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 University
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 Two)
MEAC Ranking Among 32 Leagues (KenPom): 31st (2024), 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 Feb. 18): 259-194 (.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 Feb. 18): 13-10, 5-3 MEAC
2023-24 Midseason Ranking (KenPom): #266 nationally (2nd in MEAC)
Remaining Regular-Season Games: at Norfolk State (2/19), UMES (2/24), Delaware State (2/26), at Coppin State (3/2), at Morgan State (3/4), South Carolina State (3/7)
N.C. Central’s depth this season is no joke. Ten players average at least 10 minutes per game on coach LeVelle Moton’s squad, and 11 guys have appeared in the starting lineup.
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 shown great 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 now third on the team in scoring at 14.1 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 15-plus points per game, and both are likely to earn All-MEAC honors. Central definitely has the ability to attack defenses with a variety of threats around the perimeter.
However, NCCU has been hit hard by injuries, especially early in the season. Each of its regular starters missed time, including Cleveland Jr. and Harris in December. 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 4-7, NCCU has won nine of its last 12 games, setting itself up for at least the possibility of its fifth first-place finish in the last 11 campaigns.
That successful streak included an 73-54 annihilation of Howard, another team expected to contend for first-place honors in the MEAC this season, although the Bison recently got their revenge (90-82) while hosting the Eagles. NCCU also edged first-place Norfolk State, 60-58 in Durham on Jan. 8, with that return match in Norfolk set for Feb. 19.
While it’s true that three of the Eagles’ first seven losses were to Power Six programs, they also suffered some nonconference 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 if the Eagles can follow through on their strong start in conference play, especially now that they are closer to full health.
2023-24 NC Central Eagles
(13-10, 5-3 MEAC; through Feb. 18)
Starters
PG Fred Cleveland Jr., Sr. — 32 mpg, 15 ppg, 4 rpg, 41% FG, 81% FT, 36% threes, 101/60 ATO, 1 block, 33 steals
(5-9/165); 2022 Itawamba CC transfer (starter); N.C. A&T (2019-21); Chicago, Ill.
G Ja’Darius Harris, r-Sr. — 31 mpg, 16 ppg, 4 rpg, 47% FG, 84% FT, 36% threes, 40/41 ATO, 0 blocks, 18 steals
(6-2/175); 2021 Eastern Florida State JC transfer (backup); UT Martin (2019-20); Trenton, Tenn.
G Po’Boigh King, So. — 32 mpg, 14 ppg, 5 rpg, 44% FG, 74% FT, 31% threes, 35/42 ATO, 4 blocks, 29 steals
(6-4/195); 2023 Harcum transfer (backup); Mount Zion Christian; Roanoke Rapids, N.C.
F Perry Smith Jr., So. — 21 mpg, 6 ppg, 5 rpg, 62% FG, 59% FT, 5/22 ATO, 13 blocks, 17 steals
(6-9/230); 2023 Vermont transfer (reserve); Legacy Early College; Augusta, Ga.
F Emmanuel Izunabor, r-Sr. — 20 mpg, 5 ppg, 5 rpg, 57% FG, 63% FT, 10/13 ATO, 22 blocks, 13 steals
(6-8/225); 2023 High Point transfer (2-year starter); Fayetteville Academy; Lagos, Nigeria
Key Reserves
G Keishon Porter, Jr. — 18 mpg, 6 ppg, 3 rpg, 52% FG, 59% FT, 29% threes, 6/14 ATO, 7 blocks, 23 steals
(6-5/195); 2023 Cape Fear CC transfer (starter); Radford (2020-21); Pinetops, N.C.
G Josh Smith, So. — 11 mpg, 6 ppg, 2 rpg, 43% FG, 67% FT, 37% threes, 22/17 ATO, 2 blocks, 15 steals
(6-4/175); 2023 Independence CC transfer (part-time starter); from Chicago, Ill.
F Devin Gordon, Jr. — 20 mpg, 5 ppg, 2 rpg, 42% FG, 36% FT, 37% threes, 10/17 ATO, 4 blocks, 11 steals
(6-5/205); 2022 Mississippi Valley State transfer (part-time starter); Powder Springs, Ga.
F Timmy Adedire, Jr. — 17 mpg, 5 ppg, 4 rpg, 49% FG, 70% FT, 20% threes, 19/13 ATO, 0 blocks, 10 steals
(6-4/208); 2-year reserve for Eagles; Perry Hall HS; Baltimore, Md.
*—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), COVID (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 and all 15 Atlantic Coast Conference programs.
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East Carolina Pirates, American Athletic Conference
Elon Phoenix, Coastal Athletic Association
Florida State Seminoles, Atlantic Coast Conference
Gardner-Webb Runnin’Bulldogs, Big South Conference
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Louisville Cardinals, Atlantic Coast Conference
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