SB Nation - Winston-Salem Rams

Friendly Reminder: Maryland Basketball Plays Again Tomorrow

Ben Broman — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:48:21 -0000

10 days ago: Maryland's Adrian Bowie (22) loses control of the ball while being guarded by Eastern Kentucky's Joshua Jones, right, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009, in College Park, Md. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

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Shaken off the snow? Fully recovered from a great weekend of basketball and snow fights? Forget Maryland basketball existed? That's understandable, considering the Terps haven't played in ten days. They'll be back on the court tomorrow, though, taking on the 2-6 Winston-Salem State Rams. That means its time to get back in basketball-watching mode.

My original write-up on the Rams wasn't exactly complimentary, and nothing has changed since. This team is not a good one, and Maryland should win with ease. In the WaPo, WSS's coach described them as "opportunistic", and Maryland will have to provide plenty of opportunities for them to have any shot.

As a quick reminder, WSS's best player is senior guard Brian Fisher, their leader in scoring and assists. The other player to watch out for is Shelton Carter, a junior 6-5 forward who will probably match up with Sean Mosley. He has the ability to score more than Fisher, but is generally more inconsistent.

I'm fully expecting an easy win, though the score might not get too out of hand until late. Don't be surprised if David Pearman and Ersin Levent crack five or ten minutes of PT, and Steve Goins might be right there with them.

As for a random prediction, I'm feeling Jin Soo Choi tomorrow. I'm calling a made three and a block, for no other reason than he'll be seeing lots of playing time and has to score eventually.

Final prediction: Maryland 78, WSS 59. Couldn't break 20.

First Look at Winston-Salem State-Maryland: Easy Win on the Horizon?

Ben Broman — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:24:53 -0000

via www.ibcsports.com

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Maryland doesn't actually play WSS for another whole week (that's the 22nd, for all you calender-challenged folks out there), but that's no reason to not take a quick look at what they'll be going up against.

First up, let me say this: this isn't a trap game. This isn't a plucky mid-major. This isn't a random team with one really strong aspect. No, this team is legitimately bad. I'll refrain from the word awful, but they're not that far away.

Actually, if you want stats, these guys are the 6th worst team in the country (or, if you prefer, the 342nd best). They've lost to some very average teams by very big margins - this is basically IUP pt. II. In fact, IUP might be better.

Take, for instance, the game against South Carolina State. They lost to the Bulldogs by 3. SCSt turned around and lost to Miami (FL) by 37.

I guess, however, it shouldn't be a total walkthrough. After all, no win is truly easy in college basketball. WSS is capable of hanging tough as they did against Wake Forest earlier this year, losing only (?) by 24. I doubt they'll be able to get up for Maryland as they were able to get up for their cross-town rivals, though.

I'm sorry, I don't really mean to play these guys down so much, but it's difficult to take a reverent angle here.

So, what do the Rams of Winston-Salem State do well? They're an average 3 point shooting team defensively. That's about it.

Okay, I'm assuming you want more than that. They do have decent size - their center is a respectable 6-9, though he's on the skinny side - so James Padgett and Jordan Williams might see playing time increases. They're best two players are guards that have respectable talent levels.

First is 6-2 senior Brian Fisher, who's averaging about 13 a game. He gets to the line a decent amount, though he's average from the stripe. He's definitely head and shoulders above any other Ram, though, and the offense definitely runs through him.

The other good player is 6-5 wing Sheldon Carter. In a strange bit of coincidence, this is his first season with the Rams after transferring from another opponent of Maryland's this year - Charleston Southern. He doesn't get the ball as much as Fisher, but he might be more effective with it.

Other than that, WSS is all-around bad. Maryland should win out every category - rebounding, turnovers, you name it - with ease. Unless Fisher or Carter gets hot and Maryland is in a funk, this won't be a close game.

Of course, Maryland being in a funk is entirely possible, given they'll be returning from exams and Christmas is in three days. In that sense, this game was scheduled very nicely - they shouldn't provide much of a challenge, and Maryland will be able to toy around more with the roster and shouldn't have to worry too much about losing.

Saturday Buff Bites - Why Can't Colorado Teams Win on the Road?

irish1611 — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:33:53 -0000

Buffs falter down stretch at Oregon State - Boulder Daily Camera

The Buffs have lost 19 consecutive road games against Division I opponents. The program`s last such victory was on Dec. 22, 2007, at Colorado State (73-70). CU returns to Moby Arena next Thursday to face the rival Rams.

