College Basketball Preview - Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

OUTLOOK: From start to finish last season the Morgan State Bears were the top team in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, reeling off 13 league wins, while also claiming the MEAC Tournament title and earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Although it is a new year for the MEAC, the results will likely be similar as the Bears head into this season as the team to beat once again. However, the gap was tightened a tad between Morgan State and the rest of the conference.

Under the tutelage of Tim Carter, the Bulldogs of South Carolina State seem to be a team with enough talent to dethrone the Bears. Bethune-Cookman is coming off its best showing in Division I play and the Wildcats could be ready to make the next step, along with North Carolina A&T, which also is coming off its best season in a long time.

After those top four teams however, there is a noticeable dip in overall talent on the remaining rosters. With that said, Coppin State and Hampton could pose some problems if either team catches a few lucky bounces along the way.

As for the remainder of the conference, Norfolk State, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Delaware State, Florida A&M, Howard, and Winston-Salem State, will be battling to avoid finishing the year in the basement.

CONFERENCE CHAMPION: Morgan State

PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH: 1. Morgan State, 2. South Carolina State, 3. Bethune-Cookman, 4. North Carolina A&T, 5. Hampton, 6. Coppin State, 7. Norfolk State, 8. UMES, 9. Delaware State, 10. Florida A&M, 11. Howard, 12. Winston-Salem State.

TEAM BY TEAM ANALYSIS:

MORGAN STATE: The Bears possess one of the top coaches in the conference in Todd Bozeman, and to show their appreciation for all his hard work, he received a five-year extension. The Bears' ability to return to the NCAA Tournament however, does not rest on the shoulders of coach Bozeman, but instead on the shoulders of Reggie Holmes and Kevin Thompson. Holmes, who was named the Most Outstanding Player in the MEAC Tournament, led the Bears in scoring with 16.8 ppg, but also averaged a healthy 5.5 rpg. While there is no question that Holmes is the scoring threat on the roster, coach Bozeman will have a tough time finding a replacement for point guard Jermaine Bolden. As of now, Denny Smith, or Joe Davis could earn that starting gig, but there are also a couple of freshmen backcourt players such as Jarrod Denard and Adam Braswell, who could also see some early playing time. Down low the team will have to rely heavily on Thompson, who is coming off an impressive freshman campaign in which posted 8.9 ppg, to go along with team-highs in rebounds (7.1 rpg) and blocks (40). Rodney Stokes, who started 22 games last season, will give the Bears a boost in the paint, and do not be surprised if 6-10 freshman Anthony Anderson finds himself in a starting role at some point.

SOUTH CAROLINA STATE: The Bulldogs fought hard this past season, and finished the year with 17 victories, 10 of which came against league opponents. This year, coach Carter's squad returns a few key players, who are hoping to elevate South Carolina State to the top of the league. Depth will be the key as right now Jason Flager looks to be the only true scoring threat on the roster. Flager did a tremendous job a year ago for South Carolina State, as the swingman posted 12.8 ppg, to go along with 6.2 rpg. After Flager however, coach Carter will likely have to figure out who belongs in the starting lineup as the year progresses. Carrio Bennett posted 7.3 ppg last season, and will likely end up in the backcourt for the Bulldogs, but for Bennett to keep a starting job he must shoot better than his woeful 34.0 percent clip from a year ago. The cabinet is bare in terms of experience in the frontcourt, but there is some promising options for coach Carter to work with, beginning with Arsenio Williams. Williams only played in nine games last season, but managed to contribute 5.6 ppg and 4.1 rebounds per matchup. Also expect to see sophomore Rio Pitt get plenty of playing time, as well as freshman Jodd Maxey.

BETHUNE-COOKMAN: After making the jump into Division I, the Wildcats struggled for years just to reach mediocrity. Last season though, the team finally posted its first winning ledger. Bethune-Cookman finished with 17 wins a year ago, and also posted a 9-7 ledger in league action. Sophomore sensation C.J. Reed will once again man the point position. Reed had an outstanding freshman campaign in which he led the team with 15.0 ppg, and also dished out a team- best 129 assists, while earning MEAC Rookie of the Year honors. It is not yet clear who will join Reed in the backcourt, but coach Clifford Reed Jr does have some options. Jerrell Thomas showed moments of promise as the team's swingman a year ago, posting 5.5 ppg in a reserve role, but if the senior wants to help his team this year, he will have to shoot better than 37.9 percent. If Thomas remains inconsistent there is a strong possibility either Jerry Jones, or Stanley Elloitt can work their way into the starting lineup. Both Jones and Elliott had strong freshmen campaigns last year, and have the talent to blossom this season. Alexander Starling will be the main attraction in the paint for the Wildcats, as junior is coming off a strong performance a year ago in which he posted 7.5 ppg, while collecting a team-best 7.4 rpg. Starling is an aggressive, tough, explosive forward that will have a strong chance at averaging a double-double this season, if the team can find him help down low. That help could come in the form of center Tyrel Adams, and incoming freshmen forwards Javoris Bryant and Antroine Williford.

