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MEAC Basketball: Early observations and takeaways of 2020-21 season

By Herbert Seward III

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: The MEAC logo on the floor before a college basketball game between the Yale Bulldogs and the Howard Bison at Burr Gymnasium on January 20, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: The MEAC logo on the floor before a college basketball game between the Yale Bulldogs and the Howard Bison at Burr Gymnasium on January 20, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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MEAC Basketball
C.J. Keyser 201125 Nc Central Iowa Mbb 018 Jpg /

Players to watch

Maybe more than other mid-major conferences, transfers have been a lynchpin for the competitive growth of the MEAC. This year has had a slightly different spin, but transfers have had a HUGE impact on the overall quality of play in the league early this season. There are some old heads mixed in with MEAC newcomers that have made waves before league play, though. Here are some players to watch going forward.

CJ Keyser – NCCU

North Carolina Central and MEAC fans alike wondered how LeVelle Moton was going to replace the scoring punch MEAC player of the year Jibri Blount took with him upon graduation. Turns out that he didn’t have to look very far.

CJ Keyser’s early-season output has him standing at a sizzling 21.5 points a game and looking like one of the most explosive scorers not only in the MEAC but among all mid-majors in college hoops this season. Keyser has been an iso nightmare for defenders so far this year as part of a deep guard rotation for the Eagles. Look for him to continue his knack for scoring in bunches as the league really gets in gear.

Anthony Tarke – Coppin State

Simply put, Anthony Tarke is going to be a problem for MEAC defenses to cope with one on one. He’s averaging 17.2 points a game and has looked almost unstoppable at times so far, scoring 22 points on the road at Duke and dropping 33 points at home against UNC-Greensboro.

His addition has really added bite to Coppin State’s perimeter-oriented attack when everything is executed well. It’s going to be interesting to see what defensive adjustments league opponents are going to make to neutralize his offensive potential as MEAC play gets started.

Troy Baxter, Lagio Grantsaan, and Malik Miller – Morgan State

This represents over 60% of Morgan State’s starting lineup at 18.7, 15.0, and 14.3 points per game respectively. There’s another double-figure scorer in 6th man De’Torrion Ware at 11.7 points a game, but the aforementioned trio may just be the best in the conference.

Grantsaan, in particular, can make the Bears a CLEAR-CUT favorite for the league title if he can replicate performances like the 22-point outing he had against Iona. If the Bears do climb to the top of the MEAC mountain, the trio of Baxter, Grantsaan, and Miller will be instrumental in getting them there.

Other players of note: Tim Settle (Howard University, MEAC Freshman of the Week), MJ Randolph (FAMU), Kameron Langley (North Carolina A&T, MEAC Defensive Player of the Week) Jordan Perkins (NCCU)