Cory Higgins -- who entered the game second in the Big 12 in scoring (20.7 ppg) behind Oklahoma State`s James Anderson (21.0 ppg) -- finished with 15 points. Super freshman Alec Burks led the way for the Buffs with a team-high 19 points. It wasn`t enough as Nate Tomlinson missed a pair of free throws that could have given CU the lead in the final minute trailing 70-69. Oregon State went 4-for-4 at the stripe in the final 17.2 seconds to pull out the victory in the Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series matchup.

"It`s extremely disappointing. We did a horrific job of containing the ball and on defensive rebounding and fouling people," CU head coach Jeff Bzdelik said. "Toughness is containing the ball. Toughness is defensive rebounding. Toughness is finishing at the rim, we had opportunities at the rim and we just flipped it up there. Toughness is defending without fouling." CU out-rebounded the Beavers 32-30, but Oregon State was 26-for-34 from the line and shot 51.1 percent from the field for the game.

Buffs Fall to Oregon State - CUBuffs.com

"It was very disappointing; we certainly had our opportunity to win this game," said CU Head Coach Jeff Bzdelik. "We had a wide-open look at a three and we had a couple free throws; we missed some timely opportunities to score and put some pressure on them."

CU-Boulder Chancellor Phil DiStefano: Let's support Dan Hawkins - Colorado Daily

Five years ago, when the athletic department at the University of Colorado at Boulder was in its darkest days, we made a decision that we were going to reintegrate athletics into the academic mission of the university.

Shmuck of the Week: CU Athletic Director Mike Bohn - Denver News - The Latest Word

Sure, three million is a lot of coin to pay a guy to go away, especially when you're going to have to come up with even more cash to pay someone new to take over. But why did they give him the extension in the first place? At the time athletic director Mike Bohn extended Hawkins' contract last fall, the coach had produced nothing more than a big, heaping pile of mediocrity, leading the Buffs to 11 wins in his first 30 games. What was it about a .330 winning percentage that made Bohn say, "We better guarantee this guy more money before he gets swooped up by Sacramento State"? So, yeah: That was not very smart. Nor was the university's inability to drum up the $3 million to make Hawkins go away. So for that, Mr. Bohn, you are our Shmuck of the Week.

Hawkins, CU staff hit road to recruit - Boulder Daily Camera

Hawkins understands he will probably have to answer questions about his future beyond next season when visiting with recruits and their parents. He said he is accustomed to discussing the topic. It comes up every year because coaches come and go through every program even when things are going well. Hawkins said he advises recruits to choose a school because of the academics and the environment as much as the football. "I counsel them about that all the time," Hawkins said this week. "I think you`re very honest with those guys. ... Is a part of it the head coach? Is a part of it the position coach? Isa part of it the coordinator? Yeah. That is all part of it, but that other stuff should be part of it, too. No head coach is going to change that town or that weather or where it is, distance from home, the academic ranking of the majors. No coach is going to change that."

Another area of uncertainty is whether coaches will sign another running back to go with Littleton High School star Mister Jones. Jones has told recruiting services he is firmly committed to CU, but he is slated to visit Texas A&M next weekend and is contemplating a visit to Nebraska.

KU receiver Briscoe declares for NFL draft - KansasCity.com

KU junior receiver Dezmon Briscoe announced Friday afternoon that he will skip his senior season and declare for the 2010 NFL draft.

Cowboy Altitude: Danny Spond to visit UW on December 11th

Thanks to the huge mess that Dan Hawkins has created at Colorado the Pokes might have a chance to pick up a big time recruit. QB/LB Danny Spond has opened up his recruiting after deciding that Boulder is in a downward spiral. On December 11th Spond will head up to Laramie to meet with the Coaches and checkout the facilities on campus.

Stevens Placed On Scholarship - CUBuffs.com

University of Colorado football head coach Dan Hawkins announced Friday afternoon that junior center Keenan Stevens has been placed on scholarship.

Scout.com: 3* LB Nigel Terrell will visit Buffs

Nigel Terrell gave his oral commitment to Florida State coaches back in August and has second-guessed the decision on several occasions since. Now the 40th-ranked outside linebacker in the 2010 class is scheduling other visits, including one to Boulder.

