PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland — Senior guard Da'Shawn Phillip and graduate forward Nathaniel Pollard, Jr. received preseason recognition from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference on Thursday (October 20). Phillip was chosen to the All-MEAC second team, while Pollard was named to the third team.

"We are thrilled to see both Da'Shawn and Nathaniel receive these honors," head coach Jason Crafton said. "It's a testament to their hard work and we look forward to watching them continue to grow, not only as players but as leaders in our program."

Phillip is no stranger to preseason honors. This season marks his third straight appearance on a MEAC preseason team after being selected to the third team prior to the '20-21 and '21-22 campaigns. Phillip was also named to the MEAC All-Rookie team following his freshman season in 2019-20.

Phillip was the lone Hawk to start all 27 games last season and led the team in minutes played (812), total points (247), steals (39) and assists (84). He ranked in the top 10 in the conference in steals per game (1.7) and assists per game (3.1) on his way to being named to the All-MEAC third team at the end of the year.

Pollard receives his first preseason honor after being named to the MEAC All-Defensive team for his efforts last year. Pollard led the Hawks in total rebounds (178) and blocks (21) while being the only player in the conference in the top ten in steals per game and blocks per game.

In addition to the defensive prowess, Pollard finished just behind Phillip with 235 total points on the campaign while shooting a crisp 56 percent from the floor.

The preseason awards and the predicted order of finish are voted on by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors. Maryland Eastern Shore was slated to finish sixth in the conference this season.

"Although that's an improvement over recent years, it's not where we want to be as a program," Crafton said. "This will serve as a healthy reminder that we still have work to do. We look forward to beginning our very competitive non-conference schedule, which will prepare us for the rigors of MEAC play."

To see the full list of preseason honorees, visit https://bit.ly/3ePpDnM.

The Hawks start their season on the road, making the trip to Norfolk, Virginia to take on Old Dominion University on Monday, November 7.