Coming and Goings: Norfolk State 2016-17

Gabrielle Swinson

Here we are with the final Comings and Goings. We thank all our readers for their patience as we rolled these out.

The whole series:
VCU: Comings and Goings

George Mason: Comings and Goings

William and Mary: Comings and Goings
Richmond: Comings and Goings

Virginia: Comings and Goings
James Madison: Comings and Goings

Liberty: Comings and Goings

Virginia Tech: Comings and Goings

Old Dominion: Comings and Goings

Longwood: Comings and Goings
Hampton: Comings and Goings

Radford: Comings and Goings

Goings

Debra Clark: Spartans coach was let go by the university last January
LaShondra Dixon-Gordon: the assistant to Clark is no longer with the program
Koryn Lawrence: Senior guard who averaged 9.1 ppg did not return to school
Quiera Gilmore: Sophomore guard who did not play a minute as a Spartan transferred to St. Augustine's, NSU's opponent on Tuesday
Ashante Doby; Senior guard transferred to Virginia State
Ronesia Spicer: Senior forward left the team last December
Amber Brown: Senior forward survived a diabetic coma last year, but will not return to basketball
Brehanna Daniels: 5-5 guard who made eight starts averaging 4.9 ppg has graduated
Siobhan Beslow: 5-11 forward who was team's leading scorer and rebounder from last year (10.7 ppg, 9 rpg) graduated

Comings
Danielle Bell: Virginia Beach native is former director of operations from Richmond; graduate assistant at Georgia; four-year letterwinner for the Spiders; played her high school ball at Kellam
Tamoria Holmes: the former assistant from Chowan played at Howard
Jordan Strode: 5-8 redshirt senior guard from St. Joseph's; played in 14 games last year and averaged 2.5 ppg and 1.1 rpg; had a knee inury her freshman year of college and missed most of the season and redshirted her sophomore season
Gabrielle Swinson: 5-8 junior guard from Bryant & Stratton; averaged 17.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 5 apg, 4 spg last year; scored in double figures in 16 of her 18 games played; named to 2015 National Junior College Athletic Association Junior College Division II All-American team as a freshman; played her high school ball at Virginia Beach's First Colonial High
Treasure Doberson, 5-5, redshirted her freshman year at Virginia Union; averaged 15.1 ppg at Crossland High in Temple Hills, Md.
Tyona Moses, 5-11 freshman guard from Goldsboro (High), N.C.; her high school coach was former NSU All-American LaTina Bullock; MVP of her high school team as a freshman and senior
De'Janaire Deas 6-0 freshman center/forward from Academy of Holy Names (Albany, NY); averaged 18 ppg, 13 rpg and 5 bpg her senior year; five-year letterwinner
Khadedra Crocker: 6-3 forward/center from Virginia Tech: King's Fork High grad and Virginia Tech transfer; will sit out 2016-17 season due to NCAA transfer rules
Khalilah Ali: 6-0 redshirt junior forward: transfer from Longwood sat out last year due to ACL tear; played high school ball at nearby Wilson High

We didn't list Larry Vickers under our "Comings" section, as he was the coach last year, but what's new is the interim tag is removed, and he is in his first full season coaching Norfolk State, a program that won three games last year.

The Spartans graduate leading scorer Siobhan Beslow from that team and will be without Yazmen Hannah, out with a knee injury. She will likely redshirt since she's not expected back until February, and the Spartans will miss the 8 ppg she averaged, especially given Koryn Lawrence, who averaged 9.1 ppg did not return for her final season.

That leaves Kayla Roberts to carry a load. The preseason second-team All-MEAC selection is better prepared for the attention she'll face, Vickers said. "I hate to call it a sophomore slump, but last year she wasn't used to having defenses shift toward her," he said. "This year she's more suited to that."

