For Christian Ings, this moment is personal. A key part of Norfolk State’s 2022 MEAC Championship team, he felt the sting of back-to-back disappointments, first losing the 2023 title game to Howard, then falling to Howard again in last year’s semifinals.

“To not make it this far last year definitely left a bad taste in the locker room,” Ings said. “The seniors from last year told me before they left, like, ‘Yo, it’s your turn next year. You gotta make it. You gotta make it for us.’”

Ings delivered in a big way, leading all scorers with 19 points and knocking down clutch shots to keep the Spartans in control late. Brian Moore Jr. added 14 points, including a powerful dunk in the final minutes that helped secure the win.

Norfolk State’s Championship Journey: Five Years of Ups & Downs

Under Coach Rob Jones, Norfolk State dominated the MEAC in 2021 and 2022, winning back-to-back championships and making consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. But the past two seasons tested the program’s resilience.

• 2023: Norfolk State made the title game but lost to Howard.
• 2024: The Spartans were eliminated in the semifinals—again by Howard.

Now, after two years of frustration, they have a chance to reclaim their place atop the MEAC.

“We gotta play with more desperation and urgency because we’re not guaranteed anything,” said Jones. “When you want to win the league, you gotta do more, or those 23 wins don’t mean anything.”

Why Brian Moore Jr. Chose His HBCU

That winning culture is exactly why Brian Moore Jr. transferred to Norfolk State.

“I wanted to be at a place that really cared about basketball,” Moore Jr. said. “That was the biggest thing when I went to the portal. It makes a difference when you have fans who show up, when you’re playing for a program that expects to win.”

Moore Jr. was crucial down the stretch, scoring 10 of his 14 points in the second half. His defense and intensity helped Norfolk rally from a 28-25 halftime deficit.

One More Game for a MEAC Title

With one more win, Norfolk State can avoid the disappointment of the past two years and bring the championship back home.

“We’ve been waiting for this,” Ings said. “Now, we just have to finish the job.”

The MEAC Championship Game tips off on Saturday at 1pm, with Norfolk State just one win away from reclaiming its spot at the top of HBCU basketball.

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Courtesy of Winston-Salem State Athletics

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Cleo Hill, Jr. current head men’s basketball coach is transitioning to become the next head men’s basketball coach at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) announced on Saturday (June 1).

“I want to thank Coach Hill for returning to his roots from childhood to lead the WSSU Men’s Basketball Team and etching his place in the history books of WSSU Men’s Basketball while preserving the Legacy, Excellence, Traditions, and Championship success of those who came before him,” said Director of Athletics, Etienne Thomas.  “I am thankful to have had the opportunity to serve with someone who put the well-being of the student-athletes first, was coachable, and was willing to pivot. 
Coach Hill and his staff ensured the Men’s Basketball student-athletes understood their place in this world and the expectations for achieving holistic success, the value of a college education, and cultivated respect for the brotherhood at the core of Men’s Basketball into each of his teams.  I will miss seeing you look to the far wall of the Gaines Center before tip-off, but we know new traditions and pre-game rituals are on the horizon.  Coach Hill, you will always be Ramily and have a home in the C.E. Gaines Center.  From my first championship ever as an AD in 2020 to the final hurrah of the NBA All-star weekend with this year’s team, you and your staff understood the vision-protect the legacy.  Job well done!”

Cleo Hill, Jr. was named the ninth head coach of the Winston-Salem State University men’s basketball program in the spring of 2018 and wasted no time leading the team into the next chapter in the storied history of Rams Men’s Basketball. The son of one of the most legendary players in school history, Cleo Hill Sr., Hill Jr wasted no time creating a strong place of his own in the history of Rams basketball. Hill led the Rams to a 19-9 overall record during the 2023-24 season, the best overall record in the CIAA, after coaching the Rams to a perfect 6-0 sweep of the Northern division. The Rams ranked in the D2CSC Atlantic rankings eight times, had two players (Jaylen Alston and Isaac Parson) named HBCU Player of the Week, saw Imajae Dodd earn multiple CIAA Defensive Weekly Awards, Hill named the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Men’s Coach of the Year.

Under Hill this year the Rams scored 70.3 points per game, finished second in the CIAA in scoring defense averaging 63.3 points per game, and first in scoring margin (7.5). Hill and the Rams finished second in field goal percentage (0.457), first in opponent field goal percentage (0.395), second in team 3-point field goal percentage (0.330), fourth in 3-point field goals made, and first in team defensive rebounds (26.7).
Hill guided the Rams in the 2022-23 season to become the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Tournament Champions and secured the Automatic Bid to Division II post-season play. Player standouts under Hill’s tutelage were CIAA Tournament MVP Jaylen Alston, and All-Conference pick Jaylon Gibson. During the 22-23 season, the Rams saw great success during non-conference play, including competition vs. PSAC regional opponents when they won the Gary Miller Classic in Pennsylvania.

In his second season with the Rams, Hill led the team to its first CIAA Championship in eight years with a 31-25 overall record. In addition to the team’s tournament championship, the Rams also claimed a share of the 2019-20 CIAA Southern Division Championship. He was also named the 2019-20 CIAA Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year and helped the team to rank seventh in the nation in scoring defense and first in the CIAA and led a pair of Rams, Robert Colon, and William Crandell, to earn All-CIAA honors during his time. The Rams also made their first trip to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Tournament since 2013.

We wish Coach Hill well in his future endeavors.

Eric Wilson, associate head coach, will serve as the Acting Head Coach for the Rams as a national search for a new head coach begins immediately.

Information regarding the posting will be available next week via www.wssu.edu.

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ALBANY, Ga. — Georgia HBCU Albany State University and Director of Athletics, Dr. Kristene Kelly, has announced Akia Stanton to assume the women’s basketball head coaching duties for long-time coach Robert Skinner, effective June 1st.

ASU didn’t have to go far geographically to find the new veteran court general in Coach Stanton, who has been the Talladega College (Ala.) basketball coach, for the past two seasons and had already put the pieces in play to turn the Lady Tornado program around.

“Albany State University is excited to welcome Coach Akia Stanton as a member of the Golden Rams staff. Her coaching experience demonstrates a commitment to upholding a standard of excellence, consistent with ASU’s mission,” said ASU President, Marion Ross Fedrick. “Coach Stanton’s proven leadership and coaching skills embody the ram spirit. Our student-athletes will benefit from her guidance both on and off the court. We encourage those on campus and in the community to come out and cheer on Coach Stanton and the Lady Rams for a successful season ahead.”

The energetic and self-motivated new Lady Rams Head Coach brings eight years of experience directing three different HBCU programs, including Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference member Allen University along with two seasons as associate head coach of South Carolina State and three campaigns as assistant coach of her alma mater Paine College in Augusta, Georgia.

Stanton played for and later coached under current Paine College Director of Athletics Selina Kohn, who herself was a legendary basketball player at Albany State under Coach Skinner and previously served as the Lady Rams assistant coach.

“I’m thrilled to introduce Akia Stanton as our new head women’s basketball coach at Albany State,” stated Dr. Kelly. “A Georgia native and standout player at Paine College during their SIAC era under ASU legend Selina Kohn, who herself trained under the esteemed Coach Robert Skinner. Akia’s journey epitomizes #CreatingLegacies, and with her intimate knowledge of the SIAC and strong coaching foundation, I am confident she will guide our team to unparalleled success, leaving a lasting impact on our program.”

Stanton is no stranger to both success and building programs into successful HBCU teams on-and-off the court. In the last two seasons, Stanton guided Talladega College to a four-game improvement. The results-driven coach aims to build upon ASU’s 2023-24 campaign where the Lady Rams ran off a pair of wins before bowing out in the SIAC Tournament Quarterfinals.

“I would like to thank Dr. Marion Ross Fedrick, Dr. Kristene Kelly, and the search committee for their dedication and diligence throughout this process. I am honored and humbled to be the next head women’s basketball coach at Albany State University,” stressed Stanton. “I am committed to upholding the University’s values, as well as continuing the legacy and building on the foundation Coach Robert Skinner has already laid for this great institution. I am elated and ready to work with our student-athletes, staff, and supporters. I am grateful for this opportunity to lead such a wonderful group of young ladies.”

Prior to her stint as South Carolina State associate head coach, Stanton guided South Carolina HBCU Allen University (2018-20) to a 16-15 first-year record before she directed the program to its most victories in a season going 23-8 with a team, which featured 12 first-year freshmen. The head coach’s two squads also posted the highest team grade point average of 3.2, which is a staple of her team.

Coach Stanton’s first head coaching stop came at Jarvis Christian College where her teams again had the athletic department’s highest team GPA of 3.5 for four straight years, as well as student-athletes garnering both All-Conference and All-Academic honors. Most impressively is Stanton’s 100% graduation rate. 

While as an assistant coach at her alma mater Paine College, Stanton saw at least one of her student-athletes be voted All-Conference from 2011 through 2017. 

Under Paine College AD and then Head Coach Kohn, Stanton produced a collegiate playing career in both volleyball and basketball where she shined so bright, she earned a 2015 induction into the Lady Lions Hall of Fame. In basketball, Stanton helped Paine to back-to-back hoops SIAC titles in 2005 and 2006, and trips to the NCAA DII Tournament. She also recorded the second-best hitting percentage in DII for volleyball the in fall of 2006.

The Milledgeville, Georgia native started her career in athletics as a three-sport athlete at Baldwin High School and was the school’s only Regional winner in two years in a row in three different sports.

At home, Stanton is a proud mother of Laila and Amari.

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COLUMBIA, S.C. – William Partlow is one of 10 of the newest inductees into the prestigious South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame. Primarily recognized as a ground-breaking high school basketball coach, Partlow also served as head basketball coach and Athletic Director at South Carolina HBCU Benedict College for seven years.

“It was a great time at Benedict, because they had all those buildings going up, and they had a marvelous president back then in Ben Payton,” Partlow said during Monday’s press conference prior to the induction banquet at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.

After eight successful years as head basketball coach at Booker T. Washington High School, where he won five state championships, he was recruited to come to Benedict College as head men’s basketball coach and athletic director at the Columbia, SC HBCU.

Booker T. Washington was playing its rival C.A. Johnson at the University of South Carolina’s large Carolina Coliseum, as a lead-up to another big HBCU rivalry basketball game between Benedict and Allen. Payton watched Partlow’s team and was impressed.

“He was making a change in coaches, so he liked the system we were running and he called me over for an interview, and we reached a deal,” Partlow said.

“I’d say I had moderate success,” Partlow said. “First of all, we didn’t have a gym for two years. They tore the old gym down and opened up the new one in 1974, I believe. But I had some good years there. I beat South Carolina State twice and lost to them by one point the last time we played them. We were competitive.”

He also remembers having the nation’s top rebounder in Roscoe Wilson, a Benedict College Athletic Hall of Fame member, who also later coached the Tigers.

“Roscoe Wilson, A’ja’s daddy I call him now, played for me for four years. We were NAIA, and he led the nation in rebounding. I said, ‘Roscoe, why do you go to the boards so hard?’ He said, ‘Coach, you’ve got all those New York boys down here, and I wouldn’t be on the floor if I didn’t go get the ball.’ But Benedict was a good experience, and it prepared me for San Francisco because I was Athletic Director and basketball coach there.”

William Partlow left his post at the HBCU to become the first African-American athletic director at San Francisco State, where he served for 18 years before retiring.

During his successful high school coaching career, Partlow is known for coaching players who later went on to be very successful coaches. The long list includes South Carolina legendary high school coach George Glymph, and Carl Williams, who won three high school championships at three different schools. At San Francisco State, he hired two young football coaches who later went on to great success in the NFL — Andy Reid, who has won three Super Bowls, and Mike Holmgren, who won one Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers.

William Partlow attributes much of his success as a coach and administrator to his organizational skills. He earned his undergraduate degree in mathematics from another HBCU, Johnson C. Smith, so structure and organization were important.

He was offered his first job at C.A. Johnson to be a math teacher. Coaching basketball was secondary. After several good years at C.A. Johnson, he was offered the job at Booker T. Washington. Against the advice of friends and co-workers, he took the job.

“The best move I ever made was to take the job at Booker T. Washington High School. I was advised not to take the job by my friends and co-workers at C.A. Johnson High School, where I was working then, because they said those kids were so tough and unruly, you won’t be able to handle them. But I said, ‘No, that background pretty much is like my background, coming from a single-parent home.’ So I went over there, where we sat down, and decided that my players would go to all their classes, you would be there on time, they would respect their teachers, and respect their fellow students and the administration. They adhered. We went on in my first year and won the first state championship in boys’ basketball at Booker T. Washington in the 44-year history of the school. I had 12 seniors on that team. We had George Glymph, who was a starter. We were able to send all 12 of them to college, and nine graduated. Our teams in the future did the same thing, we won state championships in five of the next eight years. And we had kids playing college basketball all across the country. I’m very, very happy I took that job.”

After a lifetime of impacting the lives of young people, the now 90-year-old William Partlow is honored to be a member of the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame.

