His announcement comes less than a week after Shaw’s original choice, Gregory Ruffin, had to decline the position due to health reasons.

Manigo returns to Shaw University, where he previously served as the Offensive Coordinator from 2016 to 2021, leading the Bears to some of their best offensive statistical seasons in program history.

Most recently, Manigo served as the Assistant Head Coach, Offensive Coordinator, and Quarterbacks Coach at Virginia State University, where he played an integral role in the Trojans’ resurgence as a CIAA and HBCU powerhouse most recently appearing in the 2024 CIAA championship game. Known for his innovative offensive strategies and ability to inspire his players, Manigo is widely regarded as one of the brightest minds in college football coaching today.

“We are happy to welcome Coach Lamar Manigo back to Shaw University,” said George Knox, Director of Athletics. “His passion for the game, dedication to mentoring student-athletes, and commitment to excellence align perfectly with our vision for the football program. We are confident that he will lead the Bears to new heights.”

 “I am honored and excited to return to Shaw University as head football coach,” said Manigo. “This is a homecoming for me, and I look forward to working with our talented student-athletes to build a program that makes our university and alumni proud.

Shaw University will host an introductory press conference for Coach Manigo on January 21, 2025, at 11 AM inside historic Estey Hall on the campus of Shaw University, where he will outline his vision for the program and answer questions from the media and fans in attendance.

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RALEIGH, NC – Shaw University has announced that Greg Ruffin has declined the HBCU head football coach position effective immediately due to recent health concerns.

“I deeply appreciate the opportunity to once again serve as head coach of Shaw University,” said Ruffin in his statement. “Unfortunately, due to health concerns, I must step away from my coaching duties. I am grateful for the support of the Shaw family and will always remain a proud part of this community.”

“We fully support Coach Ruffin in prioritizing his health and well-being during this difficult time. Our thoughts are with him, and we wish him a full and speedy recovery” stated AD George Knox.

A new announcement on the next head coach is forthcoming.

About Gregg Ruffin

Ruffin is no stranger to Shaw University, having served as head coach in 2002 when he re-established the football program, leading the team to an impressive 7-3 record in its inaugural season. With over 30 years of coaching experience at various collegiate levels, including his most recent role as running backs coach/recruitment coordinator at SWAC member Alabama State, Ruffin has demonstrated a unique ability to motivate players and elevate programs to new heights.

Greg Ruffin joined the Alabama State coaching staff in 2022 as the running backs coach and recruiting coordinator. He was officially hired as the 14th head football coach in the stories HBCU football history of the Edward Waters College football program in 2017 (December 14). His 20+ years of experience in turning programs around as a head coach at the Division II and NAIA levels and a position coach at the FCS level made him the perfect selection for EWC. Ruffin spent one season at Bethune-Cookman University, as the tight ends coach before taking over Edward Waters. His most recent head coaching job was at fellow NAIA HBCU Texas College in 2016. However, prior to his stint at Texas College, Ruffin was head coach for Paine College in the school’s resurgence of football in 2013, after the program was dormant for more than 50 years.

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RALEIGH, NC – A familiar HBCU football coaching face will once again lead the Shaw University football program as Greg Ruffin has been tabbed to lead the Bears program for a second stint the university announced Tuesday morning.

“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Ruffin back to Shaw University,” said George Knox, Shaw University’s Athletic Director. “His energy, experience, and vision for the future of our football program align perfectly with our mission. Coach Ruffin’s commitment to developing student-athletes and building a championship culture makes him the ideal leader for the Bears.”

Ruffin is no stranger to Shaw University, having served as head coach in 2002 when he re-established the football program, leading the team to an impressive 7-3 record in its inaugural season. With over 30 years of coaching experience at various collegiate levels, including his most recent role as running backs coach/recruitment coordinator at SWAC member Alabama State, Ruffin has demonstrated a unique ability to motivate players and elevate programs to new heights.

“I am honored to return to Shaw University and lead the Bears football program,” said Ruffin. “This is a special place with a rich history, and I look forward to building upon its legacy. Together, we will strive for excellence on the field, in the classroom, and within the community.”

The university will hold a press conference on January 7 at 11 AM to formally introduce Coach Ruffin. Members of the community, alumni, and media are invited to attend.

About Gregg Ruffin

Greg Ruffin joined the Alabama State coaching staff in 2022 as the running backs coach and recruiting coordinator. He was officially hired as the 14th head football coach in the stories HBCU football history of the Edward Waters College football program in 2017 (December 14). His 20+ years of experience in turning programs around as a head coach at the Division II and NAIA levels and a position coach at the FCS level made him the perfect selection for EWC. Ruffin spent one season at Bethune-Cookman University, as the tight ends coach before taking over Edward Waters. His most recent head coaching job was at fellow NAIA HBCU Texas College in 2016. However, prior to his stint at Texas College, Ruffin was head coach for Paine College in the school’s resurgence of football in 2013, after the program was dormant for more than 50 years.

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RALEIGH, N.C. – Shaw University announces a change in the leadership of its HBCU football program, effective immediately. The university has decided to part ways with Adrian Jones, who has served as head football coach for the past eight seasons. 

“We are grateful for Coach Jones’s contributions to the Shaw Bears football program,” said Shaw University AD George Knox “His leadership and dedication over the years have been instrumental in shaping the lives of our student-athletes and the broader Shaw University community. As we move forward, we are focused on elevating our program to new levels of success.”

A national search is currently underway for the next head football coach.

About Adrian Jones

After taking over a program that was 1-9 in 2015, Adrain Jones led the Bears to an 18-10 conference record, over the last four seasons. His overall record is 35-45.

Jones comes to Shaw from North Carolina Central University where he was the running backs coach and camp coordinator for the Eagles. During his two stints at NCCU, Jones coached running backs, defensive backs, and outside linebackers. As an assistant coach at NCCU, Jones helped the Eagles garner two CIAA championships (2005 and 2006), two MEAC championships (2014 and 2015) and a Black College National Championship (2006).

Prior to his HBCU football coaching career, Jones led his high school alma mater, Southern High School in Durham, N.C., to the 2013 NCHSAA 3-AA State Championship title. In his seventh season as head coach at Southern High, Jones led the Spartans to the state title following the team’s seventh straight playoff appearance under his supervision.  With a Big 8 Conference championship included in the team’s historic run, Jones was selected the 2013 Big 8 Conference Coach of the Year. He was also the PAC-6 Coach of the Year three times after guiding the Spartans to three consecutive PAC-6 championships from 2007 to 2009.

As a student-athlete at NCCU, Jones earned First Team All-Conference and Second Team All-Region honors twice and remains among the school’s career leaders in passes defended (41) and interceptions (10). 

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Virginia Union University (Grade: A+)

• Preseason Rank: 2nd
• Final Standing: 1st (6-1 conference, 7-3 overall)
• Offensive Ranking: 1st in Total Offense (479.4 yards/game, 61 TDs)
• Defensive Ranking: 4th in Total Defense (295.2 yards/game, 22 TDs allowed)

Highlights:

• Jada Byers, the CIAA Offensive Player of the Year, dominated the field, amassing 1,497 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns. He set school records with 5,311 career rushing yards and 70 touchdowns. This includes a single-game record of 324 yards and six touchdowns against Bowie State.
• Virginia Union clinched the CIAA Championship, defeating Virginia State in a decisive victory.
• The Panthers secured a spot in the NCAA Division II playoffs, representing HBCUs on the national stage.
• VUU’s loss to Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU), did not count as conference defeats due to CIAA scheduling rules impacted by St. Augustine’s absence from football this year.

Summary: Virginia Union showcased exceptional prowess on both offense and defense, leading the CIAA. This reinforced its status as a powerhouse among HBCU football programs.

Johnson C. Smith University (Grade: A)

• Preseason Rank: 4th
• Final Standing: 2nd (5-2conference, 8-2 overall)
• Offensive Ranking: 3rd in Total Offense (378.4 yards/game, 32 TDs)
• Defensive Ranking: 1st in Total Defense (246.2 yards/game, 17 TDs allowed)

Highlights:

• Head Coach Maurice Flowers was named CIAA Coach of the Year after leading the Golden Bulls to an impressive season.
• Benari Black, the CIAA Defensive Player of the Year, led a stout defense with 113 tackles. He spearheaded the top-ranked defense in the conference.
• JCSU achieved significant victories over Tuskegee and Morehouse from the SIAC, and delivered Virginia Union their only on-field CIAA loss.
• Despite their strong performance, they suffered a crucial conference loss to Fayetteville State.

Summary: JCSU exceeded preseason expectations. They solidified their reputation within the CIAA and HBCU football. The team combined a formidable defense with strategic coaching. This made them one of the season’s standout teams.

