Morgan State’s Kevin Thompson was selected as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s (MEAC) men’s basketball Preseason Player of the Year, the conference announced on Tuesday. The defending MEAC champion Morgan State Bears were also picked to finish first in the conference’s preseason poll for the third consecutive year.
Thompson is no stranger to conference accolades having earned the MEAC’s Defensive Player of the Year and the Tournament’s Most Outstanding Performer honor last season. In 2009-10, Thompson led the Bears to their second straight conference tournament title averaging 12.7 points and 11.8 rebounds, fourth best in the NCAA. He was also selected to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District First-Team.
Morgan State received 20 first place votes and totaled 474 points to garner the conference’s top position. Bears head coach Todd Bozeman, named the conference’s Coach of the Year for the last three years, led MSU to a 15-1 MEAC record and a 27-10 overall mark last season. The Bears earned the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament. MSU, earning a 15th seed in the tournament, ended the season with a 50-77 loss to West Virginia.
MSU recorded several non-conference victories last year including wins over Albany (69-65), Maryland Baltimore County (72-57), Arkansas (97-64), East Tennessee State (72-61), Manhattan (83-74) and Towson (87-80).
Also for the third straight year South Carolina State was predicted to finish second with 378 total points. The Bulldogs finished the 2009-10 season with a 10-6 record in the MEAC and 18-14 overall.
Hampton was predicted to finish third while Bethune-Cookman was selected to finish fourth. Last year’s runners-up Delaware State was picked to finish fifth with Norfolk State slated to finish sixth. Maryland Eastern Shore (7th), North Carolina A&T (8th), Howard (9th), Coppin State (T-10) and Florida A&M (T-10) round out the 2010-11 preseason poll.
Joining Thompson on the Preseason All-MEAC First Team are CJ Reed (Bethune-Cookman), Darrion Pellum (Hampton), DeWayne Jackson (Morgan State), and Kyle O’Quinn (Norfolk State). Reed and Thompson were selected unanimously.
The preseason poll and all-conference team selections are voted on by the MEAC’s head men’s basketball coaches and sports information directors.
The 2010-11 season tips off on Friday, November 12 with 10 MEAC men’s teams in action. The conference schedule gets underway on December 4 with five conference matchups. Defending champs Morgan State will host local foe Coppin State in its conference opener beginning at 4 p.m.
The 2011 MEAC Basketball Tournament tips off March 7-12 at the Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Preseason predictions and Preseason All-MEAC Teams listed below.
2010-11 Men’s Basketball Preseason Predicted Order of Finish
As voted on by the Conference’s Head Men’s Basketball
Coaches and Sports Information Directors
(First-Place Votes in Parenthesis)
| 1. Morgan State (20) | 474 pts. |
| 2. South Carolina State | 378 pts. |
| 3. Hampton | 296 pts. |
| 4. Bethune-Cookman (2) | 294 pts. |
| 5. Delaware State | 288 pts. |
| 6. Norfolk State | 278 pts. |
| 7. Maryland Eastern Shore | 242 pts. |
| 8. North Carolina A&T | 148 pts. |
| 9. Howard | 118 pts. |
| T10. Coppin State | 84 pts. |
| T10. Florida A&M | 84 pts. |
2010-11 Preseason All-MEAC Team
(As voted on by the Conference’s Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors)
| First Team | ||||||
| Name | School | Pos | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Hometown |
| C.J. Reed | Bethune-Cookman | G | 6-3 | 175 | Jr. | Daytona Beach, Fla. |
| Darrion Pellum | Hampton | G | 6-6 | 205 | Jr. | Hampton, Va. |
| Dewayne Jackson | Morgan State | G/F | 6-8 | 210 | So. | Bowie, Md. |
| *Kevin Thompson | Morgan State | F | 6-8 | 240 | Jr. | Baltimore, Md. |
| Kyle O’Quinn | Norfolk State | C | 6-10 | 225 | Jr. | Jamaica, NY |
| Second Team | ||||||
| Name | School | Pos | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Hometown |
| Calvin Thompson | Howard | G | 6-3 | 180 | Jr. | New Orleans, La. |
| Hillary Haley | Maryland Eastern Shore | G | 6-6 | 205 | Jr. | Oxon Hill, Md. |
| Darnell Porter | S.C. State | G | 6-4 | 180 | Sr. | Long Beach, Calif. |
| Robert Hampton | Norfolk State | G/F | 6-4 | 200 | Sr. | Queens, NY |
| Thomas Coleman | North Carolina A&T | C | 6-9 | 235 | Jr. | Louisville, KY |
MEAC Announces Women’s Basketball Preseason Honors
Hampton University senior Quanneisha Perry was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) women’s basketball Preseason Player of the Year, the conference announced on Tuesday. The defending MEAC champion Hampton Lady Pirates were predicted to the win the 2010-11 title, as voted on by the conference’s head women’s basketball coaches and sports information directors.
