All in all, it was a banner year for Norfolk State basketball.

The Spartans set the school record for Division I wins with 16, and the 11 victories in conference play tied NSU for second in the final regular-season standings.

But with an upset loss to Coppin State in the MEAC tournament, there will be questions as to what the Spartans could have done better to be able to advance to the title game.

The team's three-man senior class of Rashid Cann, Tony Murphy and Larry Vickers gave the Spartans confidence that they could do much better than the prognosticators called for them to do. NSU's success this season even allowed the administration of the school to take the interim off coach Anthony Evans' title during the season.

But with the loss to the lower-seeded Eagles, the Spartans are left to spend the summer thinking of what might have been.

Now the team has to move on without its senior trio, with players like Michael Deloach, Corey Lyons and Brandon Monroe to step forward and take over starring roles in the coming year.

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