They did not make the leap with the rest of the programs to D-1 a few years back but last year jumped in with both feet as they and long-time rival the Hampton Pirates joined this prestigious conference.  With a talented base of upperclassmen and a frenetic offense built on the style of back-room basketball that defines this area of the country, the Spartans are looking to shake-up this conference once again.  The Whompf offense is based on the noise the fans seemingly make non-stop throughout home games.  The Spartans have put up some prodigious offensive numbers since Coach Ernie Fears implemented this system back in the CIAA days.  The Spartans averaged over 100 points a game back in those and that probably would have been higher if opponents would not have ‘walked the ball up’ the court to slow them down.  Some say the Spartans scoring and dominance under Fears is the reason they were left behind when the powers to be in the CIAA formed their new league and jumped levels.  Fears moved on and the Spartans have brought in a strict disciplinarian to run the program.  Charles Christian is now the coach in Norfolk and though he might be sleight in height he fills up any room he is in with his persona.  He also knows basketball and is smart enough to keep this fast-paced style in place as this year the Spartans get to compete for the league title and a chance at going dancing. It is now up to Christian to continue what some of these ‘legends’ have done for not only Norfolk but small college basketball and HBCU overall.  For God’s sake the rest of the world has right to see these great players including Pee Wee and Bobby D and Pop and the Hooker.  But to get to play in front of the national audience this program must first beat their old pals who all want a piece of the Spartans and will do whatever they can to keep them controlled.  

The Spartans have high expectations entering their second year of major college basketball, and their first where they are actually eligible for post-season play.  They had finally been accepted into the MEAC and could not wait to show the world what they had in Virginia.  With a stellar group of returning players and a great recruiting class coming in the Spartans were ready prove that these bunch of overlooked kids knew how to play this game.  Led by the incredible combo of Bobby Dandridge and Pee Wee Kirkland, the Spartans will take no prisoners in their goal to rule the world.  This duo is a pair of seniors with one chance left to show they world not only who they are but how good the are as players. How good are they? 

First, Dandridge was an all-conference performer once again and in this new league took his game to an entirely different level.  This Richmond kid traveled down to the Bay as a relatively unknown recruit and even the Spartans did not know how good this kid was.  They do now.  Dandridge is one of the best combination mid-range to the hoop offensive players you will ever see.  He is not big but can get his shot off inside especially when he is driving to the hoop.  At six foot six 195 pounds he is the perfect size for a small forward and this greyhound can flat run the court and he knows how to finish.  His bond with the sweet dropping dime man Kirkland has made him one of the top scorers in the new league as he averaged over 18 a game (18.5 to be exact) as Bobby D. knows if he keeps running he will get the ball close to the hoop.  The best thing he did last year was show how good he can be from behind the arc  He has a consistent 16 foot shot and in and will freeze his defender with pump fakes and then can go up swiftly with his smooth stroke. But he brought the three to his game and though it was limited to less then 2 attempts per game it shows that this kid can grow.  Dandridge is a vastly underrated ball handler who averaged almost 4 assists a game and really knows how to create his own shot off the dribble.  As good as Bobby D is on offense he is just as good defensively.  His best asset is his tenacity.  He can pick pocket with his long arms and you better screen him out on the boards as he led the league in scoring off second chances.  He will not back down even if he is given up six inches and a hundred pounds.  He is also one of the best perimeter defenders in the country.  If you do not know who this kid is by now then you just aren’t paying enough attention because Dandridge is the real deal and one of the best small college basketball players in the country.  Dare we say that Dandridge has a great shot of ‘sticking’ with somebody at the next level when the time comes.  But Bobby was not playing to get to the next level.  Leonidas er Bobby D. plays the game to win games for his Spartans. So back to our story!  

We will get to Kirkland but first the rest of the team as that might take a minute.  Behind Bobby D and Pee Wee, the Spartans have a fine nucleus but one first year kid showed he might be of the same caliber as the two vets.  Sophomore Ralph Tally was recruited by Christian from Atlantic City with a nice reputation as a scorer. But the moment he stepped on the court in Echols Hall, Christian and his new teammates knew they this kid was special.  This slender kid (170) exudes confidence and when you see him raise up for one of his patented long-range jumpers, you know you are witnessing greatness.  Tally is a sophomore guard who can score from anywhere for sure but also is a terrific defender with quick hands and unbelievable quicks. Tally was Mr. Consistent for the Spartans being one of only two players not to miss a game.  At six foot one he looks and has the handles of a point guard (and yes he can pass) but his mentality is scoring and he is damn good at it.  This Jersey Boy might be the single most under rated player not only at NSU but in the entire MEAC and possibly on the entire East Coast.  Tally is great at getting to the hoop and drawing contact and boy does this kid love to dunk whenever he gets the chance and over just about anyone.  Just ask Rick Mahorn about the ‘dunk’ as he threw one down over the Pirate that propelled the Spartans to their biggest comeback win of the season in front of a delirious home crowd at Echoes Hall.  Tally can also distribute and runs the vaunted Spartan break almost as good as Kirkland.  Almost!   Tally averaged almost five assists a game in the games that Pee Wee missed but he still is best heaving them up from long-range. When Kirkland was around Tally showed that he was heck of a catch shoot three point guy which is just what this team needed.  He might not be as the same talent level as Pee Wee or Bobby D but Tally quite arguably might have been the most important Spartan of them all with his ability to play different positions and to bring it every night.  And no matter what the future of Spartan basketball is in good hands with Tally around as their next superstar.  But for now Tally is okay being the third option on a gifted team that has one goal. Win the MEAC!