Deacon Dump 11/25: Prepping for Duke, Ish Smith swag surfing

MRickman84 — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:00:21 -0000

Happy early Turkey Day. Even though the football games tomorrow look horrible, I'm still stoked to stuff my face and get a few days off. We've got a few good links so enjoy while you coast through work today. JT Buckets had 32 on his birthday, so nice work son.

Demon Deacons outrun intra-city foe Winston-Salem State | outrun, city, salem - Sports - Burlington Times News
"This is the last year we’re going to play them and we’re trying to send them out," Smith said.

Change is always good? Part 2, Jeff Teague's minutes - Peachtree Hoops
Jeff Teague has not been good this year. The likelihood of him being good this season was always low. Rookie point guards drafted outside the lottery rarely contribute at a high level in their first year. Still, it is not that Teague has shown no signs of life. He has been an annoyance with on the ball defense outside the three point line, can get into the lane at will, and is at least average at finding teammates off that penetration. Teague's downfall has been his inability to hit open shots, failure to adjust to athletic shot blockers, and cheap/bad fouls after getting beat on defense. Basically his down fall has been being a rookie.

Q. & A. With Jack Swarbrick - The Quad Blog - NYTimes.com
Two of my old contemporaries, who came through more traditional sports channels in Bob Bowlsby and Ron Wellman. Guys that I think are among the very best in our business. The basics of the business are still reflected in the way that those guys ran it.

Seniors Have Final Shot to Defeat Wake Forest - Duke University Blue Devils | Official Athletics Site - GoDuke.com
"We are just two similar teams," Leon Wright said. "Both coming from smaller private schools, similar athletes... It is very even and that is how it plays out."

Gonzaga dominates Wisconsin, advances to Maui finals - The Slipper Still Fits -Keeping an eye on our future opponent...
We mentioned in our game preview that Gonzaga might really benefit from their tight contest with Colorado yesterday. After sleepwalking through the first twenty minutes of play a day ago, the Zags played a great second half to squash the Buffaloes upset bid. Tonight, the Zags were able to carry that momentum over and delivered a rousing performance in Maui against the Badgers of Wisconsin.

Lions put pieces together during 4th-quarter surge - CharlotteObserver.com
The Lions (2-0) ran whenever possible and put four players in double figures, led by guard J.T. Terrell with 32 points. "One of our ultimate goals is to run and try to get them tired and going at our pace," he said. "That was the strategy we used. That's how we like to play."

Deacs' secondary of concern to Grobe
So now that Bush is under medical care, Grobe's concern is how to cobble together a secondary capable of controlling Thaddeus Lewis, Duke's senior quarterback who, along with Wake Forest's Riley Skinner, is one of only three ACC quarterbacks to pass for at least 2,000 yards four straight seasons. The first to accomplish the feat was Philip Rivers, N.C. State's quarterback from 2000 through 2003. "You really don't want to have injuries anywhere on defense when you've got to go against Thad Lewis and this offense," Grobe said. "They're pretty special."

Deacs take finale
"It's funny because it's kind of new now," Smith said. "I did it my freshman year and as a sophomore I did it. My junior year you kind of forget when you're not in that position. I kind of played more of a reserve role, more of the sparkplug last year. "But now this year I had to get adjusted to it." But if the critics were hard on him, he never knew it. He maintains he's played far too much college basketball to worry about what people are saying about him. "One thing I had to learn when I was young was I used to listen to that and let it get to me," Smith said. "Now that's not the case anymore. I think I'm kind of the old guy now. I just relax and just play and do something I've been doing since I was young...."

Demon Deacons hope for something good to end on
The victory totals have declined in each year since the 11-win season and that means the senior class will go out without a bowl invitation after three consecutive years in the postseason. "It would seem that way," Russell said Tuesday when asked if he sensed a downward spiral. "… But I think we’ve built something here. I think there’s a lot of young guys in the program who want to get back to that level."

Wake Forest dominates cross-town rival Winston-Salem again
Wake Forest's top four scorers combined to outscore Winston-Salem, leading the Demon Deacons to an easy 76-52 victory over the Rams at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum Tuesday.

Wake Forest too strong for WSSU
"They were just coming out from all over the place," Alcius said about the Deacons frontcourt players of David Weaver, Chas McFarland and Tony Woods. "I got by one of them, then there's another one right there and then there's another big guy on the back side so I had no where to go. They were blocking a lot of shots."

