Season in Review
I'm not going to lie to you guys, I know next to nothing about the conference. They rank last in KenPom's conference rankings, and I haven't even seen a game this year. However, from what I've seen and read, Norfolk State and North Carolina A&T are the two conference leaders. NC Central has represented the conference the past two seasons, so they can't be counted out, and Howard has the two leading scorers in the conference. The bottom of the conference is atrocious, with 6 teams in the bottom 20 on KenPom, including the worst two in Maryland Eastern Shore and Delaware State. There isn't a lot of good basketball here, but at the very least, it seems like it could be a bit hectic and pretty wide open.
Bracket
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Contenders
Norfolk State (19-12, 14-2)
The Spartans were the class of the MEAC this season, for whatever that is worth. To be fair to them, it is hard to be as consistently good as they were in any league, and they have some legitimate merits. They actually have one of the better three point shooting teams in the nation, making 37.8% of their shots from deep, and they also do a really good job of drawing fouls and converting at the free throw line. They also have the third best defense in the conference, doing a good job rebounding and defending the paint, and the conference tournament is held in Norfolk, which gives them the extra advantage as the favorite.
North Carolina A&T (18-12, 13-3)
The Aggies are probably best known for producing Chicago Bears player Tarik Cohen, but their basketball team has been good as well. They have the second best defense in the conference, and they are excellent on the interior defending the paint. They also do a good job of avoiding fouls, so they rarely give up easy points. They don't shoot it particularly well, but they are good around the rim, so they are clearly a threat to win the conference tournament.
Sleeper Team
Howard (16-15, 10-6)
The Bison are clearly a team that no one wants to play in this tournament. They have three of the top eight scorers in the conference, so it should come as no surprise that they have the best offense in the MEAC. In conference play, they are shooting 40.1% from three, and are rarely turning the ball over. With leading scorer RJ Cole and second leading scorer Charles Williams, plus Chad Lott, a transfer from Rice, and solid size in the front court, they have a lot of scoring potential, and they are coming into the tournament hot. They've won their last four games, including beating Norfolk State in the final game of the season, and when you have the scoring power that they have, it's tough to stop.
Players to Watch
Raasean Davis
Stats: 14.8 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 0.4 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.2 BPG, 64.8/0/67
Davis is one of premier big men in the conference, and one with tournament experience. He has represented NC Central in last year's NCAA Tournament after transferring over from Kent State. He really stepped up for the stretch run last season, with big performances in the MEAC Tournament, including a 16 point, 20 rebound game and a 22 point, 11 rebound game as well, plus a 19 point, 11 rebound game versus Texas Southern in the First Four. The Eagles will be looking for big production from him for a deep run, and he can certainly bully a lot of bigs in this conference.
RJ Cole
Stats: 21.7 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 6.3 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.0 BPG, 41.9/38.8/82
Cole is just a sophomore, but he could be the next Chris Clemons type mid-major star scorer. He leads the MEAC in scoring and he can put up massive numbers at the blink of an eye. Not only can he score at will, but he also leads the conference in assists, making him a legitimate threat to dish it as well. He's also coming off a 36 point, 7 assist performance versus Norfolk State, so he can definitely do it against the top team in the conference, and he can certainly go bonkers and lead them to a conference title.
My All Conference Teams
First Team
G: RJ Cole, Howard
G: Nic Thomas, Norfolk State
F: Damani Applewhite, South Carolina State
F: Raasean Davis, NC Central
F: Cletrell Pope, Bethune Cookman
My Pick: Howard over North Carolina A&T
To me, in a win or go home scenario, especially in a conference where I know next to nothing, I'm going with the best player and the best offense. The Bison can fill it up, and the fact that they have three guys who can just go get a bucket is a huge advantage. With the best player in the conference, I'm going with Howard.
I'm not going to lie to you guys, I know next to nothing about the conference. They rank last in KenPom's conference rankings, and I haven't even seen a game this year. However, from what I've seen and read, Norfolk State and North Carolina A&T are the two conference leaders. NC Central has represented the conference the past two seasons, so they can't be counted out, and Howard has the two leading scorers in the conference. The bottom of the conference is atrocious, with 6 teams in the bottom 20 on KenPom, including the worst two in Maryland Eastern Shore and Delaware State. There isn't a lot of good basketball here, but at the very least, it seems like it could be a bit hectic and pretty wide open.
Bracket
Contenders
Norfolk State (19-12, 14-2)
The Spartans were the class of the MEAC this season, for whatever that is worth. To be fair to them, it is hard to be as consistently good as they were in any league, and they have some legitimate merits. They actually have one of the better three point shooting teams in the nation, making 37.8% of their shots from deep, and they also do a really good job of drawing fouls and converting at the free throw line. They also have the third best defense in the conference, doing a good job rebounding and defending the paint, and the conference tournament is held in Norfolk, which gives them the extra advantage as the favorite.
North Carolina A&T (18-12, 13-3)
The Aggies are probably best known for producing Chicago Bears player Tarik Cohen, but their basketball team has been good as well. They have the second best defense in the conference, and they are excellent on the interior defending the paint. They also do a good job of avoiding fouls, so they rarely give up easy points. They don't shoot it particularly well, but they are good around the rim, so they are clearly a threat to win the conference tournament.
Sleeper Team
Howard (16-15, 10-6)
The Bison are clearly a team that no one wants to play in this tournament. They have three of the top eight scorers in the conference, so it should come as no surprise that they have the best offense in the MEAC. In conference play, they are shooting 40.1% from three, and are rarely turning the ball over. With leading scorer RJ Cole and second leading scorer Charles Williams, plus Chad Lott, a transfer from Rice, and solid size in the front court, they have a lot of scoring potential, and they are coming into the tournament hot. They've won their last four games, including beating Norfolk State in the final game of the season, and when you have the scoring power that they have, it's tough to stop.
Players to Watch
Raasean Davis
Stats: 14.8 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 0.4 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.2 BPG, 64.8/0/67
Davis is one of premier big men in the conference, and one with tournament experience. He has represented NC Central in last year's NCAA Tournament after transferring over from Kent State. He really stepped up for the stretch run last season, with big performances in the MEAC Tournament, including a 16 point, 20 rebound game and a 22 point, 11 rebound game as well, plus a 19 point, 11 rebound game versus Texas Southern in the First Four. The Eagles will be looking for big production from him for a deep run, and he can certainly bully a lot of bigs in this conference.
Stats: 21.7 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 6.3 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.0 BPG, 41.9/38.8/82
Cole is just a sophomore, but he could be the next Chris Clemons type mid-major star scorer. He leads the MEAC in scoring and he can put up massive numbers at the blink of an eye. Not only can he score at will, but he also leads the conference in assists, making him a legitimate threat to dish it as well. He's also coming off a 36 point, 7 assist performance versus Norfolk State, so he can definitely do it against the top team in the conference, and he can certainly go bonkers and lead them to a conference title.
My All Conference Teams
First Team
G: RJ Cole, Howard
G: Nic Thomas, Norfolk State
F: Damani Applewhite, South Carolina State
F: Raasean Davis, NC Central
F: Cletrell Pope, Bethune Cookman
My Pick: Howard over North Carolina A&T
To me, in a win or go home scenario, especially in a conference where I know next to nothing, I'm going with the best player and the best offense. The Bison can fill it up, and the fact that they have three guys who can just go get a bucket is a huge advantage. With the best player in the conference, I'm going with Howard.
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