“It’s been a beautiful ride, and this induction is icing on the cake.”

For more information on the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame, and the Class of 2024, visit their website.

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Courtesy of Jackson State Athletics

JACKSON, Miss. | Jackson State head women’s basketball coach Margaret Richards officially announced her staff for the upcoming season Monday afternoon.

The staff includes a pair of former head coaches (including a Jackson native), a former All-SWAC performer on the court, a national champion, and several conference championships. The staff also includes coaches who have developed all-conference and All-American selections for both men’s and women’s programs around the country.

Dylan Howard joins the staff after a one-year stint at Oakwood following a one-year stint as the associate head coach for the Southern men’s basketball team. He is no stranger to HBCU or the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) after serving as an assistant coach at Mississippi Valley State and Alabama A&M, before serving three years as the men’s head coach for the Bulldogs. During his time at Southern, he held the Jaguars finish as the top-scoring team in the league and one of the top defensive teams in the nation finishing seventh in turnovers forced per game. While at Alabama A&M, he helped the Bulldogs to the conference semifinals, and his team was ranked No. 1 in the RPI rankings. Howard has helped develop several all-conference performers during his career as well as All-Americans in his 28-year coaching career.

Daniel Price also joins the staff under Margaret Richards after a stint at Sun Belt Conference member Marshall where he helped lead the women’s basketball team to the conference championship and a berth in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. The Jackson native is no stranger to winning having helped lead Georgetown (Ky.) College to the 2013 NAIA National Championship. Prior to his stint at Marshall, he served as the head coach of Simmons (Ky.) College where he led the women to the first-ever NCCAA National Tournament Final Four and the team was ranked in the top-10 nationally in several categories. He also helped lead the University of the Cumberlands to a national tournament appearance and a Mid-South Conference tournament title during his time on the sideline.

Margaret Richards brings back a familiar face to SWAC and HBCU women’s basketball in former All-SWAC performer Alexus Holt who was previously on staff at Copiah-Lincoln. During her time on the sideline, she was part of a staff that led to the development of Tandria Minor who was named Second Team All-MACCC, and Zykeria Anderson a First Team All-MACCC, All-Region 23 selection, and World Exposure Report Honorable Mention All-American. As a player at Grambling, she played in 30 games and averaged 17.0 points per game, while also averaging 5.3 rebounds per game on her way to being named BOXTOROW All-American. She was also named to the Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA) All-Louisiana Second Team after her final season at Grambling.

Pat Richardson rounds out the staff named on Monday after a stint at Quincy (Ill.) University. He served in an assistant role for the program and also as the interim coach for games leading the team to a 3-1 record. No stranger to the SWAC, Richardson spent several years at Alabama A&M including as the special assistant to head coach Dylan Howard. During his time in Huntsville, he helped the Bulldogs to their most regular season wins since the 2015-16 season with home wins over Troy, Jacksonville State, and Troy. During his time coaching, Richardson has been instrumental in coaching four all-conference players.  

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Jacksonville, Florida- Edward Waters University Associate Vice President/Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Dr. Ivana Rich has announced Eric Jackson, Jr. as the new women’s basketball head coach. Jackson comes to Edward Waters, an HBCU in Jacksonville, Florida after leading the women’s basketball program at Rust College to the most successful era in their program’s history.

In seven seasons in charge at the NAIA, HBCU program based in Holly Springs, Mississippi, Jackson led the Lady Bearcats to a 148-43 mark, four straight Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) Regular Season Championships, three straight GCAC Tournament Titles, including the 2023-24 conference title, and four consecutive appearances at the NAIA Women’s Basketball Tournament. While at Rust, Jackson mentored 2 NAIA All-Americans, 5 All-Conference players, the 2019 GCAC Freshman of the Year, and the 2020 GCAC Player of the Year. Jackson has also received four GCAC Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year accolades. He is also the all-time leader in head coach in the history of Rust College Women’s Basketball. Following the 2024 season, Jackson was named to the “Achieving Coaching Excellence Honor Roll”, as one of the only HBCU coaches to join other stellar head coaches such as ACC Champion Niele Ivey at Notre Dame, and 2024 NCAA Champion Dawn Staley at South Carolina.

Jackson is no stranger to Jacksonville, prior to returning to Rust College, Jackson spent a 2-year stint in the high school ranks coaching Varsity girls’ basketball at Westside High School. During his tenure at Westside, Jackson improved the team from a 2-20 record to a 12-10 in his first year with the same roster as the year before. Westside finished 2nd in their district and made the State Playoffs for the first time in 20 years. The following year, Jackson led Westside to a 20-5 record and brought home the school’s first district championship.

Before his stop at Westside, Eric Jackson, Jr. spent 3 years at Concordia College-Alabama in Selma, AL. In three years, Jackson finished with a record of 59-26, with a record of 13-11 in his first season in 2013. The following season, Concordia finished with a record of 20-11 and won the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Division I National Championship. The 2014 National Championship Team was also inducted into the USCAA Hall of Fame for winning the championship as the 8th and final seed of the Tournament. During his final season at Concordia, Jackson finished 26-4 and broke school and USCAA national records with the most consecutive wins with 26. Additionally, Jackson was the first recipient of the USCAA Women’s Coach of the Year Award. The Lady Hornets also finished ranked number 1 in the National Coach’s Poll the entire year and finished the year honoring 3 first-team All-Americans and the USCAA National Player of the Year.

Coach Jackson was raised in Holly Springs, Mississippi by way of Paterson, New Jersey. He was a part of the back-to-back (2003-2005) Boys Basketball State Championship teams at Holly Springs High School. Jackson is a graduate of Rust College where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics. He is the oldest of 3 children to Eric Sr. and Shelley Jackson and is currently married to Rasheedah Jackson.

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Beyond her base salary, more details were uncovered by the Clarion Ledger. The contract includes $114,000 in signing bonuses and incentives.

Five percent of annual compensation for each round of the NCAA Tournament: 32, 16, 8 Final Four, and Semifinals and Finals. If the team wins the national championship, she can earn up to 40 percent of base salary. 

• Reed will earn a $15,000 bonus if Charlotte wins or ties for the American Athletic Conference regular-season championship, 
• Reed will earn a $15,000 bonus if Charlotte wins the American Athletic Conference tournament championship, she 
• Reed receives a $10,000 bonus if her team is ranked in the AP Top 25, 
• Reed receives a $15,000 bonus if she is selected Coach of the Year for the American Athletic Conference

Reed brought her Jackson State coaching staff with her to North Carolina.

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“Tilly is an addition that we considered priority,” head coach Alex Simmons said. “She is a versatile guard with great size and high basketball IQ. Her love for the game is infectious and I can’t wait to add her skillset and tenacity to our team.”

Boler, a Meridian, Mississippi, native, comes to Memphis after four seasons at Jackson State where she appeared in 115 games and averaged 8.6 points and 3.5 rebounds per game for the Tigers. The 6-1 guard ranked first on the team in total scoring (387) this past season in route to a 26-7 overall record and a perfect 18-0 spot in SWAC play. Boler would finish the year with 12.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per game this season while averaging just over 26 minutes played.

During her senior season in Jackson, Boler reached double-figure scoring on 22 occasions, including a career-high 25 points and 12 rebounds against UConn in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament. In the final five games of the season, Boler went on to average just over 15 points and 5.4 rebounds per contest. 

A two-time All-SWAC First Team honoree, Boler comes to the Bluff City just three points shy of 1,000 career points with 404 rebounds under her belt.

Boler hit the transfer portal following the departure of Tomekia Reed to Charlotte.

Coming out of high school, Boler averaged 15 points and 12 rebounds for Meridian High School in her senior season.

How to follow the Tigers: For complete information on Memphis Tigers Basketball, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team’s social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and  Facebook.

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“I am thrilled about the opportunity to lead and coach the future of women’s basketball at Tennessee State University,” said Dupree. “I am eager to continue building our program in alignment with the incredible culture and values embodied within the Tiger Family. It is an honor to be entrusted with upholding the tradition and legacy of TSU while embracing the evolving landscape of sports. Most importantly, I am committed to nurturing the holistic development of our student-athletes.”

Dupree, who enjoyed a 16-season career in the Women’s National Basketball Association, takes over the Lady Tigers after two seasons with the Spurs. In her capacity, Dupree played a pivotal role in nurturing one of the NBA’s youngest rosters, working with talents such as the 2023 No. 1 overall pick and NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama, Jeremy Sochan, and Devin Vassell.

“Hiring Candice Dupree marks a pivotal moment in our pursuit of excellence,” said Allen. “Her legendary playing career and success as an NBA assistant coach in player development bring unmatched expertise to our women’s basketball program. We’re excited to welcome her championship mindset and global influence within the basketball community, setting the stage for unprecedented success here at Tennessee State University.”

Following her retirement from the WNBA in 2021, Dupree embarked on a new journey by participating in the NBA Coaching Development Program. She honed her skills in building scouting reports, analyzing film across various platforms, and expanding her professional network. Dupree’s initial coaching venture began at the NBA draft combine, where she led a team of prospects. Dupree’s association with the Spurs began when she served as an assistant guest coach for the Spurs’ Summer League in July 2022. Two months later, Dupree was appointed as a player development coach.

The former Temple Owl star had the opportunity to learn under one of the most prolific NBA coaches Gregg Popovich. Dupree became the second former WNBA to coach under Popovich after Becky Hammon served as an assistant with San Antonio from 2014-22.

Before transitioning to coaching, Dupree had a distinguished career following her selection as the sixth overall pick by the Chicago Sky in the 2006 draft. Her remarkable journey, spanning five teams, includes recognition on the all-rookie team and securing seven All-Star appearances. Throughout her 494 career games, Dupree maintained an impressive average of 14.4 points per game and 6.4 rebounds.

Currently, Dupree holds third place all-time in WNBA history in made field goals (2,842), fifth in career points (6,895), fifth in games played, and seventh in total rebounds (3,149).

Dupree secured her first WNBA championship with the Phoenix Mercury in 2014, guiding them to a 3—0 finals sweep over her former team, the Chicago Sky. She made significant contributions in the championship-clinching game, tallying 24 points and 6 assists. Throughout the 2014 season, Dupree played a pivotal role in a formidable lineup alongside Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner, as the Mercury achieved a record-breaking regular season record of 29—5 on their path to the title.

Her tenure with the Mercury saw Dupree setting numerous records, including 10 double-doubles during the 2011 season and four consecutive double-doubles from June 10 to 21. She left an indelible mark on the franchise with 34 double-digit rebounding games, the most in its history, including three of the top four single-game rebounding efforts. Her 19 rebounds on Sept. 3, 2011, set a then-Mercury record.

In addition to her WNBA achievements, Dupree claimed the Hungarian League Championship in 2019 and earned gold medals at the 2004 World University Games and the 2010 and 2014 FIBA World Cups while representing Team USA.

Dupree showcased her talents at Temple University, from 2002 to 2006, playing for her former coach and current South Carolina basketball Coach Dawn Staley, the reigning NCAA Women’s Champion and two-time winner. Under Coach Staley, Dupree was a standout for the Owls. Dupree’s contributions led to her number being retired by the university, marking her as one of two Temple women’s basketball players to receive this honor.

“I am thrilled to welcome Candice Dupree to the coaching ranks in women’s college basketball,” said Staley. “I commend TSU President Dr. Glenda Glover and Dr. Allen for choosing someone who I know has excelled at every level — as a standout collegiate and professional basketball player, as well as an NBA coach. Dupree’s hiring will further elevate the women’s college basketball game.”

She ranks second all-time at TU in field goal percentage (51.4%), sixth in scoring (1,698), fifth in rebounds (968), and is tied for second in blocked shots (218). In recognition of her outstanding achievements, Dupree was inducted into the Temple Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016.

During her four-year tenure at Temple, Dupree led the program to its most successful period in program history. The Owls clinched three conference titles, won 73 games, including a school-record 25 consecutive contests, and maintained a presence in the national rankings for 27 straight weeks. Dupree’s stellar performance earned her two-time Atlantic 10 Player of the Year honors and a Third Team All-America selection.

Candice Dupree is responsible for leading a TSU program that has earned OVC Tournament berths in three consecutive seasons, securing opening-round victories in 2022 and 2024.

A formal press conference and reception to officially introduce Dupree will take place with dates and times to be announced at a later date.

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The only caveat is that he won’t be chasing an NCAA national title. Langston University, a public land-grant HBCU in Langston, Oklahoma plays its basketball in NAIA, a college athletics governing body that operates separately from the NCAA.

The Langston University Lions have been one of the top NAIA teams in the nation in recent years, making it to the national championship game last season with a 35-1 overall record.

Transitioning from Hoodie Rio, the viral high school basketball star to Mario McKinney Jr., the college basketball player hasn’t been easy.

By the start of his senior year of high school Mario McKinney Jr. was a bonafide YouTube basketball star, with his Hoodie Rio BallisLife junior season mixtape taking social media by storm in 2018.

