MEAC Madness: College basketball tourney starts soon

BY KURTIS ALSTON

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is that time again, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Basketball Tournament. This is where upsets are bound to happen, dreams can come true, and no team is safe. The winner of this tournament has a chance to punch their ticket to the big dance, the NCAA tournament. The MEAC tournament will tip-off on March 7th, 2021. The first game will be the women with the fourth seed of the north facing the third seed of the south, with the third seed having home court advantage. The men will play right after with the same type of seeding. Both men’s and women’s times for the first round haven’t been announced yet. Every round after the first round will be played at the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia, and the championship game will be televised on ESPN 2 and 3.

From the women’s north side of the conference, Howard leads the way with a record of 14-3 overall and 10-2 in conference play. Trailing behind is Morgan State with a record of 11-3 overall and 8-2 in conference play. If Morgan State does win their last two games versus Delaware State, they can tie Howard for first in the conference. However, Howard still may hold down the first seed with their overall record being better. The south side is being led by North Carolina A&T State University coming in at 12-2 overall and 9-1 in the conference. Nobody is even close to taking that number one seed from the Aggies.

On the men’s north side of the conference, Norfolk leads the way with a record of 14-7 overall and 8-4 in the conference, but they are tied with Coppin State. As a result of Norfolk having the better record, they hold the tie-breaker between themselves and Coppin State. From the south side, North Carolina A&T State University holds the top spot down with 11-10 overall and 7-1 in conference play. The Aggies are coming off a win against North Carolina Central where it was a nail-biter 55-53 victory. The Aggies do have some time to rest with their last two games versus South Carolina State being canceled.

Even with rest and coming off a win, nobody is safe. The tournament is where you have to do everything perfectly. One bad game and your dream can turn into a nightmare. From the coaching staff to the players, everybody must be on one accord. This tournament is must-see basketball and a great opportunity to showcase the athletic talent of HBCUs around the country