The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced its preseason All-MEAC team preseason and basketball predictions Tuesday at the 2007 MEAC Basketball Press Luncheon held at the Sheraton Hotel in Raleigh, NC.
Delaware State University’s Roy Bright was selected as the MEAC Preseason Player of the Year while the Hampton University Pirates were picked to finish first in the preseason poll.
A first team All-MEAC selection in 2006-07, Bright averaged 15.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. The lone returning starter for the three-time regular season champions, Bright finished sixth in MEAC scoring and free-throw percentage.
Hampton received 13 first place votes and totaled 415 points to garner the league’s top position. Under the guidance of second year head coach Kevin Nickleberry, the Pirates finished the 2006-07 season with a 15-16 overall record and a 10-8 MEAC finish.
The Delaware State Hornets were predicted to finish second, also receiving 13 first place votes, with 390 total points. The Hornets finished the 2006-07 season 16-2 in the MEAC and 21-13 overall, and won their third straight regular season title.
Predicted to finish seventh last year, the North Carolina A&T Aggies climbed the poll ranking with a predicted third place finish. Morgan State University was selected to finish fourth while the defending MEAC Champion Florida A&M Rattlers have been slated to finish fifth.
The 2007-08 MEAC Basketball season tips off November 7 when the Morgan State Bears faces the Connecticut Huskies in their season opener. Eight teams will open regular season play Friday, November 9.
2007-08 MEAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Prediction
as voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information director
(First place votes in parenthesis)
Name Pts
1. Hampton (13) 415
2. Delaware State (13) 390
3. N.C. A&T State (3) 365
4. Morgan State (2) 359
5. Florida A&M (1) 253
6. Bethune-Cookman 237
7. South Carolina State 212
8. Coppin State 204
9. Norfolk State 159
10. Howard 106
11. Maryland E. Shore 38
2007-08 Preseason All-MEAC Team
as voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information director
MEAC Preseason Player of the Year:
Roy Bright, Delaware State University
First-Team
Name School Pos Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown
Roy Bright DSU F 6-6 225 Sr. Durham, NC
Steven Rush NCAT G 5-11 170 Sr. Greensboro, NC
Tywain McKee CSU G 6-2 182 Sr. Philadelphia, Pa.
Rashad West HAM G 6-1 175 Sr. Raleigh, NC
Tony Murphy NSU G 6-4 220 Sr. Paterson, NJ
Second-Team
Name School Pos Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown
Michael Freeman HAM F 6-8 220 So. Alexandria, Va.
Eugene Myatt HOW F 6-5 195 Jr. Philadelphia, Pa.
Matt Pilgrim HAM F 6-8 225 So. Cincinnati, Ohio
Ed Tyson UMES G 6-2 200 Jr. Baltimore, Md.
Jason Wills NCAT F 6-6 208 Sr. Upper Marlboro, Md.