubauer said he hopes this will prove beneficial for his returning players this time around as well.

?I thought the fact that we went to the CIT and won a game in 2013 really set the table for us going to the NCAA Tournament in 2014. I think our guys felt like they accomplished something by making it to the postseason and winning a game for the first time in 68 years here at EKU and they wanted something more,? Neubauer said. ?Hopefully with this group, this experience can lead to bigger and better things as well in future years.?

Tonight?s game will be the 131st appearance for senior Eric Stutz, tying him for the most games played by a player in an EKU career.

A victory would give Muff 100 wins during his career at EKU.

All first-round CIT games will be played tonight and Wednesday, with second round games on Friday and Saturday.