North Carolina Central Eagles
MEAC (18-15, 10-6)
North Carolina Central is becoming a staple in the NCAA Tournament. Coach Levelle Moton has led his team to their third straight NCAA Tournament and their fourth since 2014. That 2014 appearance was the program’s first ever and Coach Moton deserves a lot of credit for building this program.
Big Wins: 2/18 at Howard (98-90), 3/15 vs North Carolina A&T (65-63), 3/16 vs Norfolk State (50-47)
Bad Losses: 12/13 at McNeese (61-77), 1/19 Coppin State (60-64), 2/2 at Bethune-Cookman (64-74)
Coach: Levelle Moton
Why They Can Surprise:
Many teams in the MEAC can be outmatched in the frontcourt, but that is not the case with the Eagles. Raasean Davis is a bruising center who averages 8.9 rebounds per game. The 6-9 senior also leads the team in scoring with 14.6 per game. His partner in the paint is 6-8 senior Zacarry Douglas, who adds 8.7 points and 7.8 rebounds. Add in the dynamic scorer Jibri Blount off the bench and this an NCCU team that can remain competitive in the frontcourt against just about any opposition.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Scoring in the paint will not come as easy as it did in MEAC play, but it is extremely important for the Eagles to establish their presence in the paint. That will open up looks on the perimeter and this is a group that often struggles shooting the ball. Players like Larry McKnight and Reggie Gardner must hit some shots and neither has been particularly consistent in that regard this season. Jordan Perkins has done a superb job running the point this year, but this is a team prone to turnovers. He will have to keep the team under control and limit the easy buckets going the other way if North Carolina Central wants to have any chance of pulling off a massive upset.
Probable Starters:
Jordan Perkins, Sophomore, Guard, 3.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 4.1 apg
Randy Miller, Junior, Guard, 13.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg
Larry McKnight, Senior, Guard, 9.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg
Zacarry Douglas, Senior, Forward, 8.7 ppg, 7.8 rpg
Raasean Davis, Senior, Center, 14.6 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 1.2 bpg
Key Role Players:
Jibri Blount, Junior, Forward, 10.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg
Reggie Gardner, Sophomore, Guard, 6.1 ppg
Julian Walters, Senior, Guard, 3.6 ppg, 2.7 apg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 72.9 (169th in nation, 5th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 67.1 (62, 2)
Field-Goal Percentage: 46.1 (80, 2)
Field-Goal Defense: 43.6 (175, 6)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.5 (294, 8)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 32.1 (295, 7)
Free-Throw Percentage: 72.1 (121, 3)
Rebound Margin: 6.8 (13, 1)
Assists Per Game: 15.7 (31, 1)
Turnovers Per Game: 15.5 (328, 9)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
| 2018 | NCAA | Opening Round loss to Texas Southern |
| 2017 | NCAA | Opening Round loss to UC Davis |
| 2015 | NIT | First Round loss to Miami (FL) |
| 2014 | NCAA | Round of 64 loss to Iowa State |
*all team stats through 3/10