Perry, the 2010 MEAC Defensive Player of the Year and All-MEAC First Team selection, averaged 12.8 points and 9.1 rebounds a year ago. The forward led her team with 13 double-doubles and earned MEAC All-Tournament Team honors after averaging 17.3 points and 12.7 rebounds in the MEAC tournament.
The Lady Pirates, who earned 14 of the 22 first place votes and totaled 467 points, concluded the 2009-10 season with a 20-12 overall record and 12-4 mark in MEAC play. Hampton returns four starters from a team that won their first conference tournament since 2004 and finished the season winning 17 out of their last 21 games.
The North Carolina A&T Lady Aggies were selected to finish second with six first-place votes and 420 points. The Lady Aggies, who won the 2009-10 regular season crown, were 14-2 in MEAC play and 23-11 overall. They posted two consecutive wins in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) before ending their season with an 84-77 loss to Miami.
Howard was predicted to finish third while Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman were chosen to finish fourth and fifth, respectively. South Carolina State were picked to finish sixth followed by Morgan State (7th), Coppin State (8th), Maryland Eastern Shore (9th), Delaware State (10th) and Norfolk State (11th).
Joining Perry on the Preseason All-MEAC First Team are Saadia Doyle (Howard), Jeanine Manley (Coppin State), Tameka McKelton (Florida A&M) and Whitney Wiley (South Carolina State).
The 2010-11 MEAC women’s basketball season tips off on Friday, November 12 with eight MEAC women’s teams in action. The defending MEAC champion Hampton Lady Pirates will open up their season against James Madison in the Preseason WNIT.
The 2011 MEAC Basketball Tournament is scheduled for March 7-12 at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C.
For more information about MEAC Basketball, log on to www.MEACsports.com.
-Preseason Poll and All-MEAC teams listed below-
2010-11 Women’s Basketball Preseason Predicted Order of Finish
As voted on by the Conference’s Head Women’s Basketball
Coaches and Sports Information Directors
(First-Place Votes in Parenthesis)
School…………………………….. Points
1. Hampton (14)………………… 467 pts.
2. North Carolina A&T (6)…… 420 pts.
3. Howard………………………… 283 pts.
4. Florida A&M………………….. 274 pts.
5. Bethune-Cookman (1)……. 267 pts.
6. South Carolina State………. 262 pts.
7. Morgan State………………… 234 pts.
8. Coppin State (1)…………….. 157 pts.
9. Maryland Eastern Shore…. 154 pts.
10. Delaware State……………. 124 pts.
11. Norfolk State……………….. 32 pts.
2010-11 Women’s Basketball Preseason All-MEAC Teams
As voted on by the Conference’s Head Women’s Basketball
Coaches and Sports Information Directors
| First Team | |||||||||||||||
| Name | School | Pos. | Ht. | Cl. | Hometown | ||||||||||
| Tameka McKelton | Florida A&M | G | 5-8 | Jr. | Palm Beach, Fla. | ||||||||||
| Whitney Wiley | South Carolina State | G | 5-10 | Sr. | Columbia, S.C. | ||||||||||
| *Quanneisha Perry | Hampton | G/F | 5-10 | Sr. | Decatur, Ga. | ||||||||||
| Saadia Doyle | Howard | F | 6-1 | So. | Atlanta, Ga. | ||||||||||
| Jeanine Manley | Coppin State | C | 6-3 | Jr. | Oakland, Calif. |
| Second Team | |||||||||||
| Name | School | Pos. | Ht. | Cl. | Hometown | ||||||
| Demetria Frank | Bethune-Cookman | G | 5-9 | Sr. | Miami, Fla. | ||||||
| Bernadette Fortune | Hampton | G | 5-4 | Jr. | Virginia Beach, Va. | ||||||
| Antonia Bennett | Florida A&M | G/F | 6-1 | Jr. | Lakeland, Fla. | ||||||
| Jalessa Sams | North Carolina A&T | G/F | 5-11 | Sr. | New Castle, Pa. | ||||||
| Sarah Bolden | Bethune-Cookman | C | 6-1 | Sr. | Slidella, La. |
Second Team
Name School Pos. Ht. Cl. Hometown
Demetria Frank Bethune-Cookman G 5-9 Sr. Miami, Fla.
Bernadette Fortune Hampton G 5-4 Jr. Virginia Beach, Va.
Antonia Bennett Florida A&M G/F 6-1 Jr. Lakeland, Fla.
Jaleesa Sams North Carolina A&T G/F 5-11 Sr. New Castle, Pa.
Sarah Bolden Bethune-Cookman C 6-1 Sr. Slidell, Louisiana.
*Preseason Player of the Year