BALTIMORE, Md. -- When Kevin Broadus had some time to fully digest the frustrations of Morgan State's 2021-22 season, the word he kept coming back to was inconsistency.

How could the Bears lose five out of six early in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play, only to take six of their next seven and play as well as anyone other than league champion Norfolk State in the second half of the season?

What happened behind the scenes mirrored the season itself, and it is why Broadus thinks a leaner core group rather than what seemed like a cast of thousands could spur his team to a run at an NCAA tournament berth.

"We didn't shoot the ball particularly well as a team, and on the flip side, we didn't defend anyone," Broadus said. "So I went out, and I think I got some shooters and I really got some defenders. We plugged a big hole in the middle, going to get a big guy. I like the way the team is shaping up."

THE BACKCOURT
As much as newcomers will help determine the course of the season, the Bears will lean on a few familiar faces to play prominent roles in the backcourt.

The rugged 6-4 Malik Miller (12.8 ppg, 8.8 rpg) has always played beyond his size, and the fifth-year senior will remain a glass-crashing presence who can create his own points on putbacks. He led Morgan State in scoring and rebounding last season and should again be one of the most reliable players in the MEAC.

"He's the heart and soul," Broadus said. "He's not flashy. He does all the tough and dirty work, and his game is predicated on that. It's not off of running plays for him. He just cleans up everybody else's mistakes."

Also returning is another fifth-year senior, the 6-1 Isaiah Burke (8.6 ppg, 1.7 rpg), who could enjoy a breakout season in his final year as a Bear.

"I think he takes on a larger role, but he has to stay healthy as well," Broadus said. "He was nicked up a lot during the year, so hopefully he can stay healthy. If Isaiah's healthy, he can really shoot the ball. He's our best shooter."

Junior Will Thomas (2.9 ppg, 1.8 rpg) enjoyed a strong offseason, and he should be in the mix for an expanded spot in the rotation as well.

There is a vacancy at point guard, but there is not a shortage of options for the job. Broadus is excited about how freshman Rob Lawson has acclimated himself to the program over the summer, though the recruit from the Washington, D.C., area isn't the only newcomer with a chance to break through.

Daiquan Copeland, who arrives after a stint at Santa Monica College in California, is both a scorer and a facilitator and can create matchup problems at 6-6.

Other guards joining the program including junior Kevon Wiggins, a microwave sort who averaged 19.1 points as Colorado's Lamar Community College, and Bowie State transfer David McCullough, who posted 13.0 points a game at the Division II level last season.

THE FRONTCOURT
For all the choices Broadus had last season, he was missing one he'd grown accustomed to earlier in his Morgan State tenure: Troy Baxter Jr.

Khalil Turner, a 6-8 junior who averaged 14.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.9 blocks at Miami Dade College in Florida last season, has a chance to provide a Baxter-like element at the four.

"He helps us with size on the wing," Broadus said. "I like what he brings us with that toughness. He's a really tough Philly kid. He's really good. We just need him to be focused and do the things he's gotten better at and make us a better team. He can really rebound, too. He's like Troy Baxter was. We were not athletic last year. we're back to being athletic."

Look for the Bears to cycle through three options at the five. Ty Horner (3.9 ppg, 1.4 rpg) brings a solid element as a shooter, and Collin Nnamene (1.4 ppg, 1.6 rpg) is probably the best rim protector of the bunch.

Then there's graduate transfer Lewis Djonkam, who started his career at Virginia Commonwealth before spending the last three seasons at Radford. He averaged 4.7 rebounds two years ago, and should be one of the Bears' best rebounders. Toto Fagbenle will also be joining the team this season. The London, England product is a 6-9 graduate student who saw action at Nottingham Trent University.

THE SCHEDULE
Morgan State will have a coast-to-coast presence --- and even make an international venture --- during nonconference play.

The Bears open Nov. 7 against Xavier, a Big East school coming off an NIT title. Three nights later, Morgan State begins its 12-game home slate against Penn State Allegheny.

The Bears will also visit Virginia Commonwealth before playing two games in the Jamaica Classic on Nov. 18 and 20 before heading west to meet Loyola Marymount on Nov. 23. The highlight of the December slate is a Dec. 22 trip to Arizona, which is coming off a Pac-12 championship. 

MEAC play begins Jan. 7 against North Carolina Central. Another January highlight is defending league champion Norfolk State's trek to Hill Field House on Jan. 23.

The final nonconference game is actually against a MEAC opponent. The Bears will meet Delaware State on Feb. 4 in the Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic in Newark, N.J. Morgan State closes the regular season with three out of its last four at home, including a Senior Night showdown March 2 against crosstown rival Coppin State, before its annual trip to the MEAC tournament March 8-11 in Norfolk, Va.


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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.