The MEAC Tournament is set to get started on Thursday, March 11th and run through Saturday, March 13th from Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia. Just six of the conference’s nine teams will be a part of this tournament, and the winner will likely enter the NCAA Tournament as a No. 16 seed, and it’s certainly possible they’ll be featured in the First Four.
We’ll be taking a look at some of the best teams in each conference, and providing picks and predictions for each conference tournament. Plenty of favorites will win, but we’ve got some sleepers to consider that might be able to pull off a big upset on the way to the NCAA Tournament.
Here’s the bracket for the MEAC Conference Tournament with TV listings, dates and times.
Favorite: Norfolk State Spartans
Norfolk State (14-7, 8-4 MEAC) is coming in as a No. 2 seed in the North Division side of the bracket, but the Spartans are our favorite to win this event. They have the best overall record of any team in the conference, so the Spartans have somewhat of a winning culture in place. Norfolk State is on a four-game winning streak and is located very close to the venue of this tournament. The Spartans have a very deep roster of players who get double-digit minutes per game, but senior guard Devante Carter averages 15.9 points, five rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.1 steals as the team’s best player.
Sleeper: Coppin State Eagles
Coppin State (9-12, 8-4 MEAC) is a No. 1 seed in the North Division, but they’re not our favorites in this event. The Eagles can be in sleeper status because they were just 6-12 overall in February before winning three straight to jump into the top seed of the tournament. Senior guard Anthony Tarke is the player to watch for this team as he leads the team with 16.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 1.9 blocks as the Eagles’ do-it-all star. Coppin State hasn’t played since February 28th due to Howard canceling the remainder of their season.
Dark Horse: Morgan State Bears
Morgan State (12-7, 7-5 MEAC) is a No. 3 seed in the North Division, which is the worst seed possible, but the Bears could very well win this tournament without a huge surprise. Playing well away from home in a neutral site tournament is crucial, and Morgan State is 7-2 in road games this season. In addition, the Bears have the second best overall record among all nine conference teams. Senior forward Troy Baxter Jr. leads the team with 17.1 points per game along with 4.8 rebounds. Morgan State leads the conference with 80.7 points per game.