The college basketball world is feeling the pressure of the transfer portal era—and nowhere is that more evident than with the HBCU programs in the MEAC.
The eight-team HBCU conference released its all-conference teams earlier this month, and of the players with remaining eligibility, all but one have entered the portal.
That lone holdout? Toby Nnadozie, Coppin State’s standout defender and third-team all-conference pick. The league’s Defensive Player of the Year, Nnadozie transferred into Coppin from Maryland Eastern Shore and is now the only all-league player expected to return in 2025—if he stays.
The rest of the list reads like a farewell tour.
The first team was headlined by Howard’s Blake Harper, the conference’s Player of the Year and a former Rookie of the Year. He’s in the portal. Brian Moore Jr., who averaged over 19 points per game to lead Norfolk State, is also seeking new
opportunities. South Carolina State’s Drayton Jones rounds out the underclassmen leaving early from the first team.
The second team was hit just as hard. North Carolina Central’s leading scorer the past two seasons, Po’Boigh King, has declared for the portal. Delaware State’s Robert Smith, Morgan State’s Will Thomas, and Howard’s Marcus Dockery were all seniors, having played out their eligibility.
On the third team, Kaseem Watson of Delaware State and KC Shaw of Maryland Eastern Shore—who led his team in scoring, rebounding, and assists—have also hit the portal.
The only players not heading elsewhere are those who’ve exhausted their eligibility: guys like Martaz Robinson and Kameron Hobbs, both respected veterans who helped carry their programs through grueling conference schedules.
For the MEAC—and for HBCU basketball in general—this wave of departures is more than just the usual offseason shuffle. It’s a talent drain that underscores the growing gap between resource-limited HBCU programs and larger, well-funded schools offering more NIL support and national exposure.
With so much star power now exploring other options, the MEAC faces a challenging rebuild. The conference that once prided itself on continuity and development now finds itself in survival mode—trying to hold on to the few rising stars it still has.
And right now, that list begins and ends with Toby Nnadozie.
The lack of the obvious is the reasons that these ppl are leaving the MEAC a strong financial foundation.