McKinney continued to show his star power with an electrifying senior season averaging 25 points and 7.5 rebounds during the state semifinal and championship games where he helped lead Vashon High School to back-to-back-to-back Missouri state championships in 2017, 2018, and 2019. McKinney was tabbed the top player in Missouri by both ESPN and 247Sports, where he was rated as a four-star recruit and ranked 19th nationally at the point guard position and 125th overall in the 2019 class.

Mario McKinney Jr. signed with the University of Missouri where he was expected to make an immediate impact, but only saw action in four games at Missouri averaging 3.3 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 0.5 assists in 9.3 minutes per game.

He then transferred to John A. Logan College, a junior college in Carterville, Illinois where he showed he still had the talent that made him a viral high school hoops star. He averaged 18.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.7 steals in nine games, including a 52-point performance on 17-of-23 shooting against Three Rivers Community College, and just like that, Hoodie Rio was back.

“The best mid-majors in the country and a bunch of high majors called and have been watching film on him,” John A. Logan College assistant coach John Clancy told 24/7 Sports. “A lot of schools are tracking him right now and showing significant interest. Maryland and St. Johns are probably showing the most interest and Oregon has been early on him. Georgia, South Florida, Central Florida, Texas A&M, TCU, Pittsburgh, Ole Miss, and a ton of great mid-majors have also been calling and showing interest so far.”

McKinney was determined to show he could play point guard at the Division I level, telling Dushawn London of 24/7 sports that, “I’m running strictly the one and I think it’s going to help me when I get back to D1, ” McKinney said. “Coaches are probably going to look at me as a combo guard or strictly a one so when I do get to the next level it’s going to be something I have to keep developing. I haven’t really been able to showcase my skills but I think I’m ready.”

McKinney’s next stop was New Mexico State, where lack of playing time resulted in another lackluster season at the D1 level. After averaging 3.8 points in 31 games with 5 starts, Mario McKinney Jr. was back in the transfer portal looking for a place to prove himself.

Heading into the 2022-2023 season, Mario McKinney Jr was three years removed from the Hoodie Rio era and enrolled at the University of Texas El-Paso where he found success coming off the bench for the Miners.

McKinney was the top reserve for UTEP, playing in 20 games and ranking fourth on the squad in scoring with 8.9 ppg including a career-high 22 points against his former New Mexico State team.

Now, Mario McKinney Jr. is headed to an HBCU. One that has put together an impressive run under head coach Chris Wright, a coach who has made a reputation for having success at the NAIA level with players who have struggled at the Division 1 level of college basketball.

Langston University appeared in its first NAIA National Championship game in the 2023-2024 season. Head coach Chris Wright had already led another HBCU, Talladega College to the 2022 title game before taking the job at Langston the following season. Transforming the 3-win HBCU basketball program instantly with a  61-4 win-loss record and a 41-3 mark in conference play over his first two seasons.

“The former 4 star recruit that signed at Missouri will be as talented a player as there is in the country! He will be able to score at a high clip and can impact the game in a variety of ways! I can’t wait to get this guy on the court. #LsUp.” Tweeted Coach Wright with the announcement of the McKinney signing. This signals that Mario McKinney Jr. might get the playing time and shot attempts he needs to be able to return to that Hoodie Rio form that took over the internet almost six years ago.

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“Jason Crafton is no longer serving as our head coach at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore,” officials told HBCU Gameday in a brief statement. “We are officially moving forward with the hiring process to identify the next head men’s basketball coach at UMES.”

HBCU Gameday reached out to Crafton previously.

Crafton spent four seasons at the helm of the HBCU program in which he went 43-76 overall, including a 9-20 season in 2023-2024. The previous season saw the program go 18-13 overall – its best winning percentage of its Division I Era. 

Maryland-Eastern Shore is typically regarded as one of the most tough jobs in college basketball due to its miniscule budget and remote location in Princesse Anne, Maryland. It is one of only two Division I HBCU athletics departments without football. While the program had success in the CIAA in the 1950s and 60s and in the early days of the MEAC, it has just three winning seasons since the MEAC gained an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in 1981. Crafton’s 2022-2023 season was the best winning percentage in nearly 50 years. 

“The most difficult job in getting things turned around is that there was no winning tradition,” Crafton said in March 2023. “Not a lot of reference points. We’re on a mission to be the first team in the history of the Div. I program to go to the Div. I (NCAA) tournament. We’re creating everything as we go. So the most difficult thing has been just fighting the lack of culture that’s been here and trying to create a culture on the fly.  You do that by bringing in the right people.

“We had a season taken, couldn’t practice, couldn’t go five-on-five. But we came back with an edge. We did not just want to get here. We want win it and change the culture.”

Now this HBCU program will be starting from scratch moving forward.

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BOSSIER CITY, LA — LSU has finalized an agreement to play Grambling State, an HBCU school in the SWAC on Sunday, December 8 at Brookshire Grocery Arena in conjunction with Russ Potts Productions Inc. and the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission in a game that will allow Mikaylah Williams to play in her hometown.

Tickets for the game will go on sale later in the summer. LSU and Grambling St. last played over a decade ago, a 90-59 win by LSU in Baton Rouge during the 2012-13 season. LSU owns a 4-0 all-time record against Grambling St.

LSU’s game in Bossier City against Grambling State will continue a trend in which the Tigers have played in multiple cities across Louisiana outside of Baton Rouge in each of Coach Kim Mulkey’s three seasons leading the program. LSU played at Louisiana-Lafayette during Coach Mulkey’s first season leading the Tigers and then at Tulane in New Orleans and at Southeastern in Hammond in the following two seasons.

LSU also traveled to Angel Reesee’s home state of Maryland last season to play another HBCU, in Coppin State. Kim Mulkey has never shied away from playing HBCU women’s basketball programs. LSU has played Texas Southern, Alcorn State, Mississippi Valley State, and Langston University. Coppin State was her first game against an HBCU opponent from the MEAC.

“We could not be more excited to bring LSU to Mikaylah’s (Mikaylah Williams) hometown of Bossier City in December to play Grambling State,” Coach Mulkey said. “Mikaylah grew up there and it is always special to be able to bring one of our players back to play in their hometown. She has a lot of fans in North Louisiana that have been following her for a long time and will want to come and see her along with the rest of our team. Furthermore, it is always great to be able to bring LSU to different parts of the state because there are people that bleed purple and gold all across Louisiana.”

LSU returns for Coach Mulkey’s fourth season in Baton Rouge after reaching the Elite Eight last season. Bossier City, Louisiana native and Parkway High School graduate Mikaylah Williams is the reigning SEC Freshman of the Year as she will make her return to North Louisiana. Mikaylah Williams put together one of the best freshman seasons in LSU history last year, averaging 14.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game, becoming just the fifth LSU player to rank inside the top 10 in points and assists by a freshman in program history. She scored 20+ points in seven games, including a 42-point performance against Kent State, the most ever recorded by an LSU freshman during the NCAA Era. During her time in high school at Parkway, Williams was a two-time Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year who led Parkway to a State Championship victory as a McDonald’s All-American. She has also represented her country on the world stage and is a two-time defending Team USA 3×3 Player of the Year with multiple Gold Medals to show for.

Coach Mulkey will also be making a return to North Louisiana. The Tangipahoa Parish native played at Louisiana Tech in college, leading the Lady Techsters to two National Championships, including the first ever women’s basketball NCAA Championship that was played. She began her coaching career at LA Tech too where she helped lead the Lady Techsters to four Final Fours and another National Championship as an assistant coach.

LSU also returns 2024 First Team All-SEC Aneesah Morrow, 2024 Second Team All-SEC Flau’Jae Johnson, 2024 SEC All-Freshman Aalyah Del Rosario, 2023 SEC All-Freshman Sa’Myah Smith, Last-Tear Poa, Amani Bartlett and Izzy Besselman. Smith will be back on the floor after missing the majority of the 2023-24 season with a knee injury. Johnson, Smith and Poa were all key pieces on LSU’s 2023 National Championship roster. The Tigers hit the transfer portal to add forward Jersey Wolfenbarger and guards Shayeann Day-Wilson, Kailyn Gilbert and Mjracle Sheppard. LSU’s lone freshman will be Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year Jada Richard from Lafayette Christian Academy.

Grambling State is led by Courtney Simmons, who is entering her second season leading the Tigers. Simmons quickly made her mark as a head coach, leading the Louisiana HBCU to a 23-10 overall record and a 15-3 mark in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). It marked the first time Grambling eclipsed 20 wins in a season since 2002-03. The Tigers reached the SWAC Semifinals and earned a berth in the 2024 WNIT, defeating Oral Roberts in the opening round. Last season, Grambling State also beat Arizona State 70-67, GSU’s first win over a Power Five opponent since 2017.

“We are thrilled to welcome the Tigers from LSU and Grambling to meet up for an in-state clash at the neutral site of Brookshire Grocery Arena.  With an easy drive for fans of both fan bases, we expect a full house and tremendous game atmosphere on December 8th,” said RPPI President, Zach Franz.

“The Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission looks forward to partnering with RPPI and the Brookshire Grocery Arena to host a highly anticipated LSU and Grambling matchup in December. This game will be a great way for our communities and local alumni groups to unite and support women’s sports,” said Sara Nelms, Director of Sports, Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission.

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Courtesy of UNC Charlotte Communications

NEW YORK, N.Y. — Charlotte women’s basketball head coach Tomekia Reed has been invited to speak at the ESPNW Summit in New York City on Thursday (May 9). The event provides insight, conversation, and connection with leading voices and personalities across the women’s sports space.

The panel consists of 27 speakers varying from coaches, athletes, television personalities, and professional executives. Speakers include the likes of Sarah Spain (ESPN), Elle Duncan (ESPN), Julie Foudy (World Cup Champion), Chiney Ogwumike (two-time WNBA All-Star and ESPN host) and Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame Women’s Basketball student-athlete).

Tomekia Reed is slated to speak at 10:10 am on a panel called ‘The Changing College Sports Landscape” where top college coaches sit down to discuss the unique challenges and opportunities they navigate in today’s college sports landscape.

The panel features Jerritt Elliot (Head Coach, Texas Volleyball), Erin Matson (Head Coach, UNC Field Hockey), Brian Pensky (Head Coach, Florida State Women’s Soccer), and is hosted by Sarah Spain of ESPN.

Virtual registration for the ESPNW Summit NYC is free and can be done so at this link. It will be a full day of discussion, debate, and inspiration all focused on creating positive change and opportunity for women in sports.

MORE ON TOMEKIA REED

Tomekia Reed is a four-time SWAC Coach of The Year (2020, 2022, 2023, 2024) and a three-time HBCU National Coach of the Year. The 2020 championship was the first regular season crown for JSU since 2008, and the 2021 tournament championship earned the first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2008.

This year’s mark of 26 wins set a school record, including a historic 18-0 record in SWAC play. JSU won 21 consecutive games in the calendar year 2022, the longest streak in the nation entering the NCAA Tournament.

As a head coach, Reed holds an overall record of 125-54 including a 95-10 conference record, coming off three consecutive 20+ win seasons. Her Jackson State team has the fourth-highest conference winning percentage over the last five seasons at 95.4%.

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ROCK HILL, S.C. – Director of Athletics Vincent Robinson has announced the hiring of Toccara Toland as the next head coach of the Clinton College women’s basketball program for the 2024-25 season.

“Coach Toland is the perfect addition to our team at Clinton College,” Director of Athletics Vincent Robinson shared. “Her dedication to her players and the sport of basketball is evidenced through her impressive and dynamic coaching experience. The young ladies who make up our women’s basketball team deserve a great student-athlete experience, and I know Coach Toland is the right woman who can enhance the student athlete experience.” 

“I want to thank President McCorn, Dr. Angelyne Brown, AD Vincent Robinson and the entire athletics administration at Clinton College for believing in me and granting me the opportunity to lead the Golden Bears women’s basketball program,” commented Coach Toland. “From the moment I stepped on campus, I knew this was where I needed and wanted to be. I’m excited to get started while also looking forward to returning this program to its winning traditions that the Clinton College community, the city of Rock Hill, and the state of South Carolina can be proud of!”

A return to the HBCU ranks

Toland comes to Clinton from Div. I Long Island University (NY) where she was the assistant coach in the 2023-24 season. Before heading to LIU, Toland was the head coach at HBCU Allen University in Columbia for three seasons from 2020-2023. During her time at Allen, she led her team to 26 wins over three seasons including a shortened 2021 Covid-season. She helped Allen record their first winning record in 3 years in 2022-23 when they went 14-13 and made it to the SIAC conference quarterfinals.

Before going to Allen, Toland was at Piedmont International (now Carolina University) in Winston-Salem, NC for three years, where she served as the Head Women’s Basketball coach from 2018-2021, compiling a 36-21 record. During Toland’s three-year stint, the Bruins advanced to the NCCAA DI South Regional Championship twice and was ranked as high as #6 in the nation. She also recruited and produced several Academic-Scholars, six All-Region student-athletes and the first NCCAA student-athlete of the week for the university since 2016. 

