With championships come expectations.
Defending MEAC title winner Norfolk State was picked to finish first in the league’s men’s preseason poll, the MEAC announced Thursday.
The Spartans, who reached the NCAA Tournament and knocked off Appalachian State in the First Four last season, received 10 of a possible 16 first-place votes. NSU finished with 119 points in the voting, conducted among the league’s head coaches and sports information directors. Morgan State finished second with 99 points.
Spartans coach Robert Jones said he was a little surprised at receiving the top pick after losing four starters.
“We appreciate the respect,” Jones said. “But at the same time, we’re not the most talented team in the league. If we would’ve had that whole team come back, I could definitely see why we would’ve been picked preseason 1.
“That was cute, picking us No. 1.”
Spartans senior guard Joe Bryant, a former star at Lake Taylor High, was named preseason first-team All-MEAC. Senior guard Jalen Hawkins was named to the second team.
Morgan State junior guard De’Torrion Ware was named the preseason Player of the Year.
NSU went 17-8 overall and 8-4 in the MEAC last season. The Spartans lost to top overall seed Gonzaga in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
NSU’s women, who went 5-9 overall and 3-5 in the MEAC, last season, were picked to finish third. Spartans guard Armani Franklin, from Hampton High, was named second-team All-MEAC.
The women’s non-conference schedule includes games at Campbell, Ohio State, Indiana, George Mason, Old Dominion and William & Mary.
“I didn’t do them any favors with our non-conference schedule at all,” sixth-year coach Larry Vickers said. “The month of November might be a little tough for us.”
Perennial men’s power North Carolina Central, whose 2020-21 season was derailed by a host of COVID-19 issues, was picked to finish third. Not that veteran coach LeVelle Moton cares.
“It don’t matter where you start in this league,” Moton said. “It matters where you finish. And truth be told, at the end of the day, no one remembers the preseason projections. It’s only going to be one team standing. I think the preseason is cute for discussion until they throw the ball up on Nov. 9, and then everybody’s worried about who’s going to the postseason.”
Both NSU teams open with a women’s-men’s doubleheader on Nov. 9. The women will face Chowan before the men play Bridgewater at Echols Hall.
David Hall, david.hall@pilotonline.com