Ali, formerly of Longwood, will also start. Vickers called her a strong veteran to have in the lineup, and added that she now plays without memories of the ACL tear lurking in her head. Swinson, who put up fabulous numbers at underrated Bryant & Stratton, will be the starting point guard and Strode, a transfer from St. Joseph's, gives NSU an athletic presence on the wing.

"She gives us something we didn't have before," Vickers said. "She's got two years left as a graduate student and is one of the most talented players we have."

Among the freshmen, he elevates Deas, who played for a strong Albany AAU program, just a tad, though he'd like to slow her motor down until she gets acclimated to the college game. Meanwhile, talk to Vickers and you can sense his excitement in preparing for his first season taking over the reins of a program that he predicts will compete for a conference title in the coming years.

Season opener: Nov. 11 at UNC Wilmington

Comings and Goings XI: Norfolk State

Michelle Wright joins the Spartans                                         

Here's a look at Norfolk State's Comings and goings.

The series so far:

Comings and Goings: Old Dominion
Comings and Goings: Richmond
Comings and Goings: George Mason
Comings and Goings: Virginia
Comings and Goings: Virginia Tech
Comings and Goings: William and Mary
Comings and Goings: VCU
Comings and Goings: Liberty
Comings and Goings: Longwood
Who's going

Rae Corbo, 5-6 G started in all 30 games her senior year, leading scorer with 20.8 ppg
Ebony Brown, 5-9 F, played in 14 games, 2.1 ppg
Jazamine Gray, 5.4 F, 4.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg, started all 30 games
Aivah Parham, 5-10 F, 4.7 ppg, 5.1 ppg
Io Chaney, 5-11 G/F, played in 12 games, averaged 1.2 ppg, has transferred to American University

The huge loss is Corbo, a should-of-been MEAC first-teamer who delivered consistently last season with 15 20-point games and was clutch in the conference tournament.

Who's coming
Michelle Wright, 5-10 F Baltimore (Baltimore City Community College/Dunbar High), Maryland Junior College Player of the Year after leading Baltimore City with 20.7 ppg, 9.9 rpg and 3.6 spg; will have two years of eligibility remaining; also shot 33 percent from 3; led Dunbar to consecutive Class A state titles and was first-team All-Metro (Baltimore Sun), spent her freshman year at Moberly (Missouri) Community College
Ashante Doby, 5-5 G, Palm Beach, Fla. (Miami Dade College/Palm Beach High), first-team All-Southern Conference honors, averaging 8.4 ppg, 3.3 apg, 2.4 spg; shot 36 percent from 3, attended Palm Beach Central for one year after graduating Palm Beach High
Quiera Gilmore, 5-6 G, Charlotte, N.C. (Ardrey Kell High) averaged 5.6 ppg, 5 apg, 3.1 spg
Yazmen Hannah, 5-7 G, Hickory, N.C. (Hickory High), AP all-state selection, led Hickory to 47-0 finish and 3A state championship
Alexys Long, Clinton, Md. 5-10 F, (Largo High), 12.7 ppg,  younger sis of NSU men's signee Alex Long
Kiara Phillips, 5-10 G, Melbourne, Australia: Gulf Coast State: The Australian played in 26 games last season, averaging 4.7 ppg and 1.3 rpg; will have two years of eligibility remaining; her twin sis, Tenaya, plays professionally in Australia

Exciting to see the Spartans sign such a sizable class. Expect Wright to be an early contributor given her impressive resume that will complement the offensive prowess of Kayla and Nia Roberts. Debra Clark looks ready to build on last season's success that included an 11-5 conference mark, a defeat of Hampton and a trip to the MEAC Tournament semifinals.

RANDOMNESS with Norfolk State's Rachel Gordon

We're back with RANDOMNESS, and our willing participant is Norfolk State sophomore forward Rachel Gordon. You know the drill. We ask a bunch of random questions; she provides the pointed answers. A little background: Her full name is Cherise Rachel Gordon and parents Cherise and Jeff Gordon are both NSU alums (Mom was a cheerleader). Rachel is averaging a team-best 11 rebounds and 12.5 points.

