Norfolk State’s Pendarvis Williams was selected as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) men’s basketball Preseason Player of the Year, the conference announced on Monday. The defending regular season champion Norfolk State Spartans were also picked to win the 2013-14 MEAC regular season title. All awards are voted on by the conference’s head men’s basketball coaches and sports information directors.
Williams earned offensive player of the year accolades a year ago after leading the Spartans to a 16-0 conference finish and regular season title. He averaged 14.3 points and started 29 of 31 games. He ranked third in the MEAC in 3-point field goals made (65) and free-throw percentage (.814). As a junior he posted five 20+ point performances and recorded one double-double.
Norfolk State received 14 first-place votes and totaled 624 points to take hold of the conference’s top spot. The Spartans were unbeaten (16-0) in conference play last year and ranked the top five in several MEAC categories including scoring offense (4th), scoring margin (4th), field-goal percentage (5th), field-goal percentage defense (5th), 3-point field goal percentage (3rd), 3-point field goal percentage defense (4th), rebounding offense (4th), blocked shots (4th) and assists (4th). NSU’s 2012-13 season concluded with a loss to Virginia, 67-56, in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT).
NSU, which finished 21-12 overall last year, welcomes a new head coach to the sideline as former assistant coach Robert Jones takes over the program. The team welcomes back four starters and 11 letterwinners.
Morgan State was predicted to finish second with 555 total points. The Bears fell three points shy of the conference’s tournament title last year, finishing 17-15 overall and 10-6 in conference place. North Carolina Central was selected to finish in third while Hampton earned the fourth place nod. Last year’s tournament champion North Carolina A&T was projected to finish fifth with Savannah State slated to follow at sixth place. Delaware State (7th), Bethune-Cookman (8th), Coppin State (9th), Florida A&M (10th), South Carolina State (11th), Howard (12th) and Maryland Eastern Shore (13th) round out the 2013-14 preseason poll for the men’s basketball season.
Accompanying Williams on the Preseason All-MEAC First Team are Justin Black (Morgan State), Jeremy Ingram (N.C. Central), Michael Murray (Coppin State), and Matthew Hezikiah (S.C. State).
The 2013-14 MEAC men’s basketball season tips off on Tuesday, November 5 with South Carolina State taking on Claflin. Eight MEAC teams will begin action on Friday, November 8.
The 2014 MEAC Basketball Tournament is slated for March 10-15 at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va.
For more information on MEAC Men’s Basketball, log on to www.MEACsports.com.
2013 MEAC Men’s Basketball Predicted Order of Finish
As voted on by the Conference's Head Men's Basketball Coaches and Sports Information Directors
1. Norfolk State (14) 624 points2. Morgan State (5) 555 points3. North Carolina Central (4) 493 points4. Hampton (1) 456 points5. North Carolina A&T (1) 433 points6. Savannah State (1) 401 points7. Delaware State 330 points8. Bethune-Cookman 300 points9. Coppin State 236 points10. Florida A&M 220 points11. South Carolina State 156 points12. Howard 128 points13. Maryland Eastern Shore 83 points
2013-14 Men's Basketball Preseason All-MEAC Teams
As voted on by the Conference's Head Men's Basketball Coaches and Sports Information Directors
Preseason Player of the Year: Pendarvis Williams, Norfolk State
First Team
|
Name
|
School
|
Pos.
|
Ht.
|
Wt.
|
Cl.
|
Hometown
|
|
Justin Black
|
Morgan State
|
G
|
6-2
|
220
|
Sr.
|
St. Louis, Mo.
|
|
Pendarvis Williams
|
Norfolk State
|
G
|
6-6
|
195
|
Sr.
|
Philadelphia, Pa.
|
|
Jeremy Ingram
|
N.C. Central
|
G
|
6-3
|
175
|
Sr.
|
Charlotte, N.C.
|
|
Michael Murray
|
Coppin State
|
F
|
6-5
|
210
|
Sr.
|
Brooklyn, N.Y.
|
|
Matthew Hezikiah
|
S.C. State
|
C
|
6-11
|
6-11
|
Sr.
|
Jacksonville, Fla.
|
Second Team
|
Name
|
School
|
Pos.
|
Ht.
|
Wt.
|
Cl.
|
Hometown
|
|
Lamont Middleton
|
N.C. A&T
|
G
|
6-3
|
205
|
Sr.
|
Bronx, N.Y.
|
|
Jamie Adams
|
Florida A&M
|
G
|
5-10
|
166
|
Sr.
|
Chicago, Ill.
|
|
Bruce Beckford
|
N.C. A&T
|
F
|
6-7
|
215
|
So.
|
Silver Spring, Md.
|
|
Du’Vaughn Maxwell
|
Hampton
|
F
|
6-7
|
215
|
Sr.
|
Manhattan, N.Y.
|
|
Ian Chiles
|
Morgan State
|
C
|
7-2
|
260
|
r-Sr.
|
Cliffside Park, N.J.
|
Third Team
|
Name
|
School
|
Pos.
|
Ht.
|
Wt.
|
Cl.
|
Hometown
|
|
Malcolm Hawkins
|
Norfolk State
|
G
|
6-5
|
210
|
r-Sr.
|
Norfolk, Va.
|
|
Emanuel Chapman
|
N.C. Central
|
G
|
6-1
|
160
|
Sr.
|
Raleigh, N.C.
|
|
Anthony Hubbard*
|
Morgan State
|
G
|
6-5
|
230
|
Sr.
|
Woodbridge, Va.
|
|
Troy Snyder*
|
Maryland E. Shore
|
F
|
6-6
|
215
|
Sr.
|
Chicago, Ill.
|
|
RaShid Gaston
|
Norfolk State
|
F
|
6-8
|
230
|
So.
|
Warren, Ohio
|
|
Brandon Goode
|
Norfolk State
|
C
|
7-0
|
235
|
Sr.
|
Bronx, N.Y.
|
*Indicates tie