North Carolina Central Eagles
Sunday, November 23, 3:00pm
Omaha
Last Season: The Eagles went 28-6 last year, good for first place in the MEAC, and earned their first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament after winning the conference tournament. The senior-laden team rolled through the MEAC with a 15-1 league record, and after losing on January 11 to Florida A&M, they went undefeated over a 20-game span until the NCAA Tourney when they lost to Iowa State.
Last Meeting/All-Time Series: Creighton won the only prior meeting, 88-54, in December of 2007. The combo of Kenny Lawson, Jr. and Kenton Walker combined for 25 points and 13 rebounds off the bench as the Jays rolled.
Head Coach: NC Central is coached by LaVelle Moton, who has a 89-67 record in five seasons in Durham. Moton played for NC Central in the mid-90s and scored over 1,700 points to become of the best players in school history; he’s added to his legend by taking the Eagles to their first NCAA Tournament in just his fifth season as coach.
Top Returners: Two starters return from last year’s team — a pair of senior forwards in 6’8″, 235 pound Karamo Jawara (7.5 points per game, 4.7 rebounds per game) and the 6’7″, 255 pound Jay Copeland (7.8 points, 5.8 rebounds). Jawara, a big man from Norway, has underrated quickness and was second on the team with 82 assists. He can score, too: he had 12 points and 8 rebounds in an upset over NC State, and poured in 16 points in the NCAA Tourney loss to Iowa State. Copeland is a solid scorer, and a solid defender who patrols the paint well.
Then there’s 6’7″, 200 pound Jordan Parks (10.1 points, 5.6 rebounds), who was the Eagles’ sixth man a year ago but figures to start this year. Parks finished his junior season with the top field-goal percentage in the nation at 65.9%, and scored in double figures 17 times. A well-rounded player, he also had five or more rebounds 19 times.
Key Losses: The frontcourt boasts a ton of experience, but the backcourt is woefully thin in that category. All three starting guards depart, including Jeremy Ingram who averaged a team-best 20.8 points a game.
Key Additions: To combat that lack of experience, Moton has brought in a bevy of transfers he hopes can contribute immediately. Jamal Ferguson (Marquette), Nimrod Hilliard (Lamar), and Enoch Hood (James Madison) all figure to see significant minutes, the first two likely starting in the backcourt. Hilliard in particular is expected to shoulder a heavy offensive burden after averaging 14.1 points for Lamar.