NCAA Basketball: Predicted Winners of last 17 Conference Tournaments of 2023-24
By Bryan Mauro
MEAC
Dates: March 13th – 16th
Location: Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, VA
Top Seed: Norfolk State Spartans
Winner: Norfolk State Spartans
It is hard to pick against Norfolk State to win the MEAC because they have been the best team in the MEAC for a long time. Head coach Robert Jones did a fantastic job with this version of the Spartans because they lost so much from the previous year but here, they are again regular season champs and looking for their 3rd NCAA tournament appearance in 4 seasons. The Spartans have perfected their style of play. They play a slow half court game on both sides of the floor and force a lot of turnovers which gives them easy baskets in transition.
Norfolk State is another team that doesn’t shoot a high volume of threes but they will make enough to force you to play defense on the perimeter on them. Jamarii Thomas is one of the best players in the MEAC and is a matchup problem for most of the league. The Spartans will be a 16 seed but should win this tournament easily.
Sleeper: Delaware State Hornets
The very same Delaware State who is often one of the worst teams in the country has a chance to make the NCAA tournament this year. The Hornets have surprised under head coach Stan Waterman and find themselves in the ultimate sleeper position. The offense has three guys who all can get to the rim and score with relative ease. The Hornets get fouled a lot, get a ton of steals to get out in transition for their baskets. They don’t have as much depth or overall talent as the top teams in the league, but they are well coached, and they won’t get blown out. Keeping a game close will always give you a chance in a league tournament.