# 2016–17 Norfolk State Spartans men's basketball team

The 2016–17 Norfolk State Spartans men's basketball team represented Norfolk State University during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Spartans, led by fourth-year coach Robert Jones, played their home games at the Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall as members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. They finished the season 17–17, 12–4 in MEAC play to finish in second place. They defeated South Carolina State and Howard to advance to the championship game of the MEAC tournament where they lost to North Carolina Central. They were invited to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament, where they lost in the first round to Liberty.

## Previous season

The Spartans finished the 2015–16 season 17–17, 12–4 in MEAC play to finish in a tie for second place. They defeated North Carolina Central in the quarterfinals of the MEAC tournament to advance to the semifinals where they lost to South Carolina State. The Spartans received an invitation to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament where they lost in the first round to Columbia.

## Preseason

The Spartans were picked to finish in fifth place in the preseason MEAC poll. Jordan Butler was named to the preseason All-MEAC third team.

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | Site city, state |
| Exhibition ||||||
| 11/05/2016* 6:00 pm | | at Virginia State | L 80–83 $^{2OT}$ | | Multi-Purpose Center Ettrick, VA |
| Non-conference regular season ||||||
| 11/11/2016 8:00 pm, SECN+ | | at Mississippi State | L 74–78 | 0–1 | Humphrey Coliseum (4,467) Starkville, MS |
| 11/13/2016* 7:15 pm | | Shenandoah | W 78–58 | 1–1 | Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall (3,018) Norfolk, VA |
| 11/15/2016* 8:00 pm | | Elizabeth City State | W 91–55 | 2–1 | Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall (2,519) Norfolk, VA |
| 11/18/2016* 8:00 pm, SECN+ | | at Vanderbilt Las Vegas Invitational | L 52–75 | 2–2 | Memorial Gymnasium (8,205) Nashville, TN |
| 11/21/2016* 8:30 pm, FS1 | | at Butler Las Vegas Invitational | L 55–91 | 2–3 | Hinkle Fieldhouse (6,593) Indianapolis, IN |
| 11/24/2016* 2:30 pm | | vs. Bucknell Las Vegas Invitational | L 58–84 | 2–4 | Orleans Arena Paradise, NV |
| 11/25/2016* 2:30 pm | | vs. Sacred Heart Las Vegas Invitational | L 59–61 | 2–5 | Orleans Arena Paradise, NV |
| 11/30/2016* 8:00 pm, ESPN3 | | at Loyola–Chicago | L 62–75 | 2–6 | Joseph J. Gentile Arena (1,118) Chicago, IL |
| 12/03/2016* 6:00 pm | | Northern Kentucky | L 61–72 | 2–7 | Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall (1,261) Norfolk, VA |
| 12/10/2016* 3:00 pm | | at Niagara | L 61–65 | 2–8 | Gallagher Center (1,242) Lewiston, NY |
| 12/14/2016* 8:00 pm, ESPN3 | | at Evansville | L 66–85 | 2–9 | Ford Center (3,312) Evansville, IN |
| 12/19/2016* 7:00 pm | | Eastern Kentucky | W 87–80 $^{OT}$ | 3–9 | Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall (621) Norfolk, VA |
| 12/21/2016* 7:00 pm, BTN+ | | at No. 15 Purdue | L 45–91 | 3–10 | Mackey Arena (11,376) West Lafayette, IN |
| 12/30/2016* 2:00 pm | | at Bowling Green | L 77–86 | 3–11 | Stroh Center (1,820) Bowling Green, OH |
| MEAC regular season ||||||
| 01/04/2017 7:30 pm | | at Morgan State | L 56–58 | 3–12 (0–1) | Talmadge L. Hill Field House (974) Baltimore, MD |
| 01/11/2017 6:30 pm | | Savannah State | W 80–76 | 4–12 (1–1) | Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall (1,512) Norfolk, VA |
| 01/14/2017 6:30 pm | | North Carolina Central | L 57–72 | 4–13 (1–2) | Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall (2,064) Norfolk, VA |
| 01/16/2017 7:30 pm | | at Delaware State | W 75–70 | 5–13 (2–2) | Memorial Hall (1,067) Dover, DE |
| 01/21/2017 6:30 pm | | Hampton | W 79–62 | 6–13 (3–2) | Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall (4,828) Norfolk, VA |
| 01/23/2017 7:30 pm | | at Coppin State | W 74–64 | 7–13 (4–2) | Physical Education Complex (677) Baltimore, MD |
| 01/28/2017 6:30 pm | | Bethune–Cookman | W 73–66 | 8–13 (5–2) | Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall (2,512) Norfolk, VA |
| 01/30/2017 8:00 pm | | North Carolina A&T | W 83–69 | 9–13 (6–2) | Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall (1,797) Norfolk, VA |
| 02/04/2017 4:00 pm | | at South Carolina State | W 65–62 | 10–13 (7–2) | SHM Memorial Center (312) Orangeburg, SC |
| 02/06/2017 8:00 pm | | at Savannah State | W 92–87 | 11–13 (8–2) | Tiger Arena (1,305) Savannah, GA |
| 02/11/2017 6:30 pm | | Maryland Eastern Shore | W 75–69 | 12–13 (9–2) | Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall (2,407) Norfolk, VA |
| 02/15/2017 8:00 pm | | South Carolina State | W 81–70 | 13–13 (10–2) | Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall (1,012) Norfolk, VA |
| 02/18/2017 6:00 pm | | at Florida A&M | W 77–65 | 14–13 (11–2) | Teaching Gym (1,245) Tallahassee, FL |
| 02/20/2017 7:30 pm | | at Bethune–Cookman | L 65–75 | 14–14 (11–3) | Moore Gymnasium (812) Daytona Beach, FL |
| 02/25/2017 6:30 pm | | Howard | W 73–65 | 15–14 (12–3) | Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall (2,832) Norfolk, VA |
| 02/27/2017 9:00 pm, ESPNU | | at Hampton | L 59–63 | 15–15 (12–4) | Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall (6,123) Norfolk, VA |
| MEAC tournament ||||||
| 03/08/2017 8:00 pm, ESPN3 | (2) | vs. (7) South Carolina State Quarterfinals | W 93–88 $^{OT}$ | 16–15 | Norfolk Scope (7,233) Norfolk, VA |
| 03/10/2017 8:00 pm, ESPN3 | (2) | vs. (11) Howard Semifinals | W 68–53 | 17–15 | Norfolk Scope (13,331) Norfolk, VA |
| 03/11/2017 1:00 pm, ESPN2 | (2) | vs. (1) North Carolina Central Championship game | L 58–67 | 17–16 | Norfolk Scope (7,111) Norfolk, VA |
| CIT ||||||
| 03/13/2017* 7:00 pm, Facebook Live | | at Liberty First Round Coach John McLendon Classic | L 64–73 | 17–17 | Vines Center (574) Lynchburg, VA |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Eastern Time. ||||||