Spartans head to Baylor with top scoring threat on bench

Even at full strength, the Norfolk State men's basketball team figured to be a bit outmanned for tonight's season opener at 2009 NIT runner-up and Big 12 conference member Baylor.

The job got tougher when NSU learned shooting guard Michael Deloach, the team's dynamic 6-foot guard and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's returning leading scorer, won't play. His foot was stepped on during a drill in practice weeks ago and he has a lingering turf-toe injury.

Deloach was cleared for non-contact drills this week, but coach Anthony Evans said his recovery will be slow. Evans doesn't want the injury to linger.

"It takes time for an injury like this to heal," Evans said. " It's going to be up to him and how he responds to therapy and exercise."

Tipoff is at 8 tonight.

The preseason has been full of injuries for the Spartans, picked to finish third in the MEAC. Days before the start of practice, point guard Aleek Pauline strained a groin muscle. Saturday in the Spartans' exhibition game with SUNY-New Paltz, Drexel transfer Rob Hampton, who is penciled in to start at small forward, twisted his knee.

With 6-9 center Christian Morris not eligible until Dec. 15 following his transfer from Rutgers, the Spartans likely will face Baylor minus three players who will start by mid-December.

"We're going to go down there and play as hard as we can and see what happens," Evans said. "We'll plug the holes."

Freshmen Reggie Revels and Jordan Payton, a pair of 6-4 guards brought in from Cincinnati and San Diego, are expected to fill in tonight for Deloach and Hampton.

"They both played fairly well defensively in our exhibition game the other night," Evans said. "Hopefully, playing them more than was expected early in the season will help us down the road."

Evans said there are no promises that the home crowd will see Deloach when the Spartans host Maine, their only November home game.

"We will see what happens," Evans said. "But the worst thing we could do with this is rush him back."

Rich Radford, 446-2463, rich.radford@pilotonline.com