Toland completed an internship at Wake Forest University as an Operations Intern under Coach Kendra Samuels-Eaton in 2010. She is also currently pursuing her EdD at East Tennessee State University in Global Leadership. 

Before heading to the college ranks, Toland was the Head Varsity Girls Basketball Coach at Lexington HS (N.C.) from 2014-2018. Prior to that she was the Winston-Salem Lady Warcats Associate Head Coach and Director of Operations from 2012-2018 as well. In 2010, Toland founded the Lady Warcats in the Women’s Blue Chip Basketball League and played for the team for two years before becoming the Associate Head Coach/Director of Operations. She went 27-20 with 2 National Playoff appearances in the WBCBL. Coach Toland then worked her way up the ranks and was named the Carolinas Regional Director from 2014 until 2016.

During her playing days, Toland received a host of awards such as being named a WBCA Division III All-American, the 2005 NCAA Div. III National Assist Leader, USA South Player of the Year, and Virginia All-State First Team. In 2014, Toland was named to the USA South 50th Anniversary Women’s Basketball Team and was most recently named to the Ferrum College (Va.) Hall of Fame in 2021. 

Toland, a graduate of Ferrum College, VA holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing. She has also earned a M.A.S in Sports Management with a concentration in Athletic Administration from Southern New Hampshire University.

Coach Toland is originally from North, SC and now resides in Irmo with her daughter Diamond and son William, the IV.

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“We weren’t getting along,” Brown said with a laugh. “Then it finally clicked. We finally started realizing we needed to play for the name on the front of the jersey instead of the name on the back of the jersey. Now this team, I don’t know what was going on – if anything was going on – in the locker room. But outside looking in, it looked like to me, some guys that were at the end and they just didn’t want it to end.

Brown says he got calls from some Duke and UNC legends as NC State began to make its run. 

“He told me he was thinking about making a bet, but then he changed his mind,” Brown said. “I did hear from Kenny Smith and Sam Perkins, some of my Carolina guys that I know and played with and Christian Lattener. So it was good to brag to them a little bit.”

Go to Page Two for the state of Saint Augustine’s University basketball heading into the 2024-2025 season.

Chucky Brown just wrapped up his second season as head coach at Saint Augustine’s University. While located in the same city as NC State, it’s a far cry from the ACC school. The team finished 12-17 overall, a pretty solid record considering the turmoil that the school has been dealing with due to accreditation and financial issues. But it now appears that Brown will have to start over from scratch 

“With what’s going on at the school, all of our players entered the portal. So I don’t have a team right now, so Im actively recruiting guys right now letting them know that  we are going to have a season.”

Brown said he does have some players he’s hoping to land, but he isn’t selling them any fairytales. 

“I have to be honest with the recruits,” Brown said frankly. “I have to tell them ‘look, I’m interested in you. I want you. If you don’t have anything when we’re ready to sign, then come on – I want you. But I have to be honest with them. If you have something that you feel like is better, you gotta go ahead and take it.”

The NC State legend is keeping himself busy as he waits to fill his roster. He’s starting a podcast with former NBA All-Star, ACC legend and Fisk University head basketball coach Kenny Anderson called ‘Dropping Dimes.’ The podcast is slated to drop May 8 on Instagram.

“Everybody’s doing it,” Brown said. “So I got together with a guy I played with – who I still talk to a lot. And we’re gonna do this.”

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte women’s basketball head coach Tomekia Reed has announced the additions of former Jackson State coaches Chase Campbell, LaShonda Cousin, and Jonathan Williams to the coaching staff at UNC Charlotte.

“I am extremely thrilled to have all three of my assistants transition with me from Jackson State University,” said coach Reed. “This is a staff that knows how to connect with players and parents, how to develop players’ skillset, how to recruit, how to help players succeed academically, and knows how to win. This staff brings a ton of energy, enthusiasm, and passion to the game of women’s basketball. I’m honored to be blessed with a group like them. I am also excited to witness how they will elevate Charlotte’s women’s basketball under my leadership.”

Campbell, Cousin, and Williams follow Tomekia Reed from Jackson State where all four of them have been together since 2021. During that time, JSU won three regular-season SWAC titles and made two trips to the NCAA Tournament. The staff produced six first team All-SWAC honorees and three that were named to the second team. Ameshya Williams-Holliday and Angel Jackson became the first two players in program history to be drafted into the WNBA.

Cousin spent five years in the JSU women’s basketball program with Tomekia Reed. Her first two years as a graduate assistant and the final three as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. She earned her Master of Science in Sports Science after her time as the graduate assistant. Before JSU, Cousin played collegiate basketball at Meridian Community College where she earned her Associates of Arts and Science. She then transferred to Mississippi State University earning a bachelor’s degree in criminology.

Campbell joined the JSU program in 2021 after serving as the head men’s basketball coach at Wiley College. Prior to Wiley, Campbell spent two seasons at Tuskegee University as an assistant coach. He helped the Tigers finish in the top 10 in the nation in scoring defense and the top five in the SIAC in three-pointers made per game, free throw percentage, field goal percentage and three-point percentage. Campbell was responsible for scouting, recruiting, budget, game-planning and late game situations.

Before Tuskegee, he spent one season as an assistant coach at Benedict College. His team was second in the conference in scoring defense and fourth in field goal percentage. He helped guide them to the SIAC Semifinals.  Campbell spent three seasons at his alma mater Paine College — serving as interim head coach in 2015-16 — guiding it to the second-best scoring offense in the SIAC. In 2014-15 as an assistant, he helped Paine College to the regular season SIAC title with a 23-6 overall record and 18-3 in conference play. In 11 seasons, Campbell has coached 13 All-Conference athletes including two Players of the Year.

Williams joined JSU in the fall of 2021 after serving as the associate head coach at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. During his three seasons, he helped guide the women’s basketball program to 40 wins, two Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC) Tournaments, and two National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 23 appearances. In 2020, the Bulldogs were NJCAA Region 23 semifinalists, as they completed a 17-win season, the best finish since 2014, and the first back-to-back NJCAA Region 23 appearance since 2012-13.

Williams assisted the development of fifteen 4-year college signees including eight that went on to NCAA Division I programs. Among those eight athletes was Daphane White, a 6’5″ Mississippi State University transfer, McDonald’s All-American Nominee, and five-star nationally ranked player.

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BOSSIER CITY, La. | The Grambling State University women’s basketball team will take on LSU at Brookshire Grocery Arena on Sunday, December 8, 2024.  Russ Potts Productions, Inc., in conjunction with Brookshire Grocery Arena and the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission, announced the game on Tuesday morning. 

The contest will be the fifth meeting all-time between the two programs with LSU holding a 4-0 edge. 

Grambling State led by head coach Courtney Simmons, who is entering her second year leading the program, is coming off a sensational 2023-24 season that saw the Tigers finish 23-10 overall and 15-3 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. It marked the first time GSU eclipsed 20 wins in a season since 2002-03. The Tigers reached the SWAC Semifinals and earned a berth in the 2024 WNIT, defeating Oral Roberts in the opening round. Last season, Grambling State also beat Arizona State 70-67, GSU’s first with over a Power Five opponent since 2017. 

This contest marks a return home for GSU basketball student-athlete Kahia Warmsley, a Shreveport native and graduate of Mansfield High. She was GSU’s leading scorer averaging 10.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3 steals. While at Mansfield High, she led the Wolverines to back-to-back state title appearances capturing the state title as a junior. She was also named the LHSAA Player of the Year, the Shreveport Times All-Area Player of the Year, and a four-time all-district selection and a two-time all-state selection.  

“Having an opportunity to bring the spotlight that’s shining so bright on women’s basketball right now to North Louisiana is huge. I hope ALL the Tiger fans across the state come out and support both teams,” said Simmons. 

LSU is led by four-time National Championship winning head coach Kim Mulkey. Her Tigers are coming off a season that saw them reach the NCAA Elite Eight after finishing the season with a 31-6 overall record. 

“We are thrilled to welcome the Tigers from LSU and Grambling to meet up for an in-state clash at the neutral site of Brookshire Grocery Arena.  With an easy drive for fans of both fan bases, we expect a full house and tremendous game atmosphere on December 8th,” said RPPI President, Zach Franz.

“The Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission looks forward to partnering with RPPI and the Brookshire Grocery Arena to host a highly anticipated LSU and Grambling matchup in December. This game will be a great way for our communities and local alumni groups to unite and support women’s sports,” said Sara Nelms, Director of Sports, Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission.

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The former five-star recruit out of St. Martin HS in Mississippi was ranked 45th nationally back in 2018 where she averaged 25.8 points, 14.7 rebounds, and 5.7 blocks in her final prep season,

Daphane White initially committed to Mississippi State University out of high school but eventually made her way to Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College where she appeared in all 24 games averaging a double-double with 15.7 points per game and 11.0 rebounds per contest as a freshman.

Her strong freshman campaign landed her at the University of Houston where she appeared in 10 games, with one start, having her best performance against the University of Auburn scoring 10 points and grabbing seven rebounds in the Cougar’s win.

White, then transferred back to her home state to play for Tomekia Reed at Jackson State University. She played in 31 games during her first year at Jackson State. She started 15 games and averaged 10.1 points and 6.4 rebounds, leading her to be named to the Preseason All-SWAC Second Team heading into the 2023-2024 season.

In January of 2024, White’s season ended after only nine games because of an ACL injury.

“So I tore my acl. Im completely devastated, “she wrote. “I honestly didn’t know how to come on here & let my fans know thank you to everyone who have checked on me & even helped after that game. I’m doing everything in my power to get back. LOVE YOU GUYS.” She posted on her Instagram account.

Daphane White averaged 8.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game before her ACL injury cost her the remainder of the season. Now, Daphane is back playing for coach Reed but now she’s headed to North Carolina to play for UNC Charlotte.

Tomekia Reed alluded to bringing in players she was familiar with to fill the gaps on the 49er’s roster, but emphasized that these would be pieces to complement the talent she was inheriting at UNCC.

“I do not create roles. The players create the roles themselves. So just getting the chemistry early is really important, and we’ll have time in the summer to do that. and just putting pieces around the current team to help us be successful. Really good foundation. The programs I’ve taken over have been programs at the bottom, and this is not a program at the bottom,” coach Reed said at her introductory press conference in Charlotte.

Adding a healthy graduate transfer post player like Daphane White to a Charlotte WBB roster that already has experienced, talented guards could be a recipe for success as Tomekia Reed looks to continue her winning ways in year one at UNC Charlotte.

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27 years ago, I received a call from Spike Lee…He saw me play in The Rucker and told me he had a movie he was working on, and he wanted me to have a role in it… I said “Hell Yea I’ll be in it”…..💯💯 Soon after, we started shooting scenes in New York and Winston-Salem…So many scenes were edited and Although this was my only cameo that made the film, being on set with Denzel & Rosario Dawson was Priceless 🔥🔥🔥 “He Got Game” would premiere in theatres soon after. Something I’ll cherish forever! Coach Moton posted on his Instagram account.

LeVelle Moton is a North Carolina basketball icon who has rubbed elbows with some of the best in the game and has the stories to prove it.

From playing summer ball at UNC with Vince Carter to being involved in legendary closed-door pickup games with Michael Jordan before his return to the NBA in 1995, the two-time MEAC coach of the year has had his share of memorable moments as a player and coach. Including being in the opening credits of one of the greatest basketball movies ever made in He Got Game.

Although Moton shot scenes for the film all over North Carolina and New York City, his only cameo in the film comes during the opening credits. LeVelle Moton can be seen in front of an old country store going up for a layup before text pops up on the screen reading, “A 40 Acres and A Mule Filmworks Production.”

40 Acres and A Mule Filmworks is the flagship brand for Spike Lee and some of his most memorable movies.

While his cameo only lasts seven seconds, it is another fascinating basketball moment from one of the most interesting figures in HBCU basketball.

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The Greensboro, NC native averaged 19.0 points, 7.0 assists, and 2.5 steals in his senior year at The Burlington School in Burlington, N.C. One of his highlights that season came when he matched up against all-everything guard Mikey Williams at Lake Norman Christian High School back in 2020. Thomas scored 25 points to Williams’ 40 as LNC beat The Burlington School, which featured then-Howard University commit Kuluel Mading. 

Jamarii Thomas was offered by NC A&T around the same time the school secured a commitment from his cousin, Duncan Powell. He ultimately landed at UNCW. Thomas saw action in 25 games during the 2021-2022 season but averaged just under two points per game in six minutes of action per contest.

His minutes tripled during the 2022-2023 season and his scoring production did as well as he scored double-figures ten times. He scored 17 against Hampton and put up a career-high 26 against Stony Brook. He hit the transfer portal when the season was done, landing at the HBCU alongside Mading.

