If there’s one word to describe the 2025–26 MEAC men’s basketball season, it’s new.
This year marks a reset across the conference. Every single player who earned a spot on the 2024–25 All-MEAC First, Second, and Third Team has either graduated or transferred — leaving no returning All-Conference players from last season. The result? A league full of new faces, fresh rosters, and programs looking to either reload or rebuild.
Yet amid all this change, there’s a striking constant: the coaches remain the same. The MEAC’s sideline generals are back to guide their retooled squads into one of the most unpredictable seasons.
With the 2025–26 campaign approaching, here’s a team-by-team breakdown and the predicted order of finish, as voted by head coaches and SIDs across the conference.
Predicted Order of Finish: 2025–26 MEAC Men’s Basketball
- Norfolk State (118 pts)
- Howard University (97 pts)
- South Carolina State (90 pts)
- Morgan State (73 pts)
- North Carolina Central (70 pts)
- Delaware State (70 pts)
- Maryland Eastern Shore (31 pts)
- Coppin State (27 pts)
Norfolk State: The HBCU Gold Standard Faces a True Test
Dominance has become synonymous with Norfolk State basketball. The Spartans have been the regular-season champs four times in the last five years (2020–21, 2021–22, 2023–24, 2024–25) and tournament champions three times (2021, 2022, 2025). They’ve appeared in five straight MEAC Championship games — a dynasty by any definition.
Head coach Robert Jones has established himself as not only the face of MEAC and HBCU basketball but also one of the most respected coaches in all of mid-major hoops. But this year, we’ll find out what he’s truly made of. Norfolk is entering the season with a completely new core — four returners who barely cracked the rotation last season (My’kel Jenkins, Melo Baines, Jordan Leaks, and Dramane Camara).
To fill the void, Jones went shopping in the transfer portal and landed experience and size.
- Anthony McComb III (New Hampshire) – 6’3″ guard, Preseason Third Team All-MEAC
- Keyontae Lewis (Wagner) – 6’9″ forward, Preseason Third Team All-MEAC
- Yel Deeng (Casper CC) and Devon Ellis (Valparaiso) round out a reloaded frontcourt.
Jones has built a winning culture that transcends rosters. If anyone can turn a brand-new team into a contender, it’s him. The question isn’t whether Norfolk State will compete — it’s whether they’ll stay atop the throne.
Howard University: A Rebound Season in the Making
Howard’s 2024–25 campaign was a stumble compared to its back-to-back MEAC Tournament titles (2023, 2024). The Bison finished just 12–20 overall and 7–7 in league play, struggling to find rhythm after injuries derailed their chemistry.
Now, the Bison are reloaded with 12 newcomers and a healthy Bryce Harris, the Preseason First Team All-MEAC selection who returns as the heart and soul of this team. Harris’s leadership will be crucial as Howard integrates transfers from programs like Lehigh, North Texas, Penn, and Morehouse College.
Among them, Cedric Taylor III (Morehouse) might be the most impactful newcomer in the conference. The 6’7” forward averaged 15.6 points and 6.7 boards last year and brings a versatile scoring punch that could elevate Howard back to championship form.
Add in Cam Gillus (Lehigh) – Preseason Second Team All-MEAC – and Alex Cotton (North Texas), and the Bison suddenly look deep, athletic, and dangerous again.
Expect Howard to reclaim its place in the top two, with an offense built to run and stretch the floor.
South Carolina State: Staying Hungry at the Top
South Carolina State enters the 2025–26 season determined to finish what it started. The Bulldogs shared the MEAC regular-season title last year, going 20–13 overall and 11–3 in conference play, before falling just one point short of the championship crown to Norfolk State. It was a breakthrough season that proved SCSU could go toe-to-toe with the league’s best — but this year’s team will have to do it with a new cast.
Gone are most of the team’s key scorers from last season, leaving Jayden Johnson, the Preseason MEAC Player of the Year, to lead a retooled roster. Johnson’s versatility and leadership give the Bulldogs a strong foundation as they integrate several new faces, including 7’1” JUCO transfer Tim Okojie, who brings rim protection and rebounding, and 6’9” freshman Dewin Hodge, a promising frontcourt talent.
While the chemistry will take time to develop, South Carolina State has the athleticism, size, and confidence to remain in the MEAC’s top tier. If Johnson can elevate his teammates and the new additions adapt quickly, the Bulldogs could once again find themselves playing deep into March — and maybe this time, cutting down the nets.
Morgan State: Searching for a New Identity
For years, Morgan State basketball has lived and died by its guards — quick, aggressive, and capable of creating offense out of chaos. But heading into the 2025–26 season, that familiar identity is in flux. The Bears are older, transfer-heavy, and still figuring out who they are offensively.
Losing Kameron Hobbs, last year’s leading scorer and floor general, to graduation leaves a massive hole. Nearly everything Morgan State did on offense flowed through Hobbs — his scoring, his playmaking, his poise. Without him, the Bears return only a handful of players from last year’s roster, meaning this is essentially a brand-new team.
The good news? There’s talent — and size. Head coach Kevin Broadus hit the transfer portal hard, adding 7’1” center Dallas James (Indiana) and 6’9” forward Manok Lual (Frostburg State) to bring much-needed length and presence in the paint. In the backcourt, the Bears add Alfred Worrell Jr., a 6’4” transfer from Southern Miss, and Elijah Davis, a 6’1” guard from Bowie State — both of whom bring experience and scoring ability.
