NCAA Division I Men's Basketball
North Carolina A&T (9-21, 6-9 MEAC, 2-16 Road)
vs. 
North Carolina Central (23-6, 15-0 MEAC, 11-0 Home)
Thursday, March 5, 2015 - 7:30 p.m.
McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium (3,116) - Durham, N.C.
Video/Audio: NCCUEaglePride.com  

Complete Game Notes as PDF   

THE GAME:  If NCCU beats rival NC A&T on Thursday, it will be the first time in school history that the Eagles finish a regular season with an undefeated conference record. NCCU boasts the nation's longest conference win streak with 33 straight victories over MEAC teams, as well as the nation's second-longest home win streak of 34 games (behind Arizona). 

SCOUTING REPORT:  NC A&T
- The Aggies of North Carolina A&T have won three games in-a-row to improve their overall record to 9-21, including a 6-9 mark in the MEAC.
- Junior forward Bruce Beckford leads A&T in both scoring (15.0 points per game) and rebounding (7.2 boards per game).

SERIES VS. NC A&T
This will be the 146th meeting between the Aggies and Eagles since 1930. A&T owns a 75-70 advantage in the series, but NCCU is 8-2 against A&T since 2011.
02/07/15 - NCCU 58, NCAT 44 (Greensboro, N.C.)
02/22/14 - NCCU 73, NCAT 55 (Greensboro, N.C.)
01/22/14 - NCCU 84, NCAT 44 (Durham, N.C.)
03/13/13 - NCAT 55, NCCU 42 (Norfolk, Va.)&
02/23/13 - NCCU 51, NCAT 47 (Durham, N.C.)
12/01/12 - NCCU 66, NCAT 62 (Greensboro, N.C.)
02/18/12 - NCCU 71, NCAT 66 (Greensboro, N.C.)
12/03/11 - NCCU 65, NCAT 46 (Durham, N.C.)
02/21/11 - NCAT 72, NCCU 67 (Durham, N.C.)
01/24/11 - NCCU 90, NCAT 84 OT (Greensboro, N.C.)
&-2013 MEAC Tournament (Quarterfinals)

EAGLES NO. 23 IN MID-MAJOR TOP 25 POLL
NCCU moved up two spots to No. 23 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll (Mar. 2).

NCCU REPEATS MEAC REGULAR-SEASON TITLE
NCCU clinched its second straight MEAC regular-season championship and the No. 1 seed in the MEAC Tournament by defeating Bethune-Cookman on Feb. 28. NCCU is the first team to repeat as MEAC regular-season champs since Morgan State won three in-a-row from 2007-10.

NCCU NO. 14 IN NCAA.COM POWER RANKINGS
In a system based solely on team statistics, NCCU has moved into the top 15 of the NCAA.com Power Rankings, entering at No. 14. The formula used for the Power Rankings includes current statistics for points per game, opponents' points per game, field goal percentage (offensive and defensive), turnover margin and overall record. 

NCCU'S RPI AMONG TOP 115
According to NCAA.com (as of March 4), NCCU's RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) is 112 out of 351 teams across the nation. NC A&T is 340.

EAGLES SOARING AMONG THE NATION'S ELITE
NCCU is ranked among some of the top schools in the nation (NCAA Division I) in a few statistical categories listed below, as of March 3: 
CATEGORY        NCCU    NCAA 
Opp. Three-Point FG Pct.    26.8%    2nd
Opp. Field Goal Pct.    35.4%    3rd
Opp. Points Per Game    54.6    4th
Scoring Margin    +14.1    13th
Field Goal Percentage    48.3%    17th

DEFENSE! DEFENSE!
Under the leadership of sixth-year head coach LeVelle Moton, NCCU believes its identity is rooted in playing defense. As evidence, the Eagles rank among the NCAA Division I top-5 in three key defensive categories: second in three-point percentage defense (26.8%), third in field goal percentage defense (35.4%), and fourth in scoring defense (54.6 points allowed per game). At the end of NCCU's historic 2013-14 season, NCCU ranked fifth in field goal percentage defense (38.1%) and 10th in scoring defense (59.5 points allowed per game).

UNBEATEN IN CONFERENCE PLAY
If NCCU beats NC A&T on Thursday, it will mark the first time in school history that the Eagles finish a regular season with an undefeated conference record.  In MEAC history, only four teams have posted unblemished conference records: 2012-13 Norfolk State, 1993-94 Coppin State, 1992-93 Coppin State and 1987-88 North Carolina A&T - all went 16-0. A&T and Coppin State went on to win the MEAC Tournament in 1988 and 1993. However, the last two teams to post perfect regular-season MEAC records, lost their first game of the conference tournament.  

JORDAN PARKS NAMED TO LOU HENSON AWARD WATCH LIST
NCCU senior forward Jordan Parks (Queens, N.Y.) has been named to the Lou Henson Award Mid-Season Watch List, announced Jan. 21.  The Lou Henson Award is presented annually to the Division I Mid-Major Player of the Year.

JORDAN PARKS ON THE MARK
After leading the nation in field goal shooting last season at 65.9 percent, NCCU senior forward Jordan Parks ranks third in the NCAA Division I at 63.3 percent, which leads the MEAC.
NIMROD THE PLAYMAKER
NCCU senior point guard Nimrod Hilliard, a transfer from Lamar University, continues to lead the MEAC and ranks 11th in the nation with an average of 6.1 assists per game. 

