2026-27 MEAC Sleeper: Coppin State Has More Ways to Improve
2026-10-15
A sleeper does not have to be the team most likely to win the conference. It should be a team with a plausible route to outperform the position where most readers will begin evaluating it.
Coppin State fits that description. Blue Ribbon starts the Eagles sixth in the eight-team MEAC. MMH's draft puts them fifth at 6-8, with a route into the top half if their returning guards can generate better offense around a deeper set of frontcourt choices.
That is a measured endorsement. Howard remains the favorite, and several teams have more established high-end scoring. Coppin's appeal is that Larry Stewart has options, continuity and a few specific ways to improve.
Experience on the perimeter
Camaren Sparrow, Hussain Williams and Jamari Piercy know the program. Daveyon Lydner has a chance to take on more responsibility at the point, while Baasil Saunders gives Stewart another player who can cover different perimeter roles. There is less teaching from scratch than at teams rebuilding almost their entire rotation.
Williams averaged 7.3 points last season, Piercy 6.8 and Sparrow 5.7. None of those figures establishes a dominant offensive player. Together, however, they give Coppin a group that can improve through better decisions and clearer roles without needing every newcomer to make an immediate leap.
The key is Lydner's development. If the Eagles can create an advantage early in a possession, their wings have a much more manageable job. If they spend the opening seconds simply protecting the ball, a deep roster will still produce difficult shots late in the clock.
Different answers in the frontcourt
Allen Myers averaged 17.0 points and 8.0 rebounds at Kaskaskia College. The junior-college context matters, but the production shows why Stewart can reasonably ask him to help with scoring and rebounding. At his listed 6-8, he is a smaller projected center, so Coppin will need team rebounding around him.
Tafara Gapare offers length and a history of playing in high-major programs. His most recent Villanova season was a nine-game sample of 2.9 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. That supports an assessment of experience and physical tools, not an automatic prediction of double-figure scoring.
Nelson Lamizana is another important piece. His 6.6 points and 3.0 rebounds last season give Coppin a returning frontcourt player to develop rather than another completely unknown transfer. Levi Lawal offers another defensive forward, so the main sleeper case rests on players with defined paths into the projected group.
Potential depth: Favour Aire and Elijah Taylor could add size as their health allows. Tyler Koenig is outside the playing projection after Blue Ribbon's report of season-ending ankle surgery; no newer return-to-play report was found.
Projected starting group
| Role | Player | What he supplies |
|---|---|---|
| Lead guard | Daveyon Lydner | Ballhandling and a chance to grow as the primary organizer |
| Guard | Camaren Sparrow | Returning experience and perimeter defense |
| Wing | Hussain Williams | Scoring and a larger offensive opportunity |
| Forward | Tafara Gapare | Length, help defense and lineup flexibility |
| Interior | Allen Myers | Junior-college scoring and rebounding |
Lamizana, Piercy and Lawal are important alternatives. The five above describe one projected configuration, not an announced lineup or a fixed pecking order for minutes.
Why the floor still matters
The Eagles were 5-9 in conference play last season. Turning a few competitive games into wins is a more realistic initial target than declaring a championship leap. They need better offense, reliable health and defensive rebounds that end possessions.
They also need a November and December in which the difficult road schedule creates useful experience rather than constant lineup churn. Stewart has enough combinations that it may be tempting to search for a different answer after every difficult stretch. The season will be easier to judge if the guards establish consistent responsibilities early.
The MMH call
Coppin State is MMH's sleeper recommendation because the continuity gives the Eagles a practical route to improvement, while the new frontcourt options can change the matchups around the returning guards.
For Coppin, fifth is the working baseline and a top-half finish is the upside case. The argument rests on continuity and a more flexible frontcourt, with guard creation as the deciding test. That is enough for a sleeper case without pretending the Eagles have already solved the problems that kept them near the bottom of the league.
Related coverage
Sources: Blue Ribbon's 2026-27 yearbook, the current Coppin State roster, and Gapare's official biography. The current roster was rechecked October 15, 2026. Statistics from junior college and older seasons are not treated as last-season Division I averages.