By Caleb Veal, WRAL Sports contributor

The North Carolina Central Eagles finished last season with a 19-15 record (9-5 MEAC). This season the team brings in eight new faces to add to their two preseason All-MEAC selections, junior Po’Boigh King and senior Keishon Porter. 

 “They’ve been successful and have earned that preseason notoriety and are so deserving of that,” Head Coach Levelle Moton said of his two returning players. 

 Moton’s eyes are set on a MEAC championship, but the media predicted the Eagles to finish third in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference behind Howard University and Norfolk State. 

 The Eagles fell short last season in the MEAC semi-finals to Delaware State. 

 Bringing in height and depth seemed to be the focus this offseason. The new additions bring in experience from “the heat of battle” Moton said.

  Junior guard Dionte Johnson from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, senior guard Aquan Smart from Southeast Missouri State, and 6’9” junior forward Anthony Peoples Jr. all look to make an impact on an Eagles roster that lost their leading scorer in Fred Cleveland Jr., who also led in assists.

 “ I’m just excited with the new guys we got in this year, knowing we can probably do something good. If we just stay at it day by day, we’re gonna be a good team this year,” Porter said.

Porter knows that the commitment to work has to be consistent. The optimism of adding new players leaves the team and coaching staff eager to show that the bar being set is obtainable. 

 “Potential is just a fancy word saying you haven’t done anything. How long do we ride the wave of potential? We are only going to go as far as you take us,” Moton said, adding they have a great group of young men ready to make good on the name of the front and back of their jerseys. 

 The Eagles open the season at George Mason University on Monday, Nov. 4.

Source: wralsportsfan.com