NORTH CAROLINA A&T: The Aggies lost plenty of experience from last year's squad which captured 16 wins (the most victories in 15 years at North Carolina A&T), but there is still a few holdovers, such as junior forward Thomas Coleman. Coleman is not a pure scorer, averaging just 7.7 ppg last year, but the big man is a nasty, physical player that led the Aggies with 6.3 rpg and more importantly led the conference with 85 blocks. With Coleman taking care of the dirty work down low, that gives Robert Johnson plenty of room to get work done offensively. Johnson was the interior scorer for the Aggies a year ago, posting 9.8 ppg and while those are solid numbers, expect a dramatic increase in production from the senior. Returning to the backcourt is Tavarus Alston, who tallied 11.1 ppg a year ago, but also led the team with 131 assists. Alston possesses excellent court vision, and also has the ability to slash to the basket. Dwane Joshua will likely find himself next to Alston in the backcourt, but do not be surprised if sophomore Marc Hill sees plenty of time on the floor.

HAMPTON: It is hard enough for a coach to take over at a new place and try to implement his gameplan and revive a struggling program. However, Ed Joyner Jr.'s job was made much harder just a couple weeks ago when the team's captain Theo Smalling was fatally wounded in a senseless crime. The loss of the 22- year-old senior is a tragedy, but hopefully the team will regroup and get ready for the upcoming season. Senior guard Vincent Simpson will now have to lead this team through the season and he is more than capable after averaging 11.7 ppg last year. Simpson will have to be more selective with his shot preference because 37.0 percent will not cut it for the team's top scorer. The same goes for Kwame Morgan, who as a freshman contributed 6.9 ppg in the backcourt, but his 34.4 percent shooting average definitely left plenty to be desired. Also looking to get time in the backcourt will be junior guard Brandon Tunnell and sophomore Christopher Tolson. The frontcourt will be led by Michael Freeman, who only averaged 6.9 ppg and a 4.4 rpg a year ago. Freeman is not capable of handling a heavy workload down low, so coach Joyner will need to find other offensive options in the paint. Expect 6-10 Milade Lola-Charles to get plenty of playing time, as well as incoming freshman Koron Reed.

COPPIN STATE: It is never easy replacing your top scorer, especially when he earned Player of the Year honors in the league, but that is what coach Fang Mitchell will have to do if Coppin State is going to be competitive this season. The team is hoping sophomore sensation Michael Harper can improve on his impressive freshman campaign. Harper, finished last year second on the team with 9.3 ppg, but what was most impressive about this youngster was his shooting ability, as the 6-4 Milwaukee native connected on 41.4 percent of his attempts from long range. Joining Harper in the backcourt will most likely be Vince Goldsberry, who posted 7.1 ppg and 40 assists (second most on the team) in a reserve role. Goldsberry is a crafty, intelligent player and should turn into a nice floor general for coach Mitchell. The frontcourt however, does not possess the same experience, as Sam Coleman is the only reliable returning player down low. Coleman averaged 8.2 ppg a year ago, and led the team with 21 blocks, but his 4.6 rpg average is definitely an area he will need to improve. Eddie Hayden will also be back in the mix , but in 25 games (16 starts) the forward was ineffective, netting just 3.3 ppg to go along with 2.1 rpg.

NORFOLK STATE: The good news for coach Anthony Evans is that Michael Deloach, the top scorer in the MEAC last season (21.5 ppg), is back for the Spartans. However, the cabinet is pretty bare after Deloach, leaving coach Evans with a tough task of finding solid contributors to help his star player. Obviously averaging over 20.0 ppg is a big deal, but Deloach is much more than just a scorer, as the guard also grabbed 4.9 rpg, doled out 86 assists and recorded 63 steals. The only other player with more steals (74) and assists (117) was Aleek Pauline, who will likely join Deloach in the backcourt, giving Norfolk State a dangerous duo at the guard spot. There is not much promise for the frontcourt this season, as the Spartans return zero playmakers down low. Joe Dorsett-Jeffreys started 26 games a year ago, but the center posted just 4.8 ppg and 2.9 rpg. Forward Kyle O'Quinn averaged 5.3 ppg in a reserve role this past season, but he will likely see a tremendous increase in time on the floor, so coach Evans is hoping to see an increase in production.

