MEAC primer

A team-by-team glance at the MEAC heading into the 2007-08 season.

Bethune-Cookman

Strengths: There's a lot of athleticism on the Wildcats roster, with a number of players who can both mix it up on the interior and play on the perimeter. Swingman Jimmy Hudson is the leading returning scorer at 11.0 points a game, so he'll be counted on to take clutch shots, but there are a number of players who are capable of getting hot on any particular night.

Weaknesses: Size isn't plentiful on the Wildcats squad, so rebounding must be a team effort. With only two players over 6-4, B-C will struggle against taller teams that have a consistent post threat. Coach Clifford Reed Jr. will try to make up for that with a swarming defense that can double- and triple-team in the paint.

Scouting the newcomers: Three JUCO transfers will be counted on to make an immediate impact: 6-5 forward John Holmes, 6-3 forward Tobias Mahone and 6-5 guard Dominique Whatley. Holmes and Whatley will immediately be put into the starting lineup to hopefully give the Wildcats more height and ability in the paint, although both can play just as well on the perimeter. Mahone will be one of the first players off the bench as coach Reed tries to use his depth to his advantage.

Coppin State

Strengths: Experience is a big key for the Eagles, who return eight letterwinners from last year's squad. Senior Tywain McKee will be a key player for the Eagles, but he needs at least some help so opponents don't focus on shutting him down.

Weaknesses: The Eagles had trouble stopping opponents from scoring a year ago, giving up 70 points a night. Until there is some more attention to stopping the opposition, CSU will struggle to pile up wins.

Scouting the newcomers: The Eagles get a quick player with the ball in 5-11 freshman Vincent Goldsberry, who should get a chance to push the offense into another gear off the bench. A'Daeron Duncan is a junior forward who should contribute in the frontcourt rotation.

Delaware State

Strengths: Roy Bright and Joe Dickens give the Hornets a solid interior duo with experience. Bright will garner a lot of double-teams, but he has the strength to deal with it and still get his numbers.

Weaknesses: A lack of experience is going to be hard for the Hornets to overcome. New faces will need to contribute immediately, but it likely won't be enough to help DSU deal with all the losses from last year.

Scouting the newcomers: Point guard Trevor Welcher will get his chance to play early on, especially if he can push the ball to keep the Hornets running. Forward Matt Washington will provide some depth in the frontcourt.

Florida A&M

Strengths: With two returning starters in the backcourt in Leslie Robinson and Ernest Maul, guard play will be the best area for the Rattlers. A&M will rely on the two seniors to act as leaders both on and off the court.

Weaknesses: The lack of experience is going to be hard for the Rattlers to overcome since coach Eugene Harris is just a few weeks on the job. Harris could use a veteran squad to help him through his first year, but he'll have to do without that.

Scouting the newcomers: Forwards Vince Mosley, Roderick Green and Oliver Prince will all get a chance to play roles for the Rattlers, who have only 11 scholarship players on the team this year.

Hampton

Strengths: The Pirates have experience all over the floor, rather than just one position being a strength. Ball-handling is strong, with both Rashad West and Vinny Simpson able to lead the way from the point.

Weaknesses: Hampton will need to learn how to play as a favorite instead of as an underdog. Being the preseason pick to win the league means every other team in the MEAC will be gunning for the Pirates, so they'd better be ready for everyone's best shot.

Scouting the newcomers: Coach Kevin Nickelberry brought in a bunch of big players to help improve the Pirates' frontcourt. Milade Lola-Charles and Oluwaseyi Oseni, a pair of 6-10 centers, should give Hampton a different look up front. A pair of 6-0 guards, Christopher Tolson and Brandon Tunnell, will provide depth in the backcourt.

Howard

Strengths: Experience was gained throughout the roster last year, so even though the Bison are young, they're also a group that is used to the MEAC wars. Junior Eugene Myatt should take back the role of go-to guy for Howard, with his versatile inside-outside game that allows him to score all over the floor.

Weaknesses: That same youth that may help the Bison could also hurt it. Howard's only big men are either sophomores or freshmen, so even if they have experience, they might not be developed enough to stand up to some of the MEAC's better big men.

