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Defending champion N.C. A&T is the pick to repeat as winner of the MEAC women's basketball championship this season, according to a vote of the conference's head women's basketball coaches and sports information directors. Morgan State senior Corin Adams was named the league's preseason player of the year.

The All-MEAC first team includes A&T teammates Ta'Wuana Cook and Jalessa Sams. Cook, the 2007 MEAC rookie of the year, tallied 11.8 points and 2.7 assists per game, and hit 68.7-percent from the free-throw line a year ago. Sams is the top returning MEAC player in field goal percentage (53.7). Senior forward Lamona Smalley of A&T was a second-team selection.

The A&T men were picked to finish sixth in the MEAC. Defending league champion Morgan State was the choice to win conference title. Norfolk State's Michael DeLoach was selected as the preseason player of the year.

MEAC MEN

Preaseason poll
1. Morgan State
2. South Carolina State
3. Norfolk State
4. Hampton
5. Bethune-Cookman
6. N.C. A&T
7. Coppin State
8. Florida A&M
9. Delaware State
10. Howard
11. Maryland-Eastern Shore

First team: Michael DeLoach, Norfolk State; Reggie Holmes, Morgan State; Jason Flagler, S.C. State; Neal Pitt, Md.-Eastern Shore; Sam Coleman, Coppin State.

Second team: C.J. Reed, Bethune-Cookman; Vincent Simpson, Hampton; Michael Harper, Coppin State; Kevin Thompson, Morgan State; Paul Kirkpatrick, Howard.

MEAC WOMEN

Preaseason poll
1. N.C. A&T
2. Maryland-Eastern Shore
3. Coppin State
4. Delaware State
5. Morgan State
6. Hampton
7. Florida A&M
8. Howard
9. Bethune-Cookman
10. South Carolina State
11. Norfolk State

First team: Corin Adams, Morgan State; Ta'wuana Cook, N.C. A&T; Jaleesa Sams, N.C. A&T; April McBride, Maryland-Eastern Shore; Sarah Bolden, Bethune-Cookman.

Second Team: Zykia Brown, Howard; Deidra Jones, Florida A&M; Demetria Frank, Bethune-Cookman; Antonia Bennett, Florida A&M; Lamona Smalle,y N.C. A&T; Laura Lewis, Hampton; Kristina Rosario, Morgan State.

RECRUITING

UNCG: UNCG has picked up a verbal commitment from 6-foot-8, 220-pound center Cody Henegar of Marion County High School in Jasper, Tenn., the recruiting Web site Scout.com reported. Henegar is rated a two-star prospect by Scout.

APPALACHIAN STATE: Appalachian State has received a verbal commitment from 6-foot-4 shooting guard Jonathan Fyre of Northern Guilford, the recruiting Web site Scout.com reported. Frye, a two-star prospect, has drawn recruiting interest from Drake and Elon.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

"RED RALLY AT REYNOLDS:" N.C. State tips off its basketball season tonight with men's and women's scrimmages and other festivities at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh.

The Red Rally will immediately follow the Wolfpack volleyball match against Wake Forest, which begins at 7 p.m. In addition to the scrimmages, players from the N.C. State men's and women's teams will participate in a 3-point shooting contest with a fan, and there will be a dunk contest. Admission is free, but fans must wear red to enter Reynolds.

Fans also are encouraged to bring donations for the NTAF South-Atlantic Spinal Cord Injury Fund, in honor of former Wolfpack player Brian Keeter, who was injured in a car wreck last December.