1997 MEAC men's basketball tournament

The 1997 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament took place March 3–8, 1997, at Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall in Norfolk, Virginia. Coppin State defeated North Carolina A&T, 81–74 (OT) in the championship game, to win its second MEAC Tournament title.

1997 MEAC men's basketball tournament
Classification	Division I
Season	1996–97
Teams	9
Site	Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall Norfolk, Virginia
Champions	Coppin State (3rd title)
Winning coach	Fang Mitchell (3rd title)
MVP	Terquin Mott (Coppin State)
MEAC men's basketball tournaments ← 1996 1998 →

1996–97 MEAC men's basketball standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		PCT			W		L		PCT
Coppin State †	15	–	3		.833			22	–	9		.710
South Carolina State	12	–	6		.667			14	–	14		.500
North Carolina A&T	11	–	7		.611			15	–	13		.536
Bethune–Cookman	9	–	9		.500			12	–	16		.429
Morgan State	8	–	10		.444			9	–	18		.333
Florida A&M	8	–	10		.444			8	–	19		.296
Hampton	7	–	11		.389			8	–	19		.296
Delaware State	7	–	11		.389			7	–	20		.259
Howard	7	–	11		.389			7	–	20		.259
Maryland Eastern Shore	6	–	12		.333			11	–	17		.393
† 1997 MEAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll[1]

The Eagles earned an automatic bid to the 1997 NCAA tournament as #15 seed in the East region. In the round of 64, Coppin State upset #2 seed South Carolina 78–65. It was the first win for a MEAC team in the NCAA Tournament, the first time a #15 seed won an NCAA Tournament game by double figures, and only the third time a #15 seed beat a #2 seed.

Format

Nine of ten conference members participated, with the top 8 teams receiving a bye to the quarterfinal round.

Bracket

	First round March 3					Quarterfinals March 5–6					Semifinals March 7					Final March 8
						1	Coppin State	90
						9	Maryland Eastern Shore	88
	8	Howard	70
	9	Maryland Eastern Shore	76
											1	Coppin State	76
											4	Bethune–Cookman	70
						4	Bethune–Cookman	70
						5	Florida A&M	61
																1	Coppin State	81
																3	North Carolina A&T	74OT
						3	North Carolina A&T	65
						6	Morgan State	54
											3	North Carolina A&T	54
											2	South Carolina State	49
						2	South Carolina State	85
						7	Delaware State	82OT

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