Around the ACC: 11.25

MRickman84 — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:58:14 -0000

More photos » by Eugene Tanner - AP

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The biggest story of the day was Maryland's loss to Cincinnati, which will effectively drop them from the rankings. Cincinnati looked pretty strong the whole way and was way more physical and tenacious on the boards. The ACC had a hiccup --with only Wake winning out of the four games. Let's recap yesterday's games in the ACC.

Cincinnati 69, Maryland 57
Greivis Vasquez's struggles to find his shot finally caught up with Maryland. The senior finished with 19 points, but he was 5-17 from the field. He took more than double the shots of every other individual player, so if he is going to dominate that many possessions, he absolutely needs to have better shot selection and make more for Maryland to have the kind of season they are hoping for.

Freshman Lance Stephenson, who the Terps were recruiting pretty heavily before backing off, had an efficient 11 points to go along with 8 rebounds and 4 assists. He isn't pretty at times, but he has shown he is pretty good at cleaning up the trash around the hoop. Oh, and the Terrapins shot 2-14 from beyond the arc. Woof.

Florida 68, Florida State 52
This game was not very pretty. FSU was down 20 at the half and creeped back in it with pressing and quick possessions before the Gators went on a 12-0 run. The 'Noles shot 33% and 3-16 from deep (and people talk about Wake's poor three point shooting...). They also had 23 turnovers. Derwin Kitchen led all scorers with 15, but also had 5 turnovers of his own.

Virginia 52, Stanford 57
In another stinger for the ACC, Virginia fell to Stanford in a close contest till about the 5 minute mark before Stanford went on a run and closed the game out. The Cardinal were paced by Landry Fields' 25 and 13. Sylven Landesberg and Jeff Jones combined for 33 points on 12-21 shooting, but the rest of the Cavaliers shot just 16%.

Wake Forest 76, Winston-Salem State, 52
The story was guard play, with Ish Smith and CJ Harris dominating. You can find a full recap of the game soon, so check back a little later in the day.

Game Preview: Wake Forest vs. Winston-Salem State

MRickman84 — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:30:06 -0000

Twin City Wake Forest Demon Deacons (3-0) vs. Winston-Salem State Rams (1-3)
7:30 PM Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum
ISP Sports Radio Network

This is the last of the six year series of games between Wake and crosstown foe Winston-Salem State. When the meetings began, the Rams were DII, now are DI, but will be dropping down to DII again. They have played Wake pretty tough in the past, including a really ugly first half last year and an overtime game as an exhibition a few years back.

The first thing that stands out about WSSU is the fact that half of their team are freshmen. These kids are going to have some growing pains this year. They do return three of their five starters from last year, including senior guard Brian Fisher, who led the team 14 ppg. Also back are Paul Davis and Diontae Gibson. The lineup WSSU is going with tonight will see three if not four new starters, so this team is still trying to find their rhythm early on.

The Rams' leading scorer through their first three games (loss against Oregon, loss against Colorado State, win against Atlanta Christian) is transfer Shelton Carter, who was a Big South All-Freshman selection when he played at Charleston Southern. Shelton is also pulling down 6 rebounds a game.

Winston-Salem State also scored a win in the recruiting game after securing Marcus Wells, a NC native who was ranked as an 88 on ESPN. He averages 5.5 points 1.8 rebounds and 2 assists so far in 20 mpg, but he has earned a starting role and his production should go up.

Of the guys who play significant minutes for the Rams, the tallest is 6'9". Chas McFarland and Tony Woods should be able to establish themselves in the paint and I expect the Deacs to dominate the boards again. If the team locks down like they did in the second half against High Point, WSSU will score in the 40s. The Rams have no one to guard Al-Farouq Aminu, but I might keep an eye on the matchup between the guards--Fisher and Wells against Ish Smith and LD Williams.

Wake should handle this easily, but it going to be interesting to see if Winston-Salem State will be able to pull it together and come up with a few more wins in their last season at the Division I level than their 6 from a year ago.

Prediction: Wake 74, WSSU 41

CSU Gets 2nd at Travelers Invitational

bhsmarine — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:26:57 -0000

The Colorado State Rams (2-1) lost to Oregon in the final game of the three day tournament. They have victories over UC Davis and Winston-Salem. Over all the Rams should be pleased, it is not easy to play three games consecutivly and the fatigue factor showed up in the loss against Oregon. Catch some analysis after the jump.

