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Hampton
Road to the Final Four.............................................................................................
The Pirates reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time only six years after they joined Division I, winning the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's automatic bid by knocking off perennial MEAC power South Carolina State. The Pirates had split two games with South Carolina State during the regular season and tied Bulldogs for the MEAC regular-season title. But coach Steve Merfeld said he made his goals clear from the start of the season, gathering the team in a room, walking in and standing silently for about 10 minutes until all eyes were focused on him. "I very calmly said, 'We're going to win a conference championship, and we're going to play in the NCAA Tournament in March,"' Merfeld recalled after the title game. So, the conference which has sent Coppin State in the past, and South Carolina State to the dance four of of the past six seasons, has a new representative this year. Player to Watch Tarvis Williams is the nation's fifth-leading scorer at 22.5 points a game. He simple can light it up when he's on and that's most nights. He's scored 35 twice and hit for 37 in the Pirates' marquee win of the season over South Florida. The 6-9, 200-pound forward doesn't have the body of a banger, but he does his work close to the basket shooting 53 percent and grabbing 5.8 rebounds a game. And get this: He hasn't taken a 3-pointer all season. With the Ball This is a club with talent in both the frontcourt and in the backcourt. And even with a scorer like Williams, balance is the key. Not surprisingly, the Pirates led the MEAC in scoring at 78.7 ppg, but it wasn't all Williams. Hampton shot 46.4 percent as a team, with 6-6 senior LaSean Howard adding 13.1 points a game and senior guard Marseilles Bown providing 12 points a night on the perimeter.Defending the Ball For a team that lit up the scoreboard, the Pirates also played solid defense. Foes shot just 42 percent against them and much of that was due to their solid rebounding. Hampton led the MEAC on the boards, grabbing 36 rebounds a night. With plenty of athletic bodies, the Pirates also led the conference in block shots (5.5 bpg).Seed Analysis Exceeding the Seed None. Playing to Expectations None. Falling Short None. BRACKETOLOGY SCORE: 0 (1,000 is playing exactly to a team's historical seeding) Bracketology Report This is Hampton's first NCAA tournament since moving up to Division I. The MEAC champions are probably quite happy with a No. 15 seed. The last time that happened (1997), Coppin State shocked No. 2 South Carolina in a first-round East Region game. It was the only NCAA victory for a MEAC team in 20 tries. Only the Big South (0-9) and Patriot League (0-9) have fared worse in the Big Dance. Roster
 NCAA Basketball Championship Week It's March, which means the madness has started and invitations are being reserved throughout Championship Week.  Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories |  |
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Coach Steve Merfeld said there were tears of joy in the Hampton locker room (Courtesy: NCAA Productions).
