NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State senior
Christian Ings represented the Norfolk State men's basketball team with a top-team selection in the 2023-24 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Men's Basketball preseason polls, announced by the conference on Thursday afternoon as part of its media day festivities.
Ings was named to the MEAC Preseason First Team, one of three NSU players to receive preseason accolades.
Jamarii Thomas and
George Beale Jr. were named to the third team, while Norfolk State was picked second in the conference's predicted order of finish.
The poll was voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors.
Ings served as the Spartans' starting point guard for non-conference play during the 2022-23 campaign, before a knee injury cut his season short. He averaged 10.1 points, 3.5 assists, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game, shooting a hyper-efficient 61.2 percent from the floor. He's displayed his scoring ability with a career-high 31-point performance at William and Mary as a junior, while showing his playmaking talents with nine assists last year against Virginia-Lynchburg.
Beale earned a spot on the MEAC All-Rookie Team in 2022-23, making his presence felt as a true freshman. The Suffolk, Va. native got his career off to a nearly flawless start, posting 18 points and 14 rebounds in his first collegiate game against Virginia-Lynchburg. Finishing the year with an average of 4.4 points and 2.0 rebounds per game,
Thomas transferred to Norfolk State this offseason from UNC Wilmington, looking to make an immediate impact. The Greensboro, N.C. product averaged 7.1 points and 2.2 rebounds per game last year, exploding for 26 points in a home win over Stony Brook.
The Spartans open the 2023-24 campaign at home on Monday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m against Penn State Wilkes-Barre.
2023-24 MEAC Men's Basketball Preseason All-MEAC Teams
Preseason Player of the Year: Shy Odom, Howard
FIRST TEAM
| Name |
Pos |
Class |
Ht. |
School |
Hometown |
| Shy Odom |
F |
So. |
6'6" |
Howard |
Roxbury, Mass. |
| Martaz Robinson |
G |
Sr. |
6'2" |
Delaware State |
Baltimore, Md. |
| Marcus Dockery |
G |
Jr. |
6'2" |
Howard |
Washington, D.C. |
| Jelani Williams |
G |
Gr. |
6'5" |
Howard |
Washington, D.C. |
| Christian Ings |
G |
Gr. |
6'2" |
Norfolk State |
Philadelphia, Pa. |
SECOND TEAM
| Name |
Pos |
Class |
Ht. |
School |
Hometown |
| Kameron Hobbs |
G |
R-Jr. |
5'10" |
Morgan State |
Stockbridge, Ga. |
| Will Thomas |
F |
R-Jr. |
6'6" |
Morgan State |
Baltimore, Md. |
| Brandon Stone |
F |
Gr. |
6'11" |
Delaware State |
Scottsdale. Pa. |
| Jevin Muniz |
G |
So. |
6'6" |
Delaware State |
Bethlehem, Pa. |
| Bryce Harris |
G |
Jr. |
6'4" |
Howard |
Brentwood, N.Y. |
THIRD TEAM
| Name |
Pos |
Class |
Ht. |
School |
Hometown |
| Jamarii Thomas |
G |
Jr. |
6'0" |
Norfolk State |
Greensboro, N.C. |
| George Beale Jr. |
G |
So. |
6'4" |
Norfolk State |
Suffolk, Va. |
| Chace Davis |
G |
Jr. |
6'3" |
Maryland E. Shore |
Accokeek, Md. |
| Jordan Simpson |
G |
So. |
6'5" |
S.C. State |
Orangeburg, S.C. |
| Fred Cleveland Jr. |
G |
Sr. |
5'9" |
N.C. Central |
Baltimore, Md. |
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
| School (First-Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1. Howard (11) |
107 |
| 2. Norfolk State (1) |
96 |
| 3. North Carolina Central |
79 |
| 4. Morgan State (2) |
72 |
| 5. Maryland Eastern Shore |
55 |
| 6. Delaware State |
39 |
| 7. Coppin State |
30 |
| 8. South Carolina State |
26 |