Final - 11.13.2009	1	2	Total
Colorado St. Rams	48	43	91
UC Davis Aggies	42	31	73

Complete Coverage >

Final - 11.14.2009	1	2	Total
Winston-Salem Rams	28	12	40
Colorado St. Rams	22	35	57

Complete Coverage >

Final - 11.15.2009	1	2	Total
Colorado St. Rams	27	28	55
Oregon Ducks	36	32	68

Complete Coverage >

The Rams should be pleased with the tournament, they won the games they should have. The Oregon game could have been prettier but it was the 3rd night in a row they had played and the Rams are running a short roster right now. Lets look at some ugly stats to start off the season with though.

The Rams have one player with an assist to turnover ratio above 1. That belongs to freshman forward Pierce Hornung with his 7 /1 ratio. No guard is better then 1 / 1.5. The team has 32 assists to 50 turnovers already.

The Rams essentially ran a 7 man rotation. It showed in a three day straight tournament as against Oregon they had 19 turnovers and shot a poor 36% from the field. The Rams will be happy to know that is the last time they have to do that until possibly in the MWC tournament.

The guard play was less then inspiring as Dorian Green shot .286 from the field and .278 from 3-point land. Senior Harvey Perry wasn't any better by shooting .286 from field goal range and .222 from deep. They combined for 15 assists and 23 turnovers.

The good news, the Rams shot a respectable 70% from the charity stripe after struggles last year. They also shot 40% from behind the arc which they will need to stay in games, Andre McFarland led the team by shooting 57% behind the arc. The minutes played by Hornung and Green should help this team down the stretch. Also averaging 7.3 steals is a positive note for the Rams.

The Rams have stuff to work on. The guard play will come around, the young players will get use to the speed of the game and if Jesse Carr can return healthy the Rams have some positive things to look forward to this year. It won't all be roses in Moby Arena this year but it is looking to be a good year for the program.

Ducks Gear Up for the BTI Tournament

dvieira — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:00:44 -0000

Oregon welcomes Winston-Salem State, UC Davis and Colorado State into Mac Court this weekend, hoping to start the 2009-10 season off on a good note. The BTI Tip-off Tournament is a function put on by Basketball Travelers Inc, an organization with an interesting history. If you plan on going to any of the games, make sure you check the parking situation. Homecoming Weekend can be a challenge on campus with all of the events going on. Let's take a look at the teams involved

A Look at Winston-Salem State

Playing as an independent, the Rams sported an 8-22 overall record last year, most of their games coming against opponents from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Experience will be important as Winston-Salem will look to ride their veteran backcourt of Brian Fisher and Diontae Gibson. Fisher lead the team last year averaging 14 points and 2 steals per game. Gibson represents their 3pt threat, hitting about 35% of his chances. Both are seniors and should see most of the touches. On the block, Paul Davis will look to clean up on the boards. He averaged better than 53% from the field last year but didn't get a lot of chances. Beyond Fisher, Gibson and Davis, the Rams don't have a legitimate scoring threat returning. 9 players are new to the team so there may be issues with chemistry in their first game.

Even though the Rams have size on the front line, Davis is 6-9, 195lbs and he will get most of the action. Oregon will have a big advantage, both in speed and strength. With most of the action running through the guards, it will be imperative for the Duck bigs not to get in foul trouble. Defense and the transition game should win the game. In a half court set, dish and kick should be open if the Ducks choose to exploit it.

Breaking down UC Davis

Playing in the Big West Conference, the Aggies played to an overall record of 12-18. Head Coach Gary Stewart is in his 7th year as coach and came to UC Davis from UCLA where he worked under Steve Lavin during the 2002-03 season. 3 starters are back, including Joe Harden and Mark Payne who were both named Second Team All-Big West Conference last year. Harden is listed as a 6-8 guard (yes, a guard) who averaged 15 points and 7.2 rebounds a game last year. Payne, another 6-8 guard, averaged 10.4 points and 6 rebounds per game and shot an amazing 68% from the field. The Aggies have quite a bit of experience with a tough front line.

Oregon will have their hands full guarding the post, especially if Harden and Payne are moving the ball. All of the offense runs through them with Dunigan, Catron, Wilson and Jacob taking the brunt of the action. Without a 3 point threat, Oregon should be able to help in the post to create turnovers and run the ball. Managing fouls will be a key component for the Oregon strategy so Payne doesn't get room to distribute the ball.