NSU was looking for a replacement for two-time MEAC Player of The Year Joe Bryant Jr., and it found a capable one in Thomas. Thomas averaged 16.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists this season. Norfolk State won the MEAC regular season title and defeated VCU for the first time in program history. NSU entered the MEAC Tournament as the favorite but fell to Howard in the MEAC semifinals. Thomas was held to 23 points in NSU’s two tournament games and shot just 5-for-20 from the field in the loss. 

Thomas hit the transfer portal again following the season and now he’s headed to Richmond, leaving another hole for Norfolk State to fill.

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The vlog-style video shows Shelomi Sanders during her recruiting visit to Alabama A&M. She checks out the gym, weight room, and locker room where her locker already has her nameplate and her number 22 jersey hanging inside.

About 14 minutes into the video, Shelomi talks to the camera to make her commitment official.

“So yea I was kinda spotty with the recording…” Shelomi says in the YouTube video titled I’M TAKING MY TALENTS TO…..😱, “but I was just enjoying the moment, because… I’m a Bulldog!”

“I had a good time, y’all can see I committed, and we finna tee up!” she says excitedly.

Shelomi Sanders started her college basketball career at the same place her father, Deion Sanders began his college football coaching career, signing with Jackson State University while her father and brothers were still in Jackson in April 2022.

Coming out of high school she was named first-team All-District for District 10 6A in Texas at Rockwall-Heath High School in Rockwell, Texas after averaging 16 points, six rebounds, and three steals as a Senior.

After appearing in only two games for Jackson State during her Freshman season in 2022-2023, She transferred to the University of Colorado, where she would again joined her father and brothers, this time in Boulder, Colorado.

As a member of the Buffalo WBB squad this past season, Shelomi Sanders played 11 minutes in five games as a redshirt freshman, recording three points, three rebounds, and a steal.

With Shelomi Sanders back in HBCU basketball at Alabama A&M for the beginning of the Dawn Thornton era in Huntsville. Alabama A&M women’s basketball now has all eyes on the Bulldogs looking ahead to the 2024-2025 season, especially with Tomeka Reed making her departure from Jackson State to become the new head coach at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

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“Funny how division I schools are telling guys that we are both recruiting “Why would want to go to an NAIA, you are too good to go there,” Wright tweeted on Twitter/X. “To those schools… Since we are just an NAIA put us on your schedule. We will come play for no money.”

That’s a pretty bold proclamation, as an NAIA school playing a Division I school would usually be considered a money game – one in which the higher division program pays the lower division program a guarantee to come play them on the road. 

Wright’s recent success at the NAIA level – first with Talladega College and now with Langston University – demonstrates that he knows how to build a program. He took both HBCU programs to national championships – a major accomplishment given the fact that LU was a 3-win team the season before Wright arrived fresh out of Talladega. His overall record the last three seasons is 98-11.

The gauntlet has been thrown down. The question now is whether or not any Division I program will take Wright up on his offer.

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NASHVILLE – Former HBCU basketball standout at Tennessee State, (then Tennessee A&I) and New York Knicks legend Dick Barnett has received one of basketball’s highest honors for his stellar NBA career by being inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The 2024 class was announced in Phoenix at the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four. 

Barnett established himself as a formidable force both in college and professional basketball. His remarkable career spanned from his college days at HBCU Tennessee A&I College to his achievements in the NBA.

During his tenure at Tennessee A&I College, Barnett played a pivotal role in leading the team to three consecutive NAIA national championship titles from 1957 to 1959. He garnered numerous accolades, including back-to-back championship MVP honors in 1958 and 1959. Barnett’s outstanding performance on the court earned him induction into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1986, along with several other prestigious honors. He was named an All-American three times during his time at TSU. 

Following his collegiate success, Dick Barnett transitioned to the professional ranks as he was drafted in the first round, and showcased his talent with the Syracuse Nationals, Los Angeles Lakers, and New York Knicks. He made significant contributions to the Knicks, helping the team secure two NBA championships in 1970 and 1973.

He spent the last eight seasons of his 14-year NBA career with the New York Knicks of the NBA and represented the team in the 1968 All-Star Game. Barnett is the ninth-leading scorer in Knicks history (9,442) and is one of only a dozen to play at least 600 games in a New York uniform.

Throughout his illustrious career, Barnett distinguished himself as a skilled shooting guard known for his trademark “question mark” jump shot. His sharp wit and on-court prowess earned him the nickname “Fall Back Baby” from renowned Lakers announcer Chick Hearn. He finished is career with 15,358 points (15.8 ppg). 

Barnett’s impact extended beyond his performance on the court, as evidenced by his induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame alongside other esteemed basketball figures. The Knicks retired his No. 12, and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame honored his 1957—59 Tigers squad in 2019.  

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WSSU guard and CIAA player of the Year Jaylen Alston exploded for a game-high 41 points and 22 rebounds. Jaylen Alston recorded 11 offensive and defensive rebounds, respectively, while shooting 16 for 30 from the field and drawing seven fouls.

Norfolk State guard Allen Betrand had a big night as well, scoring 31 points on 11 for 17 shooting for the night.

Former Hampton guard Tedrick Wilcox Jr. added 21 points and Chris Martin pitched in 14 points to go along with seven assists.

The HBCU All-Stars led bay as many as 11 points before the game tightened up. 

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Curiously, the coach to win that MEAC title was Mike Gillespie.  Gillespie won two MEAC championships during his tenure and won FAMU’s only game of the NCAA tournament when they defeated Niagara in the play-in game. One reason that Crarey could be the answer for FAMU is the similarity in Crarey and Gillespie’s journeys. 

Gillespie dominated junior college basketball in Tallahassee.  As head coach of Tallahassee Community College, it was often thought that the best college team in Tallahassee was neither at FSU nor FAMU, but at TCC.  He transitioned to FAMU and with his recruiting prowess, he pulled in some talented players.  The brand of ball was exciting, and his popularity helped fill Gaither Gym with people from across the Tallahassee community.

Patrick Crarey II comes in from a very successful stint at the NAIA level.  While coaching at Washington Adventist, he had great talent working in the Washington, D.C. area.  In fact, in 2016 he took his team to face the Hampton Pirates.  In a game at Hampton, Crarey’s Washington Adventist team lost to the Pirates by just two points.  The 69-67 win by Hampton propelled them into the MEAC tournament where they went undefeated en route to the NCAA tournament.  Let that sink in.  His NAIA program took the MEAC Champion Pirates to the brink.  To say that Washington Adventist was a low resource program is an understatement.

He led the St. Thomas University Bobcats to a 61-27 record.  By any standard, that is winning.  Winning has followed Crarey and there is no reason to believe he will not return the Rattlers to the top of the conference.  

Crarey has worked in low resource institutions

While FAMU and most HBCUs are considered “low resource” by NCAA definition, it does not mean that FAMU is not equipped to be a major player in the conference and possibly the NCAA.  The Lawson Center, where the Rattlers play, is one of the best basketball facilities in all of HBCU basketball and mid-major arenas as well.  The locker rooms are pristine and there is a player lounge.  With a full complement of scholarships, Crarey’s recruiting reputation should allow him to pull in some much-needed players to bolster the roster.

As a 40-year-old, Patrick Crarey II should connect with today’s era of players.  With NIL, the transfer portal, and social media, today’s basketball coach has a lot more to deal with than previously.  With new rules on the horizon, the scope of college basketball will change even more dramatically.  As Power Five and Group of Five schools dig deeper into NIL funds, balancing your roster will become an annual task.

Florida A&M didn’t necessarily need one of the big names floating out there.  They needed a winner.  The name will grow with success.  The parity in the SWAC has been a revolving door for the championship.  Florida A&M could be primed in the next few years to take the mantle with a successful building of the program by Crarey.

FAMU Vice President and Director of Athletics Tiffani-Dawn Sykes was firmly behind the selection.  This would be her second selection of FAMU basketball coaches.

Last year, she hired former WNBA, University of Tennessee, and Olympic star Bridgette Gordon to lead the Lady Rattlers.  In her first campaign, without being on campus for a full year, Gordon would lead the team to nine wins, which equaled the wins of the two previous years combined. 

More importantly, everyone who knows basketball appreciated the brand of basketball the team transitioned to.  Rattler faithful are hoping that Sykes has the magic touch in choosing basketball coaches and the Rattlers can begin to rebuild to championship caliber.

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CHARLOTTE – Johnson C Smith University (JCSU) President, Dr. Valerie Kinloch has announced Antwain Banks as the Interim Head Men’s Basketball Coach. His appointment, which is on an interim basis for the year, is effective May 15, 2024. Banks will be reporting directly to Dr. Denisha Hendricks (new Athletics Director).

Before getting the role at Johnson C Smith (JCSU) Coach Banks spent three seasons at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI) as Associate Head Coach. While there, he was in charge of the defensive schemes and alignments. He also served as IUPUI’s Director of Operations. He coached and helped to develop two players named to the Horizon All-Freshmen Team as well as a player named to the Horizon All-League Third Team. One of his proudest accomplishments was the team posting a 3.58 Team GPA, which was the highest Team GPA in the past ten years.

He returned to IUPUI after spending three seasons as an assistant coach at Alabama A&M (AAMU). Coach Banks, who was named one of the top five assistant coaches in the SWAC by Stadium Insider’s Jeff Goodman during the 2020-21 season, was instrumental in helping to lead the team to their most regular season wins since 2015-16.

In 2020-21, they owned the nation’s top RPI early in the season, becoming the first-ever HBCU team to claim the nation’s top spot. AAMU boasted a pair of All-SWAC sophomore guards in Garrett Hicks and Jalen Johnson in Banks’ final season with the program and went 5-1 against in-state mid-major foes over the final two seasons with victories over Alabama State, Jacksonville State, North Alabama, Troy and South Alabama. That AAMU team was ranked as one of the nation’s top defensive teams, finishing No. 4 in three-point field goal percentage defense and No. 14 in field goal percentage defense. 

Before AAMU, Antwain Banks was an Assistant Coach at Clayton State (Ga.) University where he helped the Lakers to a 24-7 mark in 2017-18, including a Peach Belt Conference Co-Championship and an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament. Clayton State’s 24 victories were the second-most in program history while the Lakers went 19-3 in league play. They finished the year fourth in the regional rankings and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. 

Before joining IUPUI in 2015, Coach Banks was head coach at Kentucky State University, serving at the top of the Thorobreds program for four seasons. After serving two years as an assistant coach and one year as interim head coach there, he was eventually promoted to head coach. Prior to his time at Kentucky State, Coach Banks spent seven years as a member of the Indiana University Southeast (IU Southeast) basketball program (two as a player and five as a coach). He helped IUS reach 166 victories (.712 winning percentage) and five appearances at the NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship. Additionally, Coach Banks helped to lead the Grenadiers to the KIAC Tournament finals in six out of seven years. He also coached four NAIA All-American Honorable Mention athletes and eight KIAC All-Conference players during his five years at IUS.

A graduate of South Bend Adams High School, Antwain Banks was Second Team All-Conference and was selected to the Sunburst All-Star Game during his senior year. He helped lead the Eagles to an IHSAA Sectional Championship during the 1997-98 season. After high school, he attended Ancilla Junior College where he started as point guard for two years. At Ancilla, Coach Banks helped his team to the first-ever Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) conference tournament appearance in school history.

His Bachelor’s Degree is from Indiana University Southeast and his Master’s Degree is from Western Kentucky University. Coach Banks has participated in leadership trainings such as the Leadership Academy for Assistant Coaches hosted by the NCAA. Recently, he was named to the 2023-2024 Achieving Coaching Excellence Program.

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Hoopdirt, a site dedicated to the latest college basketball coaching news, rumors, and job postings posted an article with its odds on who they believe might become the next head coach for FAMU basketball. There are several familiar HBCU coaching names on the list.

HOOP DIRT ODDS FOR FAMU NEXT HC

Get to know the candidates with HBCU coaching experience who might be the next leader of the FAMU basketball program.

MIKE DAVIS

In his six seasons at Texas Southern, he posted a 115-89 (.564) record, including an 88-20 mark in conference play. His teams won four regular-season titles and four conference tournament championships advancing to four NCAA Tournaments. In his final season at the helm of TSU, the Tigers won their first-ever NCAA Tournament game defeating North Carolina Central in the First Four.
 
Under his leadership, five Tigers were named the SWAC Player of the Year, a feat which had never occurred in the league and was the fourth-longest streak in the history of the NCAA. In addition, 11 earned All-League honors, three were tabbed the Defensive Players of the Year, two were selected the Newcomer of the Year and one was picked the Freshmen of the Year. 

KEVIN NICKLEBERRY

Kevin Nickelberry, a veteran coach with more than 30 years of experience in the ACC, SEC and Big East, is in his first season as an assistant coach at Florida State.  Nickelberry has coaching experience as both a head coach and as an assistant coach at the highest levels of college basketball, with nearly 200 career wins and appearances in both the NCAA and CBI Tournaments as a head coach. 

He was the head coach at Howard University (2010-19), Hampton University (2007-09), and the Columbia Union Women’s Team (1991-94).  He has served as an assistant coach at Howard (1997-98), Monmouth University (1999), Charlotte (2002-03), and Clemson (2004-06), before being named as the head coach at Hampton.  

