BCSP Notes . . .
2008-09 MEAC hoops picks unveiled
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced its men's and women's basketball preseason all-MEAC team and basketball predictions last week at the 2008 MEAC Basketball Press luncheon held at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Coppin State guard Tywain McKee was selected as the men's MEAC preseason player of the year while Morgan State was picked to finish first in the preseason poll. North Carolina A&T State senior Amber Bland was named the women's MEAC preseason player of the year as voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors.
McKee averaged 16.6 points and 4.4 rebounds for the Eagles last
year while leading the surprising Eagles to the 2008 MEAC Tournament
title. The 6-2 swingman tallied 33 points and canned the winning basket in a
62-60 win over Morgan State in the finals to take home the most
outstanding player trophy. McKee is a former rookie of the year and first-team
all-MEAC selection.
Bland averaged 15.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game last season. The guard tallied 2.6 assists and 2.7 steals per game and led the league in three-point field goal percentage (39.3) and was second in three-point field goals made (1.94).
Morgan State received 15 first place votes and totaled 443 points to garner the men's league top position. Led by the league's Coach of the Year Todd Bozeman, the Bears earned their first regular season MEAC title last year with a 14-2 MEAC record and 22-11 overall mark. The Hampton Pirates were predicted to finish second with 370 total points. The Pirates finished the 2007-08 season with a 11-5 finish and tied for second in conference standing with Norfolk State.
A&T's Lady Aggies earned 18 of the possible 22 first place votes for a total of 468 points and were picked to take home the 2008-09 crown. They return five starters from a team that recorded a 25-8 overall record and 15-1 mark in MEAC play last season en route to their first regular-season title since the 1989-90 season. Delaware State tallied 378 points and was predicted to finish second.
MEN
1) Morgan State (15) 443 2)
Hampton (2) 370 3) Delaware State 330
4) Norfolk State (1) 311 5) SC
State (2) 308 6) Coppin State (1) 239
7) Florida A&M 200 8) NC
A&T (1) 185 9) Howard 122 10)
Bethune-Cookman 106 11) UMES 70
2008-09 Preseason All-MEAC Team
Tywain McKee, 6-2, Sr., G, CSU - Philadelphia, PA;
Jason Johnson, 6-7. Sr., C. SCSU - Bronx, NY;
Marquise Kately, 6-5, Sr., F, MSU - San Francisco, CA;
Lamar Twitty, 6-4, Sr., F, FAMU - Fort Lauderdale, FL;
Corey Lyons*, 6-4, Sr., G/F, NSU - Bronx, NY;
John Holmes*, 6-5, Sr., F, B-CU - Salisbury, MD
WOMEN
1) NC A&T (18) 468; 2) Delaware
State 378 3) Morgan State 364 4) Coppin
State (2) 316 5) Hampton (1) 291 6) Maryland Eastern
Shore (1) 283 7) SC State 192 8) Florida
A&M 196 9) Howard 92 10)
Bethune-Cookman 76 11) Norfolk State 68
2008-09 Preseason All-MEAC Team
Corin Adams, 5-7. Jr., G, MSU - Brooklyn, NY;
Amber Bland, 5-11, Sr., G, NC
A&T - Boardman, OH; April
McBride, 6-1, Jr., G/F, UMES - New Rochelle,
NY; BrittanieTaylor-James, 6-0, F, NC
A&T - Evanston, IL; Whitney
Cunningham, 6-3, Sr., C, CSU - Baltimore, MD
© 2008 Azeez Communications, Inc.