Whereas the SWAC was the NCAA's worst division last season, the MEAC was a pleasant surprise. Though still ranked low because of its RPI among other conference, it still produced a couple of big upsets. Conference champion Morgan State upset Maryland, while Hampton upended George Mason.
Predicted order of finish (records are from 2008-09):
1. Morgan State (22-12, 13-3) -- Reggie Holmes, the MEAC's third-leading scorer with almost 17 points a game, and top rebounder Kevin Thompson (7.1 boards a game) should help the Bears repeat. If Morgan State can hold its own or even defeat Minnesota or Arkansas, they could give themselves the inside edge to a possible 15 or 14 seed in the NCAA tournament, provided they take care of business at home.
2. South Carolina State (17-14, 10-6) -- Jason Flagler (12.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg) could help the Bulldogs knock off Morgan State for either the regular season title or the automatic NCAA bid. But, it will be tough to replace Jason Johnson, the Bulldogs' leading scorer and rebounder last season.
3. North Carolina A&T (16-16, 9-7) -- Tavarus Alston (11.1 ppg, 4.1 assists) will lead the Aggies again. Defensively, the Aggies averaged five blocks and eight assists a game. They'll need that and some more offense because .500 just won't cut it in this conference.
4. Coppin State (13-19, 9-7) -- Tywain McKee and his 18 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists a game are gone, leaving the Eagles' fortunes on the shoulders of sophomore guard Michael Harper (9.3 ppg) and junior center Sam Coleman (8.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg). They've got an awful lot of road games to start the season, including eight in a row from Dec. 12 to Jan. 18. They'll see the likes of Colorado, USC, Michigan, West Virgina, Navy and Oklahoma State in that stretch.
5. Bethune-Cookman (17-16, 9-7) -- The good news is that the Wildcats will have leading scorer Clifford Reed back, along with forward Alexander Starling. The bad news is that they haven't shown they can juxtapose offense and defense. Defense allowed just 58.8 points a game, but offense only scored 58.4. Not that much of a gap, but you can't put pressure on Morgan State if you can't score. They'll likely benefit from a softer non-conference schedule.
6. Hampton (16-16, 8-8) -- Vincent Simpson (11.7 ppg) will lead a Pirates squad still mourning the senseless loss of leading rebounder Theo Smalling in an accidental shooting in October. Hampton will be under the leadership of interim coach Edward Joyner Jr. and will start the season Nov. 14 at LaSalle. If the season doesn't go as planned, the Pirates can, at least, follow the exploits of former teammate Donte "Hammer" Harrison as he tours the world with the Harlem Globetrotters.
7. Norfolk State (13-18, 9-7) -- Senior guard Michael DeLoach (21.5 ppg) returns to lead the Spartans, who will severely miss Corey Lyons' scoring touch. A positive note: other than Baylor and James Madison, NSU won't see any traditional powerhouses.
8. Delaware State (8-24, 6-10) -- Head coach Greg Jackson has seven players, including three starters, returning from a team that failed to reach the quarterfinals of the MEAC tournament for the first time in his decade-long tenure. He'll have a soft non-conference schedule for the first month to toughen up his players. They'll need it when reality returns and takes them on the road to Arizona, Ohio State and UCLA.
9. Florida A&M (10-21, 6-10) -- The Rattlers scored 61 points per game, but gave up 72. Brandon Bryant (10 ppg) returns to help FAMU and will get backup from Dale Hughes and David Buchanon. Starting the season on the road against Georgia Tech, Creighton, Cleveland State and Stanford will give the Rattlers a chance to solidify the lineup as there is a good chance that bench players and newcomers will see a lot of playing time.
10. Maryland-Eastern Shore (7-23, 3-13) -- Neal Pitt was the one bright spot for the Hawks, dishing out 16 points and cleaning the glass for 8 rebounds a game. Unfortunately, the next five guys on the depth chart after Pitt are all gone, moving Josh Bright (4.9 ppg) into the no. 2 position.
11. Winston-Salem State (4-26) -- The Rams will have senior Brian Fisher (13.9 ppg) and center Paul Davis (5.4 rpg) and his 46 blocks, but it will all be moot. The Rams wouldn't have counted in the conference standings until next year. But, now that they've asked the NCAA to go back to Division II, they'll just be getting some quality work against Division I opponents before they rejoin the CIAA. It might be a good thing because they won't see teams like Georgia Tech, Maryland, Oregon, Charlotte and Wake Forest like this year's squad.
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