After losing three member schools following the 2020-21 athletic year, MEAC basketball was left with only eight teams this season. Perhaps the reduction in numbers was a positive for the overall competitiveness of the conference. Only one team failed to win at least six games during the regular season. Last year’s tournament winner, Norfolk State, is the favorite to repeat after finishing on top of the MEAC basketball standings. Meanwhile, North Carolina Central also figures to be a contender to watch, especially given the program’s strong success recently in the tournament. The following contains the MEAC Tournament bracket and schedule, as well as a preview of what we can expect to see.
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MEAC Basketball Standings
| Team | Conf. Record | Overall Record | Seed |
| Norfolk State | 12-2 | 22-6 | 1 seed |
| Howard | 9-5 | 16-12 | 2 seed |
| North Carolina Central | 8-5 | 15-14 | 3 seed |
| Morgan State | 7-6 | 12-13 | 4 seed |
| South Carolina State | 7-7 | 15-15 | 5 seed |
| Maryland-Eastern Shore | 6-8 | 11-14 | 6 seed |
| Coppin State | 6-8 | 7-22 | 7 seed |
| Delaware State | 0-14 | 2-26 | 8 seed |
MEAC Tournament Schedule
Dates: March 9-12
TV Schedule: ESPN+ (Quarterfinals, Semifinals); ESPN2 (Championship Game)
Venue: Norfolk Scope — Norfolk, VA
Byes: None
Defending Champion: Norfolk State
MEAC Tournament Bracket
Quarterfinals
- (1) Norfolk State 74, (8) Delaware State 66
- (7) Coppin State 59, (2) Howard 57
- (3) North Carolina Central 68, (6) Maryland-Eastern Shore 56
- (4) Morgan State 80, (5) South Carolina State 77
Semifinals
- (1) Norfolk State 72, (4) Morgan State 63
- (7) Coppin State 79, (3) North Carolina Central 73
Championship
- (1) Norfolk State 72, (7) Coppin State 57
Norfolk State advances to NCAA Tournament
MEAC Conference Breakdown
After being the clear class of the field in last year’s MEAC Tournament bracket, Norfolk State appears to be in a great position to defend the throne. The Spartans won the regular-season championship by three full games over 2-seed Howard. Their only two losses in conference play came in road games at North Carolina Central and last year’s tournament runner-up, Morgan State. Speaking of 3-seed North Carolina Central, they won the MEAC basketball tournament three consecutive seasons from 2017-19. Norfolk State and NCCU are the only current MEAC members to win the tournament title within the past decade.
According to the College Basketball NET, the gap between top-seed Norfolk State and the rest of the MEAC Tournament bracket is significant. The Spartans were the only team in the conference to finish with a NET ranking inside the top-200 nationally. The next-closest team to Norfolk State at No. 150 was 2-seed Howard all the way down at No. 235. Half of the eight MEAC basketball programs actually finished outside of the top-300 in the NET.
The preseason conference poll correctly picked Norfolk State to finish atop the MEAC basketball standings. The Spartans received 10 of a possible 14 first-place votes before the season began and largely delivered on expectations. 2-seed Howard was actually one of the league’s biggest overachievers after only being picked to finish fifth. Meanwhile, 7-seed Coppin State fell short of a fourth-place predicted finish. The Eagles even received a single first-place vote, only to finish under .500 in regular-season play.
Team Stats | 2022 MEAC Basketball Tournament
(1) Norfolk State Spartans
Net Ranking: 150 (No. 1 in MEAC)
KenPom Overall Efficiency Ranking: 163 (No. 1 in MEAC)
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 103.3 (No. 187)
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 102.8 (No. 159)
Strength of Schedule Rating: -9.33 (No. 356)
(2) Howard Bison
Net Ranking: 235 (No. 2 in MEAC)
KenPom Overall Efficiency Ranking: 229 (No. 2 in MEAC)
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 102.0 (No. 205)
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 107.0 (No. 250)
Strength of Schedule Rating: -7.93 (No. 343)
(3) North Carolina Central Eagles
Net Ranking: 292 (No. 3 in MEAC)
KenPom Overall Efficiency Ranking: 288 (No. 3 in MEAC)
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 97.1 (No. 296)
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 107.7 (No. 258)
Strength of Schedule Rating: -5.06 (No. 279)
(4) Morgan State Bears
Net Ranking: 301 (No. 5 in MEAC)
KenPom Overall Efficiency Ranking: 293 (No. 4 in MEAC)
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 94.5 (No. 331)
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 105.3 (No. 212)
Strength of Schedule Rating: -6.87 (No. 321)
(5) South Carolina State Bulldogs
Net Ranking: 302 (No. 6 in MEAC)
KenPom Overall Efficiency Ranking: 307 (No. 7 in MEAC)
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 93.2 (No. 338)
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 105.6 (No. 217)
Strength of Schedule Rating: -7.83 (No. 341)
(6) Maryland-Eastern Shore Hawks
Net Ranking: 299 (No. 4 in MEAC)
KenPom Overall Efficiency Ranking: 301 (No. 5 in MEAC)
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 92.6 (No. 346)
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 104.5 (No. 199)
Strength of Schedule Rating: -5.12 (No. 281)
(7) Coppin State Eagles
Net Ranking: 311 (No. 7 in MEAC)
KenPom Overall Efficiency Ranking: 302 (No. 6 in MEAC)
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 92.8 (No. 341)
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 104.9 (No. 206)
Strength of Schedule Rating: -2.49 (No. 212)
(8) Delaware State Hornets
Net Ranking: 357 (No. 8 in MEAC)
KenPom Overall Efficiency Ranking: 356 (No. 8 in MEAC)
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 86.7 (No. 356)
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 111.7 (No. 324)
Strength of Schedule Rating: -5.91 (No. 305)
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