The MEAC Men's Basketball Tournament (popularly known as the MEAC Tournament) is the conference championship tournament in basketball for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). The tournament has been held every year since 1972. It is a single-elimination tournament and seeding is based on regular season records. The winner, declared conference champion, receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA men's basketball tournament.
History
During the first 17 years of the MEAC Tournament, the Aggies of North Carolina A&T dominated the field; winning multiple titles from 1972 to 1988, including a run of seven straight tournament titles from 1982 to 1988 under coach Don Corbett.[1] The Aggies currently lead the conference with a total of 15 conference titles. Through the 1970s and ‘80s, the conference witnessed several different tournament champions. The Eagles of Coppin State University won three titles during the 1990s (1990, 1993 and 1997) and earned seven No. 1 seeds. CSU Coach Ron “Fang” Mitchell also won six MEAC Coach of the Year honors, tying him with Corbett.[1]
In 2008, Mitchell guided his Eagles to their fourth tournament title with a 62–60 win over The Bears of Morgan State University. The Number 7 seed Eagles earned its way to the finals after getting by the Bison of Howard University in the first round, followed by the Spartans of Norfolk State in the quarterfinal, and then the Pirates of Hampton and Morgan State Bears respectively.[1] From 1989 to 2003, the Bulldogs of South Carolina State University captured more championship titles than any other team in the MEAC.[1] Led by coach Cy Alexander, the Bulldogs won five tournament titles (1989, 1996, 1998, 2000, and 2003) and earned the top seed going into the tournament six times.
Among many outstanding MEAC players, NC A&T's James Sparrow, three time MVP, Eric Boyd, Howard University's Larry Spriggs, and most recently, Coppin State University's Tywain McKee. Sparrow, who earned two tournament Outstanding Performer honors, posted 21 points and 13 rebounds in the 1978 championship game against Morgan State.[1] Three time Tournament MVP Larry Spriggs of Howard averaged over 14 points and seven rebounds each year during the MEAC tourney.[1] In more recent MEAC history, Coppin State’s Tywain McKee holds the record for most total points scored during a single tournament with 93 during the 2008 tourney.[2] McKee is also known for his 2008 championship game performance against number 1 seed Morgan; in which McKee scoring on a five-foot floater with three seconds remaining to clinch the 2008 title.[1]
| Year |
Champion |
Score |
Runner-up |
Tournament MVP |
Location |
| 1972 |
North Carolina A&T |
71–62 |
Howard |
Robert Lewis (HU) |
Cameron Indoor Stadium • Durham, NC |
| 1973 |
North Carolina A&T |
86–81 |
Howard |
William Harris (NCAT) |
Cameron Indoor Stadium • Durham, NC |
| 1974 |
Maryland Eastern Shore |
77–62 |
Morgan State |
Talvin Skinner (UMES) |
Baltimore Civic Center • Baltimore, MD |
| 1975 |
North Carolina A&T |
86–77 |
Morgan State |
Marvin Webster (MSU) |
Baltimore Civic Center • Baltimore, MD |
| 1976 |
Morgan State |
82–77 |
Howard |
James Sparrow (NCAT) |
Greensboro Coliseum • Greensboro, NC |
| 1977 |
North Carolina A&T |
66–63 |
Morgan State |
Eric Evans (MSU) |
Greensboro Coliseum • Greensboro, NC |
| 1978 |
North Carolina A&T |
82–77 |
Howard |
James Sparrow (NCAT) |
Greensboro Coliseum • Greensboro, NC |
| 1979 |
North Carolina A&T |
48–46 |
Howard |
Larry Spriggs (HU) |
Greensboro Coliseum • Greensboro, NC |
| 1980 |
Howard |
78–69 |
Maryland Eastern Shore |
Larry Spriggs (HU) |
Winston-Salem Memorial Coliseum • Winston-Salem, NC |
| 1981 |
Howard |
78–69 |
Maryland Eastern Shore |
Larry Spriggs (HU) |
Winston-Salem Memorial Coliseum • Winston-Salem, NC |
| 1982 |
North Carolina A&T |
79–67 |
Howard |
Eric Boyd (NCAT) |
Winston-Salem Memorial Coliseum • Winston-Salem, NC |
| 1983 |
North Carolina A&T |
71–64 |
Howard |
Joe Binion (NCAT) |
Greensboro Coliseum • Greensboro, NC |
| 1984 |
North Carolina A&T |
65–58 |
Howard |
Eric Boyd (NCAT) |
