HBCU women’s basketball powers expected to collide in MEAC

Norfolk State and Howard, both respected HBCU powerhouses, tied for the top spot in the 2024-2025 MEAC preseason poll , each earning 117 points. Norfolk State, the two-time reigning MEAC champions, received 11 of 16 first-place votes, while Howard claimed five. Coppin State was predicted to finish third, with North Carolina Central close behind in fourth. Morgan State and Maryland Eastern Shore rounded out the middle of the standings, while Delaware State and South Carolina State completed the predicted order of finish.

Former NC State guard Diamond Johnson, a graduate guard from Norfolk State, has been named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Women’s Basketball Preseason Player of the Year, presented by Nike. The competition between HBCU programs is fierce, as Norfolk State and Howard University are tied as the preseason favorites to win the MEAC.

Johnson was the 2023 MEAC Newcomer of the Year and also claimed the title of the 2023 MEAC Basketball Tournament Outstanding Performer after coming to the HBCU last fall. Last season, she led the conference in scoring with 20.2 points per game, steals with 3.8, and added 5.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. Her impressive 43.3 percent shooting from the field and 38.3 percent from beyond the arc helped her secure five weekly MEAC honors. Johnson’s standout performances included two 30-plus point games, with a career-high 32 points against Morgan State, and a MEAC Tournament record-breaking 30 points and 11 rebounds in a semifinal win over Coppin State.

Joining Johnson on the Preseason All-MEAC First Team are her teammate Kierra Wheeler, Coppin State’s Laila Lawrence, and Howard’s Tyana Walker and Destiny Howell.

The 2025 MEAC Basketball Tournament, a key event for HBCU basketball fans, is scheduled for March 12-15 at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va.

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