Norfolk State University had the best record, the top seed and the hometown advantage heading into this week’s MEAC Tournament at Norfolk Scope Arena.

The Spartans opened MEAC play Wednesday night with a quarterfinal matchup against Delaware State University. If victorious, NSU would advance to the semifinals at 6 p.m. Friday, March 11. The championship game will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 12, and will be broadcast on ESPN2.

NSU senior Joe Bryant Jr., from Norfolk’s Lake Taylor High School, was named MEAC Most Outstanding Player and Spartans Coach Robert Jones was selected as Coach of the Year.

The 6-foot-2 Bryant averaged 16.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and ranks third nationally in free throw percentage (112-122, 918). He also has 90 assists, 40 steals and 49 3-pointers.

Kris Bankston, a 6-foot-9 senior from Little Rock, Ark., earned second team All-MEAC honors on the strength of his 11.2 scoring and 6.9 rebounding averages. Bankston has hit an amazing 125 of 172 shots from the floor, or .727.

Earning third-team All-MEAC honors was Jalen Hawkins, a 6-foot-2 senior from the Bronx, N.Y.

Tyrese Jenkins, a 6-foot-6 junior from Varina High School, has come on strong with 7.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. Jenkins has hit 30 3-pointers.

As regular season champion, NSU automatically qualifies for the NIT should it slip up during the tournament at the Scope. The tournament champion goes to the NCAAs.

NSU won the regular season and tournament titles a year ago and ad- vanced to the NCAA’s First Four in Dayton, Ohio.

The Spartans were 11-0 this season at their Joseph G. Echols Hall arena on campus. The Norfolk Scope is a mere 1.2 miles from NSU.