By Roscoe Nance
MEAC members have authored some the biggest upsets ever in postseason basketball, specifically on the men's side.
Coppin State's 78-65 victory against No. 2 seed in 1997 and Hampton's 58-57 triumph against Iowa State, another number two seed, in 2001 are among the most improbable upsets in NCAA Tournament history.
The stage is set once again for the conference to shock the basketball world with the Bethune-Cookman men playing at Virginia Tech in the first round of the NIT tonight, the Hampton men taking on No.1 seed Duke Friday in the NCAA Tournament in Charlotte, N.C., the Hampton women going against Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament Saturday in Albuquerque, N.M., and the Morgan State playing at Virginia in the Women's NIT Thursday.
"Our schools can draw from those upsets,'' Hampton men's coach Ed Joyner Jr. says, "but we have to go out and make history of our own.''
Bethune-Cookman, the regular-season men's conference champion, and Morgan State, the regular season runner-up on the women's side, are making their first postseason appearances since moving to Division I. The Hampton men, the conference tournament champions, are making their four NCAA appearance and their first since 2006. The Hampton women won the MEAC regular season and tournament titles and are making their second consecutive NCAA appearance.
Even though all four MEAC schools will be decided underdogs as they face opponents who compete in college basketball's more prestigious and powerful conferences, they are unlikely to be intimidated. They faced similar competition during the nonconference portion of their schedules and fared relatively well.
The Hampton women, who enter the tournament with momentum on their side having won 13 straight games, defeated Florida, which plays in the SEC the same as Kentucky. Coach David Six says Kentucky is similar to Florida in that they both have good size and athletic players. Six also says the way the Kentucky Lady Wildcats get up and down the floor compares favorably to the style James Madison plays. Hampton defeated James Madison 69-64 in the first game of the season.
"Momentum is tremendous,'' he says. "But more important is our non-conference wins. Those experiences will be something we can draw on.''
The Lady Pirates (25-6) are a No. 13 seed, the highest seeding for an MEAC school since the tournament went to the current 64-team format. They were a No. 15 seed last year and lost to No. 2 seed Duke 72-37.
"We set out to change the culture of how people viewed Hampton,'' Six says. "We think we're up and rising program. We want people to look at us and say that we have a quality program. This is another step in that direction.''
The Hampton men arguably have the most daunting task of the four MEAC schools competing in the postseason. Duke is a No. 1 seed and the defending National Champion. In addition, the Blue Devils literally will be playing in their backyard at Bobcats Arena in Charlotte. The Pirates are 24-8 and own a five-game winning streak after capturing the MEAC Tournament.
"It's the NCAA Tournament,'' Joyner says."You got to prepare for them like anybody else but understand that it's Duke, the defending champion and a No. 1 seed. I don't know if you can prepare for that. We haven't played anybody like Duke. They are a well-rounded team. They are big, can finish around the basket and they shoot well.''
Senior guard Nolan Smith, the ACC Player of the Year, averages 21.3 points a game for the Blue Devils (30-4)
Hampton was 10-3 in outside the MEAC and had impressive nonconference victories against George Washington, Fordham and Colorado State. The Pirates are one of the top defensive teams in the nation. They allow 62.0 points a game and are No. 3 in Division I in field goal defense percentage, holding opponents to 37.9%.
"What we did, we're proud of,'' Joyner says. "We've been able to defend fairly well. Offense goes up and down. That true of every team everywhere. If you can defend got a chance.''
Bethune-Cookman coach Clifford Reed doesn't know what to expect from Virginia Tech when the Wildcats play the Hokies. Virginia Tech was projected to receive an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament field of 68 on the strength of its 21-11 record and reaching the semifinals of the ACC Tournament. Basketball analysts across the nation have been highly critical of the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee for snubbing the Hokies.
"The biggest question is how they respond emotionally,'' Reed says. "Will they be in the game? Will (playing in the NIT) be a slap in the face? Will they come out and play hard and be focused?''
The Wildcats had their most successful season since joining the MEAC, posting a 21-12 record and winning their first conference regular season championship. Reed says his team is preparing for an effort from Virginia Tech similar to what they gave when they defeated Duke when the Blue Devils were ranked No. 1 in the nation.
"Virginia Tech is in the ACC regardless of how you slice it,'' Reed says. "They are a high major. They are big and strong and athletic on inside. That's one our Achilles heels. We have to deal with that. We can deal with their guard play. We can match up and play tough on the perimeter if we don't have to help (on the inside). We're going to play the way we normally play. That will allow us to play against Virginia Tech.''
Guard Malcolm Delaney, 6-3, is the Hokies' top perimeter player. He averages a team-high 18.6 points a game and shots 40.2% from three-point range. Jeff Allen, a 6-7, 230-pound forward, is a formidable inside presence. He averages 13.3 points and 9.9 rebounds.
Junior point guard C.J. Reed, the MEAC Player of the Year and the coach's son, is the reason Clifford Reed is brimming has so much confidence in the Wildcats' perimeter game. The younger Reed led the MEAC in scoring (19.1 points a game), was No. 4 in assists (3.8) and No. 2 in total steals (55).
"The first thing we have to do is what we've done all year - play hard on both ends,'' C.J. Reed says. "We have to slow them down and rebound the ball. That's what we've preached all year. We know we have to play hard every night.''
Morgan State women's coach Donald Beasley knows exactly what the Lady Bears can expect when they play at Virginia. Virginia coach Debbie Ryan last weekend announced her resignation after 34 seasons, and Beasley anticipates Ryan's squad will be motivated to end her career on a winning note.
"She's a Hall of Fame coach,'' Beasley says. "She will have all the support they can get. The place will be full of energy. I'm not sure what we can do about that. There will be a lot of energy down there.''
Beasley and the Lady Bears can take solace in knowing that Virginia had a subpar season by its standards, compiling a 16-15 record and lost six home games. Another source of encouragement for the Lady Bears is their non-conference victories against Saint Bonaventure, another WNIT squad, South Florida, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville and George Washington.
Morgan State faltered late in the season, losing six of its last 11 game for a 17-14 record. The good news for the Bears is that Theresa Davis, their leading rebounder (6.9) and second-leading scorer (8.7) has returned to the lineup. Davis missed four games in a five-game span after suffering a concussion. With Davis rounding back into form, the Lady Bears expect to be able to challenge Virginia on the interior on both ends of the floor.
"Without her, that didn't give us anybody to feed in the post,'' Beasley says. "We're not going down there just to play. We're going to make a statement. They have more bench strength than we do. They're more athletic than we are. We can't run with them. They have a few more good athletes than we do. But collectively we can fight anybody. That's what I'm looking for.''