MEAC voters pick Hampton University

DSU's Roy Bright (#45) named MEAC Pre-Season Player of the Year.

By MARTY O'BRIEN, Daily Press

The men's team returns all five starters as coach Kevin Nickelberry heads into his second season.

Hampton University enters the 2007-08 men's basketball season as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference favorite. The Pirates were picked first in a poll of conference coaches and sports information directors released on Tuesday, with two-time defending regular season champion Delaware State second.

"I think, if anything, this is a rubber stamp of the progress we've made here," Pirates' coach Kevin Nickelberry said. "This shows that the program is heading in the direction I want it to go with respect to academics, recruiting and development of players.

"There's no way I thought this would happen after only one year. But the reality is, we still have to go out and win games."

Nickelberry guided the Pirates to a 15-16 record and third-place finish in his first season as the Pirates' coach. All five starters return from that team, including guard Rashad West, who won the MEAC scoring title last season with a 17.8 average.

West, a 6-foot-1 senior, was the lone Hampton player voted to the preseason all-conference team. Delaware State forward Roy Bright, who averaged 15.3 points last season, was selected the men's preseason Player of the Year.

Nickelberry said Tuesday that he signed point guard Jordan Brooks of C.H. Flowers High in Springdale, Md. just prior to the school year. Nickelberry said that Brooks might start at the point this season because signee Chris Tolson of Laurel High did not qualify academically.

Like Tolson, Brooks earned a spot on the Washington Post All-Met third team last season. Brooks averaged more than 20 points per game in leading Flowers to the Maryland 4-A South regional final. He also started at point guard on the D.C. Assault AAU team that featured Kansas State signee Mike Beasley, the top recruit nationally last year.

"Jordan is one of those little guys (5-foot-7) who makes it hard for people to get the ball up court and who knows how to get the ball to people," Nickelberry said. "We were lucky to be able to get him to replace Chris Tolson."

Kwame Morgan, a first team Washington Post All-Met selection, also will sit out this season because he did not qualify. He averaged 27.5 points last season for Maryland 3-A semifinalist Largo.

They are the first players to sit out for any reason during Nickelberry's tenure. All of Hampton's players and recruits were academically eligible both semesters last season.

MEAC coaches picked Hampton's women's team to finish fifth. Defending regular season champion Coppin State is the women's preseason favorite.

Below is the predicted order of finish for the MEAC.

MEN

1-Hampton, 2-Delaware State, 3-North Carolina A&T, 4-Morgan State, 5-Florida A&M, 6-Bethune-Cookman, 7-South Carolina State, 8-Coppin State, 9-Norfolk State, 10-Howard, 11-Maryland-Eastern Shore.

WOMEN

1-Coppin State, 2-Delaware State, 3-Morgan State, 4-North Carolina A&T, 5-Hampton, 6-Florida A&M, 7-Maryland-Eastern Shore, 8-Howard, 9-South Carolina State, 10-Norfolk State, 11-Bethune-Cookman.