NORFOLK, Va. (WTKR) — The final time Joe Bryant Jr. takes a court in his home area will not be in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship game after all.
According to a tweet from Norfolk State head coach Robert Jones, the Spartan standout is set to play in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. Jones had adamantly fought for his star guard to be added to the roster after he was originally slated to just be an alternate.
Joe Bryant Jr @WhoGotJoe4 is now in the PIT!!!! Let’s goooooooooooo
— Robert Jones (@NSUCoachJones) April 8, 2023
Bryant Jr. put the finishing touches on an outstanding career with the Spartans in 2022-23, winning a second straight MEAC Player of the Year award while being named HBCU National Player of the Year by BOXTOROW, becoming the first Norfolk State player to earn the accolade in two consecutive seasons.
He scored a career-high 17.8 points per game as a senior while averaging 4.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists. A Lake Taylor graduate, Bryant Jr. helped get NSU to two-straight NCAA Tournament appearances in 2021 and 2022 and led the Spartans to three straight MEAC Championship games from 2021-2023. In the postseason, he's played in the Reese's All-Star game and HBCU All-Star Game in Houston during Final Four festivities. His performance in the Reese's All-Star Game, 22 points and six rebounds, earned him Co-MVP honors.
The PIT will once again be played at Churchland High School on April 12-15. Players are selected from a pool of college basketball seniors and will have a chance to impress pro scouts throughout the four day event.