Virginia State University (Grade: B)

• Preseason Rank: 1st
• Final Standing: 3rd (6-1 conference, 7-4 overall)
• Offensive Ranking: 2nd in Total Offense (385.7 yards/game, 43 TDs)
• Defensive Ranking: 2nd in Total Defense (283.5 yards/game, 19 TDs allowed)

Highlights:

• The Trojans secured a notable win against Benedict from the SIAC.
• Bruno Onwuazor earned CIAA Lineman of the Year, contributing to an offense that averaged 6.3 yards per play.
• Defensive Rookie of the Year, Marquis Edmond, bolstered an already strong defense.
• Virginia State’s only victory over a team with a winning record was against Benedict, limiting their impact against top-tier opponents.

Summary: Virginia State showed statistical strength. However, they fell short in securing wins against leading teams within the CIAA. This impacted their overall grade. This happened despite their perfect conference record adjusted by CIAA rules.

Go to Page Two for more CIAA grades

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The Panthers wasted no time, racing to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter. Quarterback Mark Wright set the tone with a 52-yard touchdown pass to Ricky Key Jr., and Jada Byers added a 53-yard scoring run, showcasing his explosiveness as he finished with 173 rushing yards. Virginia Union’s offense was firing on all cylinders, racking up 582 total yards, including 305 on the ground, while averaging 6.6 yards per carry.

Shaw University struggled to find answers, managing just 268 yards of offense. Christian Peters’ 2-yard touchdown pass to Traquan Johnson in the third quarter was Shaw’s only score of the game as it struggled against Virginia Union’s relentless defense. The Bears’ rushing attack, which managed only 143 yards, couldn’t match the physicality of the Panthers.

Virginia Union’s balanced offensive and defensive performance put last week’s setback behind them and placed the team back in the championship conversation. The Panthers, now 2-2, will look to build on this momentum as they prepare to face 4-1 Winston-Salem State next week in another crucial CIAA showdown. Meanwhile, Shaw will need to regroup quickly to stay competitive in the conference race.

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“You know you got grown men talking to my my players. You know I don’t mind coaches going back and forth,” Jones told HBCU Gameday in an exclusive interview on the network’s D2 football show. “But I can guarantee you that when they played Valdosta State they didn’t do that about Valdosta State. So you know once again anything we are good football team.”

Shaw ended up picking up the 43-40 win on the road, icing the game in the last minute of regulation. Jones said that Gray didn’t shake his hand after the game — which he found insulting. 

“Win, lose our draw, we talk about showing character as head coaches and leading our young men and showing them how, young men are supposed to be. The slap in the face is not shaking my hand after the game.” 

Gray responded to Jones’ claims on Wednesday night on “The Rebuttal.” He says he couldn’t speak to what his assistants may have said prior to the game because he wasn’t there. He did, however, take issue with Jones’ assertion that he lacked sportsmanship by not shaking hands — though he confirmed that he did not.

“It wasn’t because I didn’t want to shake his hand. After the game there was a situation where his team stormed across the field and I was trying to make sure that my team stayed under control and didn’t get out of control to the point…because I did have a couple of young men who were upset — obviously because of the kind of game it was, there’s a lot of competitive banter during the game. So there were some emotions during the game or right there at the end once the clock hit zero,” Gray said. 

Gray, a former Florida A&M star and NFL quarterback with the Jacksonville Jaguars, says he was more focused on keeping the piece than exchanging pleasantries. 

“And I definitely had to keep my team under control. And while I was trying to keep my team under control, his team continued to approach our guys on our sidelines, talking in “such a way that would be upsetting to anyone who had just lost a game. But at the end of the day, it is all competitive. But at the end of the day, I did have to continue to control my team and keep my team under control.”

Gray is in his second year as head coach at the Albany, GA-based HBCU program.

“If it got lost in translation that I didn’t shake his hand, then I apologize for that. But at the end of the day, it is what it is. Like every other coach, he has my phone number, and if we want to talk about professionalism, he could have called my phone and we could have talked about it like men instead of going to these media outlets.”

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Game Recap: Shaw took control early, with quarterback Christian Peters finding Jon Barnes for a 16-yard touchdown late in the first quarter. Benjamin Turner added the extra point to give Shaw a 7-0 lead. They extended their advantage to 10-0 with a 25-yard field goal by Turner just before halftime, following an 11-play, 68-yard drive.

In the third quarter, Shaw pushed their lead to 17-0 after Jerry Eaton rushed for a 5-yard touchdown. Elizabeth City State responded with two touchdowns of their own, one late in the third quarter and another early in the fourth, but Shaw’s defense stood firm, securing the win.

Offensive Breakdown:

• Passing: Quarterback Christian Peters led Shaw’s passing attack, completing 14 of 26 attempts for 152 yards, including a touchdown. He recorded a QBR of 115.6 and was only sacked once. Maceo Wingate led all receivers with 61 yards on two receptions.
• Rushing: Shaw’s ground game was led by standout running back Travon Tensley, who carried the ball 20 times for 121 net yards, averaging 6.1 yards per carry, with a long run of 34 yards. Jerry Eaton contributed with a crucial 5-yard rushing touchdown, while Jaden Fields added 17 net yards on 4 attempts, with a long of 13 yards.

Receiving: Alongside Wingate and Barnes, the Bears spread the ball effectively. Key contributions came from Kyree McLean, who caught 2 passes for 10 yards, and Troy Smith, who added 9 yards on 2 receptions.

Defensive Performance: Shaw’s defense played a pivotal role in the victory, particularly in the second half when Elizabeth City State mounted a comeback. The Bears managed to limit the Vikings to just 13 points and shut them out in the first half, capitalizing on strong defensive execution and timely stops.

With a balanced offensive attack and a staunch defense, Shaw University gets off to a solid start to begin the 2024 CIAA football season.

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Reaction has been heard far and wide since HBCU Gameday published part of a letter suggesting that the two Raleigh-based HBCUs – both of which have been in the North Carolina capital since the Reconstruction Era – merge to form one. 

“We are Raleigh history. To merge both universities, we’d lose that,” said Demetria Buie, a 2001 Saint Aug graduate, to ABC11. “Everyone knows that Saint Augustine’s and Shaw University are land rich. To have that discussion regarding land, is not farfetched.”

According to the leader by Saint Augustine’s University Board of Trustees Chairman Brian Boulware, at least a segment of the Raleigh business community want Shaw and Saint Aug to merge and for Shaw to move away from the same downtown it has been a part of since 1865. 

Raleigh has been discussing how to revitalize and develop its downtown sector for a year. Tobias McLean owns Harris Barber College on South Blount Street, across from Shaw’s campus. He’s hopeful that the revitalization will include 

“One thing it will increase is the value of the property here,” McLean said. “Also, they’re cleaning it up around Shaw and in this area here so it would be a good thing to enhance the neighborhood and community.”

“I think it’s a great thing, making this area what it should be,” Merrick Scheidler, a student at Harris Barber College, told ABC11. “But I think at the same time there should also be that culture that’s left there.”

Saint Augustine’s University, struggling with financial and accreditation issues, isn’t in the center of downtown – but it is in a rapidly changing (I.e. gentrified) neighborhood. 

“Someone may say, ‘Oh, it’s just a couple of acres,’ but it’s acres that the students used to become the wonderful people that our city needs, our country needs,” business owner Malaika Kashaka said.

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Boulware cited a dinner meeting involving himself, Saint Augustine’s University Interim President Marcus Burgess and “executives of another local higher education institution” along with the owner of a local television station, the former editor of the local newspaper. Both the television owner, editor and a developer were unnamed in his letter, dated June 17.

“Let’s get to the bottom of this,” the television station owner said, according to the document. “Raleigh doesn’t need two black universities. We need the two of them to merge. I don’t care what you call it. However, we need them both on SAU’s property because we need downtown land to expand the development footprint.”

According to Boulware, the local developer continued to push the idea, stating that the Raleigh business community felt the same way.

“You have no leverage in the situation. You need to consider this an option.”

Boulware says the other institutions’ president didn’t say much other than she was “going to reserve judgement.” It went on to state that a member of the other university’s board had floated the idea to his predecesor at Saint Aug, but it was not taken seriously.

The letter states that intense dialogue followed along with the rejection of the proposal. Boulware’s letter states that following the dinner “a targeted campaign against SAU ensued.”

Saint Augustine’s University has been in the news frequently over the last fiscal year regarding issues with its finances and accreditation. But Shaw University has fared better, but it does sit on valuable downtown real estate at a time when the city leadership is pushing to reshape the area. 

Earlier this year the Downtown Raleigh Alliance (DRA) brought a plan to revitalize the growing city’s downtown to city leaders. Shaw sits on around 30 acres of downtown real estate. But not for long, if you believe Boulware’s account. 

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Me and my family were invited to the show, courtesy of friends at Cricket Wireless that we met at the Celebration Bowl. My girls, ages 10 and 12, were excited by the in ring athleticism that all of the ladies executed in the ring. My youngest is a huge fan of Bianca Belair, who once famously brought the Texas Southern marching band with her to WrestleMania.

