MEAC Basketball: Preseason rankings for 2018-19

4. Norfolk State Spartans

Head coach Rob Jones and the Norfolk State Spartans had an interesting start to the 2017-18 season. The Spartans began the season 2-12 before turning things around in MEAC play. They finished the year with a 14-19 record and 11-5 in conference play.

Norfolk State finished the season with a 9-2 record in conference play, elevating their status in the conference. They return their top two scorers from a season ago in Steven Whitley and Alex Long. Whitley put up 12.2 points per game during his sophomore season while Long produced 10.5 points per contest.

Senior guard Kyle Williams is gone, but don’t sleep on freshman point guard Joe Bryant Jr. Bryant, a local product from Lake Taylor High School, led his squad to its first state title in school history behind a 25-1 overall record as a high school senior. He’s a big guard with knack for getting to the rim. He’ll need to improve his outside shot, but he’s got experience around him to help him along.

Outside of newcomers, the Spartans return five players with tons of experience from their 2017-18 rotation. They should be a tough team to be in the MEAC during the 2018-19 season, barring injury.