NORFOLK, Va. – The North Carolina Central University men's basketball program has set a new benchmark as Justin Wright, Eric Boone, Kris Monroe, and Brendan Medley-Bacon each earned Preseason All-MEAC honors as voted by the league's head coaches and sports information directors, the conference office announced on Thursday, Oct. 20.
 
The previous mark was three, prior to the 2019-20 season, as Jibri Blount, Randy Miller Jr., and Jordan Perkins were each selected then.
 
Wright was named to the First Team, Boone and Monroe were both placed on the Second Team, and Medley-Bacon garnered Third Team honors.
 
The Eagles as a team were picked to finish second in the league with a total of 102 points and one first place vote.
 
Wright went on a tear against MEAC opponents last season on his way to become the youngest Eagle to be named First Team All-MEAC, as he averaged a league-leading 20.1 points per game in conference outings.  He had eight 20+ point performances, including a career-high 32 points against Delaware State where he helped to force overtime with a clutch three-pointer with three seconds remaining.  In all contests, he led the Eagles in scoring with 13.7 points per game, and shot 49.6 percent from the floor with 4.3 boards per game.
 
Boone was named Second Team All-MEAC last season after a stellar defensive campaign where he swiped 71 steals to tie for second-most all-time in a single season at NCCU.  He paired that with 106 assists and ranked second in the league with 3.7 assists per game, and 2.4 steals per outing.  He averaged 9.7 points per game and scored 10+ points 12 times, including in his first career double-double as an Eagle with 12 points and 12 rebounds against SC State on March 3.
 
Monroe proved to be a dangerous shooter last season, as he ranked sixth in the league in three-point shooting at 36.7 percent, ninth in field goal percentage at 47.7, and 13th in scoring with 10.7 points per game.  He was also a strong defender, and he led the Eagles with 6.0 rebounds per game.  Monroe also hit five treys in a game twice, including a season-high 23 points at home against Maryland Eastern Shore on Feb. 21.
 
Medley-Bacon returns to the MEAC after beginning his collegiate career at Coppin State from 2018-20, and then made stops at VCU and McNeese State.  Last season with the Cowboys, he averaged 9.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, and also totaled 39 blocks.  He also shot 71.1 percent from the charity stripe, and 54.6 percent from the floor.  He scored 10+ points 13 times, and 20+ points three times with a season-high of 21 points against St. Francis Brooklyn on Nov. 26.  He also collected a double-double of 17 points with 10 rebounds against New Orleans on Jan. 30.
 
The season will begin on Monday, Nov. 7 at Virginia.
 
To view the full release, visit MEACSports.com.
 
For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com, or download the NCCU Eagles Athletics app.