On this night the jaw dropping moment came from a series of finishing moves by Kayden Carter, one half of the women’s tag team champions. Carter pulled off the “destroyer” which I can best describe as a forward flipping pile driver, drawing a crazy response from the Atlanta audience. Not done yet, Carter tagged in Chance and pulled off a “Keg Stand” suplexing her teammate onto the opponent for the win.

At one point my 10-year-old leaned into me asking if this was all orchestrated. I assured her that it was while assuring her that was no reason to interfere with a good time.

Before Kayden Carter there was Allyssa Lane

Before Kayden Carter was a tag team champion she was a basketball champion at Shaw University. And before she was Kayden Carter, she was known by her real name, Allyssa Lane. She spent two years at Shaw after starting her career as a JUCO athlete. Lane was a senior on the 2011-12 squad that won the NCAA Division II Championship. In the 88-82 championship victory over Ashland, Lane had a game high six steals in a game that was an overtime thriller in San Antonio.

For the season, Lane averaged four points per game and 3.1 assists. That Shaw Bears team had four players who averaged double figures in scoring, led by Aslea Williams. What’s even more impressive she graduated magna cum laude from the Raleigh, N.C. HBCU.

After showing interest in the wrestling industry, Lane was able to study the art from WWE Hall of Famers “The Dudley Boyz” according to her bio. She also spent time in Mexico learning the lucha libre style which helped maximize her athleticism and high-flying offense.

Her wrestling career really launched when she competed in the 2018 Mae Young Classic at the WWE Performance Center. The effort displayed there led to her career in NXT before ultimately landing in the WWE.

CIAA Aggressiveness prepared Carter

“What people don’t understand is the mentality in basketball is the same as in wrestling,” Carter said in a previous interview with Shaw University. “Being able to handle the kind of schedule we played at Shaw prepared me. I’ve never been in a conference (CIAA) that was so aggressive. It was a bad-ass conference. It was tough, you had to be gritty, you had to take hits. That is the kind of stuff you need in wrestling.”

The future seems bright in the sports entertainment world for the character known as Kayden Carter. She’s been a champion in the WWE for over thirty days after a successful run in the NXT promotion. After the match on Friday night an in ring confrontation is alluding to a future feud with the “Kabuki Warriors.”

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Jackson State leads the SWAC with nearly 30k. That’s an impressive number, but it is a significant drop from its 2022 number. Norfolk State got a slight bump as it led the MEAC. North Carolina A&T got another sellout it’s first season in the CAA.

Here are the numbers of attendance at each HBCU homecoming game. All numbers were taken from official box scores from each school’s athletic website.

MEAC

Norfolk State-24,976

South Carolina State-22,269

North Carolina Central-13,626

Howard-7,684

Delaware State-6,300

Morgan State-Canceled

SWAC

Jackson State-30,947

Alabama A&M-26,391

Florida A&M-22,338

Southern-21,492

Alcorn State-21,012

Alabama State-17,995

Prairie View A&M-14,224

Arkansas-Pine Bluff-13,469

Bethune-Cookman-9,458

Mississippi Valley State-8,752

Grambling State-8,657

Texas Southern-6,352

CAA

North Carolina A&T-21,500

Hampton-13,811

CIAA

Winston-Salem State-8,200

Virginia Union-5,250

Shaw-5,022

Livingstone – 4,501

Bowie State-4,395

St. Augustine’s-3,719

Fayetteville State-3,680

Elizabeth City State-3,579

Johnson C. Smith-3,452

Virginia State-3,409

Lincoln (PA)-2,117

Bluefield State-N/A

SIAC

Tuskegee-31,726

Clark Atlanta-19,597

Savannah State-12,723

Fort Valley State-12,113

Morehouse-10,213

Benedict-8,589

Albany State-8,371

Kentucky State-2,898

Edward Waters-2,472

Lane-1,753

Allen-905

Central State-N/A

Miles-N/A

Other

Tennessee State-13,975

West Virginia State-3,954

Lincoln (MO)-3,333

Virginia University-Lynchburg-1,753

Florida Memorial-1,200

Langston-N/A

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Ky’rese Dye was in the passenger seat in the car when a crash happened at 11:17 p.m. in the 1400 block of Hammond Road in Raleigh, according to WRAL.

Shaw University posted this release:

Our hearts are heavy as we notify the campus community about the death of one of our students, Ky’rese Anthony Dye. He was 18.

Ky’rese, a freshman from Currie, N.C., was in the Shaw University Honors Program and played for the men’s junior varsity basketball team.

Counseling services are available on campus for those who would like support.

We will inform you when more information becomes available.

We ask that our campus community keep Ky’rese’s family in their thoughts and prayers.

Shaw University assistant WyKevin Bazemore runs the Shaw JV team.

“I’d like to say Ky’rese was an amazing kid,” Bazemore said. “Showed up every day with a smile, had great energy every day. Definitely a devastating lost for Shaw U.”

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The Bears fall to 2-6 on the year and 2-4 in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association play, while the Blue Bears jump to 3-5 overall and 3-3 in conference matchups.

Silas Cruse led Shaw’s passing attack with 95 yards through the air, tossing two touchdowns without throwing an interception.

Gibbs totaled 183 yards to lead the Bears’ ground attack and added two touchdowns in the game, picking up 13.1 yards per carry along the way. 

Jaden Jones showed out for the Shaw defense, totaling 10 tackles, while Saevion Gibbs added six tackles, 2.0 TFL, and one sack in the loss.

How It Happened

Shaw University scored first and jumped out to a 6-0 lead with :53 left in the first quarter. Livingstone then scored to take a 14-6 lead before the Bears put a touchdown on the board from Sidney Gibbs to cut into the lead and make it a 14-12 game. The score gave Gibbs the record previously held by Shaw great Marquise Grizzle. 

Shaw followed with a Gibbs 45-yard touchdown run at the 6:36 mark in the third quarter and took a 19-14 lead in the process.The Bears kept building their advantage, scoring again to go on top 26-14. Shaw didn’t score again in the game and Livingstone tacked on 13 more points to finish off the scoring.

Game Notes

» Shaw University had two players reach the promised land multiple times, as Gibbs scored two touchdowns and Ah’Shaan Belcher added another two.
» Livingstone outgained Shaw 312-276 in the contest.
» Shaw had their highest scoring quarter in the third period, when they put up 13 points.
» Shaw converted 1 of 10 third downs while Livingstone was successful on 4 of 16.
» The Bears had two players with more than eight tackles in the ballgame led by ,Jones who had 10.
» The Bears totaled eight tackles for loss.
» The Bears offense came out of halftime firing on all cylinders, scoring 20 unanswered until the Blue Bears got on the board again.
» Cruse completed 71.4% of his passes on the day, going 10-for-14 while averaging 6.8 yards per attempt.

Up Next

The Bears will close out their home slate celebrating senior day as Shaw hosts Fayetteville State on Saturday, October 28. Kickoff is slated for 1 PM inside Durham County Memorial Stadium. Shaw will honor its seniors before kickoff. 

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The film stars Jamie Foxx as Willie Gary, a flashy, high-profile personal injury attorney who takes a chance on a long-shot case and takes down a big-business giant.

The real Willie Gary is a two-time HBCU graduate and former Shaw University football player. Gary received his undergrad degree from Shaw, where he played as an undersized linebacker in the 1950s. He went on to law school at nearby North Carolina Central University and began a law career that would make him one of the most prominent African-American lawyers in the country.

While neither Shaw University nor NCCU were mentioned by name in the film, Howard University was. However, Mame Downes Рplayed by Journe̩ Smollett Рis a fictional character.

Another real HBCU sports connection had a smaller role in ‘The Burial.’

Xavier Mills appeared briefly as one of several witnesses against the Loewen Corporation detailing how the company took advantage of poor and black people. Mills played college basketball at Winston-Salem State University before starting his acting career. 

“The Burial” starring Jamie Foxx, is available now on Prime video.

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She became the first woman in school and CIAA history to participate in football and the first in HBCU history to score.

Pulphus recalled her thoughts leading up to her historic moment and what it means to her. Before entering the field, she was aware of the potential impact of scoring the extra point, but she didn’t let the moment become overwhelming.

“For me, well at the time, obviously, I know, ok I’ll be making history, but that wasn’t the main focus. Obviously the main focus was to make it because it would have been pretty embarrassing if I didn’t,” Pulphus told the media earlier this week via zoom.

“When I was going on the field, it was really just lock in and just do what I do at practice and make sure I get my head down, you know, all the fundamentals so that I could make it.” 

The spotlight wasn’t too bright for her because this wasn’t her first time making football related headlines.

In 2020, a photo of her as a kicker in high school was used in a Microsoft Tablet commercial during Super Bowl LIV. Pulphus was asked what was more nerve racking, kicking Saturday’s field goal or being in a Super Bowl commercial?

