Basketball tournaments get underway this week in Atlanta (SWAC) and Norfolk, VA. (MEAC) as these leagues determine who will advance to the NCAA Div. I Big Dances.
The same two teams are on top of the seedings in both the SWAC and MEAC.
The Southern men and women are the top teams in the SWAC while the Norfolk State men and women top the MEAC.
The Southern men (14-3) and women (15-3) have led the SWAC races most of the season but will be challenged. SWAC Tournament play got under way Tuesday (March 11).
The women of Alabama A&M and Texas Southern both finished 14-4 in conference play and are seeded second and third in the women’s tourney. Both had regular season wins over the Lady Jaguars.
All the SWAC women’s games including Saturday’s 5:30 p.m. final will be carried on ESPN+.
Two of the Southern men’s losses were to No. 5 Alabama State. No. 3 Bethune-Cookman handed the Jags their other conference loss.
All the SWAC men’s games except Saturday’s 9:30 p.m. championship game will be carried on ESPN+. The title game will be on ESPNU.
No one was more dominant than the Norfolk State women under head coach Larry Vickers who completed a 14-0 run thru the MEAC. They will be heavily favored to come away with the title. Women’s play began Wednesday(March 12) as the Lady Spartans took on 8th-seed SC State at 12 noon. All the women’s games are at 12 noon and 2 p.m. and will be carried on ESPN+.
Saturday’s 4 p.m. championship game will be on ESPN News.
The NSU men lost two games down the stretch at SC State and NCCU to fall into the tie with SC State for the top spot at 11- 3. Based on tie-breaking procedures, the NSU Spartans of Robert Jones are seeded first with Erik Martin’s Bulldogs of SC State second.
