March Madness 2025: No. 16 Norfolk State coach 'angry a little bit' that No. 1 Florida is such a big favorite

[ASFN Admin]

It’s easy to see why No. 1 seed Florida is a heavy favorite over No. 16 Norfolk State ahead of Friday’s first-round matchup in the NCAA tournament. Just don’t try explaining the reason for such a big spread to Norfolk State coach Robert Jones.

Jones said in his news conference Thursday that he was “angry a little bit” that Florida was a 28.5-point favorite over the Spartans. The Gators won the SEC tournament and are one of the favorites to win the national title after all four of its regular-season losses came to opponents who made the NCAA tournament.

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Norfolk State (24-10) won both the MEAC regular season and tournament titles to earn the conference’s automatic bid to the tournament.

"I think that for myself, I coach better when I'm angry, and I'm angry a little bit about the way the point spread is and things like that," Jones said.

"I know Florida's really, really good, and they run a great program, got great players, but are we that bad that the point spread is like that? I'm a little angry, and like I said, I'm a little bit more focused and play better when I'm angry. I think the players play better when they're angry."

"A lot of times in the MEAC Conference, we're always the hunted. We're not the hunter, but out of conference, we're the hunter. That's where we're trying to prove ourselves. We're trying to show that it's more than just the MEAC, it's more than the HBCUs, whatever it is. We're trying to show that we're truly one of the best teams in the country."

"So I think there's a different level of focus and intensity that we bring. Hence why we've competed well in the nonconference this year against some of the best teams in the country."

"I think tomorrow the guys are excited about the challenge. No one in that locker room is scared. No one in that locker room is afraid. We're excited about the challenge of playing the University of Florida."

The spread between the two teams isn't even the biggest of the first round. Auburn was a 32.5-point favorite ahead of its win over Alabama State on Thursday and Duke is favored by that same number on Friday against Mount St. Mary's.

A Norfolk State win on Friday would be historic. Just two No. 1 seeds — Virginia in 2018 and Purdue in 2023 — have lost in the first round. And it would also add to the school’s NCAA tournament lore.

In 2012, Norfolk State took down No. 2 Missouri as a No. 15 seed. It was the school’s first win over a team ranked in the AP Top 25.

That team was led by coach Anthony Evans and he left to take the job at Florida International after the following season. Evans was succeeded by Jones, who has led the school to six seasons of 20 or more wins during his tenure.

But the Spartans haven’t won an NCAA tournament game since that victory over Missouri. And they haven’t been seeded any higher than No. 16 either. Norfolk State made the tournament in 2021 and 2022 as a No. 16 seed but lost by 43 points to Gonzaga and 36 points to Baylor in each of those seasons.

Can Norfolk State at least keep Friday’s game a lot closer than those two were? If they do, some well-channeled anger might have played a role.

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