WILL JONES

During his time as the acting head coach during the 2019-20 season, Jones led the Aggies to a 14-5 record overall and 12-4 mark in the MEAC as the Aggies entered the MEAC tournament as the No. 2 seed. The tournament was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but before the cancelation, Jones did lead the Aggies to a first-round win over Howard.

N.C. A&T’s 12 wins in the MEAC marked the most ever by a first-year Aggies head coach. N.C. A&T ended the 2019-20 season by leading the conference in scoring offense, 3-point field goal percentage defense, rebounding offense, assists, steals, turnover margin, assist-to-turnover ratio and defensive rebounds. 

LONNIE BLOW

Coach Blow, Jr. is the first head coach in CIAA basketball history to win a conference championship at two different CIAA institutions and he holds four CIAA Coach of the Year awards, including three with the Trojans. Coach Blow, Jr. won his first CIAA Tournament Championship and was awarded his first CIAA Coach of the Year honor in 2009-10 with St. Augustine’s.

BOBBY COLLINS

Before Collins arrived, the Bears were 5-23 overall. In his first season, the Bears were 10-11 overall which was a five-game improvement from the previous season. 

Collins comes to Shaw after serving as assistant men’s basketball coach at South Carolina State University for two seasons. Before South Carolina State, Collins spent four years as head coach at Maryland-Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, Md. 
 

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Clark appeared on the ‘Weekend Update’ skit with Colin Jost and Michael Che. The majority of her appearance was aimed at a tongue in cheek skewering of Che, who’s made jokes about women’s basketball in the past. But at the end of her segment she did offer praise for former WNBA players, including Cynthia Cooper who once coached at Prairie View A&M and Texas Southern.

When the fun and jokes ended, Che wished Clark a successful first season in the WNBA. She then took a moment to pay homage to WNBA players who came before her.

“I’m sure it’ll be a big first step for me, but it’s just one step for the WNBA. Thanks to all of the great players like Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, Cynthia Cooper, the great Dawn Staley and my basketball hero, Maya Moore. These are the women who kicked down the door so I could walk inside,” Clark said.

Cooper is widely considered one of the top players in WNBA history. She led the league in scoring for three straight years as a member of the Houston Comets and led the franchise to four league championships. After her playing career ended she got into coaching that included stops as an HBCU head coach at Prairie View A&M (2005-2010) and two separate stops at Texas Southern (2012-2013, 2019-2022).

Clark is the back to back college basketball player of the year. Her Iowa team lost to Dawn Staley’s South Carolina team in the women’s championship game last weekend.

The WNBA Draft will air at 7:30 pm EST on ESPN and will stream at ESPN +. Clark is expected to be selected by the Indiana Fever with the No. 1 overall pick. The Fever is the last franchise to draft an HBCU player, selecting Ameshya Williams-Holliday from Jackson State in 2022. The draft will last for three rounds with teams selecting in the following order.

First-round draft order:

• Indiana Fever
• Los Angeles Sparks
• Chicago Sky (from Phoenix)
• Los Angeles Sparks (from Seattle)
• Dallas Wings (from Chicago)
• Washington Mystics
• Minnesota Lynx
• Chicago Sky (from Atlanta, via Los Angeles)
• Dallas Wings
• Connecticut Sun
• New York Liberty
• Atlanta Dream (from Las Vegas, via Los Angeles)

Second-round:

• Chicago Sky (from Phoenix)
• Seattle Storm
• Indiana Fever
• Las Vegas Aces (from Los Angeles)
• New York Liberty (from Chicago)
• Las Vegas Aces (from Washington)
• Connecticut Sun (from Minnesota)
• Atlanta Dream
• Washington Mystics (from Dallas)
• Connecticut Sun
• New York Liberty
• Las Vegas Aces

Third-round:

• Phoenix Mercury
• Seattle Storm
• Indiana Fever
• Los Angeles Sparks
• Phoenix Mercury (from Chicago)
• Washington Mystics
• Minnesota Lynx
• Atlanta Dream
• Dallas Wings
• Connecticut Sun
• New York Liberty
• Las Vegas Aces

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In an interview with TMZ Sports, Scott said watching the NCAA Tournament the past few years has him ready to return to the sidelines.

“I got that bug watching the last couple years of March madness. The passion and love that I have for this game I know I can definitely help a university or an HBCU in the right direction. It’s just something that I love to do. I love teaching, I love mentorship, I love the game of basketball and I know that I still have a lot to give. College is something that I’ve been thinking about the last couple of years and I’d love to have that opportunity,” Scott said.

Scott spent 17 years coaching in the NBA, two as an assistant and 15 as a head coach. He was the head coach of the New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers. Scott hasn’t coached since the 2015-16 season, his second with the Lakers. He was the NBA coach of the year for the 2007-2008 season, when he coached Chris Paul in New Orleans.

Byron Scott has coached several NBA superstars

Other notable players he’s coached include Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd, Chris Webber and Kyrie Irving. But Scott says at 63 years old, he’s ready to give back to the college game. And he seems to have a game plan in place.

“I think the first thing you got to do at the collegiate level, is get a strong assistant crew. You got to have great recruiters as well. Your job as a head coach is to go in there and close the deal. It’s something I can get used to. I’m a people’s person. It’s not a problem for me to go in and talk to parents about their sons and what I think they could possibly achieve at the collegiate level. It’s something that I’m looking forward to and I hope I get the chance to do that,” Scott said.

He left a strong message to any athletic directors who might be listening or reading.

“You’ll be getting a coach that is very passionate about what he does. He’s passionate about the young people and he’s a teacher. He’s driven. So whatever your goals are as an university you might as well up them a little bit because I plan on coming in there and turning the program around.”

Byron Scott began his NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1983, playing in LA until the 1992-93 season. He then played two years for the Indiana Pacers and one with the Vancouver Grizzlies, before returning to the Lakers for his final season in 1996-97. Scott played with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal that year and would later coach Bryant. Could his next move be at an HBCU?

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“You gotta put you first, Lucious,” Pilar Sanders said with a smile, alluding to a similar line in the hit TV show Empire. “We’re hitting the road y’all. We love Boulder, CO and thank you. But you gotta put you first, baby. Let’s go.” 

Pilar, of course, is the ex-wife of former Jackson State head football coach and current Colorado coach Deion Sanders. She’s also the mother of Shilo, Shedeur and Shelomi Sanders – Deion Sanders’ youngest children. She was a frequent presence at Jackson State when her children were there, cheering on Shedeur and Shilo at football games both in Jackson and on the road. Our cameras spotted her on the sideline in the 2022 SWAC Championship Game with Shelomi, who was a part of the Jackson State women’s basketball program at the time. 

Deion Sanders boarded a plane to Boulder, CO a few hours later to announce that he was taking over as the head coach at Colorado. Pilar posted a cryptic social media message that appeared to allude to the departure of Coach Prime. His children followed him to Boulder, including Shelomi. Shedeur elevated his game even more at the Power Five level and Shilo showed flashes of why he was an SEC player before he came to an HBCU. Shelomi joined a talented Colorado team and found playing time sparse this year. 

Shelomi Sanders played 11 minutes in five games this season as a redshirt freshman, recording three points, three rebounds and a steal.

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The former Power Five player had a stellar showing in her lone season at UAPB, averaging 16.7 points per game. She averaged 19.2 points per game in non-conference play, scoring better than 20 points six times, including 26 and 25 points against Oregon State and Oregon. 

The Duncanville, Texas native was a five-star recruit, ranked No. 10 overall and No. 2 as a guard in the HoopGurlz espnW Top 100. Green started her career at Tennessee where she finished the 2018-19 season with an SEC All-Freshman Team selection as she averaged 9.6 points while hauling in four rebounds and dishing out 2.3 assists per game in 32 games and was named SEC Freshman of the Week twice.

Her sophomore season was cut short in 2019-2020 and she transferred to Texas A&M. Green spent one season at Texas A&M where she averaged 2.9 points per game on a .390 shooting percentage in limited minutes.

Now Zaay Green will hit the NCAA Transfer portal where she could very well end up back at the Power Five level. 

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“Me being myself led to this[MVP],” said Dyson. “I just wanted to show Phoenix that they have no HBCU culture, so it was great to put on a show for them.”

In the first half, Team Wallace was down 11 points before regaining the lead and never looking back. Team Wallace also had five more double-digit scorers to go along with Dyson. Jaylen Alston (Winston-Salem State) scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and Jeremiah Kendall contributed 14.

Team Wallace was coached by Texas Southern’s Johnny Jones and Lincoln’s Jason Armstrong. The team featured players from the Southwestern Athletic Conference and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

Team Mahorn’s Christian Brown scored 21 points, and Fred Cleveland Jr. also put on a shooting clinic with 20 points on six three-pointers in this year’s HBCU All-Star game.

“I came in focused and wanted to show I was one of the best players in the country regardless of whether I was at an HBCU or not,” said Cleveland Jr.

Team Mahorn was coached by North Carolina Central’s LeVelle Moton and Clark Atlanta’s Alfred Jordan. The team was made up of members from the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Team Mahorn also had independent All-Stars from Tennessee State and Hampton.

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Thornton was introduced as the new head coach at AAMU on Saturday afternoon at a press conference in Huntsville. Her husband, Cedric Thornton, was recently hired at AAMU to join Connell Maynor’s football staff after leaving Grambling at the end of the season.

“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Dawn Thornton to the Alabama A&M University family as our new head women’s basketball coach,” Director of Athletics Dr. Paul A. Bryant said. “Coach Thornton’s remarkable record of success, both within the SWAC and against formidable out-of-conference opponents, speaks volumes about her prowess and strategic acumen in the realm of collegiate basketball. Her leadership qualities, combined with a deep understanding of the game, make her the ideal candidate to elevate our program. 
 
“We are eagerly anticipating the energy, expertise, and excellence she will bring to our team, and we are confident that under her guidance, A&M women’s basketball will achieve new heights of success. The future is bright for our program with Coach Thornton at the helm.”

While at UAPB Thornton led the Lady Lions to the conference championship in 2023 for the first time since joining the SWAC Conference. During the past season, UAPB set new records for overall wins, including a historic win over Arkansas and SMU in the same year.  

Thornton had a very deep roster in place at UAPB when the season ended after a semifinal loss to Jackson State at the SWAC Tournament. Zaay Green was an All-SWAC first team selection with Maya Peat and Coriah Beck earning second team honors. Beck didn’t finish the season because of an injury and entered the transfer portal after the season as did Maya Peat. There will be a lot of attention now on Green’s decision, who announced after the tournament she would play her extra Covid season. Thornton has long touted Green as a WNBA prospect.

Thornton describes herself as the “Diva Coach” because of her fashionable choices along the sidelines. She famously changed outfits at halftime of each game she coached at this year’s SWAC Tournament.

Thornton takes the place of Margaret Richards who left AAMU after eight seasons back in March.

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PINE BLUFF, AR.- After five seasons as the head coach of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff women’s basketball program, Dawn Thornton has announced her departure from UAPB.

“I have a great deal of respect for Dawn Thornton,” stated Chris Robinson, the Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics. “I would like to express my gratitude to coach Thornton for her hard work and dedication as the head coach of our women’s basketball program. Her contributions over the course of five seasons have had a significant impact on our campus and the community. The future of UAPB women’s basketball program is bright, and we are confident that our next head coach will continue to elevate the program to new heights.”

Under the guidance of coach Thornton, the Lady Lions made it to the conference championship in 2023 for the first time since joining the SWAC Conference. During the past season, they advanced to the semifinals and set new records for overall wins, defeating both SMU and Arkansas in the same year.  

Another milestone at UAPB, five student-athletes have received All-SWAC Conference honors. Among them, Zaay Green (2021-22) and Khadijah Brown (2020-21) who both was named Newcomer of the Year, and Green has joined the prestigious 1,000-point club and has set a new single-season record for points scored. Another athlete, Maya Peat, has broken the school record for the total number of rebounds in her career.

Assistant coach Nicole Mealing will be named as the interim head coach for the Lady Lions and a national search will begin immediately for a new head coach. 

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala.- The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) has announced that Alabama State University President, Dr. Quinton T. Ross, Jr., has been selected as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) Division I Board of Directors. He currently serves on the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics. Ross will officially begin his term on Aug. 7, 2024.

The Board of Directors is the top governing body for Division I, responsible for strategy, policy, oversight of legislation and management of the division. The Board is comprised of 20 presidents and chancellors; one from each of the 10 football bowl subdivision (FBS) conferences; 10 from the remaining 22 NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and Division I conferences; the chair of the NCAA Division I Council; one faculty athletics representative; one senior woman administrator representative and two student-athletes. 

“I’m extremely honored to serve on this board,” said Dr. Ross. “The NCAA Division I Board of Directors is an essential and critical component of the NCAA governance structure and its positive impact on the world of intercollegiate athletics can be seen daily. I look forward to working with the members of this board to implement programs and initiatives that will enhance the overall student-athlete experience in all facets.”  

