With seven seniors on its roster, North Carolina A&T really felt like 2007-08 was going to be a big year for the team.

But with the elimination from the MEAC tournament at the hands of Delaware State, the Aggies finished with a below-.500 record and a feeling of unfinished business.

A six-game winning streak in January put A&T at 5-2 in conference play and feeling good about contending. But the Aggies lost six of its final 10 regular-season contests, then fell in its first MEAC tournament game to the Hornets.

Instead of playing for a spot in the postseason, A&T became just another team that saw its season end. And with the end of the season came the end of the careers of a number of players who will be missed.

Next year's squad will have to be built around swingman Ed Jones and center Thomas Coleman, who finished fourth and fifth in scoring on the team this year. In other words, there will be some growing pains, and not nearly the expectations this year's team had but didn't live up to.

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