Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference 2007-08 Season Recap
Postseason tournament appearances for Coppin State and Morgan State may have been short-lived, but both schools highlighted a memorable 2007-08 campaign to remember for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Six of the eleven teams finished above .500 in the league, but the Eagles, led by All-MEAC First Team guard Tywain McKee, were without question, the surprise team of the season.
It all started at the RBC Center in Raleigh, NC, site of the conference tournament. They edged out Howard in the first round, then surprised both preseason pick Hampton and third-seeded Norfolk State to reach the title game. Against top-seeded and crosstown rival Morgan State, McKee’s game-winning floater in the lane with three seconds left propelled Coach Ron “Fang” Mitchell’s squad into the field of 65, and closed out a record-setting performance (33 points, 6-of-8 three pointers) from the Philadelphia, PA native.
Forget the notion the Eagles (16-21, 7-9 MEAC) became the first school to reach the NCAA Tournament with 20 losses. After all, they found themselves in a position unlike that of powerhouses Virginia Tech and Ohio State, who had to settle for berths in the NIT. In fact, if you ask Mitchell, he wouldn’t hesitate to say that the season was, indeed, a success. Especially considering the Eagles had to overcome some hardships along their unlikely path to the MEAC crown.
“I think they were life-learning lessons”, said Mitchell. “Lessons about how important it is to get along as a group, and to have the persistence and the determination to succeed.”
As for McKee, Mitchell says that, although it took some time, the star guard grew into the role player and team leader he was expected to be.
“(McKee) was one of the guys that never really quit,” said Mitchell. “If anything, he was hurt because of the fact we were losing. He learned the game a lot better to the point where he knew what had to be done to win.”
To no one’s surprise, the Eagles found themselves once again playing on the national stage as one of the 16th seeds, this time in the opening round game of the NCAA Tournament against Mount Saint Mary’s. McKee paced the Coppin State attack with 15 points, but a valiant effort came up short in a nine-point loss to the Northeast Conference champions.
“We ran out of gas,” said Mitchell. “They were very defensive and persistent with their scoring. They made a lot of their shots, and we missed ours.”
With the season in the books, Coppin State now looks towards next season, where they’ll have to replace five seniors, including McKee. But Mitchell says a repeat of what happened this past season is possible, provided they get a deeper bench and a good cast of recruits.
“I look at starting the year, striving to be successful every game, and doing the best we can and grow young people with character,” he said.
“I also think we’ll do really well with the recruiting,” he added. “We just have to get more people to step up and get more balanced scoring. I’m looking forward to solidifying a few really good recruits we have coming in.”
Meanwhile, Morgan State (22-11, 14-2) earned their first National Invitational Tournament appearance by virtue of clinching the regular-season title. Maybe it wasn’t what coach Todd Bozeman and his team worked all season for, but for a conference that usually gets one team in the postseason by winning the conference tournament, he was more than happy to accept the invitation.
“The fact we had set out a goal to take positive steps, to be undefeated at home and to get to the postseason was one thing,” said Bozeman. “Getting the bid is something to be proud of.”
They started the season with a strong performance against national powerhouse Connecticut in the opening-round of the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic, then rode the backs of junior guard Jamar Smith (16.6 ppg) and junior forward Boubacar Coly (10.9 rebounds) to earn its first 20-win season in 32 years. It was enough to earn a spot in the NIT, but they faced a daunting task in the first-round against upstart Virginia Tech.
The Hokies, feeling bitter after being snubbed by the tournament selection committee following an impressive run through the ACC Tournament, took out their frustration on Bozeman’s squad, cruising to a 32-point romp.
“To get 22 wins was a positive and to get the community and campus excited about Morgan State basketball was great,” said Bozeman. “I’m happy with the results and looking forward to next season.”
Elsewhere, the Hampton Pirates (18-12, 11-5) were the preseason pick to represent the MEAC in the NCAA’s, and early on, they seem primed to run away with the conference title. But key losses at Coppin State and Morgan State dropped Hampton into a two-way tie for second with Norfolk State. The Pirates won the tie-breaker and entered the conference tournament as the second seed, earning a first-round bye before seeing their 18-12 season come to a crashing halt against eventual champion Coppin State in the second round.
Behind standout performances from guards Tony Murphy, Corey Lyons and Michael DeLoach, Norfolk State (16-15, 11-5) became one of the mid-season surprises in the league and found themselves briefly in first-place following a 10-2 start. They eventually fell victim to Coppin State’s run to the championship in semi-finals of the conference tourney.
Rounding out the top four is Delaware State (14-16, 10-6). The Hornets had high hopes coming into the season, led by All-MEAC First Team senior guard Roy Bright. A one-man show, Bright tried to keep things as such for DSU, leading the team with a 19.1 points-per-game average. However, it wasn’t enough as the three-time regular season champions stumbled to a fourth-place finish and a 14-16 overall mark.