Dr. Ross is currently in his fifth year as president of Alabama State University, having assumed the leadership role of his alma mater on October 3, 2017. His tenure has been marked by transformative and innovative leadership that has included a 130 percent increase in fundraising, expansion of national and global partnerships, advancement of strategic initiatives under the brand of “CommUniversity,” and an increased emphasis on student success.

He is a three-time graduate of ASU, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in Political Science, a master of education degree in Secondary Education-English, and a doctorate of education in Educational Leadership, Policy and Law. Ross is also a distinguished career educator with more than 28 years of experience in higher and k-12 public education. Prior to becoming the University’s 15th president, Dr. Ross served with distinction as an elected state senator in the Alabama Legislature for four terms.

In 2022, President Joe Biden announced the appointment of Dr. Ross along with several additional qualified and diverse leaders to the President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

The President’s Board assists with advancing the goal of the HBCU Initiative, established by the Jimmy Carter Administration, to increase the capacity of HBCUs to provide the highest-quality education to its students and continue serving as engines of opportunity.

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Howard University women’s golf team won the 2024 National Collegiate Championship in dominant fashion, winning the event by 40 strokes. The 54-hole tournament took place at The Golf Club at Cinco Ranch (par-71, 6,098 yards) in Katy, Texas.

Collectively, the Bison shot 49-over par (901) with back-to-back 18-over par (302) performances on Day One.

All five Bison finished in the Top 10, led by newcomer Emily Mayne (Kingston, Jamaica) winning her first collegiate golf event. The Jamaica native led from start to finish, posting a 224 (+11) during the three-round tourney, including a 72 (+1) in round one.

Second-year Bison Morgan Horrell (Dallas) took third overall, shooting 14-over par (227) in 54 holes while reigning Northeast Conference (NEC) Rookie of the Year Marley Franklin (Los Angeles) placed fourth in the player leaderboard (228, +15).

Junior Jada Richardson (Suwanee, Ga.) tied for fifth overall (230, +17) while fellow classmate Kendall Jackson (Pearland, Texas) rounded out the top 10, earning ninth place (233, +20).

Delaware State finished runner-up, recording 89-over par (941), while Chicago State’s Koranis Boonmadee fell one stroke behind Mayne for second place.

On April 19-21, Howard University Women’s Golf goes to Pine Mountain, Ga., for the NEC Championships, held at Callaway Resorts & Gardens

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Parson announced his commitment to North Carolina Central on Thursday. The announcement comes weeks after he announced he would hit the transfer portal as a graduate student.

Parson was a decorated player at Kinston High School. He committed to WSSU in the spring of 2020 and made his debut in 2021 as the CIAA sat out the 2020-2021 season due to Covid 19.

Issac Parson was part of a solid recruiting class for Cleo Hill Jr. that included Farmville Central guard Samage Teel. The two made their debut at Cameron Indoor Stadium against Duke University and led WSSU in scoring – in a blowout loss. Parson averaged 7.4 points per game, 1.32 assists per game, and 2.7 rebounds per game, with a .379 field goal percentage, shooting .344 from beyond the three-point line on the season, and received CIAA all-rookie honors.

As a sophomore, Issac Parson improved those numbers, averaging 10 points and 3.9 assists per game and shooting a team-high 41 percent from the 3-point line. Parson helped WSSU get to the CIAA title game by knocking off Virginia Union while injuring his wrist. WSSU would go on to win the CIAA title game without him and nearly upset top-seed Indiana (PA) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Teel hit the transfer portal following the 2022-2023 season, ending up at Presbyterian College. That left Parson as the starting point guard instead of splitting time with Teel. He averaged  12.4 points per game, 5.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists to 3.4 turnovers per game as WSSU went 19-9, recording the best record in the CIAA but falling in the first round of the tournament. Now he’s headed to NCCU to play for head coach LeVelle Moton.

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Kennard “KJ” Wyche, Jr., a two-time Virginia High School League Class 4 Player of the Year and Virginia’s only McDonald’s All-American nominee from a public school, has committed to play his college basketball at HBCU Virginia Union University.

Kennard “KJ” Wyche, a 5-9 shooting guard from Richmond’s Varina High School, scored over 1,000 points for Varina despite only playing three years due to the COVID pandemic.  

While at Varina, Wyche led the Blue Devils to two straight Virginia State Championships.

Wyche earned a third-team All-Metro honor in 2022 and a first-team All-Metro designation in 2023.  He was a 2024 McDonald’s All-American Southeast Nominee.  Besides scoring over 1,000 points, he had over 200 Assists, over 100 steals, earned First Team All-Metro, 2022-2023 VHSL Class 4 Player of the Year, 2022-2023 VHSL Class 4 1st Team All-State, and 2022-2023 VHSL Region 4B Player of the Year honors. Now he’s headed to an HBCU.

His father, Kennard Wyche Sr., was a two-time first-team All-Metro guard and McDonald’s All-American nominee from Armstrong High. He is also an assistant coach for Varina.

“We are extremely excited about the signing of KJ Wyche,” said Virginia Union University Head Men’s Basketball Coach Jay Butler.  “Anytime you can take care of your home with a two-time Virginia State Player of the Year is good for the program and the city of Richmond. He will bring a lot of excitement to an already talented core of guards returning on the roster.”

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Since parting ways with A&T in May of 2022, Will Jones has continued his winning ways, this time at the grassroots level of high school basketball in North Carolina.

He took on the role of CEO of Basketball/Head Coach at Quality Education Academy in August of 2023 and led them to a CAA4SC Championship and a national runner-up in his first year at the helm.

Now, Will Jones has been selected to speak at one of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) premier events, held during Final Four weekend.

“I’m truly honored to be asked to be a part of this event,” says coach Jones. “This is one of the top events for coaches and administration alike. I look forward to adding value to some of the many great assistants in attendance.”

Read more about the Collegiate Coaching Consortium and watch Will Jones in the HBCU Gameday Original documentary Mid-Major.

ABOUT THE COLLEGIATE COACHING CONSORTIUM

The Collegiate Coaching Consortium — a collaboration between AthleticDirectorU and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) — was founded with a simple goal: to better the game of collegiate basketball. In order to spark both material and sustainable change, that process of improvement must start long before any whistle is ever blown. Thus, the consortium seeks to assist coaches, athletic directors, and universities in identifying and channeling all their available capabilities and resources toward building successful and ethical programs. This is accomplished through a distinctive, hands-on professional development regime designed to elevate the decision-making and leadership skills of both first-time head coaches and the athletic administrators hiring them.

Hosted yearly during the NABC Convention at the site of the NCAA Men’s Final Four, the invitation-only Collegiate Coaching Consortium builds upon the Villa 7 Consortium to bring together a cohort of rising basketball coaches and Division I athletic directors to partake in a rigorous multi-day academy that teaches each how to identify, analyze and influence critical organizational processes as a means of building better teams and athletic programs. Each cohort — coaches and ADs — will participate in an individually focused curriculum designed to sharpen the competencies and capabilities that are critical for ensuring success within their respective roles.

For Coaches, This Includes:

• Positioning oneself for their first head coaching opportunity
• Identifying a Personal Unique Value Proposition
• Determining institutional and personal fit
• Developing job interviewing skills
• Creating a foundation for long-term success within the first few months of your tenure
• Delegating authority and empowering your staff
• Maintaining a strong and productive relationship with your athletics director and staff

For ADs, This Includes:

• Understanding the pressures and challenges facing new head coaches
• Recognizing the challenges that are unique to your athletics program
• Identifying coaching candidates who are best suited to lead within such environments
• Creating a stronger Employee Value Proposition (EVP) that helps attract better candidates
• Designing an effective orientation program and onboarding process
• Building a better retention strategy that reduces coach turnover
• Helping your coaches reach greater levels of productivity and performance

These lessons will be taught by successful coaches and administrators, alongside top subject matter experts, professors, and accomplished executives from a wide range of industries and vocations. Additionally, beyond their individual programming, participating coaches and athletic directors will interact in one-on-one and group settings, giving each the opportunity to put into practice the learnings of their consortium.

WATCH: HBCU GAMEDAY ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY MID-MAJOR

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The Salisbury, NC native graduated from JCSU in 1996, where he was a four-year letterman as a player. Dixon helped the Golden Bulls to a pair of CIAA Southern Division titles and a championship game appearance during his time in Charlotte, NC.  He was named the team’s most improved player following his junior season and the top defensive player after his senior season.

Before leaping into coaching at the collegiate level, Larry Dixon was the head coach at Garinger High School in Charlotte for three seasons, leading Garinger to a North Carolina High School sectional championship while earning Mecklenburg County Coach of the Year honors from the Charlotte Observer.

His journey as a college coach has taken him all over. He began as an assistant at St. Andrews University and has had stints at South Carolina State, East Carolina, Winthrop, Georgia Southern, and South Florida.

After a coaching change at USF, Larry Dixon found himself looking for another place to call home when we got a call from NC State head coach Kevin Keatts while shopping at a mall.

The NCAA Division I Board of Directors had just voted to allow two more assistant coaches on men’s basketball staffs and coach Keatts wanted Larry Dixon to fill one of those new roles.

“I’ve enjoyed working for Coach Keatts,” Dixon told the Salisbury Post in a recent interview. “We all have input and can offer our opinions and suggestions, and he makes the final decisions. I’m very involved in recruiting, not on-the-road recruiting, but I’m on the phone a lot. We all watch film and do scouting. Coach (Levi) Watkins and I work with the bigs on practice days.”

NC State has one of the most exciting big men in the NCAA tournament in 6-foot-9, 275-pound D.J Burns.

“Burns has always been able to score the ball,” Dixon told the Post. “I think we’ve got the best low-post, back-to-the-basket scorer in the country, The difference in Burns in the ACC tournament was his focus. He was locked in.”

The Wolfpack have continued to be “locked in” as their magical ACC tournament run has turned into a magical Final Four run that has captivated the nation.

“I’m enjoying it all,” Dixon said in his interview with the Salisbury Post. “The fan support we had when we got back to the campus and for the NCAA selection watch show was incredible. It’s a very good time to be at NC State, and it’s wonderful to know that this team will be remembered.”

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Shelomi Sanders played 11 minutes in five games this season as a redshirt freshman, recording three points, three rebounds and a steal.

Sanders averaged 16 points per game to go along with six rebounds and three steals as a high school senior during the 2021-2022 season. She was named first team All-District for District 10 6A in Texas.

Sanders committed to Jackson State while Deion Sanders was football coach, Shilo Sanders was a defensive back and Shedeur Sanders was the quarterback. Of course, all four Sanders’ departed once Deion was hired as head coach. 

Shelomi played in a pair of games at Jackson State, averaging one point per game for Tomekia Reed’s team. 

She will now be hitting the transfer portal again, most likely in an effort to find more playing time. 

ABOUT SHELOMI SANDERS

Freshman (2022-23) 

• Did not play after transferring to CU midway through the season 

Freshman (2022-23 at Jackson State) 

• Played in two games 

In the classroom 

• Plans to major in integrative physiology 

High School 

• Graduated from Rockwall H.S. 

Personal 

• Daughter of CU football coach, Deion Sanders 
• Has four siblings 
• Brothers, Shedeur and Shilo, play football at Colorado 

SHELOMI SANDERS STATS AT COLORADO

Season Highs

Game-By-Game Statistics

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Reed’s name was one of 11 listed as potential candidates to fill the vacancy after Tennessee basketball parted ways with Kellie Harper on Monday by Knox News.

Tomekia Reed reportedly interviewed for the head coach position at Tulane University. That job, however, is now off the market.

Tulane announced that it was hiring Stony Brook head coach Ashley Langford to take over its program. Reed reportedly interviewed for the job prior to the hire. 

“As a former member of the Green Wave’s women’s basketball program, Ashley understands the importance of success on and off the court,” said Tulane President Michael A. Fitts. “Her commitment to both athletics and academics were central to her selection as our new head coach. We couldn’t be more delighted to welcome her back to campus.” 

Reed has been a smashing success at Jackson State, with an overall record of 99-47. She has led the program to the regular season title in each of her five seasons at JSU, as well as three SWAC Tournament titles and NCAA Tournament appearances.

The Mississippi native’s contract ran out on March 31, meaning she is a free agent. With her most recent deal at Jackson State reportedly paying $135k per season, she should easily find a big raise somewhere – even if it is at Jackson State.

But why not Tennessee basketball ? 

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NC State entered the ACC tournament as the 10 seed with little expectation of even making a run in the conference tourney. Nine wins later the Wolfpack are headed to the Final Four, and former Second Team All-CAA Selection Kam Woods has gone from a first-round exit in the CAA tourney last year to the pinnacle event in NCAA college basketball, the NCAA Final Four.

“It’s been humbling and exciting to see all this,” said Woods in an interview with HBCU Gameday during the ACC tournament. “Coming from an HBCU it’s been humbling, normally we only get to see this on TV.”