“Probably the Super Bowl commercial because I just never know, that’s going to be,” she replied. “I mean, kicking a field goal, I know I can do it, so it’s just kind of like routine.”

The photo used in the commercial shows Pulphus standing with her friend Olivia McKay, who was a kicker on their high school team. Before the commercial, the duo broke barriers and made headlines as women who were playing high school football.

Writing history in high school and in college was never the plan for Pulphus. She played two other sports and unexpectedly played football.

“Growing up, I’ve always played soccer and started running track and I wasn’t the biggest football fan. I watched it when my dad and my brother watched the Browns or whatever on TV, but I didn’t grow up planning to play football. In high school, I really just did it just to see if I could, like, if I could kick. And after that, I didn’t plan on doing it in college, but since I knew I could do it and I’ve done it before, just kind of said, why not?”

Pulphus arrived at Shaw University in 2020 and has played three years for both the women’s and track and field teams. Adding football as a third sport to her athletic career is an amazing accomplishment that many people can’t follow. She walked through the process of how she joined the football team at Shaw and became one of their kickers.

“Before last spring, before I even approached any of the coaches, a couple of the boys said they knew I kicked in high school, so why don’t you kick here? I didn’t really take them seriously, but then when I realized that they were being serious, I just went up to Coach Coop. I seen him and I just asked him if I could. He said he had no problem with it. He talked to the coaches, they had no problem with it as long as I could actually kick and it wasn’t like a joke,”

India Pulphus proved that she can kick for Shaw University and now she joins other woman college football players such as Jackson State kicker Leilani Armenta, who is the first woman to play football in school history, and Shenandoah safety Haley Van Voorhis, who is the first woman to play college football in a position other than kicker.

Pulphus understands the impact that she has on women and girls and the inspiration that they can gain from watching her break down barriers to play football.

“If you feel like you can do anything and you’re able to and you’ve done it before, just do it”

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The Trojans made a statement on their opening drive marching down the field on an 8-play 72-yard drive that ended with a Kymani Clarke one yard touchdown run. VSU never faced a third down on the drive moving the ball effectively both in the air and on the ground. 

On their second drive they found themselves in a 4 and 8 situation, where it was too long for a field goal and too short for a punt. So, with Jordan Davis in the shotgun, he rifled a pass to an open Lucas Nunez in the endzone for a 28-yard touchdown. 

Shaw would answer with a drive that went through the end of the first quarter and five minutes into the second with an eight-yard touchdown rush but would miss the point after attempt. VSU did not take long to answer as they would get the ball on a touchback and drive down the field to make it 21-6. During the drive Clarke would rush for 24 yards and the seven-yard touchdown run. 

The last score of the first half saw the defense force the Bears deep into their own territory thanks to back-to-back sacks by Mustupha Coly and a combo sack of Zemar Anderson and Miqueal Pillow-Smiley. Then the punt return unit blocked the punt and recovered in the endzone to add another touchdown on the board. 

On the third drive of the second half Davis once again found Nunez for a long 75-yard touchdown on the third play of the drive. Shaw would then answer with a touchdown after a 12-yard touchdown pass and on VSU’s next drive they would end their scoring with a field goal. 

Davis finished with 320 yards passing to go with two touchdowns and two interceptions for VSU.

Virginia State University moves to 5-0 with the win and Shaw drops to 1-4. The Trojans stay on the road as they play Bowie State on Saturday October 7 with kickoff scheduled for 2:00 pm. 

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But there was a time when she dribbled past defenders on the basketball court. From 2010 to 2012, Carter was a stellar point guard for the Shaw Lady Bears. Fans knew her as Allyssa “Lacey” Lane, a key member of the 2012 NCAA Division II national championship women’s basketball team.

Carter, her wrestling name in the ring, averaged over four points as a senior but legendary Head Coach Jacques Curtis didn’t need her to score. She ran the offense like a well-oiled machine, leading the team in assists. On defense, Carter was among the team leaders in steals.

“She played a major role in us winning that national championship,” said Curtis, whose Shaw teams have won nine CIAA crowns. “She could get the ball where it needed to be. At the same time, if you didn’t guard her, she could shoot the ball. She could drive and get to the basket. That team was a very offensive-powered squad, so we didn’t need a whole lot from her offensively but when she had to, she could score. She always gave you what you needed because she was playing with other talented players.”

Carter keyed the Lady Bears during their national title run. She scored 19 points in a regional championship win over Edinboro on the opponent’s home court. Edinboro sagged off point guards Lane and Brittany Spencer to take away Shaw’s vaunted inside players, and Carter made them pay. In the national championship game, Carter had a key steal and assist in an 88-82 come-from-behind overtime win over previously unbeaten Ashland (Ohio). The Lady Bears were unranked entering the Elite Eight.

During her two years at Shaw, Lane helped the Lady Bears win two CIAA crowns and two regional titles, make two Elite Eight appearances, reach two Finals Fours, and capture the NCAA Division II national crown under Coach Curtis.

“What I remember the most is Coach Curtis came up with a formula,” Carter said about the national championship season. “It was an unorthodox style. All of our bigs played outside. We started two point guards and three post players. Our post players didn’t mind shooting outside. We were known for a lot of fastbreaks, and anybody could handle the ball. My role was to make sure I got the ball out quick. Me and Spencer were always getting out in the open on the break.”

Her success translated in the wrestling ring. Carter has been climbing the ranks since starting her career seven years ago. She and partner Katana Chance won the WWE NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship and now Carter is on WWE Raw, which is televised on Mondays.

She fell in love immediately with pro wrestling after attending a show in her hometown of Winter Park, Fla. The physical nature and hectic schedule did not scare Carter, a fearless dynamo at 5-foot-2.

“I mean this when I say it, but I believe I am 6-foot-2, 225 pounds,” added Kayden Carter, who wrestles in approximately 100 matches a year. “I even drive a truck that is six inches off the ground. I have a big person mentality. If you ever ask people about my personality, they will say I am a raging pit bull.”

As for the mental part of pro wrestling, her basketball career at Shaw prepared her for that.

“What people don’t understand is the mentality in basketball is the same as in wrestling,” Carter said. “Being able to handle the kind of schedule we played at Shaw prepared me. I’ve never been in a conference (CIAA) that was so aggressive. It was a bad-ass conference. It was tough, you had to be gritty, you had to take hits. That is the kind of stuff you need in wrestling.”

“Coach Curtis wasn’t easy,” Carter added. “He pushed us hard. It built your mental toughness. We had to be mentally tough to win the national championship. We laid everything on the line.”

Another coach inspired Carter but in a different way.

“My high school coach told me I wouldn’t play college basketball because I was too small,” said Carter, who graduated Magna Cum Laude in recreational management from Shaw.

Kayden Carter proved her high school coach wrong. She overcame four knee surgeries — including three in college – to become a national basketball champion. To this day, Carter uses her high school coach’s words as incentive as she battles against taller, athletic wrestlers such as former UFC champion Ronda Rousey.

“I consider myself a damn good athlete,” said Kayden Carter, one of the few minorities (part Jamaican and Filipino) in pro wrestling. “I put it out there because people don’t look at me like that. We got gold medal Olympians, football players, rugby players, and UFC fighters in pro wrestling. There weren’t a lot of collegiate athletes when I started. It was awesome [wrestling Rousey]. I got to be in the ring with the baddest person on the planet, and I think I gained a little bit of respect from her.”

Basketball, though a totally different sport, has become a talent pool for pro wrestling. Hoopsters possess the finesse, hand-eye coordination, power and footwork needed to be successful in the ring.

Former basketball players such as Kevin Nash, The Undertaker and Omas became WWE stars. Now Carter is following the same path.

“[Wrestling] gives you the ability to affect other people,” she said. “You are able to help change lives. When people say they felt good watching me wrestle and want to try different things in life, it makes me happy. I always grew up with a caring nature. I don’t want to feel as if I have no one to talk to or to help me, and I don’t want others to feel that way. That’s what you can share in wrestling.”

“I also get a rush from wrestling,” Carter added, laughing. “I wouldn’t jump out of a plane, but I would punch someone in the face.”

– Courtesy: Shaw University

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RALEIGH, N.C. — The Shaw University Athletics Department gives its sincere condolences to the family of former long-time athletic director Dr. Alfonza L. Carter, who passed away on Wednesday, Aug. 9.

Carter was an iconic administrator who served 40 years at Shaw University, including more than two decades as its athletic director, before retiring in 2020. The Bears and Lady Bears experienced unparalleled success under his leadership, winning numerous CIAA titles combined in several sports including football, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s tennis, baseball, women’ bowling, men’s and women’s cross country, softball and women’s volleyball.

The tennis and women’s basketball programs emerged as CIAA powerhouses under Carter’s reign as athletic director. The men and women netters have combined for 22 conference crowns and the women hoopsters have claimed nine CIAA titles and a NCAA Division II national championship.

