CBB Review prepares you for every conference tournament leading up to Selection Sunday on Mar. 16. Up next: The MEAC Tournament.
The MEAC tournament has been dominated by Howard, Norfolk State, and North Carolina Central in the past decade. One member of that trio has won the tournament every year since 2017. But new opportunities could arise this week for South Carolina State and Delaware State, who both tallied winning records in conference games this season. The Bulldogs grabbed a share of the regular season title, their first time doing it since 2004. A tournament win would give Orangeburg their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2003.
2025 MEAC Conference Awards
Player of the Year: Blake Harper, Howard
Freshman of the Year: Blake Harper, Howard
Transfer of the Year: Brian Moore Jr., Norfolk State
Coach of the Year: Erik Martin, South Carolina State
First Team:
- G: Kameron Hobbs, Morgan State (16.1 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.5 APG, 84.3 FT%)
- G: Martaz Robinson, Delaware State (16.2 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.8 SPG)
- G: Brian Moore Jr., Norfolk State (19.0 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.1 APG, 42.2 3PT%)
- G: Ketron Shaw, UMES (18.0 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 3.1 APG)
- F: Blake Harper, Howard (19.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 3.5 APG, 40.8 3PT%)
Second Team:
- G: Robert Smith, Delaware State (18.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.5 SPG)
- G: Marcus Dockery, Howard (16.4 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 2.0 APG)
- G: Po’Boigh King, North Carolina Central (16.5 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.2 SPG)
- F: Will Thomas, Morgan State (14.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.0 SPG)
- F: Drayton Jones, South Carolina State (13.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.5 BPG)
2025 MEAC Tournament Simulation
Quarterfinals Day One – Wed., Mar. 12
1. Norfolk State (21-10, 11-3) vs. 8. Maryland Eastern Shore (6-24, 2-12)Â – 6 p.m. EST on ESPN+
Norfolk State, perennial MEAC contender, dispatched UMES by double digits in both meetings between the two teams. Murray State transfer Brian Moore Jr. has been a revelation for the Spartans, as he stepped right into the shoes left by Jamarii Thomas.
The Hawks have visibly improved late in the season, and Ketron Shaw has done everything in his power to will UMES to their wins this year. But he was bottled up last time against the Spartans (six points) and the Hawks don’t have the depth to compete with one of best defenses in the MEAC.
George’s pick: 1. Norfolk State
2. South Carolina State (18-12, 11-3) vs. 7. Coppin State (6-23, 4-10) – 8 p.m. EST on ESPN+
South Carolina State has improved every year under coach Erik Martin, who took home hardware as the conference’s Coach of the Year in 2025. Playing a very deep roster, (10 players average between 13-24 MPG) the Bulldogs have been the hottest team in the conference lately. They’ve won eight in a row, including a 30-point victory over Coppin State in which they dished out 23 assists and forced 23 turnovers from the Eagles.
Coppin State finished the year with a respectable overtime victory over Morgan State in Baltimore. And they’ve got Toby Nnadozie, who’s averaging 3.0 SPG in his past 11 games. But the Bulldogs have shown that they’re in a class with Norfolk State above the rest of the league, and they’ll show that again against Coppin State.
George’s pick: 2. South Carolina State
Quarterfinals Day Two – Thur., Mar. 13
4. Howard (12-19, 7-7) vs. 5. Morgan State (13-17, 7-7) – 6 p.m. EST on ESPN+
Howard has represented the MEAC in the past two NCAA tournaments. However, they took a step back this season, posting a .500 conference record and losing their last four games to end the year. But they’ve still had Morgan State’s number, sweeping the season series with big games from the Conference Player of the Year Blake Harper.
Harper, just a freshman, paced the MEAC with 19.3 PPG, and is in the top four in the conference in points, rebounds, and assists. Though Morgan State has the electric Kameron Hobbs, the Bears as a team have not shown the ability to beat the Bison. (They’re 0-4 in their past four attempts.) Until that happens, Howard and Harper get the nod.
George’s pick: 4. Howard
3. Delaware State (16-13, 8-6) vs. 6. North Carolina Central (13-18, 6-8) – 8 p.m. EST on ESPN+
Big shoutout to DSU. The Hornets posted their first winning record in MEAC games since the 2014-15 season. That partially is due to a three-headed offensive attack of Robert Smith, Martaz Robinson, and Kaseem Watson. That trio has averaged a combined 50.2 PPG this season, or 63.8% of the team’s total offensive output. The Hornets don’t commit many turnovers, the force them on the other end, and they rebound well. What else can you ask for?
For starters, the ability to stop Po’Boigh King. The junior guard from NC Central is averaging 24.0 PPG against DSU in two games against them this season. The 6’4″ King has scored in double figures in every game dating back to December, and he’s had the Hornets’ number. This game could go either way, but we lean towards the Eagles.
George’s pick: 6. North Carolina Central
Semifinals – Fri., Mar. 14
1. Norfolk State vs. 4. Howard – 6 p.m. on ESPN+
Norfolk State and Howard, a rematch of last season’s 1 v. 4 seed semifinal in the MEAC tournament. Last year, the Bison upset the Spartans behind a big game from Marcus Dockery. But flipping back to the most recent time these two teams faced off, the end result was different. The Spartans came into D.C. last Thursday and left with a double-digit road win. Expect the same to happen when these teams meet in the postseason, behind a big day from Brian Moore Jr. and Company.
George’s pick: 1. Norfolk State
2. South Carolina State vs. 6. North Carolina Central – 8 p.m. on ESPN+
A loss to NC Central is far behind the Bulldogs. Sitting at 3-2 in MEAC games after falling to the Eagles in January, South Carolina State is now 11-3 vs. conference opponents, including an 87-71 victory over the Eagles in Orangeburg just last week. Omar Croskey went off for 26 points, but the danger with the Bulldogs is that any of the team’s players could go for 26, whether it’s Croskey, Drayton Jones, Davion Everett, Mitchell Taylor, or another Bulldog.
NC Central is catching the Bulldogs at the wrong time. If they can get to the line consistently, the Eagles could surprise, but otherwise, we’re inclined to go with the hottest team in the MEAC.
George’s pick: 2. South Carolina State
Championship – Sat., Mar. 15
1. Norfolk State vs. 2. South Carolina State – 1 p.m. EST, ESPN2
The rematch we’ve all been waiting for. On March 1, the Bulldogs and Spartans played to an instant classic, a 91-88 game that ended up going to the home team, SC State. Brain Moore Jr. had a game, of course, scoring a game-high 27. But it was Omar Croskey’s late points that put the Bulldogs ahead with seconds to go that made the difference.
Expect another high-quality game from the MEAC’s best two teams. (Not only are the Bulldogs and Spartans the only conference teams in the top 200 in KenPom, but they’re the only MEAC teams in the top 300 as well.) It could go either way, but South Carolina State is playing the best basketball in the MEAC right now, coming off of their eight-game winning streak to end the season. The Bulldogs clinch the title and go to the dance for the first time in over 20 years.
George’s pick: 2. South Carolina State