Christian does not have the luxury of having some huge guys up front to play next to Dandridge and complement his slashing game but boy did he try to find some.  He rotated some guys out of position (he had a plethora of small forward types) to do the dirty work in this tough as nails under the boards league.  Seniors Richard Pitts, Al Beard and Johnny McKinney, Juniors Rudy Peele, Ray Epps LeRoy Jones and Eugene Cunningham and sophomore David Pope were sharing the minutes and getting the job done.  All eight are solid all around big men and shared a common trait of being able to compete.  All can score (who doesn’t on this team) and board but none are the next coming of Elvin Hayes either.  Pitts and McKinney came into the year as the incumbents up front and were looking forward to having another solid year on the blocks.  Pitts got hurt early and never really recovered though he did come back and help some of the younger guys on the bench.  A Florida High school legend from Miami, McKinney can flat score in the paint.  He has all of the moves and knows how use his body to his advantage and has a terrific touch around the basket hardly ever missing a shot when he gets in close.  He is only six foot six and 220, however, which is a bit undersized even in the MEAC but helps him run the court a bit better than most post players.  Still, he missed some games when he twisted his knee but by the time he got back he was destined for a bench role and did not handle this well.  He loved playing with Pee Wee and Bobby D and came back for the stretch run but in a more limited role than he had expected going into the season.  He did produce though and if he can come back full speed from that injury will have a shot of regaining his starting role   Beard had barely played before this season as he was a JC transfer and was stuck behind McKinney and Pitts. Big Al has the size (six nine) and demeanor this team needs up front.  He is thin (200 pounds) and has not played much hoop but is a hard worker. Peele got the majority of the starts but is a bit undersized to be playing the post at any level, let alone D-1.   Peele is a junior who makes his living in the paint and led the Spartans in rebounding by quite a large margin but.. Peele is quite the unique character and might have the best hops in the State of Virginia but he is vastly undersized at six three for a guy who makes his living in the trees, Peele relies on his exceptional athleticism to virtually leap above other players and grab wayward shots.  He is the best board man on the team but his height makes him a bit of a liability on the defensive end.  Still, this is the type of player who can spark a team (and a crowd) with one of his ridiculous dunks or a well-time weakside monster block that he loves to throw into the third row.  Peele was a high school legend at I.C. Norcom just across the bay in Portsmouth where he led his team to back to back state titles.  Passed over by bigger schools because of his height (or lack thereof) Peele plays with a chip on his shoulder and comes off as something out of a bad blaxtoitation horror film character.  He is charismatic and he is a leader though he does seem to live by an entirely different beat than the rest of  the world.  He has some offensive skills but is not your primary low post threat though that might change next year with Dandridge gone.  You see the three is the position he is best suited for but in reality there is no position that quite fits this man amongst boys and I think he likes it that way.  He is a gamer and works much harder than most think of a kid with his kind of raw athleticism.  Fellow Junior LeRoy Jones is one huge man at six eight and 263 pounds but did not play many games as he does not join the team until after football season is over.  When he was on the court he sets one of a heck of a screen but he only got into ten games.  The Spartans could have used his size and toughness in their trenches especially with all of the injuries up front.   Pope is a terrific player who was stuck playing behind Dandridge with a similar game.  At least for the first half of the year.  Christian had to get this kid on the court and he started most of the games that he played at the four.  He proved he was worthy as he became the glue that held this team together with all of the craziness that was happening with all of the injuries.  As reliable as they come, Pope played in all 28 games for the Spartans and proved he has what it takes to become the leader of this team when Pee Wee and Bobby D move on up.  A little small (six seven) for the four, it did not hurt as much as one might think as this was a running team and the more speed on the court the better.  Besides Pope helps on the boards and is a terrific mid-range scorer.  He has the girth at 220 pounds and is strong enough to battle in the paint but let’s be honest going head to head with a Rick Mahorn (of the massive derriere Mahorns) who goes six ten and about 260 or a Joe Binion was a little out of this warriors pay grade.  This sophomore who came from just up the bay in Newport News and has a bright future in Norfolk and beyond this sea.  Cunningham has the height of a small forward but plays the game as a power forward. And on this team primarily played center.  Of course, when you are carrying 250 pounds playing the post is much easier than a wing.  This junior only goes six foot seven though he is obviously thick.  Christian tried several other options trying to get more size up front for this undersize team.  He came back to Cunningham though as he is a gamer and was a huge part of the Spartans success last year.  ‘Mean Gene’ does not run the court well (which probably cost him minutes) like most of the Spartans but he is one heck of an anchor holding things together in the paint in this bay town.  He might be your basic score and board guy but sometimes that is just what a team like this needs.  Junior Ray Epps may be the most athletically gifted front court player outside of Peele but the problem is getting him on the court.  A slasher who has some size (6’6), Epps is like Peele and Pope basically a Dandridge clone and this team already has the real deal at small forward.   He was nowhere near the board guy they were and got limited minutes which he was not happy with as he thinks he has the skills to be a gifted wing.  What this team needed was more big bodies especially in the tough MEAC where huge six ten guys with bad attitudes seem to grow on trees.  And somebody who can guard the rim!  Oh, and they could use a charismatic guard with an unbelievable crossover move who can seemingly do whatever he wants on the basketball court (and off).  Wait they have (or had) one of those didn’t they?  Now, back to our story! 

