Smaller conferences provide some of the most exciting action every college basketball season, but with their positives also come a number of challenges.
Take the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference, for example. The MEAC sends just one representative to the NCAA Tournament every year on the men’s and women’s sides. Only the conference tournament winner earns a trip to the Big Dance.
Morgan State is one of the leading contenders to take the MEAC women’s basketball crown this year. The Bears are looking for the title after a buzzer-beater ended their postseason aspirations last season in the MEAC tournament semifinals.
But Morgan State did go 18-8 overall and 11-3 in the MEAC last year, and the Bears are 11-6 overall and 4-0 in league play this year. Recent transfers Sunshine McCrae and Charlene Shepherd have helped stabilize the program and hope to turn those aspirations into reality.
“The big thing for a leader for me is that the players can follow by example,” Morgan State head coach Ed Davis Jr. said. “… I think both of them have tried to communicate more on the court, off the court, and definitely when we’re in big games, helping the younger players and more established players understand where we’re trying to go.”
McCrae and Shepherd are in their second seasons at Morgan after coming in from strong mid-major programs.
McCrae spent two years at UNC Wilmington, where she played in just 15 games. The 6-foot-1 forward has been one of the Bears’ stronger players this season, averaging 7.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while playing a little more than 22 minutes per contest. That’s up from 3.7 points and 3.3 rebounds a year ago.
More playing time and the chance to be closer to home made the opportunity to transfer to Morgan enticing for the Enola, Pa., native. She made the most of her opportunity at Morgan thus far.
“It’s been great,” said McCrae, who is currently nursing a right ankle injury. “I’ve been waiting for it. … I feel like I’m a more dominant and confident player when I’m getting those minutes and I’m getting comfortable and relaxed and playing my game fluidly.”
“I’m thriving way more this year and I’m enjoying my time,” she added.
Shepherd came over from North Texas and now leads Morgan with 14.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, up from last year’s marks of 10.3 points and 5.4 rebounds. Playing time might not have been available with the Mean Green, but the 6-foot-2 graduate forward has made a name for herself with the Bears. She sits in the top five in the conference in scoring and rebounding.
“In all reality, it’s my coaches that are helping me have the success that I’m having,” Shepherd said. “At North Texas, I was really put into a box. I wasn’t able to play with much freedom whereas here, I’m allowed to play with a little bit more freedom.”
McCrae and Shepherd got plenty of great experience early this season, as Morgan put together a daunting non-conference schedule that included games against Boston College, Virginia and Kansas State. Non-conference play was a grind for the Bears, who went 7-6 during that stretch.
But Morgan State purposely made its early-season schedule tough to prepare for conference play. Through three games, it has paid dividends.
“I think our biggest thing that we’re focusing on now is consistency,” Shepherd said. “… The MEAC is a lot of guard-based play, so our non-conference schedule helped us with being able to figure out our weaknesses, get exposed by our weaknesses, so that way when it’s time for conference play, we’re ready.”
It also helps to have players as versatile as McCrae and Shepherd, both of whom can help spread the floor to keep possessions alive and create more scoring opportunities. It’s also made a difference defensively. Their tall frames have clogged up the lane and made it difficult for opponents to score on free-flowing plays.
It’s been the perfect storm of success on that front, and with both potentially playing their final seasons of college basketball, the eyes are on the prize that much more than before.
“When it comes to basketball, we try to make them understand that this is it,” Davis said. “Unless you put it all out there because of the type of conference that we have, you can fall and miss your goals. We just try to keep both of them goal-oriented, team-oriented and definitely self-oriented to step up and do what they can do.”
McCrae and Shepherd have remained poised and confident, and it’s made Morgan State stronger as a whole. The two combine for more than a third of the Bears’ scoring and rebounding. Their importance will only grow as the conference tournament in March approaches.
“Things have gotten better,” McCrae said. “We had a rocky start during non-conference play with a team full of new players and transfers. I think we’ve been handling it well. Every game we’re playing better and if we continue to play that non-selfish ball, play the game we know how to play, we’ll be fine.”
Photo Credits: Matt Lewis