The Norfolk State men’s and women’s basketball teams are the class of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference as they both enter this week’s conference tournament as regular season champions and top seeds.
Tuesday night, players from each team earned individual honors as Spartans junior guard Jamarii Thomas and junior forward Kierra Wheeler won the conference’s men’s and women’s player of the year awards.
Thomas, a transfer from UNC-Wilmington, led Norfolk State in scoring (17.5 points per game), assists (3.8), and steals (60), continuing a string of three straight men’s Player of the Year awards for the university. Joe Bryant Jr. won the previous two MEAC POY honors.
Joining Thomas on the men’s first team are Delaware State senior guard Martaz Robinson, Howard junior guard Bryce Harris, Maryland-Eastern Shore junior forward Troy Hupstead, and North Carolina Central sr. guard Fred Cleveland Jr.
MEAC Announces 2023-24 Women’s Basketball All-Conference Honors #MEACHoops #MEACPridehttps://t.co/444n2TnKji pic.twitter.com/29dczIoXUg
— Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (@MEACSports) March 13, 2024
Thomas also won Newcomer of the Year honors, Delaware State freshman Deywilk Tavarez won Rookie of the Year, Norfolk State’s Allen Bertrand won 6th Player of the Year, and Robert Jones won Coach of the Year.
Wheeler averaged 17.5 points and 9.4 rebounds for the Norfolk State women, compiling 13 double-doubles on the season. Her best effort was a 33-point, 17-rebound performance against High Point (NC) on Dec. 18. Norfolk State also won the Newcomer of the Year award by Diamond Johnson’s outstanding year and Coach of the Year honors for Larry Vickers.
MEAC Announces 2023-24 Men’s Basketball All-Conference Honors #MEACHoops #MEACPridehttps://t.co/mDVu27ump1 pic.twitter.com/TIS4p0j2Po
— Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (@MEACSports) March 13, 2024
Coppin State junior forward Laila Lawrence won defensive player of the year honors, and teammate Faith Blackstone won 6th player of the year. Howard first-year guard Tyana Walker won the conference’s Rookie of the Year award.
Wheeler, Blackstone, Johnson, Lawrence, and Walker earned MEAC’s women’s first-team honors.
