South Carolina State University

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.—South Carolina State Bulldogs for the second-straight year was predicted to finish second behind Morgan State in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference race, the league announced.

       Morgan State received 20 first place votes and totaled 476 points to garner the league’s top position, while South Carolina State earned 388 total points. Norfolk State’s Michael DeLoach was selected as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s (MEAC) men’s basketball Preseason Player of the Year.         

           DeLoach led the MEAC in scoring last season averaging 21.5 points, ranking 15^th in the nation.  He led the Spartans to their first MEAC tournament finals, playing all 40 minutes of the game, and recording 30 points including 12-of-13 free-throws.  Last year DeLoach was named to the All-MEAC First Team, the MEAC All-Tournament Team and was a Second Team National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District selection.

           Morgan State led by the conference’s back-to-back Coach of the Year Todd Bozeman, the Bears was crowned tournament champions and earned their second straight regular season title last year with a 13-3 MEAC record and 23-12 overall mark.  MSU recorded several notable wins last season including victories over Marshall (72-67), DePaul (79-75), and Maryland (66-65).  The Bears also knocked off the Towson Tigers in their first-ever appearance in ESPNU’s BracketBusters. 

        South Carolina State finished the 2008-09 season second in MEAC standings with a 10-6 conference record and 17-14 overall finish. Norfolk State was predicted to finish third while Hampton was selected to finish fourth.  Bethune-Cookman was picked fifth and North Carolina A&T State have been slated to finish sixth.  Coppin State (7^th), Florida A&M (8^th), Delaware State (9^th), Howard (10^th) and Maryland Eastern Shore (11^th) round out the 2009-10 preseason poll.

         Joining DeLoach on the Preseason All-MEAC First Team are Reggie Holmes (Morgan State), Jason Flager (South Carolina State), Neal Pitt (Maryland Eastern Shore), and Sam Coleman (Coppin State).

         The preseason poll and all-conference team selections are voted on by the MEAC’s head men’s basketball coaches and sports information directors.

          The 2009-10 season tips off on Friday, November 13 with eight MEAC men’s teams in action.  The conference schedule gets underway on December 5 with five conference games.  Defending champs Morgan State will face off against local foe Coppin State in their conference opener.

The 2010 MEAC Basketball Tournament tips off March 8-13 at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C. For more information about the MEAC and its sponsored sports, log on to www.MEACsports.com.

2009-10 Men’s Basketball Preseason Predicted Order of Finish
As voted on by the Conference’s Head Men’s Basketball
Coaches and Sports Information Directors
(First-Place Votes in Parenthesis)

School                                                                         Points.

1.  Morgan State (20).................................................... 476 pts.

2.  South Carolina State..............................................388 pts.

3.  Norfolk State............................................................ 310 pts.

4.  Hampton (1)............................................................. 305 pts.

5.  Bethune-Cookman.................................................... 292 pts.

6.  North Carolina A&T..................................................258 pts.

7.  Coppin State................................................................234 pts.

8.  Florida A&M (1)........................................................154 pts.

9.  Delaware State........................................................ …134 pts.

10. Howard...................................................................... 104 pts.

11. Maryland Eastern Shore.............................................. 88 pts.

2009-10 Preseason All-MEAC Team

(As voted on by the Conference’s Head Coaches

and Sports Information Directors)

First Team

Name                        School                  Pos  Ht.     Wt.    Cl.        Hometown
Michael DeLoach          Norfolk State                   G          6-0       175       Sr.        Rocky Mount, N.C.
Reggie Holmes              Morgan State                   G          6-4       180       Sr.        Baltimore, Md.
Jason Flagler                SC State                          G/F      6-4       185       Sr.        Woodbridge, Va.
Neal Pitt                          UMES                                  F           6-6       230      Sr.        Fort Washington, Md.
Sam Coleman                  Coppin State                      C          6-10      212       Jr.         Baltimore, Md.

Second Team
Name                       School                       Pos     Ht.   Wt.     Cl.        Hometown
C.J. Reed                       Bethune-Cookman                   G           6-3       175       So.        Daytona Beach, Fla.
Vincent Simpson          Hampton                                    G          6-1       170       Sr.        Philadelphia, Pa.
Michael Harper            Coppin State                           G/F          6-4       195       So.        Milwaukee, Wis.
Kevin Thompson         Morgan State                             F          6-8       240       So.        Baltimore, Md.
Paul Kirkpatrick           Howard                                         C          6-9       220       Sr.        Randallstown, Md.

-00-