The Norfolk State Spartans are back in postseason play in March after claiming their second consecutive MEAC Tournament crown and the NCAA Tournament automatic bid that accompanies it.
Awaiting them in the first round of the Big Dance is the Stanford Cardinal, the No. 2 seed in the Portland Region.
If the Spartans had any chance to pull off the upset, they would have to overcome the interior size difference and win the battles on the glass.
Rebounding will play a vital role in determining the outcome of Friday’s matchup. Stanford was the best rebounding team in the PAC-12, averaging 44.6 rebounds per contest and beating opponents on the boards by 13 per game, which is the second-best in the conference.
Controlling the glass is an issue that has eluded the Spartans all year, something NSU head coach Larry Vickers acknowledges.
“We obviously struggle to rebound overall, and that is their strength. We know we have to kind of take advantage of grabbing every defensive rebound we can.”
The Cardinal roster features two of the best rebounders in the nation, with senior forward Cameron Brink, who is third in the nation at 12 rebounds per game, and junior forward Kiki Iriafen ranking 10th, pulling in 11 rebounds per contest.
Diamond Johnson and Kierra Wheeler are aware of the challenge in front of them, with Wheeler explaining that “controlling the glass and their presence in the paint” are issues the Spartans will have to deal with. Johnson added rebounding will be paramount.
“They’ve got a good inside game,” said Johnson.
The Spartans will look to attack the rim; however, Brink will wait for them. She is the nation’s leading shot-blocker, averaging 3.52 per game.
Johnson said the Spartans “can’t be scared to go in the paint” and that they “ have to be really aggressive and create that space where they can’t block the shot.”
“We know they are going to challenge us at the rim,” Wheeler, the MEAC Player of the Year, said. “We’re just trying to be really unfazed by their presence down there because we don’t want to stop attacking or being aggressive just because they are shot blockers.”
