VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The Hampton University men's basketball team was selected to finish fourth in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in the 2009-10 season, as voted on by the league's coaches and sports information directors and announced on Thursday by the conference office.

The Pirates, who went 16-16 and 8-8 last season, received one first-place vote and amassed 305 points. Defending MEAC champion Morgan State received 20 of a possible 22 first-place votes, collecting 476 points en route to being picked to take the conference title. South Carolina State was picked to finish second, while Norfolk State was slated to come in third.

Florida A&M, picked to finish eighth, received the only other first-place vote.

Senior guard Vincent Simpson (Philadelphia, Pa.), who led the Pirates in scoring last season at 11.7 points per game and was named All-MEAC Second Team, was named to the All-MEAC Preseason Second Team. Michael DeLoach of Norfolk State was named the MEAC Preseason Player of the Year.

The Pirates, under interim coach Edward Joyner Jr., will open the 2009-10 season on Nov. 14, when they travel to Philadelphia, Pa. to face La Salle. For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.


2009-10 Men's Basketball Preseason Predicted Order of Finish
As voted on by the Conference's Head Men's Basketball
Coaches and Sports Information Directors
(First-Place Votes in Parenthesis)


School Points.
1. Morgan State (20)................................................................. 476 pts.
2. South Carolina State.............................................................. 388 pts.
3. Norfolk State.......................................................................... 310 pts.
4. Hampton (1)........................................................................... 305 pts.
5. Bethune-Cookman................................................................ 292 pts.
6. North Carolina A&T............................................................... 258 pts.
7. Coppin State........................................................................... 234 pts.
8. Florida A&M (1)..................................................................... 154 pts.
9. Delaware State....................................................................... 134 pts.
10. Howard................................................................................... 104 pts.
11. Maryland Eastern Shore...................................................... 88 pts.


2009-10 Preseason All-MEAC Team
(As voted on by the Conference's Head Coaches
and Sports Information Directors)

First Team
Name School Pos Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown
Michael Deloach Norfolk State G 6-0 175 Sr. Rocky Mount, N.C.
Reggie Holmes Morgan State G 6-4 180 Sr. Baltimore, Md.
Jason Flagler South Carolina State G/F 6-4 185 Sr. Woodbridge, Va.
Neal Pitt Maryland Eastern Shore F 6-6 230 Sr. Fort Washington, Md.
Sam Coleman Coppin State C 6-10 212 Jr. Baltimore, Md.

Second Team
Name School Pos Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown
C.J. Reed Bethune-Cookman G 6-3 175 So. Daytona Beach, Fla.
Vincent Simpson Hampton G 6-1 170 Sr. Philadelphia, Pa.
Michael Harper Coppin State G/F 6-4 195 So. Milwaukee, Wis.
Kevin Thompson Morgan State F 6-8 240 So. Baltimore, Md.
Paul Kirkpatrick Howard C 6-9 220 Sr. Randallstown, Md.