First place in the MEAC has not been a safe place for anyone this college basketball season, especially on the men’s side.
With just about two weeks left in the regular season, we take a look at both the men’s and women’s races in the MEAC, with tournament position becoming more important each game.
Men
Howard (7-3 MEAC, 17-10 overall)
The Bison routed Delaware State 91-59 to get back into first place Monday, becoming the third team in two weeks to hold the MEAC’s top seed. Morehouse transfer Cedric Taylor III has been as good as advertised, averaging 17 points per game, just behind MEAC player of the year candidate Bryce Harris (17.3).
Howard faces second-place North Carolina Central this weekend, so this is a chance for them to really put a grip on first place.
North Carolina Central (6-3 MEAC, 10-14 overall)
The Eagles lost forward Khouri Carvey for the season prior to their game against Morgan State on Monday and still pulled out an 80-76 win to knock the Bears out of first place.
The win gives Central the tiebreaker for the second seed at the moment and with a trip to Howard on the docket this weekend, they can reclaim first place a week after they lost it.
Morgan State (6-3 MEAC, 10-14 overall)
The Bears won a bunch of close games to take first place in the MEAC briefly, but the Central loss pushes them back to the third seed, and with a tough stretch ahead (hosting Delaware State, make-up game at South Carolina State, visits from Howard and Norfolk State), they’ll need to hold steady.
Norfolk State (6-4 MEAC, 13-14 overall)
The Spartans are just a game behind Howard for first place and appear to be peaking at the right time. They’ll host South Carolina State this weekend with a chance to move up in the standings.
South Carolina State (4-4 MEAC, 6-18 overall)
MEAC finalists a year ago, South Carolina State is in the middle of the pack this year and with a campus tragedy forcing a change in schedule, it might be hard for the Bulldogs to catch up.
Maryland Eastern Shore (4-6 MEAC, 8-19 overall)
The Hawks were HBCU basketball’s best story a month ago but have since lost six straight and will need to find the magic from that early 4-0 start to get back in the race.
Coppin State (4-6 MEAC, 6-21 overall)
The Eagles have won three in a row, including two close games at North Carolina Central and South Carolina State.
Larry Stewart has his Alma mater going in the right direction and a strong finish could make them a tough out for anyone facing them in the MEAC tournament.
Delaware State (1-9 MEAC, 6-19 overall)
The Hornets were hit hard by the transfer portal, as well as a player implicated in a gambling scandal at his previous school, so this feels like a lost season for a team that was just in the MEAC title game two years ago.
Women
Howard (9-1 MEAC, 19-7 overall)
The Bison got their wake-up call with a stunning loss at UMES in early January; they’ve been dominant ever since, winning seven games in a row.
If they can finish the regular season strong and win the MEAC tournament, they should avoid the women’s play-in round, but it’s unlikely they’ll be higher than a 15 seed.
Norfolk State (8-2 MEAC, 13-12 overall)
The Spartans, still the defending MEAC champs until further notice, are just one game behind Howard and with another shot at the Bison coming up on the final day of the regular season, they still have a chance to steal the top seed for the conference tournament.
Maryland Eastern Shore (7-3 MEAC, 14-13 overall)
The Fighting Hawks had first place for a while, but with Norfolk State and Howard returning to form, they’ve settled into third place at the moment. A pivotal matchup with Coppin State this weekend will be key.
Coppin State (6-4 MEAC, 9-18 overall)
The Eagles host UMES this weekend with a chance to get closer to the top of the standings. CSU looks to be set as a top-four team regardless of the result, but a win would do wonders for their confidence.
North Carolina Central (3-6 MEAC, 7-16 overall)
The Eagles pulled out a tough overtime win against Morgan State last week, but will need to be consistent if they’re to somehow sneak into the top 4 for the conference tournament.
Morgan State (3-7 MEAC, 4-22 overall)
The Bears have had better luck in MEAC play, but they’re likely a year away from being a contender.
South Carolina State (2-7, 5-19 overall)
After finishing dead last a year ago, the Bulldogs are staying out of the basement (barely), but their best prospects are giving a top two MEAC team a workout in the first round of the tournament.
Delaware State (1-9, 4-21)
Returning only two players from the 2024-25 team, the Hornets have had their struggles in conference and out of conference. With such a young squad, the hope is there’s no place to go but up from here.
