MEAC Men's Basketball Notes | Preseason All-MEAC Teams
Preseason Coaches Teleconference
• The 2018-19 men’s basketball campaign kicks off this week as 27 games are on the ledger in the first full week of action. The season originally started three days later in previous years but a new NCAA rule takes effect this season which moves the start date to Nov. 6, 2018.
• The MEAC jumps right into the fire as two Final Four teams (Villanova/Michigan) are on the schedule this week. Last year’s Cinderella in Loyola of Chicago will face Norfolk State on Dec. 16.
• Howard University sophomore guard RJ Cole was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Men’s Basketball Preseason Player of the Year. Last year’s MEAC Freshman of the Year, Cole ranked seventh nationally and led the MEAC with 23.7 points per game and 6.1 assists in his first collegiate season.
• Bethune-Cookman was tabbed as the preseason favorite to win the MEAC this season. BCU captured a share of the MEAC Championship last season under then first-year head coach Ryan Ridder. The Wildcats finished 12-4 in MEAC play and 18-14 overall. They return nine players and four starters from last year’s squad.
• There was little change in the offseason as only two teams feature new head coaches. Delaware State named Eric Skeeters, a Coppin State alum, from Maryland Baltimore County as its head coach while Clifford Reed takes over as the interim at Maryland Eastern Shore. Reed formerly served as Bethune-Cookman’s head coach from 2001-11.
• Don Corbett, the legendary North Carolina A&T State men’s basketball coach who led the Aggies to seven Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) tournament championships over 14 seasons, died at the age of 75 from cancer in October. The mark is still tied with the University of Kentucky for the longest such streak in NCAA Division I history (1944-50).
• Four of the MEAC’s top 10 scorers from 2017-18 are back in RJ Cole (Howard/23.7 ppg), Charles Williams (Howard/20.4), Isaiah Bailey (BCU/16.1) and Raasean Davis (NCCU/15.1)
• Bethune-Cookman and Savannah State are the reigning MEAC regular season co-champions while North Carolina Central has won back-to-back tournament championships.
• The 2019 MEAC Basketball Tournament will be held March 11-16 at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va.
Tuesday, Nov. 6
Brevard College at South Carolina State 5:30 p.m.
Florida A&M at Jacksonville 7 p.m.
Morgan State at Villanova 7 p.m.
UNC Greensboro at North Carolina A&T 7:30 p.m.
Delaware State at East Carolina 7:45 p.m.
Coppin State at Wisconsin 8 p.m.
Maryland Eastern Shore at Georgetown 8:30 p.m.
Norfolk State at Michigan 8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 7
Washington Adventist at Howard 7 p.m.
Bethune-Cookman at DePaul 7:30 p.m.
Savannah State at Texas A&M 9:30 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 8
Mid-Atlantic Christian at Norfolk State 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 9
North Carolina Central at Clemson 7 p.m.
Morgan State at Saint Francis 7 p.m.
Savannah State at Georgia 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 10
Maryland Eastern Shore at NC State 12 p.m.
Tuskegee at Florida A&M 1 p.m.
North Carolina A&T State at Wake Forest 2 p.m.
Bethune-Cookman at Marquette 4 p.m.
South Carolina State at Tulsa 4:30 p.m.
Coppin State at Dayton 7 p.m.
Clarion at Norfolk State 7 p.m.
Delaware State at Grand Canyon 9 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 11
Central Penn at Howard 4 p.m.
Middle Georgia State at Savannah State 4 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 12
North Carolina A&T State at Maryland 7 p.m.
Morgan State at DePaul 8:30 p.m.