By LUT WILLIAMS BCSP Editor
Eight men’s and women’s teams from the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and eight men’s and women’s teams from the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) are squaring off this week in their respective league’s basketball tournaments.
The MEAC runs Wednesday thru Saturday at the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va.
The SWAC tips off Wednesday and goes thru Saturday at the Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Al.
The men’s and women’s champions from each conference will earn automatic bids to the NCAA national tournaments.
MEAC
With an 11-3 conference record, Howard (19-12) is the men’s top seed and the top story at the MEAC Tournament.
Prior to this season, perhaps the biggest news at Howard for fourth-year head coach Kenny Blakeney had been the signing in July 2020 of 6-11 blue chipper Makur Maker. The relative failure of that signing (Makur played less than a hand full of games before being injured) however has not deterred Blakeney.
After leading Howard to its first winning campaign since 2001 at 16-13 in the 2021-22 season, Blakeney has done even more.
He has assembled a deep team that has stunned the MEAC competition. They posted two wins over two-time defending champion Norfolk State including a 20 point victory over the Spartans to close out the regular season.
Sophomore point guard Elijah Hawkins leads the Bison averaging a team-best 13.4 points per game while leading the league with 5.9 assists per game. The Bison will be looking to claim their first MEAC title and automatic NCAA tournament berth since 1992.
North Carolina Central (17- 11) won its last seven games to finish 10-4 in league play and grab the second seed. The Eagles are led by guard Justin Wright’s 16.0 ppg. Seven-foot center Brendan Medley-Bacon scores 12.1 ppg. and leads the MEAC at 2.0 blocks per game.
Norfolk State (20-10, 9-5), who dropped three of its last four games, is the third seed. Six-one senior guard Joe Bryant, the two- time defending player of the year and tournament MVP, averages 17.3 ppg., third in the league. Maryland Eastern Shore (17-12) also finished 9-5 in the conference and is the fourth seed. The Hawks are led by Zion Styles’ 11.6 ppg.
Norfolk State (23-6, 11-3) under eighth-year head coach Larry Vickers is the top women’s seed. The Lady Spartans finished with a one-game lead over fNo. 2 Morgan State (17-10) and No. 3 Howard (14-13) who both finished with 10-4 marks. N. C. Central (14- 15, 8-6) is the fourth seed.
SWAC
The men of Alcorn State (18- 12) and Grambling State (22-8) both finished with 15-3 conference records and as co-regular season champs.
Alcorn State and head coach Landon Bussey got the top seed in the SWAC mens’ tourney by virtue of its 63-60 win over GSU on Jan. 30 in their only meeting. Dominic Brewton leads five Braves’ double- figure scorers at 12.0 ppg.
Sixth-year Grambling’ head coach Dante’ Jackson features Camron Christon at 12.9 ppg.
Jackson State (13-18, 12- 6) is the third seed followed by Southern (15-16, 11-7).
Jackson State (20-8) finished out a 17-1 conference record to tournament. Tomekia Reed’s troops are led by Tilan Boler’s 12.7 ppg.
The next four seeds all finished with 10-6 conference marks – 2nd seed Alabama A&M, 3rd seed Alabama State, 4th seed Southern and 5th seed Prairie View A&M.
