MEAC Basketball: Howards opens with a win against rival Hampton University

The new-look Howard Bison got off to a blazing offensive start in a 92-80 opening night win against traditional rival, The Hampton Pirates.

Howard Bison basketball hit the ground running on Monday night, with a resounding win against former MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) member and rival Hampton University. In what is the first of two inter-conference meetings between the two programs this season.

The 2023-24 edition of Howard Bison hoops arrives with a good deal of optimism after a record-breaking season that saw them win both the regular-season and tournament MEAC titles, and make the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1992. That success, combined with some extremely high profile pick-ups in recruiting and the transfer portal, have H.U. fans super-excited for the potential of a repeat of last year’s success.

If Monday night was any indication, the Bison are well on their collective way to making it back to the rarefied air of a conference title and beyond. Conversely, the Hampton Pirates are looking to start the slate clean for 2023-24, after a season to forget. Like Howard, the Pirates activity in recruiting and the transfer portal has gotten that fan base excited for the future.

Marcus Dockery and Tedrick Wilcox Jr. Impress

Maryland transfer Marcus Dockery really found his stride as the conference slate got started last year. Monday night he looked like he hadn’t missed a step, pouring in 21 points. forward Bryce Harris led 5 double-figure scorers for the Bison with 23 points. Hampton’s Tedrick Wilcox Jr. first game in a Pirate uniform was an explosive one, leading all scorers with 24 points and scoring in a myriad of ways. In a game that was pretty tight at times, Howard’s offensive marksmanship was on full display. The Bison went 9 for 18 from behind the 3-pt. arc (50%) and shot a crispy 80% from the charity stripe in a noticeably efficient offensive display.

The Pirates also showed flashes of some really explosive guard play for long stretches of the game. Dockery’s late-game perimeter accuracy, in particular, bodes well for a program that lost some pretty big offensive pieces from last year via the transfer portal in All-MEAC PG Elijah Hawkins (Minnesota) and Standout SF Steve Settle III (Temple). Hampton will look to grow the young depth that they have on the roster as the season progresses. Look for SF frosh Jerry Deng to get more burn in that lineup. He has the offensive and defensive tools to be a major part of that Pirate re-build going forward.

A Question of Depth

The Bison had a number of bodies on the bench in street clothes on Monday evening as well. Two of the more notable residents? Projected starting PG Jelani Williams and former All-Ivy League and Ivy League POY Seth Towns, whose story is a testament to determination when it comes to dealing with adversity. Another high-profile addition, Notre Dame transfer power forward Dom Campbell, is getting the opportunity to round into playing shape on the fly. In doing so, he’s shown flashes of being a real factor on the block. Hampton’s depth, on the other hand, was more of an unknown quantity coming into the season.

They also have their share of high-profile arrivals to the the program via the transfer portal in the aforementioned Tedrick Wilcox and Josh Lusane (Campbell), but it remains to be seen just what kind of identity those additions, as well as the incoming freshman class, will factor into Hampton’s final finished product on the floor. The pieces are there for a few Pirate surprises in the competitive (and newly minted) Coastal Athletic Association.

The Bison take their show on the road to Atlanta, GA on November 9th, to face the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets out of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Hampton Pirates are set to return home to the confines of the Hampton Convocation Center to play the Mid-Atlantic Christian Mustangs, with a meeting with crosstown rival and MEAC contender Norfolk State Spartans looming on the horizon on 11/13/23.