Jetsfan80 Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 NC Central Eagles Durham, NC 26-5 (# 99 RPI) # 14 Seed, East Region I'm making this call now. The North Carolina Central Eagles, from Durham, NC, are that "team out of nowhere" that will find themselves making it through the first weekend of basketball in the NCAA Tournament. There are 4 common characteristics that nearly every "Cinderella" has had, and NC Central has them: 1. Play, and beat, the big boys during non-conference play. Check. NC Central's signature win was a 10-point victory over NC State (who reached the NCAA Tournament as an at-large bid) in Raleigh. They also opened the season @ Cincinnati and lost by 13. Cincy ended up winning 27 games and making it as a 5-seed. The Eagles played @ Maryland and lost by just 14. Most impressively, the Eagles were one of the toughest tests for 34-0 Wichita State, only losing by 11. The ability to hang with, and beat, NCAA Tournament-caliber teams is a rare occurrence for a low major. They typically get few opportunities, and they're always on the road. In a neutral court environment, this pays dividends. NC Central will not be scared of Iowa State or their potential 2nd round opponent; the North Carolina Tarheels, who play their games just down the road in Chapel Hill. 2. Be a conference bully. Check. NC Central went 16-1 in the MEAC, with their only loss being a 3-point defeat @ Florida A&M. In most of their wins, NC Central basically went on a rampage. They beat North Carolina A&T by 40. Coppin State by 24. South Carolina State by 42. And they won their rematch with Florida A&M by 43. Their run through the conference tournament was a breeze, beating Howard 92-46, Norfolk State 68-45, and Morgan State 71-62 for the MEAC title. Yes, it's true, the MEAC was the 31st ranked conference out of 32 in RPI. This will be a big reason why no one will expect them to put up a fight against the big boys. But every conference champion still has to run a gauntlet of teams who are all trying to take you down, just like everyone else. And with 1-bid leagues, if you lose in your conference title game, all of the prior victories become meaningless; you're NIT-bound. So being able to dominate a conference, even a bad one, typically plays out nicely for the underdogs at the Dance. And remember that the MEAC has had it's fair share of success when March rolls around. In 2001, 15th-seeded Hampton knocked off Iowa State. And in 2012, Norfolk State (also a 15-seed) defeated Missouri. They're a proud conference full of Traditionally Black Schools, and their collective mentality for years has been "why not us?" 3. Play defense with a "40 minutes of hell" mentality. Check. NC Central finished the 2014 season ranked 10th in the nation in points per game allowed (59.3) and average 8 team steals per game, good for top 20 in the nation. They pressure the ball and they pack the paint, forcing teams to live and die by the outside shot. 6-1 senior guard Emmanuel Chapman averages 2+ steals per game to go with his 6.5 assists per game on the offensive end. The Eagles will give their NCAA Tournament opponents fits. 4. An energetic coach whose players buy into the system. Check. Meet LeVelle Moton, 39, and perhaps the most physically imposing Head Coach of any team on your bracket. Moton graduated from NC Central in 1996 and stuck around to coach. He took over a program that won a 1989 Division II National Title, but their transition from Division II to Division I and then to the MEAC has all occurred under Moton. Familiarize yourself with his name, because he will be one of the hot names during the offseason for coaching vacancies. He only makes $140,000 a year, and the Eagles have gotten a ton of bang for their buck. Those who live in the Raleigh/Durham area and know Moton say he's the real deal. Genuine and passionate. And those characteristics have suited the NC Central team well. His 6-3 Senior Guard Jeremy Ingram is averaging 20.3 points per game. Their entire lineup, in fact, is all upperclassmen. They've all long bought into his system and are reaping the dividends this season. I believe that will continue this weekend. Watch out for the NC Central Eagles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVM Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 All I want for March Madness is for NC Central to beat UNC in the second round. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetsfan80 Posted March 19, 2014 Author Share Posted March 19, 2014 All I want for March Madness is for NC Central to beat UNC in the second round. And that's why you're my favorite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetsfan80 Posted March 19, 2014 Author Share Posted March 19, 2014 Even if you are a dirty umbrella-fearing Pirate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVM Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 Even if you are a dirty umbrella-fearing Pirate. Every umbrella-fearing Pirate needs a damn dirty sea chicken to keep him in check, apparently. Or something. Random thought: I never knew why I despised Rihanna until today. Girl in the office came in singing the umbrella song, I was filled with a mixture of fear and rage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nj meadowlands Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 No Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetsfan80 Posted March 21, 2014 Author Share Posted March 21, 2014 No 9:50 tonight. Tune in to watch NC Central destroy a lot of brackets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nj meadowlands Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 9:50 tonight. Tune in to watch NC Central destroy a lot of brackets. No Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetsfan80 Posted March 21, 2014 Author Share Posted March 21, 2014 No I'll be here for your formal apology for doubting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVM Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 9:50 tonight. Tune in to watch NC Central destroy a lot of brackets. Tonight we rally behind the one true NC basketball power -- NC Central! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt39 Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 They got waxed in the 2nd half Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetsfan80 Posted March 24, 2014 Author Share Posted March 24, 2014 They got waxed in the 2nd half Yeah they did. I didn't know this until just before the tournament started, but apparently Iowa St was the nation's leader in assists. That's a great quality for a team to have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nj meadowlands Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 No. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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