With most of the best talent leaving these schools up until recently battled amongst each other and other HBC’s in a small little box trying to get as much attention as they could not only from the national press but from pro scouts.  The former CIAA and now the MEAC are the conferences that these colleges play in and yes there is some good talent trying to be noticed.  This was hard to accomplish when you play in small little gyms and there is nothing close to a TV contract.  Many of these kids who stayed home have been overlooked because the scouts do not have the time and patience to come and watch these gifted athletes fight it out for supremacy in the NAIA ranks.  That all changed recently when these programs decided to join the big time and become Division One members. Some of these players are finally getting their due.  Probably more than any single player in the conference and in all of these HBC’s one guy stands out as being part of the impetus to move these overlooked programs into the mainstream.  Marvin Webster was born and raised in Baltimore and decided to stay home and play for tiny Morgan State.  Webster is anything but tiny at seven foot one and has quickly become the most dominant player in the MEAC.  Right after he blocked 10 shots in a game against local juggernaut Georgetown in his freshman year, the media and bigger programs came calling.  This magnificent big man showcased his skill last year in the NAIA national tournament and is sure to get more attention this year than a new Edgar Allen Poe poem.  Webster will not only be the showcase of the MEAC but this program and his coach, Nat Frazier, is on a quest to get this phenomenal kid the recognition he deserves. 

The Morgan State Bears have been the very definition of a one-man team. Blessed with the presence of the incomparable Webster underneath, the Bears are a defensive juggernaut. They cannot, however, keep up offensively with the teams they faced even in the MEAC.  The Bears are not playing for a trip to the NAIA’s or D-2 anymore as the powers that be now allow the MEAC to have a team in the national tournament.  With that in mind, Frazier has brought in some local talent from both the JC and freshman ranks to support the big fella.  He knows that no matter how good Webster is defensively, and he is all of that, that you got to score to compete especially in the MEAC.  And with only two more years of having the gifted giant in town the clock is ticking in Baltimore.  

Webster or “the Human Eraser” as he has become known is as gifted a shot blocker as there is in the country. This Baltimore kid, who spurned major colleges to stay at home, averaged over five blocks a game and significantly changed any shot that was in his area.  A preacher’s son, Webster one-man interior defense was incredible.  He is also a good rebounder who knows how to use his size.  He is less than stellar on offense as he does not have great touch.  His best shot is a finishing dunk but he is developing a unique little hook shot that may do him well when he plays at the next level in a couple of more years.  He is the real deal but he has got to keep his motivation up as he has a tendency to take off games.  And as good as he is Webster does not seem to make his teammates better which is a huge attribute of the great ones.  Of course, with this group around him I don’t know if Bill Russell himself could have made them better.    This Webster needed at least a George Papadopolis somewhere on the roster but alas Mr. Karras as good of an athlete as he was played football not basketball.  Though they might not be anywhere near the Magnificent one in talent, Webster’s teammates did play hard and had their moments. 

The surrounding cast was not even ordinary.  Well except for Webster’s sidekick in crime and his Robin to his Batman.  Junior forward Eric ‘the Pencil’ Evans gave the team a little spark offensively.  Evans came to Morgan State in the same class as Webster and had no idea he was going to be second fiddle to someone else.  As a matter of fact there was a bit of a skirmish in the locker room that season handing out uniforms as both players wanted to wear number 40.  Guess who wears # 40?  Evans is a guy used to dominating the key and to be honest is a better offensive player than Webster though he did not quite score as many points.  Evans has played center all of his life so transitioning to power forward was a bit of a transition.  #44 still is not accustomed to not being the primary defensive presence in the middle but even he has to admit that Webster is the best space eater this side of Jupiter.  Still, Evans was the first option on offense and produced some solid numbers in support of Webster.  He might not exactly be the Big E to the Dream but the Pencil fills up the scorebook with his patented offensive game that cannot be erased.  At least Webster had someone on the team who was near him in talent.  As for the rest of the team most of these guys were carryover NAIA type players who can play but are not quite ready for the prime time schedule Frazier had put together to showcase Webster.  Phillip Pugh is another junior who Frazier has coming back who can board underneath but is caught between a rock and a hard place behind Webster and Evans and barely played.  At 6’5, Pugh is nowhere near as big or talented as the two guys in front of him but he does play as Webster does not eat up huge minutes due to stamina and foul trouble.  Senior Robert Gordon is also in the post rotation and brings more offense down low than Pugh. He is not going to challenge Double E or the Eraser for minutes but getting more big men was not the priority for Frazier this offseason.  He wants guys who can shoot the rock and take the pressure off the Eraser.    

