There are many roads leading to the Final Four, and one of them is in Norfolk, Va. Beginning March 12, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s (MEAC) eight women’s and eight men’s teams will battle for the two automatic NCAA bids, which goes to the respective winners on March 15.
“We are in a one-bid league. We have to handle business,” declared Norfolk State WBB Coach Larry Vickers. His Spartans went unbeaten in conference play (14-0) for the first time in league history since 2018-19, and is favored to win the tournament title.
At first glance, both Norfolk State teams would be shoo-ins to the finals because they are essentially playing at home, the downtown Norfolk Scope Arena.
“I think playing at the Scope has its plusses and minuses… There also are distractions,” Norfolk State MBB Assistant Coach Gilbert Brown told reporters, including the MSR, during the March 5 bi-weekly basketball coaches video conference.
Added Vickers, “I think there’s the most beneficial part of it not having to travel. The thing about being in Norfolk is my team goes to classes — they don’t give us MEAC tournament off.”
Two Minneapolis natives are in this year’s tournament: Norfolk State’s Kierra Wheeler and Howard’s Joshua Strong.
Wheeler this season has garnered six Defensive Player of the Week honors and multiple times is listed among the league’s weekly top performers.
A walk-on after graduating from Minnesota Duluth, Strong was voted a co-captain by his Howard teammates this season. He is the only Division I active player in law school, now in his second year.
“He’s a big part of our team,” said Howard MBB Coach Kenneth Blakeney of Strong. “He absolutely is killing it in law school right now. I’m just so proud of him on and off the court.”
Other players to watch: WBB – Diamond Johnson (Norfolk St.), Ericka Huggins (Delaware St), Laila Lawrence and Angel Jones (Coppin St), and Destiny Howell, Zennia Thomas, and Saniyah King (Howard).
MBB – Blake Harper (Howard), who is leading the MEAC in scoring and second in rebounding and is being projected as the league’s top freshman and possibly top player when the individual honors are handed out.
According to his coach, Harper played behind several stars on his high school team last season. “Twelve months ago, he was coming off the bench at Gonzaga High School here in Washington, D.C.,” continued Blakeney. “To see his transformation from then to now, and how hard he’s worked, as well as how he’s playing, he’s an even better young man.”
“The game is so new to him, so fresh. He had to fight and earn opportunities,” noted Blakeney. “I’m proud of how he handles success. He should be player of the year.”
Here are the tournament pairings:
WBB – No. 1 Norfolk State vs. No. 8 South Carolina State, Friday, March 12, 12 noon local time; No. 2 Howard vs. No. 7 Delaware St. immediately following game one. Thursday, March 13 – No. 4 Coppin St. vs. No. 5 North Carolina Central; No. 3 Maryland Eastern Shore vs. No. 6 Morgan State — game times at 12 noon and 2 pm local time.
Semifinals are scheduled on Friday and the title game on Saturday.
MBB – No. 1 Norfolk St vs. No. 8 Maryland Eastern Shore, Wednesday, March 12, 6 pm local time; No. 2 South Carolina State vs. No. 7 Coppin State immediately after the first game. Thursday, March 13 – No. 3 Delaware St vs. No. 6 North Carolina Central, 6 pm local time; No. 4 Howard vs. No. 5 Morgan St immediately after the first game.
Semifinals are scheduled for Friday and the championship game on Saturday.
Finally…
Macalester senior Peyton Starks was voted the MIAC Offensive Player of the Year. The St. Louis native is the first Macalester to receive an individual MIAC Player of the Year award, and she is among 76 women’s basketball players in recorded MIAC history to be named to at least three All-Conference teams.
Charles Hallman welcomes reader comments to challman@spokesman-recorder.com.