Carter also oversaw the reinstatement of football after nearly three decades of absence. In only its second year as a varsity sport, the football team captured the CIAA title in 2004 and went on to win three more conference crowns in the following six years.

The 2010-11 season may have been the most fruitful for Shaw athletics under Carter. The Bears and Lady Bears brought home championship trophies in football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and men’s tennis. In the first ten years of the 21^st century, the Shaw athletic program was the only one in the CIAA to have at least one championship in each year.

Carter was a pioneer and changed the culture of Shaw athletics. He won CIAA Athletic Director of the Year in 2002 and once served as President of the CIAA Athletic Directors Association.

In 2011, Alfonza Carter was presented with the Doctor of Humane Letters from Shaw University. Under his direction, Shaw University captured the CIAA’s Jeanette A. Lee Athletic Achievement Award in 2006 for outstanding administration and achievement for an athletic program.

Carter received lifetime recognition for his accomplishments. He is a member of both the CIAA and Shaw Athletic Hall of Fames.

Before he became a legendary athletic director, Alfonza Carter was an accomplished head coach in women’s basketball, men’s basketball and tennis. He served five seasons as head women’s basketball coach, posting a 73-50 overall record and winning the CIAA Southern Division title. In 1987, Carter moved to the men’s side as its head coach. During his four seasons at the helm, the Bears earned their first 20-win season in nearly two decades. In addition to his coaching accolades, Carter was named Vice President for Administrative Services in 2012.

A native of Martinsville, Va., Carter was a 1973 graduate of North Carolina A&T State University where he was an All-American basketball standout. His basketball exploits eventually landed Carter in the N.C. A&T Hall of Fame.

After graduation from A&T, Carter served as head freshman basketball coach and physical education instructor for the Fairfax County Public Schools System. He then returned to his alma mater and became assistant men’s basketball coach and instructor of health and physical education prior to his 40-year tenure at Shaw University.

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RALEIGH, N.C. — As a Shaw University graduate, Ulysses Hall is a “Bear” for life. This summer, he is also a “Commander” and loving every minute of it. Hall is one of seven college coaching interns at the Washington Commanders training camp. He is interning in Ashburn, Va., courtesy of the Bill Walsh NFL Diversity Coaching Fellowship, which provides NFL coaching experience to a diverse group of participants every year.

It is a unique experience for Hall, who gets to work under Commanders Head Coach Ron Rivera and new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, a highly-touted football mind who recently won his second Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs.

“First and foremost, I thank the [Commanders] for even having me out here,” said Hall, who is coaching the Commanders’ tight ends this summer. “I can’t say enough about Coach Bieniemy. He welcomed me to his side of the ball with open arms. I love his coaching style. He is demanding without being demeaning. This is one of the greatest experiences in my coaching career.”

The Bill Walsh Fellowship highlights a meteoric rise in the coaching profession for Hall, who’s been in the business for 11 years at six different colleges and several high schools. In March 2023, Hall joined the football staff at Division III Oberlin College as defensive line coach and director of player personnel after stints at John Carroll University, Alderson Broaddus University, Briar Cliff University, Trinity International University and Ohio Wesleyan University.

His goal is to coach in the NFL or the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). He appears to be on the right trajectory.

In addition to the Bill Walsh Fellowship, Hall was a 2014 NCAA Top 30 Under 30 selection. The list highlights the best young coaches under age 30 in college football.

In February 2023, he was invited and attended the NCAA and NFL Football Coaches Academy for the second time in five years. The academy is a leadership and development program which prepares coaches for the future.

Former students and fans know Hall from his football days at Shaw, where he helped the Bears win three CIAA titles in the 2000s. A two-year starter at nose tackle, Hall was a team captain and three-time All-CIAA academic selection.

As a student, Hall was the Editor-In-Chief of the student newspaper and president of the Shaw Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). He interned with WRAL-TV5 and The News & Observer and was a contributing writer for The Triangle Tribune.

Little did Hall know that his experiences at Shaw would prepare him for a budding coaching career. He was looking to be the next Stephen A. Smith.
“It was the spring of 2011 when I realized I could make a difference,” Hall said. “A tornado hit campus and a lot of people went home but I stayed to help clean up. I realized then I have way more influence helping people.”

What Ulysses Hall learned at Shaw under former administrators Darrell Ashbury and Dr. Candace Harris continues to impact him today. Ashbury was the head football coach and Dr. Harris was the department chairman of mass communications when Hall was in college.

“That last year with Coach [Darrell] Asbury, I was doing more coaching than playing,” Hall said. “Not too many role models like Asbury have the integrity, connection and ability to groom young men. He was the ultimate competitor. You had to wake up every day and prove yourself to him. That was the one thing that stuck. We learned how to compete with him.

“Dr. Candace Harris made me editor-in-chief of the student newspaper. She and Dr. David Marshall [former Shaw interim dean/College of Arts & Sciences] used to make me write the exact same article in different ways to convey the message to different people. It taught me how to communicate in different ways.

Ulysses Hall graduated from Shaw in 2011 with a mass communications degree but football was still in his blood. Hall cut his coaching teeth in the state of Georgia which motivated him to coach.

“I knew I wasn’t ready to put the game down,” Hall said. “I started coaching at the Gwinnett Youth League. I wasn’t getting paid or anything. I was at a sports store selling football equipment. I enjoyed it so much; the kids didn’t know a lot of the X’s and O’s but I enjoyed the relationship. They were looking at me and listening because I was big.”

His time at Shaw paid off more than Hall could imagine.

“Shaw taught me how to develop relationships,” Hall said. “Being a black man raised by a single mother in the suburbs of Detroit, I was always around a mixed group of kids, but being honest, Shaw was my black experience. I needed Shaw to help me understand the different backgrounds of people. I learned how to connect with anybody.”

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RALEIGH, N.C. — The 2023 Shaw University football schedule may be the most competitive in Adrian Jones’ eight seasons as head coach, but Jones is certain the Bears are up for the challenge.

On paper, it shapes as one of the most anticipated schedules in recent years. The Bears will play three teams that reached the NCAA Division II playoffs a year ago and several teams who are expected to challenge for the CIAA conference crown this season.

“We may have the toughest schedule in Division II,” Jones said. “I don’t know of any team that has three playoff opponents from last year on its schedule. We have our work cut out, but this is a veteran team that knows how to compete.”

Benedict, Virginia Union and Fayetteville State each qualified for the NCAA DII Super Region 2 playoffs last year. Benedict, who will host the Bears in the season opening Carolinas Classic on Sept. 2, posted an 11-1 record and reached the region semifinals after entering the playoffs as a region top seed.

Bowie State captured the previous three CIAA crowns before Fayetteville State’s title run last year. Virginia State and Winston-Salem State have each claimed two conference titles since 2014.

Five games on the 10-game schedule will be at the friendly confines of Durham County Stadium in Durham, N.C., the Bears’ home site. The other five contests are on the road.

Home games are against Virginia Union on Sept. 9, Virginia State on Sept. 30, Johnson C. Smith on Oct. 7, Winston-Salem State on Oct. 14 and defending CIAA champion Fayetteville State on Oct. 28. The Bears will host Johnson C. Smith on Homecoming Day and Fayetteville State on Senior Day.

The away slate includes contests against Benedict on Sept. 2, Bowie State on Sept. 16, Elizabeth City State on Sept. 23, Livingstone on Oct. 21 and Saint Augustine’s in the Raleigh Classic on Nov. 4.

The away game against Benedict and the home contest against Virginia Union will be non-conference games for Shaw.

The schedule appears daunting, but Jones believes his team has the talent and experience to not only contend for the CIAA crown but qualify for the NCAA playoffs. Twenty-six lettermen are back, including running back Sidney Gibbs, defensive backs Jay Boyd and Elijah Wilson, and punter/kicker Devin Versteegen. All four players garnered All-CIAA honors in 2022.

Offensively, the Bears also return running back Andre Brandon, Jr., offensive linemen Queonte Hilliard and K’Shun Lancaster, wide receivers Ah’shaan Belcher and Jon Barnes, and quarterback-wide receiver Christian Peters.

In 2022, Gibbs ranked third in the CIAA in rushing (714 yards), averaged 5.6 yards per carry and scored eight touchdowns in nine games. Brandon set the school single game rushing mark (306 yards vs. Livingstone) and Hilliard is a three-year starter.

Defensively, Shaw also brings back linebacker James Simon, defensive ends Miquel Roderiquez and Brian Patterson, defensive backs Jaden Clark and Akeythio Carson, and defensive tackle Sevion Gibbs.

A year ago, Patterson led the team in sacks and Simon was a terror at defensive end. Both Boyd and Clark were among the league leaders in interceptions.

A slew of newcomers will join the team this season to bolster the Bears, who were 4-1 in front of the home fans last year.

