Busting Brackets
Fansided

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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LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 17: Thomas Welsh #40 of the UCLA Bruins and Damani Applewhite #35 of the South Carolina State Bulldogs battle for a rebound in the game at Pauley Pavilion on November 17, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 17: Thomas Welsh #40 of the UCLA Bruins and Damani Applewhite #35 of the South Carolina State Bulldogs battle for a rebound in the game at Pauley Pavilion on November 17, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

Players to watch

RJ Cole, Howard: The 6’1″ point guard is already one of the top players in MEAC history, and this is only his second collegiate year. The sophomore, who led the league in several categories as a freshman, is averaging 21.7 points along with 3.8 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.8 steals a game. He once again leads the MEAC in most offensive categories and has improved his field goal and 3-point percentage.

The 2019 MEAC Player of the Year has scored in double-figures in each of his 31 games this year, topping the 20-point mark 20 times. Cole ranks 18th in the nation in assists per game, eighth in the nation in free throw attempts and free throws made, 16th in total assists, 29th in points per game and 23rd in total points scored.

Damani Applewhite, South Carolina State: The bouncy 6’8″ junior wing is a good shooter and takes good shots. He is also a very good rebounder and is excellent at getting to the free throw line. Applewhite is averaging 16.9 points along with 7.3 rebounds (2.5 offensive) while shooting 51.1% from the field.

Cletrell Pope, Bethune-Cookman: The athletic 6’9″ forward is league’s top post player and conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. Pope produced 20 double-doubles and was the only player in the MEAC to average a double-double for the season with 13.9 points and 12.1 caroms as well as 1.3 bocks. He is excellent on the offensive glass, hauling in an NCAA-high 4.5 a game to go along with 7.9 defensive boards — which ranks 13th in the nation. Pope is also among the tops in the nation in field-goal percentage (15th), rebounds per game (third) and he is fifth in total rebounds per game.

Charles Williams, Howard: The 6-foot-6 wing can light up the scoreboard. He can score on all three levels and is a good streaky shooter. Williams, the league’s second-leading scorer, reached double-figures in 28 of 30 and topped the 20-point mark on 12 occasions. The Richmond (VA) native is producing 18.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.9 treys while shooting 48.3% from the floor and 37.3% from beyond the arc.