Favorite holiday: I like Christmas

Whatcha want? Ugg boots.

You just had a birthday (Nov. 18). Favorite gift? Money.  I usually spend it all pretty fast.


When you're not playing ball.... I like shopping.

Favorite store? PacSun                                  


You a shoe horde? I love shoes.


Favorite pair? Converse. I like the low tops.


Favorite place you've visited? I lived in Colorado for a while and that was my favorite place.Colorado Springs. I was a military brat.

Favorite movie? "The Sound of Music"


And song? Any Gwen Stefani song

People would be surprised to know ...I'm afraid of the dark. I'm a scaredy cat. I have a night light.


Collect anything? At my grandma's house, I collect really nice Barbie dolls.



Have you wanted to dunk? Always. They tell me they want me to dunk. I really want to before I graduate.


Who do you like to watch? Lebron ... I really like watching Maya Moore play.

Your signature shot? The stepaway jumper


Team you've always wanted to play? UConn, just to see how we would do.


Best hangout at NSU? The student center. Good food and there's a deejay on Fridays.


Best imitator of Coach Clarke on the team? Rae Corbo or Recca Trice.


What is Coach always saying? Good glory greens or God bless America when she's mad.


Your major? Psychology


What will you do? Either be a child psychologist or a sports psychologist

Other talents? I used to play the violin. My teammates say I can sing well.

What do you sing in the shower? Rock to rap. Gwen Stefani.

Favorite food? Mashed potatoes.


Why do they call you Biggie? In high school, I was always the tallest person on the team, so they called me Biggie.


Favorite web page (besides LadySwish): Twitter. I'm a Twitter girl.

Goal at NSU? I really want us to make a big impact in the MEAC championship-- do something we haven't done in a long time.I know we can.

Norfolk State releases 2011-12 schedule

Two days after we scraped together whatever bits and pieces of Virginia schools' 2011-12 schedules we could find, Norfolk State gives us something to really chew on - the Spartans' full 28-game slate of non-conference and MEAC contests, plus one exhibition at Elizabeth City State.

After playing on the road in three of their first four games, the Spartans will have four straight and five of their next six at Echols Arena, a rare home stretch for a team that has typically spent most Novembers and Decembers checking baggage.

“We wanted to be at home as much as possible,” NSU coach Debra Clark said. “And with some of these being return games, it will put us at a very good comfort level, both playing at home and against familiar opponents, as we get going early on in our season.” 


The slate is also highlighted by six non-conference games against in-state foes - home games against Virginia Union, William and Mary, Radford and George Mason and road matchups at VCU and Longwood.

Regardless of what happens in non-conference, however, the key for NSU will be ready to really bring it once MEAC play commences. Last season, the Spartans surprised many by winning six of their first 10 games, including a 75-70 overtime triumph over a McNeese State team that went 26-7, won the Southland Conference tournament and reached the NCAAs for the first time in program history. But the Spartans were just 3-15 the rest of the way as NSU's youthful roster appeared to hit a collective wall midway through conference play.

Here's hoping the Spartans took their offseason workouts seriously and are prepared physically and mentally for the full grind. Because while nothing is a given, this schedule sets them up with several opportunities for success in and out of conference play.

NSU adds small forward from Atlanta

Norfolk State has a new Spartan.

Her name is Ebony Brown, who signed for the 2011-12 season. The 5-10 small forward from Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy (Dwight Howard is an alum) earned All-Metro Honorable Mention by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution her senior year. She was also one of 23 players selected to the Class A 2011 all-state team by the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association.

Brown averaged 11.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game as she led Southwest Atlanta to a 24-5 record for the 2010-11 season after helping the team advance to the semifinals of the state tournament in 2010.

Brown joins NSU’s other 2011 class members: Quineshia Leonard from Hampton High School and Ashley Dillard from Woodside High School. Both were named to the 2011 All-Peninsula District Second Team by the league’s coaches after signing with the Spartans during the November signing period.