Kickoff is 1 p.m. at Durham County Memorial Stadium. Ticket prices will be released at a later date.

Below is the 2023 Bears schedule including kickoff times (Home games in bold):

Sept. 2 — at Benedict, 6 p.m.
Sept. 9 — Virginia Union, 1 p.m.
Sept. 16 — at Bowie State, 1 p.m.
Sept. 23 — at Elizabeth City State, 1 p.m.
Sept. 30 — Virginia State, 1 p.m.
Oct. 7 — Johnson C. Smith (Homecoming), 1 p.m.
Oct. 14 — Winston-Salem State, 1 p.m.
Oct. 21 — at Livingstone, TBA
Oct. 28 — Fayetteville State (Senior Day), 1 p.m.
Nov. 4 — Saint Augustine’s (Raleigh Classic), 1 p.m.

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It was the first tournament title for ECSU, who lost in the 2022 championship game to Lincoln.

The Lady Vikings (20-10) used deft playmaking and a balanced offensive attack in avenging two regular season losses to the Lady Bears. They assisted on 16 of 19 made baskets and had nine players get in the scoring column.  

Dy’Jhanik Armfield led the Vikes attack with 13 points, Maryan Hashim added 10. Siran Pitts and Akyia King had 8. ECSU was also spurred by a 40-25 rebounding edge. 

Blango leads the way for ECSU

ECSU floor general, 5-7 junior guard Dy’Nasia Blango, who had 30 points in a quarterfinal win over Bowie State, was named the tournament most valuable player. She had three points in the semifinal win over defending champion Lincoln. She had just three points in the championship game but tied for the team high with four assists.  

Shaw (18-14), who finished 0 of 8 from 3-point range, was led by Brittany Seymour’s nine points. 

Both ECSU and Shaw came in as giant killers. Shaw knocked of 2nd-seed and defending champion Lincoln in Friday’s semifinals. ECSU downed upstart 8th-seed J. C. Smith in the semifinals. JCSU had eliminated top seed Fayetteville State in the first round.

2023 CIAA Women’s All-Tournament Team

Ny Langley, Virginia Union

Raija Todd, Virginia State

Kania Pollock, Lincoln

Shaniya Jones, Johnson C. Smith

Tori Reid, Johnson C. Smith=

Ky’Jhanik Armfield, Elizabeth City State

Brittany Seymor, Shaw

Tanayja London, Shaw

Akyia King, Elizabeth City State

Ny’Asia Blango, Elizabeth City State – MVP

John B. McLendon Sportsmanship Trophy

Johnson C. Smith

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Tanayja London led the way with 23 points on 11-for-23 shooting from the field to go along with eight rebounds.

Defensively, Shaw forced Lincoln into 23 turnovers, which it converted into 19 points. Shaw also out-rebounded Lincoln by 13 to come away with the win.

Lincoln finishes the season 19-10 and will wait to see if it can earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament next month. 

Shaw coach questions CIAA scheduling methodology

Saturday’s women’s championship game is set to tip off at 4 PM and will be broadcast live on ESPN-Plus. That timing is due to the women’s game taking place after the men’s championship game. It’s usually the other way around, but the conference decided to make the men go first instead of the women instead of the traditional order.

Shaw head coach Jacques Curtis is clearly not a fan. 

“We’re probably the team that nobody thought was going to be here. You came here and you’ve made us play at 8:00 at night. We played at 10:00 in the morning, 12:00 in the morning. And then you make us play 8:00 at night and you want us to come back at 4:00?”

Curtis explained he felt there would be an unfair advantage to its opponent – ECSU – which played at noon Friday and will have had a full 24 hours of rest compared to his team’s quick turnaround. 

“That didn’t make any sense to me. I’m venting now,” Curtis continued. “The team we’re playing playing at 12 today, and now we’re playing at 8:00 tonight. And then we got to come in 4:00 tomorrow. But guess what? We ain’t going nowhere.”

Shaw and ECSU met twice during the regular season, with Shaw winning both meetings. Curtis made no attempt to hide the fact that the two teams down’t like each other.

“It’s definitely some bad blood between the two teams. I mean – that’s going to be a game. You know, they don’t like us. We don’t like them, but they didn’t think we were going to be here. The coach said on television she was looking forward to a rematch of last year. Well, you’re not getting a rematch. You’re getting us.”

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Each HBCU resides in the state of North Carolina and the Canes will represent each school with a decal on their helmets. The Carolina Hurricanes are set to hit the hockey rink against Ottawa with a record of 24-4-2 giving them their best run in the league. A victory tonight would extend their winning streak to five.

This isn’t the first time an HBCU found itself around the rink at a Carolina Hurricanes game. North Carolina Central’s head football coach Trei Oliver sounded the siren before the game against the Los Angeles Kings; in honor of beating Jackson State in the 2022 Celebration Bowl for the national HBCU National Championshipt.

The Canes achieved a sixth straight victory that night after coming back from four unanswered goals in overtime. So maybe an HBCU connection will be another good luck charm for one of the best teams in the NHL.

North Carolina A&T (Greensboro)

Bennett College (Greensboro)

Winston Salem-State University (Winston-Salem)

Johnson C. Smith University (Charlotte)

Shaw University (Raleigh)

North Carolina Central (Durham)

Fayetteville State University (Fayetteville)

Saint Augustine’s University (Raleigh)

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Shaw entered halftime trailing by nine but outscored WSSU 31-16 in the second half to come away with the win. The win snapped an eight-game losing streak to WSSU, who came into the game with an eight-game winning streak over the team from Raleigh. 

Brittiney Seymour led the way for Shaw with 24 points and 11 rebounds on a 10-for-13 shooting performance, overwhelming the undersized WSSU squad. Seymour says that’s the goal every night. 

“Every game we play, we’ve realized we’re an inside-out team. So whether it is me, London, or Inari our goal together is to finish in the inside,” Seymour said after the game. “Just to make sure that we put our team in the best position. Rebounding. So everything is still the same every night.”

Tanaja London added 13 points for Shaw, which improved to 17-12 on the season.

Shaw clamped down on defense, holding WSSU to just 6-for-29 shooting in the second half. Valencia Carroll lead WSSU with 16 points, hitting five of her 14 attempts, including four 3-pointers. Amaya Tucker, the CIAA’s Player of The Year, was held to just seven points in the loss. WSSU did manage to outbound Shaw 42-to-35.

Shaw advances to the semifinals to take on Lincoln (PA) on Friday. Lincoln, the defending champion, swept Shaw in the regular season. But as we’ve seen twice in less than 24 hours – the CIAA Tournament is a whole different ball game.

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BALTIMORE, MD —The Fayetteville State men’s basketball team got a 23-point showing from the bench and big buckets down the stretch from Cress Worthy and Kaleb Coleman  on the way to a 58-53 win over the Shaw Bears at CFG Bank Arena Wednesday.

“You trust your players down the stretch, said Head Coach Luke D’Alessio. “I wouldn’t trade Cress for anyone in this conference and Kaleb is a very good shooter and he’s a very good player. I trust the players and put them in position to be successful and I really like our team.”

The Broncos (17-12) had two players score in double figures, led by Coleman, who had 13 points and hit a three-pointer inside the final 30 second to help season the game. Cress Worthy nearly secured a triple-double with 10 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. Khalil Ridges added eight points off of the bench.

“Playing on this big stage in the past really prepared me for this game,” Worthy said post-game. “I told my guys that even if they were nervous going in that I was going to help them out. I just try to be poised and execute the play that coach Luke draws up and believe in myself and my teammates.”

Led by Ridges’ three offensive rebounds, Fayetteville State did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 15 boards that resulted in 18 second chance points.

Fayetteville State’s defense held Shaw to only 37.8 percent shooting from the field, including 26.3 percent from beyond the arc.

With the win, FSU advances to the semi-final round of the tournament on Friday, and will play the winner of Thursday’s quarterfinal between three-seed Virginia State and six-seed Lincoln University. 

How It Happened

After falling behind 15-10, Fayetteville State went on a 5-0 run with 11:18 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Ridges, to tie the game at 15. Shaw then pulled ahead, sending the Broncos into halftime down 24-23.

After intermission, Fayetteville State managed to gain control and had a 37-35 lead before going on a 6-0 run, finished off by Ridges’ three, to grow the lead to 43-35 with 9:49 to go in the contest. The Bears narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Broncos still held on for the 58-53 win. Fayetteville State shot well from three-point range in the half, hitting six shots from deep to score 18 of its 35 points.

Game Notes

The Broncos held the Bears to only 37.8 percent shooting from the field.
» The Fayetteville State bench came alive by scoring 23 points to its scoring output.
» Fayetteville State had a 37-30 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Fayetteville State defense forced 14 turnovers.
» Fayetteville State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 15 offensive boards in the game.
» Kaleb Coleman led the Broncos with 13 points.
» Fayetteville State got a team-high nine rebounds from Cress Worthy.

