The Mid-Eastern Conference has some of the grittiest basketball players in all of the country. These teams play with a ton of passion, and they always seem to play really decent come March time. You will often see them as a 14-16 seed against a big dog school with a spread of 10+ points in March Madness. However, time in and time out, you see teams from this conference cover the spread as underdogs. Who could forget the 2012 Norfolk State team that came into the tournament as a 15 seed and upset the 2 seed Missouri? This is a conference with a lot of great basketball played. Here is a breakdown of every team in the conference, as well as my projections on seeding for the conference tournament. Note: All stats and records are as of 1/6.
1) Norfolk State (10-5 Overall)
ATS: 4-6-1
O/U: 6-5
Overview: The Spartans of Norfolk State won the MEAC last year, and are off to a hot 10-5 start going into conference play. They return a ton of production from that March Madness team from last year. 2021 MEAC Player of the Year, Joe Bryant Jr., returns for his Covid Senior year and is taking full advantage of it. Thus far, Bryant is averaging 16.3 ppg (leads team, 4th in MEAC) and 1.5 spg. The Spartans also return 2021 MEAC All Conference Second Teamer in senior forward Kris Bankston. Bankston is having a phenomenal year so far, leading the MEAC in blocks per game (1.5) and field goal percentage (71.3%, also fourth in NCAA). He is also averaging 13.8 ppg and 6.6 rpg. Not only do the Spartans have these two stars but also have two other players in Caheim Brown and Chrisian Ings averaging 11.9 and 10.9 ppg respectively. This is a squad that is dangerous at every position. I predict they not only get the top seed in the MEAC tournament but also win the MEAC and play a close game come March.
2) North Carolina Central (7-7 Overall)
ATS: 8-1-1
O/U: 8-2
Overview: If you take away anything from this article, know that the Eagles of NC Central are a team to bet on, whether against the spread or the over. The records speak for itself, so I won’t dive in too much to that. However, one thing I will dive into is how they have fared in their losses. They lost to a ranked Virginia team by 12, Appalachian State by 5, Marquette by 12, and LSU by 10 just to name a few. This is a squad that has played really good teams quite close. They are returning 2021 First-Team All MEAC player in junior guard Justin Wright. The guard has had another solid season thus far, averaging 15.6 ppg and shooting over 47% from behind the arc. Outside of Wright, the Eagles appear to spread the wealth offensively, so there is not a for-sure option 2 outside of Wright. This makes teams game plans that much more difficult. The Eagles are going to make noise in the MEAC this season and will give Norfolk State a run for their money.
3) Morgan State (6-8 Overall)
ATS: 6-4
O/U: 5-5
Overview: I am putting the Bears higher than what their record shows, and you will notice a couple of teams below them with a better record than them. However, I think this is the best backcourt by FAR in the MEAC, and they are going to make some noise now that the time has come for conference play. Their two guards are super-seniors utilizing their Covid year to play this season. Guard Malik MIller was on pace for a phenomenal season last year until an injury took him out for the year. This season, he is on pace for All-MEAC First team, if not the Player of the Year Award. Miller is leading the team in points (18.4, 2nd in MEAC), rebounds (9.6, leads MEAC), assists (3.9, 4th in MEAC), and steals per game (2.3, leads MEAC). If that stat line is not enough for you, his backcourt mate, Isaiah Burke is also having a great year averaging 17.2 ppg and 2.9 apg. No team is going to be able to stop both of these guards, and the Bears are going to be quite successful with conference play.
4) Maryland Eastern Shore (7-7 Overall)
ATS: 8-3
O/U: 5-5-1
Overview: Things started off rocky for the Hawks this season. However, they have been rolling as of late, and have won four straight games and six out of their last ten games. A big reason for this hot streak is the return of senior guard Kevon Voyles. Voyles missed the first six games of the season, and the Hawks were 2-4 in those games. He has been solid since his return leading the team in points per game with 12.1 and steals per game with 2.1. The Hawks also return 2021 All-MEAC player in guard Da’Shawn Phillip, who is averaging 10.8 ppg and is shooting 39.7% from 3 (23 of 58). MES also has two other players scoring over double digits, including one that is utilized as a bench player. The Hawks have depth and are well balanced offensively. This combination is going to make them very tough for opposing teams in the MEAC.