McDONALD AN ARCH EXPERT
Ronald McDonald knows golden arches. Anthony McDonald knows three-point arches. The NCCU senior sharp-shooter tops the conference and ranks ninth in the country with 3.2 made three-pointers per game. He has a MEAC-high 93 baskets from behind the arc, which sits ninth in Division I.

NATION'S SECOND-LONGEST HOME WIN STREAK
NCCU boasts a 34-game home win streak, which ranks second in Division I behind Arizona. The Eagles have not lost at home since Dec. 4, 2012 (Eastern Kentucky, 57-63). The last MEAC team to beat NCCU in Durham was Savannah State on Feb. 11, 2012 (67-57).  Since then 25 consecutive conference opponents have left McDougald-McLendon Gym with a loss. 

HOWEVER... NATION'S LONGEST HOME WIN STREAK IN CALENDAR DAYS
Although NCCU's 34-game home win streak ranks second in the NCAA Division I in terms of the number of games, when looking at the length of the streak in calendar days, NCCU tops the nation.
Last Home Loss:
NCCU - Dec. 4, 2012
Arizona - Feb. 10, 2013
Wichita State - Feb. 27, 2013

NEST HAS BEEN PROTECTED
In Moton's six seasons, the Eagles have done just that - Protect the Nest, compiling a 61-13 home record during his coaching career. Here's how NCCU has fared at home since 2009:
2009-10:  7-4 (.636)
2010-11:  9-4 (.692)
2011-12:  8-3 (.727)
2012-13: 12-2 (.857) 
2013-14: 14-0 (1.000)
2014-15: 11-0 (1.000)
Total:     61-13 (.824)

WE MUST PROTECT THE NEST
During the 2013-14 season, North Carolina Central University went unbeaten at home going 14-0, marking that feat for the first time since the 1997-98 campaign. 
2014-15: 11-0
2013-14: 14-0
1989-90:  13-0
1997-98:  12-0 
1987-88:  12-1
1992-93:  11-1
1993-94:  11-1
1995-96:  11-1
1988-89:  9-1

MOTON SITS AMONG NCCU TOP 5 IN WINS
Head coach LeVelle Moton recorded his 100th victory against S.C. State on Jan. 10, 2015, becoming the fifth coach in NCCU men's basketball history to reach the 100-win milestone. Here is a list of the coaches with the most wins in program history:
Most Victories    W    L    Pct.    Years
1. Floyd Brown    251    194    .564    1952-70
2. John McLendon    239    68    .779    1940-52
3. Gregory Jackson    164    78    .678    1991-00
4. Michael Bernard    115    56    .673    1985-91
5. LeVelle Moton    112    73    .605    2009-

NCCU VS. MEAC
Now that NCCU is back and established in the  conference that it helped start back in 1970, the Eagles are 315-264 against MEAC opponents all-time. The Eagles have beaten 33 straight MEAC teams, and have a 49-3 record against league foes since the start of 2012-13 season.
Bethune-Cookman    8-4
Coppin State        7-3
Delaware State        19-13
Florida A&M        11-2
Hampton        46-31
Howard        40-26
Maryland Eastern Shore    20-16
Morgan State        48-40
Norfolk State        11-27
North Carolina A&T    70-75
Savannah State        10-8
South Carolina State    27-19

20-WIN SEASONS
NCCU's victory over Florida A&M on Feb. 16 provided the Eagles with a third consecutive 20-win season, something that has not happened for the Eagles since 1990 under the direction of head coach Michael Bernard. John B. McLendon was the only other coach to lead the Eagles to three straight 20-win seasons from 1948-51. Here's a look at all 18 of NCCU's 20-win seasons.
Year    Coach    W    L    Pct
1939-40    William Burghardt    22    4    .846
1946-47    John McLendon    20    5    .800
1948-49    John McLendon    25    5    .833
1949-50    John McLendon    24    5    .828
1950-51    John McLendon    28    7    .800
1953-54    Floyd Brown    24    7    .774
1954-55    Floyd Brown    20    7    .741
1956-57#    Floyd Brown    23    6    .793
1987-88%    Michael Bernard    26    3    .896
1988-89$    Michael Bernard    28    4    .875
1989-90%    Michael Bernard    23    5    .821
1992-93&    Gregory Jackson    26    4    .867
1993-94    Gregory Jackson    20    5    .800
1995-96%    Gregory Jackson    20    7    .741
1996-97%    Gregory Jackson    20    6    .769
2012-13    LeVelle Moton    22    9    .709
2013-14@    LeVelle Moton    28    6    .823
2014-15    LeVelle Moton    23    6    .793
20-win seasons = 18
#-Advanced to Second Round of NCAA Playoffs
%-Advanced to NCAA Regional Championships
&-Advanced to NCAA Quarterfinals / "Elite Eight"
$-Won the NCAA Division II National Championship
@-Won MEAC Regular Season & Tournament

ALL STARTERS ALL-MEAC; PARKS MEAC MVP
Breitbart Sports announced all five NCCU starters to its 15-player men's basketball All-MEAC Teams, and has NCCU senior forward Jordan Parks as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Most Valuable Player. Parks, a 6-7, 200-pound forward out of Queens, New York, earned Conference MVP honors as the top-ranked player in the MEAC, coming in at #200 among NCAA Division I players at ValueAddBasketball.com. Parks and senior point guard Nimrod Hilliard were named to the All-MEAC First Team, senior center Karamo Jawara and senior shooting guard Anthony McDonald were selected to the All-MEAC Second Team, and junior guard Dante Holmes was placed on the All-MEAC Third Team.