Christian has a senior shooter who is returning to be the first man off the bench behind Tally and Kirkland.  Charles Bonaparte (whatever you do, do not call him Napoleon) is a gifted long range bomber who is a crowd favorite.  The fans at Joseph G. Echols Hall love their fastbreaking team but especially love it when Bonaparte throws one in from about 30 feet away.  The resulting Whomphhh sound verberates through the darkly lit little piece of basketball nirvana and has become the team’s signature.  Upset at being sent to the bench with the arrival of Tally, he took his demotion in stride as his game is better suited for coming off the pine as instant offense.  Or at least that is what Christian convinced him of.  Bonaparte was needed last year more than ever when Kirkland was gone but he is not a point guard.  His leadership was huge as he settled his new freshman sidekick but he understands what his role will be with Kirkland back in town.  He has come into this year almost as an after-thought going to split time off the bench on the wing with fellow senior James ‘Hooker’ Grant.  Grant was a big time scorer here once but both fell behind the Tally Man on the team’s depth chart.  Known for his incredible ability to hook shots on the break (or just about anywhere else) Grant was gone early with another injury and it was Boneparte’s job to steal. Back! The ruler’s gunning down the enemy next to Tally helped but he was not long for starting with his lack of other skills.  This senior’s shooting in the more long-range friendly game of today gives him a shot to play at the next level but he has to become a more well-rounded player to be anything more than a designated shooter which he is what he became in Norfolk. Kirkland almost certainly will start next to Tally unless he is hurt again and this time Christian will go with someone else to keep Tally at the two.  The most likely is Junior Kenny Evans.  Evans is another guard who can score but was kind of stuck behind his more talented teammates.  None of these guys were point guards which is what the team needed with Kirkland gone and that is why Tally played so much there.  Evans realized to get on the court more especially with Tally and the seniors around he would have to play more at point which he did.  Most of this was on the JV but he did get some minutes (and even starts) on the varsity last year when Kirkland was out.  He, like Tally, would rather score first but if he doesn’t start he will be a super combo guard.  Evans can really heat it up when he gets going and is made for a super sub role.  Sophomore Barry Mitchell did get a chance while Pee Wee was gone and did okay as he is a phenomenal passer and defender and helps out on the boards more than you would think.  Mitchell has nowhere near the speed of the ‘fastest guy in college basketball’ as Kirkland has been dubbed by SI.  He does have size at six five and is raw but man does he have potential though like the others he is not a true point guard.  Christian loves this kid and plays well with fellow sophomores Tally and Pope (they led a team that beat the varsity in a preseason game last year that really woke this program up) and will figure out someway to get him on the court even if his most natural position (like just about everybody else) is the three. 

Mr. Kirkland has achieved all the notoriety in a short period of time that he ever wanted.  And then some he didn’t want.  Pee Wee had got busted for dealing drugs and was sitting in a New York City jail when Big Ernie Fears (the former Coach who recruited Kirkland and now AD for NSU) paid a visit to the Big Apple in late December.  He was willing to give the kid another chance or more importantly convince him that he had an obligation to his teammates and the fans to finish out the season.  Kirkland was more than happy to come back to Norfolk.  He would be ready to suit up in early-February if he could get his life together. That he did.  And then some!   Pee Wee as part of his court ordered requirements talks to kids every day about the perils of drugs.  And with his history the story rings true.  He is just glad for the second chance and the fact he can help kids.  Now if this legend can help his Spartans shock the world against unbelievable odds and get this program back on top.  Of the MEAC, this time and not the CIAA.  Acronym, smackronym.  It’s all just initials and the one that matters to the folks from Norfolk is WIN!