5) Howard (7-9 Overall)
ATS: 6-8
O/U: 5-9
Overview: The Bison have had a difficult time staying consistent this season, as they have only had one three game winning streak all season. However, to their credit, they have played a fairly tough schedule. Kentucky on the road, James Madison at home, Yale on the road, and VCU on the road just to name a few. One thing I do compliment the Bison on is they do have a really solid guard-forward 1-2 punch that could make them have some success in the conference this year. 2021 MEAC Rookie of the Year sophomore Elijah Hawkins has tried to answer his very solid freshman campaign and has done well at that. He leads the team in points per game (13.2), assists per game (4.4, 3rd in MEAC), and steals per game (1.8). He has a great complimentary forward to work with this season in junior Steve Settle III. The big man has had a solid season thus far with 11.8 ppg and 6.6 rpg. This is a team that is talented enough to do well, but they will want to work on consistency for the remainder of the season to do just that.
6) Coppin State (5-12 Overall)
ATS: 7-9-1
O/U: 12-4-1
Overview: If you are looking for a team that is a tale of two total opposites, the Eagles of Coppin State are just your team. They are VERY good at covering overs this season, and there are two reasons for this. First, they are solid offensively, as they are averaging 74.4 points per game. They have the leading scorer in the MEAC thus far in senior guard Sam Sessoms, averaging 22.2 ppg (also is fourth in NCAA) and 5.1 apg (2nd in MEAC). He has played incredible and, as long as he stays healthy, is going to have some postseason awards without a doubt. However, the second reason that they are a good overs team is because they are TERRIBLE defensively. They are giving up 87.1 ppg, 3rd worst of all 363 Division I teams. Granted, they played some really solid teams down the stretch that will be high seeds come March time. However, the lack of defense is going to come costly with conference play happening.
7) South Carolina State (3-13 Overall)
ATS: 6-9
O/U: 10-5
Overview: I know what you are thinking: Ooh! Another MEAC team that is really good at covering the over this season. This is the same story but different team situation as Coppin State. The Bulldogs are solid offensively this season, scoring 71.3 ppg. They spread the wealth offensively, as five of their players average over 8 ppg, with their top guy being sophomore guard, Rakeim Gary (11.1). However, if you thought Coppin State’s defense was bad, you may want to reconsider. South Carolina State is giving 88.3 ppg, which is the 2nd worst in the NCAA (behind Houston Christian who gives up 90.0 ppg). The Bulldogs have shown that they can be a team to upset squads, as their wins have come against Navy, East Carolina, and St. Andrews. However, being outscored by 17 points per game is not going to get you far in any conference in the country. If they want to turn their season around, the defensive end needs to improve and improve quickly.
8) Delaware State (1-12 Overall)
ATS: 5-6
O/U: 6-5
Overview: Following a 2-26 season last year (0-14 in MEAC), the Hornets find themselves once again in the bottom of the conference. If how they have played thus far is any indication on how the season is going to go for them, they are likely going to stay at the bottom. Their only win this season has gone to Division III Imaculata University. Seven of their losses have come by over double digits, and they even have a loss to Georgia Court, a Division II school. However, there is not all hope lost for the Hornets’ future. They are only losing three seniors of the 13 players that have played minutes this season. Of those three seniors, only one has played significant minutes and produced offense for them. They do have a potential star on their team in junior forward Brandon Stone. Stone is leading the team with 12.0 ppg and 5.6 rpg. There may be future success for Delaware State in a few years. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t appear that it will happen this year.
The top teams of the MEAC very well could surprise a team or two come March madness time. Although it appears at the moment that the top teams of the MEAC are clear, anything can happen come conference tournament time. Like the other conferences that I have blogged about, games in the MEAC likely will not be on TV, outside of maybe the conference tournament championship. However, these teams play with a ton of passion and make a ton of spectacular plays. I recommend watching a game or two, placing some wagers on these games, and remembering the winner of the conference tournament when filling out your bracket come March time.