Walter Peggs Jr., a Preseason Third Team All-MEAC selection.
But the question remains: can Morgan State rediscover the guard-led spark that’s defined its success in the past, or will this new mix of size and experience steer the Bears in a different direction?
North Carolina Central: Rebuilding the Nest
North Carolina Central enters the 2025–26 season in unfamiliar territory. Once on of the most consistent HBCU and mid-major programs now finds itself in the midst of a full rebuild. The Eagles finished sixth last year (6–8 MEAC), a noticeable drop from their strong 2023–24 campaign, and they lost their top six scorers from that roster.
Only four players return, led by Dionte Johnson (Preseason Second Team All-MEAC). While this team may lack the veteran firepower we’ve come to expect from NCCU, the reset could prove beneficial in the long run. New opportunities, new roles, and a chance to redefine who they are.
The Eagles might not strike fear across the conference right now, but they’re laying the groundwork for what could be the next chapter in NCCU basketball’s proud tradition.
Delaware State: Searching for a New Backcourt Identity
Delaware State enters the season without its dynamic guard combo of Martaz Robinson and Robert Smith, along with the departure of Kaseem Watson — three players who powered much of the Hornets’ offense last year. That leaves big shoes to fill and a new question to answer: what will this team’s offensive identity look like now?
The spotlight turns to Ponce James (Preseason First Team All-MEAC), who’s poised for a breakout season after learning behind those veterans. Alongside him, Zion Bethea and Camian Shell — both named to the Preseason Second Team — will anchor a backcourt loaded with potential but short on proven chemistry.
If this new trio can establish rhythm early, Delaware State could surprise people and compete near the top of the conference. If not, it might be another year of growing pains as the Hornets work to reestablish their offensive flow.
Maryland Eastern Shore: HBCU basketball’s longest rebuild
For the second straight year, Maryland Eastern Shore enters the season in full rebuild mode. After finishing at the bottom of the MEAC standings last season with just two conference wins, the Hawks once again pressed reset on their roster. Only two players return from 2024–25, as head coach Cleo Hill Jr. overhauled nearly the entire team — bringing in 13 newcomers through the transfer portal, JUCO ranks, and freshman signings.
Hill, now entering his second season at the helm, is no stranger to roster reconstruction. But this year’s rebuild looks different. Instead of relying solely on young prospects, UMES has opted for experience. The 2025–26 Hawks are an older group — featuring just three underclassmen — with a mix of Division I, Division II, and JUCO transfers who bring maturity and physicality, even if they lack continuity.
Leading the way are Chris Flippin, a versatile guard-forward hybrid named to the Preseason All-MEAC First Team, and Michael Teal, a Third Team selection who provides much-needed scoring punch and energy on both ends. The duo will be the focal point for a team still learning to play together but eager to prove that the rebuild can yield results faster than expected.
UMES also added size and depth across the board, with transfers from programs such as UNC Asheville, Columbia University, and South Carolina State — players who may not have been primary options at their previous schools but now have the opportunity to shine in bigger roles.
Still, chemistry remains the biggest unknown. But there’s reason for optimism: if this new group can buy in early, Maryland Eastern Shore could quietly climb out of the MEAC basement and lay the foundation for long-term stability.
Coppin State: Searching for Stability
Coppin State enters year three under head coach Larry Stewart with a sense of cautious optimism. After back-to-back seasons of incremental improvement, the Eagles are showing small signs of growth. Last year’s 6–24 record (4–10 MEAC) doesn’t tell the full story — Coppin competed harder, played with more structure, and showed flashes of the identity Stewart is building in West Baltimore.
This year’s team is once again almost entirely new; it features Khalil Horton and Taj Thweatt, both named to the Preseason All-MEAC Teams. Horton is a versatile wing, while Thweatt’s athleticism and size give Coppin much-needed interior strength. Stewart has also added transfer depth to surround that duo with more scoring and defensive versatility.
If Coppin State can be competitive throughout entire games and have late-game execution, the Eagles could surprise some teams this season. They may not be ready to contend just yet, but the foundation is being laid for a program trending in the right direction.
Final Thoughts: A Season of Change and Opportunity
The 2025–26 MEAC men’s basketball season is shaping up to be unpredictable. With every All-MEAC player from last year gone, the slate has been wiped clean in this HBCU league. Rosters have been rebuilt, transfers have reshaped programs, and every team — from perennial powers like Norfolk State and Howard to rebuilding squads like Coppin and UMES — is searching for its new identity.
While Norfolk State and Howard remain the favorites on paper, the margin for error feels slimmer than ever. South Carolina State is hungry to finish the job it nearly completed last season, Delaware State and Morgan State have plans to disrupt the standings, and even the programs at the bottom are loading up with new energy and purpose. It’s a conference in transition — but also one bursting with opportunity.
As the season unfolds, one thing’s certain: the MEAC will continue to showcase some of the best stories, coaches, and players in all of HBCU basketball.
Follow @livforhoops for all HBCU basketball content, updates, and behind-the-scenes coverage throughout the season.
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