Wheeling, W. Va. - On Wednesday, the Mountain East Conference (MEC) gets ready for the basketball season with all 11 Men's and Women's Head Basketball Coaches converging on the Bridgeport Conference Center in Bridgeport, West Virginia. Wheeling University Head Women's Basketball Coach Anna Kowalska and Wheeling University Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Richardson will represent the Wheeling Men's and Women's Basketball programs as they prepare for the 2023-2024 season. The coaches will give fans a first look into their upcoming season and what to expect from the teams on the floor.
The day will begin with the annual MEC Coaches meetings as the Head Men's and Women's Basketball coaches meet ahead of the start of their season. Then, at noon, the MEC will release their annual Women's Basketball Preseason Poll, followed by the Men's Basketball Preseason Poll at 12:15 PM. Following the release at 12:30 PM, the Women's Basketball Coaches will take the podium as all 11 Head Coaches will address the media, giving a season preview for their team, including a general preview, some players to watch, and expectations for the season. The 11 Head Men's Basketball coaches will follow the women and the same format will be followed. All Head Coaches will be available for one-on-one interview opportunities with members of the media in attendance following the formal ceremony.
The Wheeling Women's Basketball team is coming off their best season since the 2017-18 campaign when they were crowned MEC Championships. They finished the year 14-15 overall and 12-10 in MEC play, as they earned the #6 seed in the MEC Tournament. They would end up Earning a first-round bye but had to take on the eventual MEC runner ups in the Quarterfinals. They would fall to the University of Charleston 62-51, ending their playoff run, but capping off a strong season. While the Cardinals do lose two of their top four scorers from a season ago, they bring back three of their five starters, headlined by Honorable Mention All-MEC honoree Shamia Strayhorn. The Cardinals look to make a run once again at the conference tournament and advance into the deeper rounds this season.
On the men's side, the Cardinals finished 6-23 overall and 4-18 in MEC play. Despite the record, the team battled throughout the year, falling 16 times by 10 points or fewer and 10 times by five points or less. There will be a significant amount of turnover in the starting five, but the Cardinals are led by junior Marcus Johnson, who was second on the team last year averaging 18.1 points per game and 6.1 rebounds per game. The Cardinals did clinch the #10 seed in last season's tournament but were unfortunately bounced in the first round by #7 seeded Glenville State 96-84 ending their season. With several strong transfers coming into the fold in 2023-2024, the Cardinals look to grow from last season and get back to the upper half of the conference standings.
The 2023-2024 MEC Basketball Media Day is set to kick-off on Wednesday, October 25th, with the Women's Basketball Coaches Press Conference at 12:30 PM. You can watch the MEC Media Day events live by clicking HERE.
