2024 North Carolina Sports Network
NC Basketball Spotlight, 10-Year Snapshot:
North Carolina Central

By Ben McCormick
North Carolina Sports Network

School: North Carolina Central

Location: Durham, N.C.

NCAA Division I Member Since: 2011-12

Conference: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC)

MEAC Member Since: 2011-12 (also a member from 1971-80, when MEAC was Division II)

MEAC Ranking Among 32 Leagues (KenPom): 28th (2023), 30th (2022), 31st (2021), 32nd (2020)

NCAA Tournament Bids: 4 (2014, 2017, 2018, 2019)

Conference Titles: 4 (2014, 2017, 2018, 2019)

Conference 1st-Place Finishes: 4 (2014, 2015, 2017, 2020)

Head Coach: LeVelle Moton (49 years old, 15th season)

As A Player: N.C. Central (1992-96); 4-year international pro career

Record as Head Coach (Through Jan. 7): 255-191 (.572) in 14+ seasons

Previous Head Coaching Experience: none at NCAA level

College AC Experience: N.C. Central (2007-09)

Assistant Under: Henry Dickerson

2022-23 Record: 18-12, 10-4 (2nd in 8-team MEAC)

2023-24 Preseason Prediction (Coaches): 3rd in 8-team MEAC

2023-24 Record (Through Jan. 7): 9-7, 1-0 MEAC

2023-24 Midseason Ranking (KenPom): #247 nationally (2nd in MEAC)

Upcoming Schedule Highlights: Norfolk State (1/8), at Delaware State (1/29), at Howard (2/17), at Norfolk State (2/19), Delaware State (2/26)

N.C. Central’s depth this season is no joke. Twelve players average at least 10 minutes per game on coach LeVelle Moton’s squad, and 11 guys have appeared in the starting lineup already.

That’s a night-and-day difference compared to last year’s Eagles, when the starting lineup was constant for nearly all 30 games. The only irregular starter to get the nod in 2022-23 was Fred Cleveland Jr., who appeared in the first five just once in 30 games.

Then again, nothing about this year’s NCCU team is constant. Four of last year’s starters were seniors or graduate students. The fifth, two-time All-MEAC guard Justin Wright, transferred to Loyola Marymount.

Of the team’s 17 players in 2023-24, 13 came to the Eagles via the transfer route — with 10 new portal additions this year alone.

The new additions have promise, though. In the preseason, the Eagles were picked to finish third in the MEAC, largely because of the potential of some of the newcomers, such as Po’Boigh King, a junior college transfer who is third on the team in scoring at 13.3 points per game.

King is joined in the backcourt by returnees Ja’Darius Harris and Cleveland Jr., a preseason third-team All-MEAC pick. Each averages around 16 points per game. Central definitely has the ability to attack defenses with a variety of threats around the perimeter.

However, NCCU has been hit hard by injuries. Three of its starters have missed time, including Cleveland Jr. and Harris, who both exited the Dec. 2 loss to USC Upstate early. (Both guards have returned to action.) Forward Emmanuel Izunabor also missed multiple games with an injury.

“I don’t know too many teams in the nation that can do without three or four starters and still play to the level that they would hope for,” Moton said.

Like many other low-major programs, the Eagles lack size. That has made matchups with juggernauts such as #2 Kansas difficult.

“We got to give a valiant effort and be really limited in our mistakes,” Moton said. “That’s the thing when you’re playing high-majors, you know, and I love playing those games, honestly. I’m up for the challenge. You got to be really limited because the margin for error is slim to none.”

After starting the season 4-4, NCCU endured a three-game losing streak, but now the Eagles have won five contests in a row. That winning streak included a recent 73-54 annihilation of Howard, another team expected to contend for first-place honors in the MEAC this season.

While it’s true that three of the Eagles’ seven losses were to Power Six programs, they also have suffered some losses to lower-rated teams, such as The Citadel and USC Upstate.

Especially given Moton’s sensational track record, including five MEAC championships and four NCAA Tournament trips (a likely fifth, in 2020, was prevented by COVID) in the past decade, it will be interesting to see how the Eagles build on their strong start in conference play, especially now that they are closer to full health.

 

2023-24 NC Central Eagles
(9-7, 0-0 MEAC; through Jan. 7)

Starters

PG Fred Cleveland Jr., Sr. — 30 mpg, 16 ppg, 3 rpg, 44% FG, 86% FT, 37% threes, 68/40 ATO, 1 block, 22 steals
(5-9/165); 2022 Itawamba CC transfer (starter); N.C. A&T (2019-21); Chicago, Ill.

G Ja’Darius Harris, r-Sr. — 29 mpg, 16 ppg, 4 rpg, 51% FG, 89% FT, 42% threes, 31/26 ATO, 0 blocks, 12 steals
(6-2/175); 2021 Eastern Florida State JC transfer (backup); UT Martin (2019-20); Trenton, Tenn.