A Look at Colorado State

CSU had an abysmal season last year, finishing 9-22 overall and 4-12 in the Mountain West Conference. The only bright side may be that almost everyone is coming back for a second turn. Big time threat Marcus Walker is gone but 6-9 junior Andy Ogide is back. Ogide averaged 10.2 points per game. Outside of Ogide, there isn't a lot of help. Jesse Carr is coming back from injury which may help provide an outside threat but CSU is rebuilding and just isn't in very good shape right now.

Final Thoughts

The Ducks should be able to run away from all the teams in the tournament and come out with victories in each contest. Ernie was smart in his scheduling. Just like in exhibition, each team has some unique tests that will challenge Oregon's abilities in different areas. Winston-Salem has a strong backcourt, UC Davis has an excellent frontcourt and CSU is more balanced. Talent and ability should help the Ducks prevail but these teams are a definite step up from the exhibition contests we've seen so far.

BtB 2009-10 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:04:19 -0000

The 2009 offseason was one of comings and goings in the MEAC. For a period of a day, the conference's membership stood at 13. On September 10, the conference invited North Carolina Central to become member number 13. NCCU was actually a founding member of the MEAC back in 1969, but the Eagles withdrew a decade later, as they dropped down to Division II and joined the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. They left that conference after the 2006-07 season to start the classification process for Division I. NCCU will become an official member for the 2010-11 academic year.

The conference's membership dropped back down to 12 the very next day; however, as Winston-Salem State decided to drop back down to Division II. Their former conference, the CIAA, invited them back on October 2.

Meanwhile, Savannah State, a Division I independent, waits. The Tigers originally applied to the MEAC in 2005, but their application was placed on hold while they were on NCAA probation. However, their admission wasn't announced at the same time as NCCU's. SSU officials are hopeful about their prospects, especially as the MEAC plans to expand to "up to 14 schools." Yet, they still have no firm word about their fate.

On the court, it appears everyone will again be chasing defending champion Morgan State. More after the jump.

Let's first take a look at last season's MEAC standings.

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Standings

(updated 3.20.2009 at 2:52 AM EDT)

	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Morgan St. Bears	13	3	23	12
S. Carolina St. Bulldogs	10	6	17	14
Bethune-Cookman Wildcats	9	7	17	16
N.C. A&T Aggies	9	7	16	16
Norfolk St. Spartans	9	7	13	18
Coppin St. Eagles	9	7	13	19
Hampton Pirates	8	8	16	16
Florida A&M Rattlers	6	10	10	21
Howard Bisons	6	10	8	23
Delaware St. Hornets	6	10	8	24
Md.-Eastern Shore Hawks	3	13	7	23
Winston-Salem Rams	0	0	8	22

Now, here are my picks for 2009-10, presented in reverse order, starting with Winston Salem State, who is ineligible for the conference title..

Winston-Salem State (last NCAA: None) Had the Rams remained in Division I, this would have been their final transitional year. Since they aren't, Bobby Collins' squad will try to improve on the 8 wins they earned last year. Guards Brian Fisher (13.9 ppg) and Diontae Gibson (6.9 ppg) and forward Paul Davis (6.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg) will lead the way.

Maryland-Eastern Shore (last NCAA: None) The Hawks finished last among the teams that were eligible for the MEAC title last year, and that probably won't change this year. The biggest reason UMES will probably struggle is lack of backcourt experience, as starters Jaime Boyer (6.1 ppg) and Marc Davis (5.6 ppg) have moved on (and they didn't exactly light up the scoreboard themselves). Frankie Allen's squad will be frontcourt-oriented thanks to the return of 6-6 F Neal Pitts, who averaged 16 points and 8 boards a contest last year. The Hawks will also feature St. Bonaventure transfer Hillary Haley, another 6-6 forward, who averaged almost 6 points a game in his time with the Bonnies.

