N.C. Central Eagles: 18-15, 10-6 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Head Coach: LeVelle Moton (10th season)
Key Players: Raasean Davis (14.6 PPG, 8.9 RPG); Jibri Blount (10.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG); Zacarry Douglas (8.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG)
Season Recap: The fellow Durhamites are back in the tournament for a third straight season, though still looking for their first tournament win. LeVelle Moton challenged his team early in losses to Clemson and Cincinnati, and despite not dominating its conference like recent years, N.C. Central got the job done against MEAC favorite Norfolk State in the title game.
With a steady rotation of experienced forwards, the Eagles are 14th in the country in rebounding margin and won’t let their opponents get many second chances. The major flaw in N.C. Central's game is its inability to shoot, as none of its major rotation pieces are shooting better than 37 percent from beyond the arc.
How they make a run: They pound the ball inside with their size and experience against a smaller team.
How they falter: Their lack of scoring from the guard position makes opponents pack the paint.
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