G Po’Boigh King, So. — 31 mpg, 13 ppg, 5 rpg, 41% FG, 70% FT, 27% threes, 27/26 ATO, 3 blocks, 20 steals
(6-4/195); 2023 Harcum transfer (backup); Mount Zion Christian Academy and Roanoke Rapids, N.C.

G Cobey Harraway, Jr. — 14 mpg, 2 ppg, 2 rpg, 23% FG, 39% FT, 21% threes, 9/7 ATO, 5 blocks, 3 steals
(6-7/187); 2023 State College of Florida transfer (starter); Army and Navy Academy, Seattle, Wash.

F Emmanuel Izunabor, r-Sr. — 20 mpg, 5 ppg, 5 rpg, 58% FG, 61% FT, 9/8 ATO, 18 blocks, 13 steals
(6-8/225); 2023 High Point transfer (2-year starter); Fayetteville Academy and Lagos, Nigeria

Key Reserves

G Keishon Porter, Jr. — 18 mpg, 6 ppg, 3 rpg, 47% FG, 62% FT, 19% threes, 4/10 ATO, 5 blocks, 18 steals
(6-5/195); 2023 Cape Fear CC transfer (starter); Radford (2020-21); Pinetops, N.C.

G Josh Smith, So. — 12 mpg, 7 ppg, 2 rpg, 43% FG, 69% FT, 35% threes, 19/14 ATO, 1 block, 11 steals
(6-4/175); 2023 Independence CC transfer (part-time starter); from Chicago, Ill.

G Guy Fauntleroy, So. — 10 mpg, 4 ppg, 1 rpg, 34% FG, 85% FT, 35% threes, 18/9 ATO, 1 block, 6 steals
(6-0/172); 2023 Austin Peay transfer (part-time starter); Olympus Prep, Upper Marlboro, Md.

F Perry Smith Jr., So. — 21 mpg, 7 ppg, 5 rpg, 68% FG, 59% FT, 2/18 ATO, 12 blocks, 13 steals
(6-9/230); 2023 Vermont transfer (reserve); from Legacy Early College and Augusta, Ga.

F Devin Gordon, Jr. — 21 mpg, 5 ppg, 2 rpg, 42% FG, 37% FT, 34% threes, 6/9 ATO, 3 blocks, 9 steals
(6-5/205); 2022 Mississippi Valley State transfer (part-time starter); from Powder Springs, Ga.

F Timmy Adedire, Jr. — 13 mpg, 5 ppg, 4 rpg, 64% FG, 82% FT, 43% threes, 14/9 ATO, 0 blocks, 6 steals
(6-4/208); 2-year reserve for Eagles; from Perry Hall HS and Baltimore, Md.

F Terrence Crawford, Jr. — 10 mpg, 2 ppg, 2 rpg, 19% FG, 100% FT, 16% threes, 3/2 ATO, 0 blocks, 1 steal
(6-2/170); 2-year reserve for Eagles; from Burlington Cummings HS and Graham, N.C.

*—returning starter (started at least 50% of current team’s games last season)

 

NC Central Eagles
10-Year Snapshot

Season — Overall, League (Place), Postseason

2022-23 — 18-12, 10-4 MEAC (2nd), no postseason (LeVelle Moton)
2021-22 — 16-15, 8-5 MEAC (3rd), no postseason (LeVelle Moton)
2020-21 — 5-9, 3-5 MEAC (6th), no postseason (LeVelle Moton)
2019-20 — 18-13, 13-3 MEAC (1st), no postseason (LeVelle Moton)
2018-19 — 18-16, 10-6* MEAC (3rd), NCAA First Four (LeVelle Moton)
2017-18 — 19-16, 9-7* MEAC (6th), NCAA First Four (LeVelle Moton)
2016-17 — 25-9, 13-3* MEAC (1st), NCAA First Four (LeVelle Moton)
2015-16 — 13-19, 7-9 MEAC (6th), no postseason (LeVelle Moton)
2014-15 — 25-8, 16-0 MEAC (1st), NIT 1st Round (LeVelle Moton)
2013-14 — 28-6, 15-1* MEAC (1st), NCAA 1st Round (LeVelle Moton)

*—conference champion

NOTE: Please visit the North Carolina Sports Network’s 2023-24 profiles and 10-year snapshots for all 19 Division One men’s basketball programs in North Carolina.

Campbell Camels, Coastal Athletic Association

Charlotte 49ers, American Athletic Conference

Davidson Wildcats, Atlantic-10 Conference

Duke Blue Devils, Atlantic Coast Conference

East Carolina Pirates, American Athletic Conference

Elon Phoenix, Coastal Athletic Association

Gardner-Webb Runnin’Bulldogs, Big South Conference

High Point Panthers, Big South Conference

NC Central Eagles, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

North Carolina Tar Heels, Atlantic Coast Conference

North Carolina A&T Aggies, Coastal Athletic Association

Queens Royals, Atlantic Sun Conference

UNC Asheville Bulldogs, Big South Conference

UNC Greensboro Spartans, Southern Conference

UNC Wilmington Seahawks, Coastal Athletic Association

Western Carolina Catamounts, Southern Conference