Scouting the newcomers: With three of last year's top four scorers gone, the Bison will need some of the newcomers to step up and contribute off the bench. Five freshmen come in, and all five have a chance to play early on in coach Gil Jackson's up-tempo scheme.

Maryland-Eastern Shore

Strengths: The Hawks have a lot of depth in the backcourt, with three returning guards and four point guards coming in as newcomers to the squad. UMES needs to make up for the loss of Jesse Brooks in the backcourt, but coach Meredith Smith should have plenty of options to choose from.

Weaknesses: Scoring could be a problem, especially in the early going, as Ed Tyson is the only returning double-figure scorer. The other returnees had a combined scoring average of 10.9 points a contest. Some of the newcomers need to step into scoring roles early on to keep the Hawks in contention in the non-conference portion of the schedule.

Scouting the newcomers: Redshirt freshman Ahmad Nicholson could make an impact for the Hawks after spending his first year on campus as an observer. Also looked at as a possible important cog in his first year is freshman forward Ishmawiyl McFadden, who will provide some solid size in the paint.

Morgan State

Strengths: The Bears have experience all over the court rather than just being strong in one area. The defense really improved the first year under coach Todd Bozeman, and it should be even better with the experience the team gained in their first year under the former Cal head man. Although there are a lot of experienced players, senior Jamar Smith is the man the Bears go to when they need a bucket in crunch time.

Weaknesses: Morgan State loves to run, but sometimes the athleticism that can make big plays for the Bears can also get them into trouble, causing too many turnovers when the team tries to make the spectacular play. Bozeman is going to try to slow things down at times and avoid those kind of bad runs, but he doesn't want to rein in the Bears too much either.

Scouting the newcomers: The Bears add a versatile forward in 6-6 junior Marquise Kately, a transfer from California who was named to the Pac-10 All-Freshman team. Kately's athleticism will fit in well with the Bears' up-tempo game. Also adding to MSU's depth is freshmen Kevin Thompson, a 6-8 forward, and Ameer Ali, a 6-5 wing player. Both players averaged double-doubles last season and will be counted on to contribute to the team in their first season in Baltimore.

Norfolk State

Strengths: The backcourt is stocked with a pair of seniors in Tony Murphy and Rashid Cann. The duo will help lead the team both on and off the court. There is quite a bit of experience, with 10 players returning from last year.

Weaknesses: The uncertainty with coach Anthony Evans could cause distractions for the team. The Spartans need to work on hitting the boards after losing their top two board men from 2006-07.

Scouting the newcomers: Jeremy Banks and James Williams are both 6-2 guards that should be able to step into the rotation by midseason and contribute.

North Carolina A&T

Strengths: There is plenty of talent and experience on the Aggies squad, and with nine returning letterwinners, there is definitely chemistry as well. Steven Rush will have the ball a lot in clutch situations, but he has plenty of options when he decides to pass the ball as well.

Weaknesses: After losing two starters on the wing, the Aggies will need to find some players to step into the starting roles. The Aggies are also going to have to get used to being the hunted and not the hunters. Other teams in the MEAC know how talented the Aggies are, so they'll be bringing their best every time out.

Scouting the newcomers: The Aggies are bringing in some big front-line players in 6-7 Ed Jones, 6-8 Thomas Coleman and 6-8 Kam Shepherd. Coach Jerry Eaves is hoping to use one or two of the new big men in the frontcourt rotation.

South Carolina State

Strengths: The starting lineup has plenty of experience, with players that have been through three coaches in three years. The Bulldogs will look to Derrick Davis to be the individual leader on the court, with Davis' scoring ability likely to see him score even more as a senior.

Weaknesses: Depth could be a problem for the Bulldogs if the newcomers to the team can't step into significant roles. SC State has seven newcomers on the roster and some are going to have to play big minutes to help the Bulldogs.

Scouting the newcomers: Coach Tim Carter is extremely excited about the arrival of big man Jason Johnson, who should give the Bulldogs another big man for the rotation. Davis Cobb, a 6-7 forward, and Everett Spencer, a 6-6 swingman, are both expected to play early on.