Junior Chet Davis is a solid back court player but can be overmatched at times. He gets by on guile and determination and a great work ethic. The ‘Jet’ is consistent and a terrific leader and role model who plays hard every game and does things the right way.  He can score and defend and is unselfish to a fault but is not anywhere near pro level.  He will start again this year but is just the type of player that Frazier would like to be able to replace with someone a little more athletic especially as a two guard.  And perhaps more importantly someone who has a bit more range as you can see from his nickname, Davis is quick as heck and loves to get to the hoop.  Seniors Harry Johnson, Charles ‘Bo’ Brightful, Lee Cornish and Ernie Garrett have all had good careers here but with the Bears making some changes looking for the future their playing time is in jeopardy.  Stepping up to Division One was a little beyond their pay grade as they do not have the game to keep up and with some more athletic recruits being brought in to compete. This quartet could definitely hear the ‘winds of change.’   Garrett was the first star here as he led the Bears in about everything back in the CIAA days including being one of the best students in the University.  Garrett is a pre-med guy so has taken the evolution of this program in stride.  Same for Johnson who wants a career in the military and plays that way.  This tough kid can score and defend but is not big enough for the wing he plays.  Brightful is a killer who is constant motion and plays anywhere and everywhere.  He is not the scorer as some of his fellow seniors but he has a shot of playing this year as glue player off the bench.  Cornish also has a chance but primarily due to his ability to score.  He can hit some shots so unless Frazier has brought in some true long-range bombers  then Cornish might have a role.  Either way this group have been a huge part of this program. 

Coach Frazier recruited some good young players and more are coming but his biggest recruit may have been Assistant Coach Todd Bozeman.  Bozeman (once a coach at PAC-10 power Cal) has been brought in specifically to get this program into the modern world of basketball and he has brought in some players to achieve this.  Bozeman has recruited some terrific players at Cal but left amid controversy on and off the court and was hit with the show-cause penalty which means he cannot be rehired by any program unless he serves a penalty.  As for the Bears he has one year left before this is up and he can become head coach.  As we stated, the clock is ticking for Frazier but he will get to coach the guys he recruited including Webster, Evans, Billy Newton and Davis for at least one more year but after then all bets are off. 

Johnson started the first six games at one wing before Sophomores Yarharbrough Roberts took over.  Roberts, yes that is how you spell his first name and don’t ask me to do that again, was having a solid year as once he got into the starting lineup he averaged almost ten points a game.  Everything fell apart when he was going to the hoop against Hampton and Ricky Mahorn stuck out his big butt and knocked the kid into the third row.  In the brawl that ensued he was stepped on (perhaps by Mahorn again) and ended up having a torn ACL which meant his season was over.  He might not be able to come back for his junior year either as this was a horrific injury.  That is too bad because this kid gave the Bears the kind of athleticism it so needs on the wings.  Junior Anthony Young stepped up the second half and played well.  He is a terrific all-around player who can also get off the ground and at six eight was backing up Evans.  He has some things to learn about being a wing but he can pass and run and jump so is the favorite to win the starting role next season next to Webster and Evans. Sophomores Damone Williams and Troy Brown hope to be solid contributors for Frazier after a year of seasoning on the JV.  Brown is a scorer but a bit undersized for the three spot and is not a two guard.  Williams played some limited minutes on varsity out of need last and has some size (6’7) is a solid all-around performer.  Neither will likely challenge for a starting role this year but are productive in their roles.  Still, none of these guys are the type of shooters this team needs to open up the middle.  Roberts can score but is not a long-range guy and with the injury who knows how he will come back.  Frazier is bringing in a local stud from the JC route to compete at the wing and he brings some hops to the Bears.  Junior to be Garcia Hopkins goes 6’6 and can fly but can he shoot?   

The aforementioned Billy Newton is the returning starter at point guard.  The main job here is getting the ball to the scorers and this junior definitely improved on that throughout the year.  Newton started every game last year and though he is not the most dynamic point guard is nothing if he is not consistent.  He can distribute and defend but and can score some but that is not his role.  He will kill you at the free throw line if he gets fouled as he shot over 90% from the charity stripe. Bozeman is using his connections to bring in some kids, one from the West Coast, to compete at this position specifically.  He knows point guards. If Bozeman does indeed find some kids who can play on the perimeter then the sky is the limit for the Bears (yes I know he comes from a team that had the same nickname).  

 For Coach Nat Frazier the question is what do you do when you have hands down the most talented player in the league and you still can’t seem to win enough games?  Well, the answer seems to be to slow things down and depend on your superb defense and front line to keep you close in games and win at the end.  But even in the mighty MEAC you got to score to win games, at least some.   There is no questioning the talent of the mammoth Mr. Webster.  He will play and probably dominate at the next level like he has done in the NAIA (a legend there) and the MEAC for the last two years.  Now, the question is can he get his Bears into the Big Dance this year?