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BALTIMORE, MD — The Shaw men’s basketball team held Bowie State to just 14.3 percent from beyond the arc in a 3-for-21 shooting performance on the way to a 63-53 CIAA Tournament first-round win against the Bulldogs at CFG Bank Arena Tuesday.

The No. 7 seed Bears advanced to the quarterfinals where they will take on No. 2 seed and defending CIAA champion Fayetteville State, which won the Southern Division this season. The contest is set for Wednesday at 8:50 p.m.

The Bears (16-13 overall) had three players score in double figures, led by Jamari Roberts, who had 13 points and seven rebounds. Doriuntas Barnes added 12 points and Jeremiah Pope chipped in 11 points and two steals.

Shaw out-rebounded Bowie State 36-29 in Tuesday’s game, led by Amir Waddell’s eight boards.

Shaw’s defense held Bowie State to 31 percent from the field. The Bulldogs did not have much luck cleaning up their misses on the offensive glass either, as they finished with eight offensive rebounds and managed six second chance points while Shaw cleared 30 defensive rebounds.

How It Happened

After falling behind 2-0, Shaw went on a 10-0 run with 18:37 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Roberts, to take a 10-2 lead. The Bears then added three points to that lead by the end of the period and entered halftime with a 23-12 advantage. Shaw did most of its first half damage in the paint, scoring 12 of its 23 points close to the basket.

The Bears then held on for the victory in the second half. Shaw capitalized on nine Bowie State turnovers in the period, collecting 15 points off those turnovers.

Game Notes» The Bears held the Bulldogs to only 31 percent shooting from the field.
» Shaw had a stellar day defensively, holding Bowie State to 14.3 percent from three-point land on 21 attempts.
» Shaw had a 36-29 edge on the boards in the win.
» Jamari Roberts led the Bears with a game-high 13 points.
» Jamari Roberts was named Food Lion Game MVP.
» Shaw got a game-high eight rebounds from Amir Waddell.

Up Next
The Bears play Fayetteville State in a quarterfinal game on Wednesday at 8:50 p.m.

CLICK HERE FOR UP TO DATE CIAA TOURNAMENT BRACKET

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The Lady Bears, seeded No. 6, will face No. 3 seed Winston-Salem State in the quarterfinals on Thursday at 12 p.m. 

The Lady Bears (16-13) had three players score in double figures, led by Food Lion Game MVP Brittiney Seymour, who had 16 points, six rebounds and two steals. Tanayja London tacked on 16 points and two steals and Inari Jones helped out with 12 points.

Shaw’s defense held No. 11 seed Claflin to only 23.7 percent from the field.

How It Happened

Shaw started out the scoring by going on a 17-0 run, culminating in a bucket from London, to take an early lead with 4:44 left in the first quarter. The Lady Bears then lost some of that lead, but still entered the quarter break with a 17-4 advantage. Shaw did most of its first quarter damage in the paint, scoring 10 of its 17 points close to the basket.

Shaw kept its first quarter lead intact before going on a 10-0 run starting at the 9:56 mark in the second period, highlighted by a three from London, to increase its lead to 27-4. The Lady Bears proceeded to tack on three points to that lead and enjoyed a 35-9 advantage heading into halftime. Shaw dominated in the paint, scoring 12 of its 18 points close to the basket.

Shaw continued to preserve its halftime lead before going on a 7-0 run to expand its lead further to 46-27 with 55 seconds to go in the third. Before the conclusion of the third period, the Lady Panthers had cut into that lead somewhat, but the Lady Bears still entered the fourth quarter with a 46-29 edge. Shaw played well near the basket, scoring six of its 11 points in the paint.

The Lady Bears then held on for the victory in the fourth quarter. Shaw took advantage of seven Claflin turnovers in the quarter, scoring five points off of those takeaways.

Games Notes

» The Lady Bears held the Panthers to only 23.7 percent shooting from the field.
» The Lady Bears never trailed and held a 17-4 first quarter lead.
» Shaw had a stellar day defensively, holding Claflin to 13.6 percent from beyond the arc on 22 attempts.
» The Shaw defense forced 25 turnovers.
» All-CIAA performers Brittiney Seymour and Tanayja London led the Lady Bears with a game-high 16 points each.
» Brittiney Seymour was named Food Lion MVP.
» Shaw got a team-high seven rebounds from Rita James.

Up Next
The Lady Bears play Winston-Salem State in the CIAA Tournament quarterfinals Thursday. Tipoff is 12 p.m.

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The Bears (11-8, 4-3) had two players score in double figures, led by Doriuntas Barnes, who had 19 points and seven rebounds. Amir Waddell added 18 points from the bench and Jeremiah Pope added nine points and six rebounds.

The Shaw offense was very productive from beyond the arc, making 11 threes on 24 attempts. Waddell was the most prolific shooter for the Bears, draining three treys in the contest.

Shaw forced 13 Virginia State turnovers. The Bears turned those takeaways into 23 points on the offensive end of the floor. Caleb Simmons led the way individually with two steals.

How It Happened

After falling behind 21-18, Shaw went on a 14-0 run with 9:52 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Waddell, to take a 32-21 lead. The Bears then added three points to that lead by the end of the period and entered halftime with a 45-31 advantage. Shaw relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down nine shots to account for 27 of its 45 points.

Shaw kept its lead intact before going on a 5-0 run, finished off by Simmons’ jumper, to grow the lead to 65-49 with 8:44 to go in the contest. The Trojans narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Bears still cruised the rest of the way for the 86-76 win. Shaw capitalized on six Virginia State turnovers in the period, collecting 12 points off those turnovers.

Game Notes» Shaw never trailed in the second half on its way to victory.
» The Shaw defense forced 13 turnovers.
» Doriuntas Barnes led the Bears with a career high 19 points.
» Shaw got a team-high seven rebounds from Doriuntas Barnes.
» The Bears closed out the game at the charity stripe including 21-25 overall for the game. 

Up Next
The Bears will play their first road game since early December as they travel to Lincoln, PA for a  CIAA Northern Division matchup scheduled for Saturday, January 21st. Tipoff is slated for 4 PM. 

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“I told them if we continued to play hard in the last six minutes, we would win,” Shaw head coach Bobby Collins said. “I was extremely proud of our effort, how hard we played for 40 minutes.”

The loss was the second in a row for Winston-Salem State, which falls to 2-3 in the CIAA after entering conference play with a 9-1 record. Jaylen Alston led WSSU (10-4) with 19 points and Jaylon Gibson added 12 points in the loss. 

The win was the first for Collins against WSSU, a program he coached from 2006 through 2013. He downplayed the importance of his history and rivalry, though, and tried to steer the focus to the future as the team preps for CIAA North play. 

“This definitely was a boost for us tonight. Not because it was Winston-Salem State but because it was the next game on our schedule. We didn’t want to dig ourselves in so deep of a hole, being 1-3 [in the conference]. Tonight, we are 2-2 with the next three games at home. We can make a statement if we can take care of home first.”

Shaw improves to 9-7 overall on the season after winning 10 games in Collins’ first season at the helm. 

CIAA Basketball

Claflin University edged Bowie State 77-75 in a game that came down to the wire in Prince George’s County. Three players finished in double-figures as Claflin  improved to 12-1 overall.

Lincoln University took care of St. Aug in a 63-38 win that saw SAU shoot just 23.4 percent from the field.

Virginia Union got back on the winning track on Saturday, beating Fayetteville State 73-64 at home. Keleaf Tate scored a team-high 22 points while hitting four of six 3-point attempts while Robert Osbourne scored 13 points and added seven assists in the win. Cress Worthy scored a game-high 25 points for Fayetteville State. 

Elizabeth City State beat Johnson C. Smith 69-61 to get back into the win column.

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The first-ever ATL Has Got Something to Say HBCU Challenge tips off Friday at 1 p.m. and will feature four games between SIAC and CIAA men’s teams.

The play picks up Saturday at 10 a.m. with a local Atlanta high school game followed by five HBCU games. A clash between teams from the SWAC and MEAC is an added feature of Saturday’s line-up.

HBCU Challenge: The teams

The CIAA teams — Virginia Union University, Shaw University, Fayetteville State University and Livingstone College — will square off against SIAC squads from Albany State University, LeMoyne-Owen College, Tuskegee University and host Morehouse on Friday.

The CIAA and SIAC teams will switch opponents for the cross-conference competition on Saturday. Norfolk State University of the MEAC will meet Alabama A&M University of the SWAC in the 6 p.m. Div. I match up Saturday.

Showcasing HBCUs

Bringing teams together in one venue from all four HBCU conferences — the NCAA Div. II CIAA and SIAC and NCAA Div. I MEAC and SWAC — was pulled off by Travis L. Williams. His HBCU All-Stars LLC promotional group is also the outfit that put together the first-ever HBCU All-Star Game at this year’s Final Four in New Orleans. The game was carried live on CBS.