Greensboro Coliseum • Greensboro, NC |
| 1985 |
North Carolina A&T |
71–69 |
Howard |
Eric Boyd (NCAT) |
The Palestra • Philadelphia, PA |
| 1986 |
North Carolina A&T |
53–52 |
Howard |
Thomas Griffis (NCAT) |
Philadelphia Civic Center • Philadelphia, PA |
| 1987 |
North Carolina A&T |
79–58 |
Howard |
Thomas Griffis (NCAT) |
Greensboro Coliseum • Greensboro, NC |
| 1988 |
North Carolina A&T |
101–86 |
FAMU |
Claude Williams (NCAT) |
Greensboro Coliseum • Greensboro, NC |
| 1989 |
South Carolina State |
83–79 |
FAMU |
Travis Williams (SCSU) |
Greensboro Coliseum • Greensboro, NC |
| 1990 |
Coppin State |
54–50 |
North Carolina A&T |
Reggie Isaac (CSU) |
Greensboro Coliseum • Greensboro, NC |
| 1991 |
Coppin State |
54–50 * |
North Carolina A&T |
Kenneth Davis (FAMU) |
Norfolk Scope • Norfolk, VA |
| 1992 |
Howard |
67–65 |
FAMU |
Howard Holley (HU) |
Norfolk Scope • Norfolk, VA |
| 1993 |
Coppin State |
80–53 |
Delaware State |
Stephen Stewart (CSU) |
Norfolk Scope • Norfolk, VA |
| 1994 |
North Carolina A&T |
87–70 |
Maryland Eastern Shore |
Phillip Alien (NCAT) |
Talmadge L. Hill Field House • Baltimore, MD |
| 1995 |
North Carolina A&T |
66–64 |
Coppin State |
Phillip Alien (NCAT) |
Talmadge L. Hill Field House • Baltimore, MD |
| 1996 |
South Carolina State |
69–56 |
Coppin State |
Derrick Patterson (SCSU) |
Leon County Civic Center • Tallahassee, FL |
| 1997 |
Coppin State |
81–74 * |
North Carolina A&T |
Terquin Mott (CSU) |
Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall • Norfolk, VA |
| 1998 |
South Carolina State |
66–61 |
Coppin State |
Roderick Blakney (SCSU) |
Richmond Coliseum • Richmond, VA |
| 1999 |
FAMU |
64–61 |
UMES |
Monroe Pippins (FAMU) |
Richmond Coliseum • Richmond, VA |
| 2000 |
South Carolina State |
70–53 |
Coppin State |
Mike Waitre (SCSU) |
Arthur Ashe Athletic Center and Richmond Coliseum • Richmond, VA |
| 2001 |
Hampton |
70–68 |
Maryland Eastern Shore |
Tarvis Williams (HIU) |
Arthur Ashe Athletic Center and Richmond Coliseum • Richmond, VA |
| 2002 |
Hampton |
80-62 |
Howard |
Tommy Adams (HIU) |
Arthur Ashe Athletic Center and Richmond Coliseum • Richmond, VA |
| 2003 |
South Carolina State |
72–67 |
Hampton |
Dustin Braddick (SCSU) |
Arthur Ashe Athletic Center and Richmond Coliseum • Richmond, VA |
| 2004 |
FAMU |
58–51 |
Coppin State |
Terrence Woods (FAMU) |
Arthur Ashe Athletic Center and Richmond Coliseum • Richmond, VA |
| 2005 |
Delaware State |
55–53 |
Hampton |
Jahsha Bluntt (DSU) |
Arthur Ashe Athletic Center and Richmond Coliseum • Richmond, VA |
| 2006 |
Hampton |
60–56 |
Delaware State |
Rashad West (HIU) |
RBC Center • Raleigh, NC |
| 2007 |
FAMU |
58–56 |
Delaware State |
Brian Greene (FAMU) |
RBC Center • Raleigh, NC |
| 2008 |
Coppin State |
62–60 |
Morgan State |
Tywain McKee (CSU) |
RBC Center • Raleigh, NC |
| 2009 |
Morgan State |
83–69 |
Norfolk State |
Reggie Holmes (MSU) |
LJVM Coliseum • Winston-Salem, NC |
| 2010 |
Morgan State |
68–61 |
South Carolina State |
Kevin Thompson (MSU) |
LJVM Coliseum • Winston-Salem, NC |
| 2011 |
Hampton |
60–55 |
Morgan State |
Brandon Tunnell (HIU) |
LJVM Coliseum • Winston-Salem, NC |
| 2012 |
Norfolk State |
73–70 |
Bethune-Cookman |
Kyle O'Quinn (NSU) |
LJVM Coliseum • Winston-Salem, NC |
| 2013 |
North Carolina A&T |
57–54 |
Morgan State |
Adrian Powell (NCAT) |
Norfolk Scope • Norfolk, VA |
| 2014 |
North Carolina Central |
71–62 |
Morgan State |
Jeremy Ingram (NCCU) |
Norfolk Scope • Norfolk, VA |
| 2015 |
Hampton |
82–61 |
Delaware State |
Deron Powers (HIU) |
Norfolk Scope • Norfolk, VA |
* Overtime
Tournament championships by school
See also
References
External links
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MEAC Men's Basketball Tournament
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NCAA men's college basketball tournaments (United States)
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Pre-season
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Conference
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Postseason
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Conference
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