Now, a final look around the rest of the MEAC in the order of finish:
North Carolina A&T (15-16 overall, 9-7 MEAC)
Notable Victories:
11/24 – won at DePaul, 96-93
1/14 – won vs. Coppin State, 59-56
Perhaps their win at home against eventual conference champion Coppin State didn’t come as much as a surprise for the Aggies. But to say they were one of a few teams that showed they could run with the upstart Eagles has to be a positive going into next season. Without question the win at DePaul in late November, behind Steven Rush’s career-high 40 points, was one of the biggest in their history. 2008-09 promises to be a rebuilding year for head coach Jerry Eaves. He’ll lose seven seniors, including Rush and leading rebounder, Jason Wills.
Florida A&M (15-17, 9-7)
Notable Victories:
1/21 – won at Coppin State, 63-48
2/16 – won vs. Morgan State, 90-89
With a new coach and a new focus, the Rattlers struggled to defend their title from the previous season in one that served the purpose of rebuilding. Wins against the two conference tournament finalists should give Coach Eugene Harris some momentum going into next season, as FAMU continues to revamp their program in the post-Mike Gillespie era. They’ll have to do so without seniors Leslie Robinson and Akini Akini.
South Carolina State (13-20, 7-9)
Notable Victories:
12/4 – won vs. VMI, 89-88
2/23 – won vs. Norfolk State, 97-86
The Bulldogs did all they could to make up for a slow start to conference play, and reached the quarterfinals of the MEAC Tournament, only to see their season end to runner-up Morgan State. South Carolina State could be one of the teams to watch for next season, as they’ll have the majority of their roster returning, including leading scorer and rebounder Jason Johnson. They’ll lose one senior in guard Robert Baker, but will have a full deck stacked with experienced upperclassmen come the 2008-09 campaign.
Bethune-Cookman (5-11, 11-21)
Notable Victories:
1/19 – won at Coppin State, 56-55
2/11 – won vs. NCAT, 54-50
Bethune-Cookman improved on their record this season by a mere two games. At times, the Wildcats were streaky, winning four in a row during a stretch from late November to early December, but closed out the campaign on a four-game skid, including a nine-point setback to South Carolina State in the first round of the tournament. BCC returns leading scorer John Holmes, but will lose four seniors, including John Anderson, who led the team in field-goal percentage.
Howard (6-26, 3-13)
Notable Victories:
11/17 – won at Pennsylvania, 80-65
11/20 – won vs. LaSalle, 69-63
11/27 – won vs. Navy, 75-65
1/28 – won vs. Coppin State, 73-69
The Bison started their season with some strong performances in their out-of-conference portion of the schedule, but the injury bug bit Gil Jackson’s crew as they entered MEAC play. Howard did put up a memorable performance for those watching the ESPNU contest against Coppin State, pulling out a thrilling four-point win. The last time both teams met was in the first round of the tournament, with the Eagles starting their run to the title with a nail-biting one-point win. Provided they stay healthy next season, things should get better for the Bison, with leading scorer Eugene Myatt and leading rebound Adam Walker returning.
Maryland-Eastern Shore (2-14, 4-28)
Notable Victories:
11/15 – won vs. Stony Brook, 53-52
12/11 – won vs. Kennesaw State, 77-72
2/9 – won vs. Howard, 59-56
2/11 – won vs. Hampton, 68-62
Despite finishing another season as the cellar-dweller in the conference, their victory against Hampton was pretty impressive. Still, it was a season to forget for the Hawks. Ed Tyson was the one-man show, leading the team in scoring with a 20.2 average. He’ll be back just as the program seems to be headed in the right direction with the recent hiring of former Howard coach Frankie Allen as their new general, who replaces interim coach Meredith Smith.
UMES athletic director Keith Davidson said the move to hire Allen was not only for his experience in the conference, but because they “needed somebody who knew the enemy.” Allen will have plenty to work with as the Hawks will have a deck stacked with upperclassmen coming back. Perhaps Allen’s experience with the MEAC will be enough to turn the team around in a hurry.
All-MEAC First Team (all are provided by MEACSports.com)
G: Roy Bright, Delaware State
G. Jamar Smith, Morgan State
G: Tywain McKee, Coppin State, Howard
G: Boubacar Coly, Morgan State
G: Tony Murphy, Norfolk State
All-MEAC Second Team
G: Rashard West, Hampton
G: Stephen Rush, NCAT
F: Marquise Kately, Morgan State
G: Jason Johnson, SCSU
G: Ed Tyson, UMES
MEAC Player of the Year: Jamar Smith, Morgan State
Rookie of the Year: Carrio Bennett, South Carolina State
Coach of the Year: Anthony Evans, Norfolk State
Hoopville’s Mike Lyle MEAC MVP: Tywain McKee, Coppin State (he hit the shot that got them to “The Big Dance!” That’s satisfying enough!)
