NCCU Set to Battle for Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament Title

DURHAM, N.C.  – The North Carolina Central men’s basketball team will travel to Norfolk, Virginia to compete in the 2022-23 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship. The Eagles are the No. 2 seed and will play against No. 7 Delaware State on Wednesday, March 8 at 8 p.m.

NCCU (17-11, 10-4 MEAC) comes into the tournament on fire and boasts a seven-game winning streak. After a three-game skid to end January, the Eagles responded by putting together its best stretch of basketball all season. The maroon and gray went perfect 6-0 in Black History Month and grabbed a seventh consecutive victory last week.

During this win streak, the NCCU has used stout defense and efficient offense to generate scoring runs and big leads. The Eagles top the MEAC in opponents’ points per game (65.9), and rebounds per game (35.8) while ranking second in points per game (75.5), field goal percentage (47.2), and opponent field goal percentage (42.8).

Additionally, the Eagles currently hold some impressive national rankings in statistics on both sides of the ball. They rank 12th  in turnovers forced per game (16.79), 29th  in three-point percentage defense (30.6%), 32nd in fastbreak points per game (12.96), and 45th in field goal percentage (47.2%).

NCCU junior guard Justin Wright has spearheaded the offense all season. Wright averages 16 points while shooting 47.3% from the field and 40% from downtown. He also adds 2.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game to round out his game.

The Eagles’ offense is paced by senior guard Eric Boone, who dishes out 5.3 assists, which is the second-best mark in the MEAC and 31st nationally. Boone is also a two-way menace as he averages a league-best 2.3 steals which is the 15th-best in the nation.

In the middle, senior center Brendan Medley-Bacon has been a force throughout the season. Medley-Bacon pours in 12.1 points, snags 5.6 boards, and swats a MEAC best 2 shots a game. His 56 total blocks are the third most in a single season by an Eagle and his 2 blocks per contest is the 26th-best average in the country.

Senior forward Kris Monroe provides offense from all over the floor and is a versatile player that can be a mismatch for matchups. Monroe scores 10 points and grabs 5.6 boards while making 1.5 3-pointers per game.

The winner of the 2/7 matchup will face the winner of the 3/6 contest between Norfolk State and Coppin State in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Semifinals on Friday, March 10 at 8 p.m.