NORFOLK, Va., – Bethune-Cookman senior guard Angel Golden was selected as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Women’s Basketball Preseason Player of the Year, the conference announced today. North Carolina A&T State was selected as the preseason favorite to win the MEAC this coming season.
All awards are voted on by the conference’s head coaches and sports information directors. Golden is the reigning MEAC Player of the Year, having led the Lady Wildcats to a share of the regular-season title in 2017-18, a program Div. I-record 24 wins, and a third straight WNIT berth. She ranked fourth in the MEAC in scoring last season, averaging 15.7 points per game, and she was second in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage, hitting from deep 39.6 percent of the time. Her 2.7 made threes per game were also second-best in the MEAC, and in conference play, Golden averaged more than 17 points a contest.
North Carolina A&T State, the reigning MEAC Tournament champion, picked up 15 first-place votes in being named the preseason favorite. The Aggies won 23 games and their second MEAC Tournament title in three seasons last year. Defending regular-season co-champion Bethune-Cookman was picked to finish second, receiving eight first-place votes, while Norfolk State was picked to finish third.
Rounding out the rest of the preseason poll are Howard, Maryland Eastern Shore (one first-place vote), Morgan State, North Carolina Central, Florida A&M, Coppin State, Delaware State, South Carolina State and Savannah State.
Joining Golden on the Preseason All-MEAC First Team are Bethune-Cookman’s Ashanti Hunt (the reigning MEAC Defensive Player of the Year), Coppin State’s Chance Graham, Delaware State’s NaJai Pollard and North Carolina A&T State’s C’coriea Foy. Hunt and Pollard were First Team honorees last season.
The 2018-19 season begins on Tuesday, Nov. 6, with five teams in action.
The 2019 MEAC Basketball Tournament will be held March 11-16 at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va.
2018-19 Predicted Order of Finish
As voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors; first-place votes are in parentheses
| School | Points |
| North Carolina A&T State (15) | 279 |
| Bethune-Cookman (8) | 271 |
| Norfolk State | 217 |
| Howard | 200 |
| Maryland Eastern Shore (1) | 177 |
| Morgan State | 162 |
| North Carolina Central | 134 |
| Florida A&M | 108 |
| Coppin State | 98 |
| Delaware State | 81 |
| South Carolina State | 80 |
| Savannah State | 65 |
2018-19 Preseason All-MEAC Teams
As voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors
Preseason Player of the Year:
Angel Golden, Bethune-Cookman
FIRST TEAM
| Name | Pos. | Ht. | Class | School | Hometown |
| Angel Golden | G | 5-8 | Sr. | Bethune-Cookman | Tampa, Fla. |
| Ashanti Hunt | G | 5-11 | Sr. | Bethune-Cookman | Washington, D.C. |
| Chance Graham | F | 6-0 | Jr. | Coppin State | Upper Marlboro, Md. |
| NaJai Pollard | F | 5-11 | Sr. | Delaware State | Richmond, Va. |
| C’coreia Foy | G | 6-0 | Jr. | North Carolina A&T State | Fayetteville, N.C. |
SECOND TEAM
| Name | Pos. | Ht. | Class | School | Hometown |
| Chasimmie Brown | F | 6-0 | Sr. | Bethune-Cookman | Deltona, Fla. |
| Sarah Edmond | G | 5-9 | Jr. | Howard | Freeport, N.Y. |
| Ciani Byrom | G | 5-5 | Sr. | Maryland Eastern Shore | Winston-Salem, N.C. |
| Raven Russell | G | 5-10 | Sr. | Norfolk State | Millbrook, Ala. |
| Alexus Lessears | C | 6-3 | Jr. | North Carolina A&T State | Cleveland, Ohio |
THIRD TEAM
| Name | Pos. | Ht. | Class | School | Hometown |
| Ayonna Williams | G | 5-4 | Jr. | Howard | Washington, D.C. |
| Bairesha Gill-Miles | F | 6-0 | So. | Maryland Eastern Shore | Lexington, Ky. |
| Khadedra Croker | C | 6-3 | r-Sr. | Norfolk State | Suffolk, Va. |
| Alexys Long | G/F | 5-11 | Sr. | Norfolk State | Clinton, Md. |
| Rodneysha Martin | G | 5-5 | Sr. | North Carolina Central | Olive Branch, Miss. |
Courtesy: MEAC
