Busting Brackets
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MEAC Basketball Tournament: NC Central looking for 3rd straight title

By Daniel Benjamin

Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images /
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DAYTON, OH – MARCH 15: Ron Trapps (R) #33 of the North Carolina Central Eagles reacts after being defeated by the UC Davis Aggies 67-63 in the First Four game in the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 15, 2017 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DAYTON, OH – MARCH 15: Ron Trapps (R) #33 of the North Carolina Central Eagles reacts after being defeated by the UC Davis Aggies 67-63 in the First Four game in the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 15, 2017 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

The 2019 MEAC Basketball Tournament will get underway March 11 in Norfolk, Virginia. Who’s the favorite to win and get the automatic bid?

The 2019 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament will have a different feel than in the past with just 11 teams participating as a result of Hampton’s departure to the Big South as well as Floria A&M being ineligible due to APR violations.

Howard had been one of the best team in the conference for the past several years with the Pirates claiming a pair of tournament crowns while making three appearances in the championship game over the previous four seasons. Hampton, which won the conference tournament six times overall, also captured two regular season banners during this period. Meanwhile, FAMU (12-19, 9-7) had its most successful season in five years. The Rattlers have four MEAC Tournament titles to its credit, but none since 2007.

With Hampton out of the picture, there will be opportunities for teams that have not been relevant in the past few seasons to make a statement. One of those teams is Norfork State. The Spartans (14-2) are the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament for the first time since claiming their only other regular-season title in 2013. While the Spartans are 72-24 in MEAC play under sixth-year coach Robert Jones, the 14 league wins are the team’s most victories during his tenure.

North Carolina A&T (13-3) finished just a game behind Norfolk State and is the second seed, which is their highest tournament seed in a while according to the MEAC. North Carolina Central and Howard tied for third place with a 10-6 record, but the Eagles defeated the Bison in their lone matchup. Preseason favorite Bethune-Cookman is the fifth seed after posting a 9-7 record.

Savannah State (8-8) is the sixth seed followed by Coppin State (7-9), Maryland-Eastern Shore (5-11) and South Carolina State (5-11). 10th-seed Morgan State and 11th-seed Delaware State (2-14).