The Bessemer, Alabama native came out of high school with a reputation as a. bucket getter scoring 3,871 career points as the Alabama Class 6A player of the year for two consecutive years. Once he got on campus at an HBCU, he continued in that role as a high-volume scorer at North Carolina A&T, leading the Aggies in scoring, assists, and three-pointers made in their first year as a member of the CAA.

Transferring from a mid-major to a power conference does come with sacrifices, and for the first time in several years, Kam Woods has had to become more of a role player in the ACC with NC State.

“I wouldn’t say I haven’t been myself, that’s just not what my team needs this year,” said Woods. “At this level, learning how to score is easier… That’s what I learned here, playing off two or more, like you got shot blockers… league guys., first round, lotto. So you gotta come with it.”

Kam Woods has averaged 7.2 minutes per game during his 13 games at NC State, with his season-high of nine points coming back in December against Tennessee. And while he hasn’t logged many minutes during the Wolfpack’s Final Four run, Kam Woods is gaining valuable experiences that he will surely take with him into his senior season in 2024-2025.

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The Greensboro, NC native averaged 19.0 points, 7.0 assists and 2.5 steals in his senior year at The Burlington School in Burlington, N.C. One of his highlights that season came when he matched up against all-everything guard Mikey Williams at Lake Norman Christian High School back in 2020. Thomas scored 25 points to Williams’ 40 as LNC beat The Burlington School, which featured then-Howard University commit Kuluel Mading. 

Thomas was offered by NC A&T around the same time the school secured a commitment from his cousin, Duncan Powell. He ultimately decided to get away from home and went to UNCW. Thomas saw action in 25 games during the 2021-2022 season, but averaged just under two points per game in six minutes of action per contest.

His minutes tripled this past season and his scoring production did as well as he scored double-figures ten times. He scored 17 against Hampton and put up a career-high 26 against Stony Brook. He hit the transfer portal when the season was done, landing at NSU alongside Mading.

NSU was looking for a replacement for two-time MEAC Player of The Year Joe Bryant Jr., and it found a capable one in Thomas. Thomas averaged 16.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists this season. NSU entered the MEAC Tournament as the favorite, but fell to Howard in the MEAC semifinals. Thomas was held to 23 points in NSU’s two tournament games and shot just 5-for-20 from the field in the loss. 

Now Jamarii Thomas is back in the NCAA transfer portal looking for his third program in three years.

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“Why Not Us” has been a rallying cry for the program as it looks to bring home its first national title since 1983 under head coach Kevin Keatts. 

A few miles west, however, lies North Carolina Central University. NCCU head coach LeVelle Moton, who grew up in Raleigh during the Jim Valano Era, congratulated his colleague on his incredible run thus far. But he also put NC State fans on notice that “Why Not Us” started with the Triangle’s lone Division I HBCU a few years back. 

“Dear NC State, Congratulations to you,” LeVelle Moton tweeted. “I love the run that ya’ll are on but this “Why Not Us” is copyright infringement to NCCU Basketball. We hereby grant you permission to use it, but please make checks payable to NCCU Men’s Basketball Foundation.”

Moton and his North Carolina Central basketball program were featured in a docuseries called “Why Not Us,” co-produced by NBA All-Star Chris Paul and ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith back in 2021. Both Paul and Stephen A. Smith are graduates of Winston-Salem State University. 

“If y’all see any NC State fans in Raleigh using the phrase “Why Not Us”….Tell them Congratulation and we’re happy for them. But make sure you tell them….”

Ironically, one of Moton’s biggest wins came against NC State. His NCCU team knocked off NC State back in 2013, stunning the ACC squad. Now the program is back in the Final Four, hoping it can end its cinderella run by bringing another title back to the capital of North Carolina.

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After bouncing around different high schools, it seemed that Georgia Tech would be the one and only college home for Price.

The South Carolina native was the No. 11 ranked player in the state and a three-star recruit coming out of  W.J. Keenan High School. He turned down several offers from programs including Xavier and Kansas State to play for the Jackets. But it would only last one year and Price ended up at Barton Community College.

He would return to Division I basketball after landing at North Carolina Central his junior year before ultimately finishing his career for Benedict.

Price was the second leading scorer for the Tigers this season, averaging 14 points a game. He led the team in steals averaging 1.48 per game. Although the Tigers came up short in the SIAC Tournament versus eventual champions Clark Atlanta, Benedict still managed a berth in this year’s NCAA Division II Tournament.

The college journey will come to an end on April 7 when Price competes with and against 23 other of the best seniors in black college basketball.

The HBCU All-Star game features 24 seniors who play for HBCU schools and will be played at Grand Canyon University on Sunday, April 7 at 4:00 p.m. ET. The game airs live on both CBS and Paramount Plus.

TEAM RICK MAHORN (MEAC, SIAC, INDEPENDENTS ALL-STARS)

1. Fred Cleveland Jr,  North Carolina Central University (MEAC) PG 5’9

2. Chris Martin,  Clark Atlanta University (SIAC) PG 6’2

3. Raquan Brown, South Carolina State University (MEAC) SG 6’3

4. Ja’Darius Harris, North Carolina Central University (MEAC) SG 6’3

5. Christian Brown, Tennessee State University (INDEP) SG 6’6

6. Allen Betrand, Norfolk State University (MEAC) SG 6’5

7. Asanti Price, Benedict College (SIAC) SG 6’5

8. Christian Wells, LeMoyne-Owen College (SIAC) SF 6’5

9. Tedrick Wilcox Jr., Hampton University (INDEP) SF 6’6

10. Seth Towns, Howard University (MEAC) SF/PF 6’9

11. Jordan Simpson, Albany State University (SIAC) PF/C 6’9

12. Jason Jitoboh, Tennessee State University (INDEP) C 6’11

Coaches: Levelle Moton — Head Men’s Basketball Coach at North Carolina Central University; Alfred Jordan — Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Clark Atlanta University

TEAM BEN WALLACE (SWAC & CIAA HBCU ALL-STARS)

1. PJ Henry, Texas Southern University (SWAC) PG 5’10

2. Dhashon Dyson, Bethune-Cookman University (SWAC) CG 6’1

3. Brandon Davis, Southern University (SWAC) CG 6’1

4. Rashad Williams, Univ. Arkansas at Pine Bluff (SWAC) SG 6’2

5. Tra’Michael Moton, Grambling State University (SWAC) SG 6’2

6. Jaylen Alston, Winston-Salem State University (CIAA) SF 6’4

7. Tre Richardson, Elizabeth City State University (CIAA) SF 6’4

8. Charles Smith, Prairie View A&M University (SWAC) SG 6’5

9. Rayquan Brown, Mississippi Valley State University (SWAC) SG 6’6

10. Jordan O’Neal, Jackson State University (SWAC) PF 6’7

11. Jeremiah Kendall, Alcorn State University (SWAC) PF 6’7

12. Jourdan Smith, Grambling State University (SWAC) PF 6’7

Coaches: Johnny Jones, Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Texas Southern University; Jason Armstrong, Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Lincoln University (PA)

2024 HBCU ALL-STARS HONOREES

HBCU All-Stars John McLendon NCAA Division I National Coach of the Year

• Donte’ Jackson — Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Grambling State University

HBCU ALL-STARS ART MCAFEE NCAA DIVISION II NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR

• Alfred Jordan — Head Men’s Basketball Coach Clark Atlanta University

HBCU ALL-STARS SAM JONES NCAA DIVISION I NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

• Fred Cleveland Jr. — North Carolina Central University

HBCU ALL-STARS EARL “THE PEARL” MONROE NCAA DIVISION II NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

• Chris Martin — Clark Atlanta University

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“Olivia Gaines has built a resume that would allow her to coach anywhere in the country,” Staley said when asked about her protegeé. “Her choice to come back to South Carolina and Allen University makes this a special union. I’m excited to see her back in Columbia, and I can’t wait to see her program thrive.”

Gaines was one of the building blocks for South Carolina under Dawn Staley, which heads into the Sweet Sixteen with a perfect record. 

Gaines spent two seasons playing for the Gamecocks, winning the 2014 SEC Regular Season Championship and the 2015 SEC Tournament Title while advancing to the 2015 NCAA Division I Tournament Final Four.

Gaines was hired as Allen University’s head coach earlier this month after being a part of the staff of former Livingstone College head coach Anita Howard at Georgia Southern in 2023-24.

Prior to that she was head coach at Richard Bland College, an NJCAA institution in Petersburg, Virginia, where she led the team in their inaugural season to an NJCAA Division II National Runner-Up finish and a 29-3 overall record. Gaines served as the head coach at USC Salkehatchie in Allendale, S.C. prior to that. During her time leading the junior college program, Gaines was named Region 10 Coach of the Year and led the Lady Indians to a 20-2 overall mark during the 2020-21 campaign. 

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According to ESPN’s figures, 1.1 million viewers tuned in to UConn-Jackson State on ABC on Saturday. That was the second-highest viewed game over the weekend and the third-most viewed first round game in history, according to the report. Saturday’s first round matchup between Iowa and Holy Cross, featuring NCAA all-time leading scorer Caitlin Clark, pulled in a record 3.2 million viewers on ABC. That game was the most viewed pre-semifinal in NCAA Tournament history. 

Third-seeded UConn came away with an 86-64 win on its home court over Jackson State.

While the outcome was not what Jackson State fans and HBCU supporters around the country would have liked, the game did put JSU in the spotlight in a way that few women’s basketball programs – and likely no HBCU women’s basketball programs – have been in. JSU head coach Tomekia Reed said after the game putting the spotlight on HBCUs was important to her. 

“For me at Jackson State – I not only wanted to put our university on the map – I wanted to put HBCUs on the map,” Reed said. We have such a special community that a lot of people overlook. We have a community that’s not built on wins and losses, but built on family and love.”

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Langston University led 40-31 at halftime and led by as many as 13 points in the second half, but Freed-Hardeman got back into the game and managed to take the lead several times in the second half. LU went on an 8-1 run to take the six-point lead before FHU’s press forced multiple turnovers and it got to the free throw line for five attempts in the final 55 seconds of the game.

Langston completed the season with a 35-2 record in its second season under Chris Wright. It won the Sooner Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles and became the first HBCU to land in the NIT game since Talladega College in 2022. That team was coached by Chris Wright.

No HBCU has won the NAIA title since 1977.

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The Yotes entered tonight’s matchup at 32-3, boasting four players in double figures in Samaje Morgan (14.3 ppg), Johnny Radford (12.2 ppg), Drew Wyman (11.5 ppg) and Jake O’Neil (10.1 ppg) but the Lions held College of Idaho to 35 percent (19-of-53) from the field and three-of-17 from three-point range. Langston also held the Yotes to its fewest points of the season, their fewest prior to that was 64 points on December 30th in a win over Eastern Oregon.

“They’re (College of Idaho) extremely well-coached and they stretch you defensively with how they shoot the three,” head coach Chris Wright noted of College of Idaho. “You add in a dynamic point guard and they’re tough to cover. I thought our guy’s ability to stay with the game plan, to believe in what we were doing, to get big stops when we needed them was huge for us.”

Senior guard D’Monte Brown said the team prides itself on being the tougher team, day in and day out.

“We’ve always been the toughest team, we started this back in August, our practices are hard, and Coach (Wright) stays on us to be prepared for this moment,” Brown said. “They (College of Idaho) came out to play, it was close in the first half, but we knew we were the better team, we just had to show it.”

Tied at 52-52 with 44 seconds left, Anthony Roy hit Jay Allen-Tovar for layup inside to put Langston in front 54-52 with 29 seconds left.

Langston broke the game open on the ensuing offensive possession when Roy batted away a loose ball towards G’Quavious Lennox, who in turn lobbed it to Cortez Mosley for a breakaway slam dunk to put the Lions ahead for good.

Mosley led Langston in scoring with 14 points on six-of-14 shooting and Brown chipped in 12 on five-of-seven shooting. Collectively, Langston hit 38 percent (23-of-60) from the field and outscored College of Idaho 16-11 in bench points, 32-26 in points in the paint and 11-9 in points off turnovers.

While Langston University will be making their first appearance in the NAIA National Championship game, it will be the second title game appearance for head coach Chris Wright. Wright led Talladega (Ala.) to the 2022 title game where they fell 71-56 to Loyola (La.). The second-year head coach noted what he’s learned as a coach and leader since then.

“Since getting to Kansas City, I’ve enjoyed this experience so much more than I did the first time with Talladega,” Wright said. “I was miserable to be honest, I was happy to win but I didn’t enjoy it, I survived it. When I was hired here, (former Langston University president) Dr. (Kent J.) Smith made me promise that if we ever went on a run like that at Langston that I would enjoy it. When we won the second-round game at our place I said I’m going to enjoy whatever happens the rest of the way.”

The Lions improve to 35-1 overall and advance to the NAIA National Championship game on Tuesday night, March 26, in Municipal Auditorium. Langston University faces Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) (31-4) who advanced to the championship by way of defeating Grace (Ind.) 86-81 on Monday night.

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