UMES: Rarely is a 23-loss season deemed a success, but that is exactly what Frank Allen's first year as head coach of the Hawks was considered. However, now it is time to take another step forward, and to do so the team will need senior forward Neal Pitt to have another productive season. Last year Neal finished fourth in the MEAC with 16.0 ppg, and also led the Hawks with 8.1 rpg. However, he was the only player to average double-figures for UMES. Other than Neal, the frontcourt is pretty inexperienced, as sophomore Tyler Hines is the best option to join Neal down low. Hines started 16 games a year ago, but managed just 4.6 ppg and 4.1 rpg. The backcourt will have a few new faces, but they are mostly junior college transfers, so there should not be much of a drop-off in production at the guard position. At 6-6, Hillary Haley is a big guard that can beat an opponent down low, or off the dribble. Tim Burns and Kevin White, two other juco transfers, will likely battle for the starting role at point guard.

DELAWARE STATE: The Hornets stumbled through a tough season in 2008-09, and while there are a few starters back in the mix, coach Greg Jackson will have to get his troops motivated to make a return to the upper-echelon of the MEAC standings. Forward Frisco Sandidge will need to improve on his junior campaign in which he posted 10.4 ppg, and a team-high 6.7 rpg. However after Sandidge, there is not much experience in the paint for Delaware State, which will likely rely on Kris Douse to play more of a prominent role under the basket. Douse however, only started six games a year ago, and posted just 3.8 ppg and 1.9 rpg. While the frontcourt is thin in terms of talent, the backcourt possesses plenty of experienced players, beginning with Marcus Neal. Neal only shot 39.8 percent a year ago, but the guard has a scorer's touch and should improve on his 8.4 ppg posted last season. Running the show on the court will once again be Trevor Welcher, who dished out a team-best 71 assists, to go along with 5.4 ppg and a team-high 40 steals. Neal and Welcher give the Hornets a solid tandem in the backcourt, but adding depth is always important, which is why the addition of freshmen Amir Bell and Jabari Joyner could be vital to the team's success this year.

FLORIDA A&M: The Rattlers stumbled through a 21-loss season, and unfortunately it does not appear that this year's squad is capable of doing much better. Brandon Bryant is the lone returning double-figure performer for FAMU, as the guard posted 10.1 ppg a year ago. Dale Hughes only started two games last season as a freshman, but still managed to average a solid 9.6 ppg. Hughes only shot 39.6 percent on the year, but expect this pure scorer to turn into the team's main option offensively. Joe Ballard gives the Rattlers experience and depth in the backcourt, but the problem will be in the paint. Junior forward Larry Jackson is the most experienced frontcourt player on the roster, but he tallied just 6.4 ppg and 4.4 rpg in limited action. Jackson did start 14 games for the Rattlers, but he will have to become the team's go-to player underneath the basket. For the frontcourt to have any success the team will need Darryl Demps and a few newcomers to step in a contribute instantly.

HOWARD: The Bison only posted eight victories last year, and the hope is that the team can take a step forward, instead of another step back this season. Kyle Riley, who posted 9.4 ppg last season and led the team with 73 assists, will likely become the team's main scoring threat. Coach Gil Jackson is counting on C.J. Prince and Calvin Thompson to add some support to Riley in the backcourt. Thompson is a solid guard with a sweet touch on his shot, and although he played in just eight games a year ago, he still managed to post a respectable 6.3 ppg. There is not much for coach Jackson to work with in the frontcourt, as the top two returning players are Paul Kirkpatrick and Randy Hampton. Kirkpatrick led the team with 4.9 rpg and also posted 7.8 ppg, but if he is going to lead this team down low, the senior center will need to improve both numbers.

WINSTON-SALEM STATE The Rams are relatively new to the Division I ranks and so far the team as not fared well, winning just 25 games over the past three years. The team is not a true member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference just yet, so while the Rams will play a MEAC schedule, the team is not eligible for the conference tournament. The backcourt duo of Diontae Gibson and Brian Fisher will have to lead the way for the Rams if they intend on having any success this season. Fisher tallied 13.9 ppg last season, while Gibson added 6.9 ppg. Although Fisher is a solid scorer, Gibson only shot 33.3 percent from the field, and he will need to improve drastically to give Winston-Salem State two reliable scorers. The frontcourt does not have much experience, as Paul Davis looks to be the top player down low for the Rams. Davis however, lacks offensive punch, netting just 6.5 ppg a year ago. Still, the forward does play a physical brand of basketball, which helped him average 5.4 rpg.

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