Howard (last NCAA: 1992) The Bison would have won more than 6 MEAC games last year if they had been better defensively, where they ranked as one of the worst outfits in the nation. Offensively, the team will miss the only starter they lost, 6-5 guard Eugene Myatt, who averaged almost 16 points a game. Junior guard Kyle Riley and 3-point specialist Curtis White (5.9 ppg, 34.5% from 3-point land) are capable of boosting their production to make up for Myatt's departure. In the frontcourt, center Paul Kirkpatrick (7.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg) and forwards Kandi Mukole (4.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg) and Adam Walker (4.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg) will have to step their games up. Howard will be challenged by four games at the Glenn Wilkes Classic in Florida, including contests at UCF and in Daytona Beach against Akron and Niagara.

Florida A&M (last NCAA: 2007) Like the Bison, the Rattlers struggled mightily on defense last season. They also struggled on the boards, where 6-8 F Yannick Crowder (5.2 rpg) and 6-6 Larry Jackson (4.4 rpg) are the only serious returning threats. So, Eugene Harris signed some bigger guys this year, led by 6-8 JC transfer Jeremy Lightfoot, 6-7 Diamon Alexander, and 6-6 Travis Wallace. Leading scorer Lamar Twitty (11 ppg) is also gone, and so are two-thirds of the starting backcourt, Joe Ballard (6.9 ppg) and Byron Taylor (2.6 ppg). Brandon Bryant is the leading returning scorer (10.1 ppg). and he'll be joined in a revamped guard unit by returnee Dale Hughes (9.5 ppg) and JC transfer Rasheem Jenkins.

Delaware State (last NCAA: 2005) The Hornets usually feature at the top of the league, so last season's 6-10 conference mark, their first losing MEAC campaign since '99-'00, was a major disappointment. Del State's big issue last season was offensive production, which may not improve thanks to the graduation of two of the team's three leading scorers from a year ago--G Donald Johnson (12.3 ppg) and F Arturo Dubois (9 ppg). 6-6 F Frisco Sandidge is back (10.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg) though, but he'll need help from guards Marcus Neal (8.4 ppg) and Trevor Welcher (5.4 ppg), along with frontcourt-mate Kris Douse, who only averaged around 4 points a contest last year. Among the newcomers, watch for 6-3 Shannon Newman, son of NBA veteran Johnny Newman, and 5-11 G Jay Threatt, a transfer from George Mason.

Hampton (last NCAA: 2006) The Pirates have a new coach, as Ed Joyner, Jr. replaced Kevin Nickleberry after a .500 campaign, both overall and in the league, in 2008-'09. Like the Hornets, the Pirates couldn't score last year, and were the worst three-point shooting team in the country. However, Hampton returns more starters than DSU, as only 6 point/5 board performer Donte Harrison is gone. Vinny Simpson, the team's leading scorer (11.7 ppg), is a legitimate threat for all-MEAC honors this time around. Joyner's team will feature five other performers who averaged at least 5 points per contest. If he can get them to shoot better, the Pirates should shoot up the standings.

Coppin State (last NCAA: 2008) The Eagles must now begin life without the school's all-time leading scorer Tywain McKee (18.4 ppg), While Coppin lost two other starters, McKee was the impact player for the program. However, head coach Fang Mitchell has plenty of players who can contribute. Four players, led by 6-4 guard Michael Harper, averaged more than 7 points a contest this year. Their averages could very well go up now that McKee has graduated. Center Sam Coleman, a 6-10 senior, should be a player to watch, as he averaged more than 8 points and nearly 5 boards a game last season in a reserve role. Mitchell dialed down the team's always rough non-league schedule a bit this year. The Eagles will play Loyola (MD) at home and travel to local schools Navy and UMBC. Their longer road trips include visits to rebuilding Colorado and USC and NCAA tourney squads Michigan, Oklahoma State, and West Virginia.

Bethune-Cookman (last NCAA: None) A 17-16 record wouldn't be considered impressive at most D-I schools, but for the Wildcats, the mark represented their first ever winning season at this level. The key player for head coach Cliff Reed is his son, C.J., who was the MEAC Newcomer of the Year last time around. C.J. Reed averaged 15 points and nearly 4 assists per contest last time around. However, he'll have to take better care of the ball as a sophomore. Cliff Reed has his other four starters back too, but he'll need more points out of them, as 6-6 forward Alexander Starling was the team's second leading scorer, only averaging 7.5 ppg. Starling can rebound though, as he averaged more than 7 boards a contest. Depth could also be an issue, and the newcomers, led by 6-9, 320 pound center Albert Abrahams and 6-3 guard Aric Williams, will have to contribute immediately for B-CU to seriously challenge.

