Thursday’s Morgan Madness will kick off Morgan State’s basketball season with a pep rally before the first game on Nov. 7. 

Fans look ahead for the upcoming season as Morgan has four players with preseason Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) honors, one on the men’s team and three on the women’s team. 

Senior guard Mailk Miller is on the second team for the men’s basketball All-MEAC teams. After securing another preseason award, he has his mind on one last accomplishment this season, a MEAC championship.

“I made it to the semi-finals. I made it to the championship, but I never won one. So no matter what I do this year, I feel like me getting that MEAC ring is number one on my list,” Miller said. 

On the women’s side, senior guard Ja’Niah Henson is on the second All-MEAC team as well. Both players were on the first team for last year’s preseason honors. 

Graduate forwards Taylor Addison and Charlene Shepherd are featured on the third team after transferring to Morgan for the culture and team dynamic.

These players fell in love with basketball and decided to take it a step further by playing in college. 

Miller and Henson are planning to play basketball professionally after their collegiate careers. 

“It’s not only limited to the WNBA, I have no problem with going overseas. But if I was to get picked for a WNBA team, I would say that I want to be on the home team, Washington Mystics,” Henson said.

Addison, on the other hand, wants to work with sports instead like a local team or corporation like Under Armour.

“So like the Ravens, the Wizards, or the Commanders, but if I have to travel, I’ll travel,” Addison said.

Shepherd has professional basketball as one of her options and “would love to play for the Aces for Becky Hammon or even my previous coach that I had at my last school [University of North Texas.]” 

Nearing the end of their collegiate careers, Morgan’s four preseason award winners will go into the season with a long year ahead of them.

Last season, the women’s team ended the year ranked third in the MEAC and as the men’s team they finished fourth.

Heading into the women’s 2022 conference tournament, Morgan played No. 6 South Carolina State, then played No. 2 Norfolk State which ended their season in a 51-53 nail biter.

The men’s team also had a similar MEAC tournament experience, taking on No. 6 South Carolina State, and also ran into No. 2 Norfolk State who ended their season 63-72. 

Howard University’s women’s basketball team and Norfolk State’s men’s basketball team took home the championship win last year. 

For this upcoming basketball season, the men’s basketball team will travel to Cincinnati, Ohio to face off Xavier University on Nov. 7. 

The women’s basketball team will kick off the season on Nov. 7 with a home game at the Hill Field House against Shepard University. 

Once conference play begins, the basketball teams will face off against Coppin State, Delaware State, Howard, Maryland Eastern Shore, Norfolk State, North Carolina Central, and South Carolina State. 

The men’s and women’s basketball teams prepare for the season, and Thursday’s Morgan Madness in the Hill Field House at 7 p.m.

Darius Brockett contributed to this story.