The MEAC announced its men’s basketball preseason All-MEAC team and basketball predictions Wednesday at the 2008 MEAC Basketball Press luncheon held at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Coppin State’s Tywain McKee was selected as the MEAC Preseason Player of the Year while the Morgan State Bears were picked to finish first in the preseason poll.
A former Rookie of the Year and first-team All-MEAC selection throughout his collegiate career, McKee averaged 16.6 points and 4.4 rebounds for the Eagles last year. He led Coppin State to their fourth MEAC Tournament title and recorded 33 points and shot 6-of-8 3-pointers to seal the 62-60 win over Morgan State. McKee was named to the All-MEAC Tournament Team and was selected as the 2008 Most Outstanding Performer.
Morgan State received 15 first place votes and totaled 443 points to garner the league’s top position. Led by the league’s Coach of the Year Todd Bozeman, the Bears earned their first regular season MEAC title last year with a 14-2 MEAC record and 22-11 overall mark.
The Hampton Pirates were predicted to finish second with 370 total points. The Pirates finished the 2007-08 season with a 11-5 finish and tied for second in conference standing with Norfolk State.
Delaware State was predicted to finish third while Norfolk State was selected to finish fourth. South Carolina State was picked fifth and tournament champions Coppin State have been slated to finish sixth. Florida A&M (7th), North Carolina A&T (8th), Howard (9th), Bethune-Cookman (10th) and Maryland Eastern Shore (11th) round out the 2008-09 preseason poll.
The 2008-09 MEAC basketball season tips-off on Friday, November 14 with eight men’s teams in action. The defending regular season champion Morgan State Bears open up against LaSalle and Coppin State will face UNC-Wilmington on November 15.
The 2009 MEAC Basketball Tournament tips off March 9-14 at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Preseason predictions and All-MEAC Teams listed below.
2008-09 MEAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Prediction
as voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors
(First Place Votes in parenthesis)
1. Morgan State (15)
2. Hampton (2)
3. Delaware State
4. Norfolk State (1)
5. South Carolina State (2)
6. Coppin State (1)
7. Florida A&M
8. North Carolina A&T (1)
9. Howard
10. Bethune-Cookman
11. Maryland E. Shore
2008-09 Preseason All-MEAC Team
As voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors
MEAC Preseason Player of the Year: Tywain McKee, Coppin State University
First Team
Tywain McKee, CSU
Jason Johnson, SCSU
Marquise Kately, MSU
Lamar Twitty, FAMU
Corey Lyons*, NSU
John Holmes*, B-CU
*indicates tie
Second Team
Michael Deloach, NSU
Reggie Holmes, MSU
Michael Freeman, HAM
Eugene Myatt, HOW
Vincent Simpson, HAM