NORFOLK, Va. – Larry Vickers watched the marvelous mayhem unfold before him with his arms crossed.
His jubilant Norfolk State women's basketball players celebrated their first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) tournament championship since 2002 following a hard-earned 56-52 triumph over Howard at the Norfolk Scope last Saturday by snapping selfies, making snow confetti angels, posting to their social media feeds, hugging and dancing.
“This part is for them,” Vickers said while surrounded by television cameras. “I am so happy for them and this university. Being an alum and knowing where our program used to be is special. This moment speaks to the work that staff, players, and everybody associated with our program have put in over the last seven years. We worked hard, and this victory was earned.”
Vickers, the 2023 MEAC Coach of the Year, ultimately joined the celebration when he climbed the ladder, snipped the last part of the net, held it up for the entire green-and-gold nation to see, and then placed it around his neck.
For Vickers, it was the manifestation of his vision becoming a reality.
Sophomore forward Makoye Diaware eloquently let everybody in on a secret when she politely interrupted Vickers during one of his final answers in the postgame press conference.
“Before the season started, he sat us down and said he expected 25 wins,” Diaware said. “That's that and nothing less. It proves how hard he worked and his confidence in us as a team. He set a goal, and we maintained it.”
Technically, they exceeded expectations, which is excellent for end-of-year performance reviews.
The win over Howard was the 26th of the season for the Spartans, which is a Division I program record for single-season victories.
The Spartans have been a beacon of excellence under Vickers, who took over the program on Jan. 20, 2016, in the midst of a 3-24 season. He coached the final 11 games (earning the three victories) before being hired full-time. Not counting the 2020-21 COVID campaign, in which Norfolk State played 14 contests, Vickers has six winning seasons.
He has compiled an outstanding overall record of 133-95, building quietly, efficiently and passionately.
Last season, the Spartans competed in the WNIT before falling to Drexel and earned a share of the conference's regular-season title for the first time in program history. Norfolk State used that momentum and started this year by going 12-3 during non-conference.
One of the losses was a six-point setback on the road at Penn State. Then the Spartans rolled off an eight-game winning streak and never looked back. The Spartans were also ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major top 25 poll for a couple of weeks.
“Those are things that will help grow our program,” Vickers said. “I love it when I walk by coaches, and they start talking about my team. I know how great the coaches are in our conference, and sometimes we're overlooked, and we shouldn't be.”
Fueled by MEAC Tournament Outstanding Performer Kierra Wheeler, the Spartans got contributions from everybody on their roster to lock down the MEAC tournament title. In three tournament games, Wheeler averaged 16.3 points and 8.6 rebounds and recorded two double-doubles.
Niya Fields scored 11 points, with seven rebounds and one steal.
Makoye Diawara also registered 11 points, on 4-of-6 shooting, with a team-high nine boards and one steal. Showcasing the depth and talent of the Spartans, they also had a pair of All-MEAC First Team selections in Camille Downs, who was also the MEAC Defensive Player of the Year, and Deja Francis.
Yet the beauty of the Spartans lies in how Vickers interacts with his players off the court and during games.
“His personality is consistent,” Wheeler said. “He took his time to read our personalities to coach us according to who we are and not just as players. He took time to figure out who we were. He knows how to coach us and where our emotions are. He's always supporting us while pushing us. From the beginning, he told me I would have to work, and he wouldn't let me slack, so that's why I am here today.”
Vickers also had a front-row seat to the most remarkable men's basketball triumph in Norfolk State's history. In 2012, Vickers was an assistant coach with the men's basketball program when the Spartans, as a No. 15 seed, shocked No. 2 seed Missouri in the NCAA Tournament.
He knows magic can happen in March. He's lived it.
So, the Spartans will not be intimidated by the Gamecocks.
“That was one of the biggest moments of my life,” Vickers said. “What I remember is that team was so together at the end. I try to tell my team that we need to be together in March when it matters the most. This is the biggest moment in our game. March Madness. Winning in the tournament is the biggest moment in the game, and I am sure it will hit me later.”
The coaching lessons he learned under Norfolk State men's head coach Rob Jones and mentors like the legendary Ron "Fang" Mitchell have helped Vickers build a unique program the right way. The Spartans' foundation is Vickers's principles of defense, rebounding and resiliency.
“I appreciate the young ladies' support of me,” Vickers said. “They ride with me through my happy days and my tough days. We've been working for this for seven months, and it paid off. You grow up watching the NCAA Tournament, and I've been on the assistant coach side of it, which was great. Taking my program to the NCAA Tournament as a head coach will be 1,000 times better.”
As his presser concluded, Vickers mentioned that this time of the year, between the NCAA and WNIT, the best 100 or so women's basketball programs are still playing. That includes Norfolk State, raising the bar of excellence with each victory.
Now, Norfolk State has the opportunity of a lifetime to do something monumental on the sport’s biggest stage under the brightest lights in front of a sold-out crowd in one of the best women’s basketball environments on the planet.
The confident Spartans will take their best shot at No. 1 and see what happens.
“We worked hard in the preseason,” Diawara said. “Waking up early in the preseason and doing condition drills led to this moment. I am proud of everybody. We did well. I am proud of everybody. I am just happy.”
Rob Knox is an award-winning professional. A member of the Lincoln (Pa.) Hall of Fame, Knox currently serves as the Senior Director of Strategic Communications for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Knox enjoyed a distinguished career as an athletics communicator for Lincoln, Kutztown, Coppin State, Towson, and UNC Greensboro. He also worked at ESPN and for the Delaware County Daily Times. Recently, Knox was honored by CSC with the Mary Jo Haverbeck Trailblazer Award and the NCAA with its Champion of Diversity award. Knox is a graduate of Lincoln University and a past president of the College Sports Information Directors Association of America (CoSIDA).