Morgan State men’s basketball leading scorer Wynston Tabbs’ status is unclear ahead of the MEAC tournament, meaning the Bears may very well need other players to step up in order to make a run — and one player in particular looks ready for that assignment.
A sixth-year guard who previously played at Boston College and East Carolina, Tabbs is averaging 15.2 points and 3.2 rebounds this season for Morgan. However, he broke a finger on his shooting hand during the Bears’ 88-79 win against North Carolina Central on March 4, sidelining him for Morgan’s 78-60 win against Coppin State on March 7.
The Bears, who earned the No. 5 seed in the MEAC tournament with a 7-7 league mark, will face Howard in the quarterfinals at Norfolk Scope Arena on March 14. The two teams split their matchups during the regular season.
Tabbs is hoping to play, according to Morgan head coach Kevin Broadus.
“He said he’d be ready for the tournament,” Broadus said following the win against Coppin. “He was just going through some pain that he didn’t think he could handle today, so hey, next man up.”
Whether a compromised Tabbs plays or not, the Bears will need others to step up to help them make a run in the MEAC tournament. One player who looks ready to do just that is redshirt junior wing Will Thomas, who scored 30 points against NC Central and 25 against Coppin. He earned HBCU National Player of the Week honors for his efforts.
A Baltimore native and 2020 Mervo graduate, Thomas is averaging 13.6 points and 4.0 rebounds on the season. The 6-foot-6, 200-pound wing isn’t much of a 3-point shooter, but his ability to pour in tough mid-range buckets and drive the lane makes him a tough cover. He showed off those skills against Coppin, finishing 10 of 20 from the floor.
All of Thomas’ makes were from inside the 3-point line.
“Honestly, just confidence and just finding my shots in the right areas of the offense and stuff like that … trusting my team and my coaches and my assistant staff and everything else,” Thomas said.
Thomas scored in double figures in 14 of Morgan’s 16 league games during the regular season — and 22 or more six times. Broadus knows Thomas can score, but there’s more to it than that.
“The key with Will is in between the ears. He can’t let scoring affect his game. He’s got to be a two-way player,” Broadus said. “When he’s rebounding and playing defense, he’s one of the best players in this league. He can score. He’s probably as good a scorer as anyone in this league, but he has to play both ends of the court. … When these guys start believing and having fun playing defense, they all can be all-league players.”
Morgan put forth a sluggish effort for much of its game against Coppin but got it rolling in the second half, using a 34-12 second-half run to put the game away. Broadus credited his team’s defense for setting up opportunities on the other end of the floor. The Bears made 19 of 30 second-half shots, posting a 44-point stanza without the help of a 3-pointer.
Morgan will look to carry that into the MEAC tournament. The Bears last earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in 2010.
“You’re only as good as your next game. We have to come in with that hunger … that grit,” Broadus said. “We have to be gritty. We’re not good enough to be just casual in practice, not making our sprints because this is now win and advance or lose and go home. It’s a whole new season now. We’ve just got to get ready. It’s time.”
Even with Tabbs’ status up in the air, Thomas and his teammates are ready for the challenges ahead.
“Like [Broadus] said, next man up,” Thomas said. “I believe in everybody that’s on the team and they believe in me and I think we have a great group of guys.”
LOCAL HOOPS NOTES: Coppin State closed out Larry Stewart’s first regular season as head coach 2-26 overall and 1-13 in the MEAC. The Eagles will face Norfolk State in the conference quarterfinals on March 13. … Loyola finished its season 7-25 overall after falling to Navy, 64-48, in the first round of the Patriot League tournament on March 5. A few days later, Tavaras Hardy stepped down as head coach after six seasons with the Greyhounds. … UMBC ended its season 11-21 overall after losing to UMass Lowell, 94-89, in overtime during the America East quarterfinals. Junior guard Marcus Banks Jr. led the Retrievers with 24 points. … Towson finished the season 20-14 overall after losing to the College of Charleston, 61-56, in the CAA semifinals. The Cougars ended the game on a 13-1 run. The Tigers have not earned an NCAA Tournament bid since 1991.
Photo Credits: Jake Bandoh