Photo from Norfolk State Athletics official Facebook

By Amsu Warner

Growing excitement surrounds The Norfolk State Spartans Men’s Basketball upcoming 2018-2019 NCAA college basketball season, and the anticipation will only increase during the team’s tip-off week Sept. 29 – Oct. 5. The week of events will include a Tip-Off Dinner, a skate party and several sports legends.
Fan favorite Spartan Madness kicks off Saturday, Sept. 29, at Joseph G. Echols Hall. Starting at 8:30 p.m., the festivities follow the Norfolk State vs. Delaware State football game at Dick Price Stadium. Both Spartan Basketball teams will participate in separate 3-point shooting contests, and NSU’s players are expected to thrill spectators in a slam-dunk contest.
Each basketball team also will compete in an inner squad scrimmage, allowing fans a first peek of the 2018-2019 Spartans team. One lucky fan will get the chance to win $20,000 in a shooting contest. Tickets for Spartans Madness are $5 each.
The Norfolk State Skate Party is scheduled for Sept. 30 from 5:30 p.m. -7:30 p.m. at the Greenbrier Family Skating Center, 1409 Stephanie Way in Chesapeake. During the event, fans and students can meet players from both men’s and women’s teams while listening to music and sampling tasty treats. Tickets for the NSU Skate Party are $10 each.
The annual Tip-Off Dinner will spotlight guest speakers such as ESPN’s Seth Greenburg, former NBA player Kenny Anderson, and former NSU, Chicago Bulls player Pee Wee Kirkland.

Greenburg currently is a college basketball analyst who formerly was head coach for Virginia Tech. Anderson was drafted No. 2 in the 1991 NBA Draft. Kirkland, a former point guard, was drafted by the Chicago Bulls out of NSU in 1968, according to the New York Times.

At the time, Sports Illustrated called the 6-foot-1-inch Kirkland ”maybe the fastest man in college basketball.”
The dinner, which costs $75 per person, is Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. at the Chesapeake Conference Center.