Mid-Eastern Athletic: Conference Tournament Preview

Begins: March 9

Championship Game: March 14
Television Coverage: ESPN3, ESPN2
Tournament Bracket: http://www.meacsports.com/pdf9/3251815.pdf

Overview:

There were three distinct tiers in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) this season. North Carolina Central was in a tier of their own going 16-0 in conference. The next tier featured Norfolk St., Maryland-Eastern Shore, Howard, Delaware St., and Hampton. The gap between the top and bottom of this tier is pretty thin. Here are those teams records against each other:

Norfolk St.: 4-2

Maryland-Eastern Shore: 3-3

Howard: 2-5

Delaware St.: 4-2

Hampton: 3-4

Then there is a big drop to the bottom tier. The remaining seven teams each ranked in the bottom 30 of the RPI. Each of those teams failed to get 10 wins against Division I teams. There have been five different MEAC tournament champions in the last five seasons. North Carolina Central will look to end that streak as the favorite and reigning MEAC tournament champion. Here's a look at them and two other possible contenders.

Favorite to Win Tournament: North Carolina Central Eagles (24-6, 16-0)

North Carolina Central has been the best team in the MEAC over that past three seasons. The Eagles are 49-3 against other MEAC teams in those seasons and have won 34 straight in the past two seasons. Until someone can dethrone North Carolina Central, the Eagles will be the clear favorite to win the MEAC tournament. North Carolina Central challenged themselves in the first half of the season going 5-6 against the 141st ranked non-conference strength of schedule. If the Eagles can win the MEAC tournament, North Carolina Central should avoid a 16 seed giving them a better chance at a first round upset in the NCAA tournament.

Most Likely to Upset Favorite: Maryland-Eastern Shore Hawks (18-13, 11-5)

Norfolk St. and Maryland-Eastern Shore both took North Carolina Central down to the wire at home. The edge for Maryland-Eastern Shore is an 18 point road victory against Norfolk St. as they will likely face each other in the semi-finals before a potential rematch with North Carolina Central in the MEAC championship. If anyone is going to upset North Carolina Central, it will likely come out of the potential semi-final rematch between Maryland-Eastern Shore and Norfolk St.

Dark Horse to Win Tournament: Howard Bison (16-15, 10-6)

Howard struggled in the first half of the season going 8-10 overall and 2-2 in conference. The Bison turned it on in the second half of the season going 8-4 in their final 14 conference games including a 4-2 finish. Howard finished the regular season 1-1 against Norfolk St. and Maryland-Eastern Shore, but the Bison may have to upset North Carolina Central in the semi-finals before they get a chance to win the series against the Maryland-Eastern Shore or Norfolk St. If Howard can stay hot, the Bison could play spoiler and win three in a row at the MEAC tournament.

Expected Tournament Bid(s): Conference Tournament Winner

The MEAC went 36-131 against other conferences and 0-40 against the RPI Top 100. The MEAC tournament winner will likely be a 16 seed unless North Carolina Central  wins the conference tournament. The Eagles have a 109 RPI and 141 non-conference strength of schedule meaning North Carolina Central could avoid facing a 1 seed by getting a 15 seed in the NCAA tournament.