The Hampton Pirates have received a No. 16 seed in the 2011 NCAA Tournament. The NCAA bracket was just revealed on the Selection Sunday show on CBS, and the Pirates will be in the West region. They will play Duke in the first round in Charlotte.
The Hampton basketball team won the 2011 MEAC Tournament, topping two-time defending champion Morgan State in the championship game on Saturday. The Pirates are returning to the Big Dance for the first time since 2006. Led by coach Edward Joyner, in his second year at the helm, and high-scoring guards Darrion Pellum and Kwame Morgan, the Pirates are stronger than your typical MEAC team.
That's not to say Hampton will pull off an upset, like it did in 2001 when it shocked Iowa State as a No. 15 seed. The Pirates are still very small on the inside. But this is still a relatively strong MEAC team, which should count for something.