South Carolina State (last NCAA: 2003) Tim Carter's team won 17 games overall and 10 in the MEAC in his inaugural season in Orangeburg, but he'll have a hard time matching that total thanks to two key departures. Leading scorer and rebounder Jason Johnson (13.8 ppg, 8.2 rpg) graduated and freshman guard (8.6 ppg. 4.6 rpg) transferred, meaning returning starters Jason Flagler (12.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg) and Carrio Bennett (7.6 ppg) will have more work to do this season. Johnson's graduation also means that the Bulldogs' backcourt is their strength, as Carter will have to rely on a mostly new crop of forwards, led by 6-7 Stony Brook transfer Rio Pitt and 6-7 JC transfer Joe Wright.

North Carolina A&T (last NCAA: 1995) Despite the loss of two starters, including leading scorer Ed Jones (12.8 ppg), the Aggies should remain a serious threat in this league, thanks to the presence of 6-foot guard Tavarus Alston (11 ppg, 4.1 apg, 1.8 spg). He'll get the ball to A&T's two returning frontcourt starters, 6-6 Robert Johnson (9.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg) and 6-9 C Thomas Coleman (7.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg), who could turn into the best unit in the league. Alston will be joined in the backcourt by 6-2 Dwane Joshua (6.9 ppg) who will see more time this season, as Jerry Eaves' squad becomes less frontcourt-oriented.

Norfolk State (last NCAA: None) The Spartans got great news in the offseason when the MEAC's leading scorer, Michael DeLoach (21.4 ppg, 2.7 apg) was granted an extra year of eligibility for academic progress. Aleek Pauline (6.7 ppg, 3.8 apg) joins DeLoach in the backcourt, and while he'll continue to feed DeLoach, he'll be looking for new targets in the frontcourt. That's because NSU's second leading scorer, 6-4 forward Corey Lyons (15.3 ppg), graduated. 6-9 forward Kyle O'Quinn (5.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg) and 6-11 center Joseph Dorsett-Jeffreys (4.9 ppg, 2.9 apg) make up the rest of the frontcourt crew for the Spartans. NSU's ultimate success may depend on how Anthony Evans' transfers--G Rob Hampton (Drexel), F Marcos Tamares (UMBC), and C Christian Morris (Rutgers)--fit in with the team.

Morgan State (last NCAA: 2009) Todd Bozeman has built the Bears into the MEAC powerhouse at the moment, as they've won the last two regular season crowns and last year's tournament title. To repeat last year's double, Bozeman will have to replace three key starters, led by 6-5 forward Marquise Kately (11 ppg). The frontcourt should remain solid without him, however, as 6-8 sophomore Kevin Thompson averaged almost 9 points and more than 7 boards a game off the bench. 6-10 C Rodney Stokes (4.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg) is one of the two returning starters for Morgan, but the other is their key player, 6-4 guard Reggie Stokes, who averaged almost 17 points and 5.5 boards a game. However, Bozeman will have to replace his other two backcourt starters, Jermaine Bolden and Roger Barnes, who both averaged around 9 points a game. Cleveland State transfer Joe Davis will fit a shooting guard role alongside Stokes, while JC transfer Danny Smith will replace Bolden at the point.

The Bears are my pick to repeat, so they'll hold the MEAC's auto bid in my 2009-10 Final Preseason Bracket, which I will release on November 9. To wrap up this preview, here is my preseason All-MEAC team, featuring the best returning players from last season.

Preseason All-MEAC Team

Player of the Year: Michael Deloach, 6-0 G, Sr. (Norfolk State)

Remainder of the Team
Tavarus Alston, 6-0 G, Sr. (North Carolina A&T)
Jason Flagler, 6-4 F, Sr. (South Carolina State)
Reggie Holmes, 6-4 F, Sr. (Morgan State)
Frisco Sandidge, 6-6 F, Sr. (Delaware State)

Poll

Which team is your pick to win the MEAC this season? (Note that Winston-Salem State is not listed as they are ineligible.)

Bethune-Cookman

2 votes

Coppin State

0 votes

Delaware State

1 votes

Florida A&M

0 votes

Hampton

0 votes

Howard

0 votes

Maryland-Eastern Shore

1 votes

Morgan State

3 votes

Norfolk State

1 votes

North Carolina A&T

0 votes

South Carolina State

0 votes

8 votes | Poll has closed