NORFOLK, Va. – Savannah State senior Ezinne Kalu was selected the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Women’s Basketball Preseason Player of the Year, announced on Thursday. North Carolina A&T State was predicted to win the regular season title as voted on by the conference’s head women’s basketball coaches and sports information directors.

Kalu, who has amassed 1,607 career points, averaged 16.1 points (7^th in MEAC), and 3.4 assists (10^th in MEAC) last year. She also ranked 22^nd nationally in steals (2.6) last season. A year after recovering from a knee injury that sidelined her during the 2012-13 season, Kalu scored 20+ points 10 times, including a season-high 28-point performance and five 3-pointers in a non-conference game against Liberty. She also registered a season-high nine rebounds in a non-conference victory over Troy.

North Carolina A&T State totaled 329 points and received 15 first-place votes to earn the top nod. Last year, the Lady Aggies were the regular season conference runners-up, finishing with a 13-3 MEAC mark and 24-7 overall record. North Carolina A&T welcomes back three starters from last year’s team with the addition of six newcomers. The Lady Aggies fell just short in the opening round of the WNIT, losing to South Florida, 56-60. N.C. A&T opens the season on November 14^th at home against Navy.

Hampton, the five-time defending MEAC Tournament and regular season champions, was picked to finish second with 309 points and five first-place votes. The Lady Pirates finished last season with a 28-5 overall mark and 16-0 record in MEAC play. Hampton received the automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division I Tournament after winning the conference tournament crown and concluded its season with a loss to Michigan State in the first round.

Savannah State (256) received one first-place vote and was predicted to finish third, while Coppin State (253) garnered two first-place votes and Howard (198) received one first-place vote to round out the top five preseason predictions.

Florida A&M was chosen to finish sixth, followed by Bethune-Cookman (7^th), Norfolk State (8^th), Maryland Eastern Shore (9^th), North Carolina Central (10^th), South Carolina State (11^th), Delaware State (12^th) and Morgan State (13^th).

Joining Kalu on the Preseason All-MEAC First Team was Hampton’s Malia Tate-DeFreitas, Morgan State’s Tracey Carrington and North Carolina A&T State’s Aprill McRae and Eboni Ross.

The 2014-15 MEAC women’s basketball season tips off on Friday, Nov. 14 with 12 MEAC teams in action.

The 2015 MEAC Basketball Tournament is scheduled for March 9-14 at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va.

2014-15 MEAC Women’s Basketball Preseason Predicted Order of Finish

As voted on by the Conference’s Head Men’s Basketball Coaches and Sports Information Directors

(First-Place Votes In Parenthesis)

2014-15 Women’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: Ezinne Kalu, Savannah State

First Team

Second Team