NORFOLK, Va. — The Norfolk State men's basketball team was picked to finish third in the 2026-27 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Preseason Predicted Order of Finish, the league office announced Wednesday, as voted on by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors.
The Spartans collected 43 points and one first-place vote, finishing three points behind second-place Morgan State and one point ahead of fourth-place North Carolina Central. Howard was tabbed the preseason favorite with 62 points and six first-place votes.
Junior guard Bahsil Laster (Philadelphia, Pa.) and freshman guard Jordan Skyers (Harlem, N.Y.) represent the Green and Gold on the MEAC Preseason Watch List.
Laster, a 6-foot-4 guard, joins the Spartans after one season at UT Arlington. He played in 26 games with eight starts in 2025-26, averaging 7.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 19.5 minutes per game while shooting 82.0 percent from the free-throw line. He posted a season-high 18 points against Abilene Christian and matched that total against Utah Valley in the postseason. Before UT Arlington, Laster averaged 14.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists at Harcum College in 2024-25, earning a spot on the JucoRecruiting.com Fab 50 Freshman list. He is a product of Archbishop Wood High School.
Skyers arrives as one of the most heralded recruits in program history. A four-star guard from Putnam Science Academy, he chose Norfolk State over 16 offers, including Power Five programs Mississippi State, Oklahoma State and Virginia. 247Sports ranks him No. 22 nationally among combo guards, while ESPN has him at No. 40. Skyers was named MVP of the 2026 EYBL U20 SuperFinal in Reggio Calabria, Italy, with the NY Renaissance, averaging 25.0 points per game and scoring 27 in the title game. He also earned National Prep Championships All-Tournament Second Team honors in 2026 and averaged 12.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists in Overtime Elite play in 2025.
Norfolk State opens the 2026-27 season on Monday, Nov. 2, against Regent University at Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall in Norfolk, Va. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m., following the women's season opener at 5:30 p.m.
2026-27 MEAC Men's Basketball Predicted Order of Finish
(First-place votes in parentheses)
| Rank |
School |
Votes |
| 1 |
Howard |
62 (6) |
| 2 |
Morgan State |
46 (1) |
| 3 |
Norfolk State |
43 (1) |
| 4 |
North Carolina Central |
42 |
| 5 |
South Carolina State |
36 |
| 6 |
Delaware State |
20 |
| 6 |
Coppin State |
20 |
| 8 |
Maryland Eastern Shore |
18 |
2026-27 MEAC Men's Basketball Preseason Watch List
Coppin State: Brendan Johnson (Jr., G), Tafara Gapare (5th, F)
Delaware State: Nehemiah Reedus (Sr., F), Rahmir Moore (5th, G)
Howard: Cam Gillus (Sr., G), Cedric Taylor III (Sr., G)
Maryland Eastern Shore: Levi Beckwith (So., F), Saadiq Moore (Jr., PG)
Morgan State: Alfred Worrell Jr. (5th, G), Keith Richard (Jr., G)
Norfolk State: Bahsil Laster (Jr., G), Jordan Skyers (Fr., G)
North Carolina Central: Ryan Archey (Sr., G), Maurice Vassel (Jr., F)
South Carolina State: Mitchell Taylor (Jr., G), Noah Treadwell (So., G)
For complete coverage of Norfolk State Athletics, please follow the Spartans on social media at @nsuspartans (X/Twitter), /NorfolkStateAthletics (Facebook), @NSUAthletics (Instagram), @nsuathletics (YouTube) or visit the official home of Norfolk State Athletics at nsuspartans.com.