The Challenge is another way for the former head men’s basketball coach at Tennessee State and Fort Valley State to showcase HBCU hoops programs.   

HBCU Challenge: The schedule

Here’s the schedule:

FRIDAY, NOV. 18

Albany State vs. Virginia Union — 1 p.m.

LeMoyne-Owen vs. Shaw — 3 p.m.

Tuskegee vs. Fayetteville State — 5 p.m.

Morehouse vs. Livingstone — 7 p.m.

SATURDAY, Nov. 19

Booker T. Washington HS vs. Maynard H. Jackson HS — 10 a.m.

Virginia Union vs. LeMoyne-Owen — 12 noon

Livingstone vs. Albany State — 2 p.m.

Shaw vs. Tuskegee — 4 p.m.

Norfolk State vs. Alabama A&M — 6 p.m.

Morehouse vs. Fayetteville State — 8 pm.

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With two weeks left in the football regular season of the two NCAA Div. II HBCU conferences — the SIAC and CIAA —  contenders have been separated from pretenders. 

Leaders in both leagues’ divisional races can clinch division titles and championship game berths with wins this week. But it won’t be easy. Each will face a stiff challenge.

Here’s the HBCU Football rundown.

HBCU Football Rundown: SIAC East

Undefeated and nationally-ranked Benedict (8-0, 5-0 SIAC E) can clinch the SIAC East Division title and a berth in the Nov. 12 SIAC championship game with a win Saturday. The Tigers of second-year head coach Chennis Berry play at home at 2 p.m. in Columbia, S. C. vs. Clark Atlanta (3-5, 2-4 E). 

The winner of the East Division title will host this season’s Nov. 12 SIAC Championship Game.

Berry has led the surprising Tigers to a No. 15 ranking in both the NCAA Div. II d2football.com and AFCA Coaches polls.

Bendict- Clark Atlanta match up

Taking out Clark Atlanta and veteran head coach Willie Slater in his first year leading the Panthers will not be easy. In 15 years before taking over the Panthers’ program, Slater led Tuskegee to seven SIAC titles and five West Division crowns. He will have CAU ready to play spoiler.

Benedict is led by left-handed quarterback Eric Phoenix, who has passed for 1,054 yards and nine touchdowns with just one interception. Phoenix leads the league with a 63.3 completion percentage (93 of 147). His complement at running back is freshman Zaire Scotland who has rushed for 538 yards and six TDs. The Benedict offense is second in scoring in the SIAC at 29.1 points per game.

Clark Atlanta is coming off a 41-21 loss last week to Fort Valley State. In its last win, 21-12 on Oct. 15 over Savannah State, CAU broke a five-game losing streak to the Tigers. QB Shariff Brown threw for 123 yards and one score and Daquan Kincey ran for 172 yards and one touchdown.

Fort Valley State (7-1) and Albany State (6-2) both have 4-1 records in the conference and only stay alive if they win and Benedict loses. ASU is hosting winless Morehouse (2 p.m.) while FVSU is at Savannah State (3-5, 2-4 E) (6 p.m.).

Benedict, who has wins over FVSU and Albany State, can lose to Clark Atlanta and take the division title with a win next week at home over Allen.

HBCU Football undown: Showdown in the SIAC West

In the SIAC West, Tuskegee (6-2) is atop the division with an unblemished 5-0 league mark. After a shaky 0-2 start, Tuskegee is on a six-game winning streak.

The Golden Tigers have a 1 p.m. showdown at second-place Kentucky State (4-4, 4-1 W), the only other team still alive for the division title. A Tuskegee win clinches the division title.

The Golden Tigers are in their first year under head coach Reginald Ruffin. The former Miles head coach led the Golden Bears to four SIAC titles and five championship game appearances in nine years.

KSU, obscure after an 0-4 start, has run off four straight wins under new interim head coach Paul Hamilton. A win by the Thorobreds puts them in the driver’s seat for the division title.

KSU closes next week (Nov. 5) on the road at Central State. Tuskegee closes the regular season next week at home vs. Miles.

The Tuskegee vs. Kentucky State match up

Kentucky State is averaging an SIAC-best 216.4 rushing yards per game. They are last in SIAC passing at 66.1 yards per game.

The ground attack is led by rugged 6-2, 245-pound senior running back Christian Coneway who has rushed for 513 yards (64.1 yards per game), averaging 5.5 yards per carry with seven rushing touchdowns.

In last week’s 35-7 win over Miles, KSU rushed the ball 53 times for 327 yards. KSU junior quarterback Jaylen Myers threw just one pass, completing it for 18 yards. The Breds have rushed for over 200 yards in each of their four straight wins. Tuskegee is giving up 185.0 rushing yards per game.

Expect KSU to pound the Golden Tigers on the ground.

During its five-game win streak, junior quarterback Bryson Williams and senior running back Taurean Taylor have been stellar for Tuskegee.

Taylor (684 yards, 92 carries, 7.4 yards per carry, 97.7 ypg. 6 TDs) is second in SIAC rushing to FVSU’s Emanuel Wilson. He has had two 200-yard rushing efforts during the win streak — 234 rushing yards and four TDs in a 49-34 win over Central State and 218 yards yards and a TD vs. Clark Atlanta.

In the five-game streak, Williams has thrown for 790 yards and seven TDs with just two interceptions.

HBCU Football Rundown: CIAA North

Virginia Union (8-0, 6-0 N), under head coach Dr. Alvin Parker, is undefeated and ranked 11th nationally in the d2football.com poll and tenth in the AFCA Div. II Coaches poll. The Panthers are also on top of the CIAA North Division race as they host Chowan (5-3, 5-1 N) Saturday in a showdown at VUU’s Hovey Field (1 p.m.).

Chowan is the only other team with a shot at the division title. A VUU win clinches the North Division title and a spot in the Nov. 12 CIAA Championship Game in Salem, Virginia. Chowan is in the driver’s seat for the division title with a win. CU closes next week hosting Elizabeth City State while VUU closes at Virginia State.

The Virginia Union vs. Chowan match up

Chowan, under second-year head coach Mark Hall, has come from literally nowhere to challenge VUU.

After a series of close wins and losses in a 3-3 start, the team has pulled off close, down-to-the-wire wins over Lincoln, Pa. (16-14 on Oc. 8), Virginia State (45-43 on Oct. 15) and three-time defending CIAA North and conference champion Bowie State (21-15 last week, Oct. 22). It isn’t an HBCU football program, but it could play for the championship of the oldest HBCU football conference if it keeps winning.

Junior quarterback Rashad McKee has sparked Chowan in its last three wins. He came off the bench to lead his team to a late field goal that was the difference in the win over Lincoln. Rashad ran for 139 yards and a touchdown and led the team to a game-winning touchdown vs. VSU. He then passed for 270 yards and all three Chowan scores of 73, 11 and 61 yards in its upset of Bowie State last week.

The Byers effect

VUU has been led all season by CIAA, Div. II and HBCU football rushing leader, sophomore Jada Byers. If you throw out his 98-yard effort in a 77-0 blowout of Virginia-Lynchburg to open the season, the 5-9, 180-pound dynamo’s average would be 208.4 yards per game.

As it is, he has topped 100 yards in every game since with one 300-yard game (319 in an early season win over No. 3 Valdosta tate), two with over 200 yards (205 vs. Elizabeth City State and 277 vs. Bowie State) and 199- and 187-yard efforts (vs. Livingstone and Lincoln Pa.). His lowest output since has been 114 yards in 12 carries in a blowout win vs. Saint Augustine’s.

In total, he has amassed 1,604 rushing yards on 215 carries. He is averaging 7.3 yards per carry and 195.0 rushing yards per game. He is tied for the lead nationally with 18 rushing touchdowns.

HBCU Football Rundown: CIAA South

In the CIAA South, Fayetteville State (6-2, 5-1 S) can clinch its fifth straight division title and Nov. 12 Championship Game berth with a win at home over Shaw (3-5, 3-3 S). 

Shaw and Winston-Salem State (2-6, 2-3 W) are still alive for the division title but would both have to beat FSU — Shaw this week and WSSU next week — to have a chance. WSSU hosts J. C. Smith Saturday (1 p.m.). WSSU closes at home on Nov. 5 vs. FSU while Shaw plays at Saint Augustine’s.

The FSU vs. Shaw match up

Going into the 2022 season, most thought Shaw would be the greatest challenge to Fayetteville State’s South Division supremacy. Turns out, that’s certainly one of the scenarios in play.

The Bears, in their fifth-season under head coach Adrian Jones, have see-sawed back and forth all season. They lost their first two games, won two straight and then lost three in a row. Last week they beat Livingtone 28-14 to stay in contention in the South. Their biggest win was handing Bowie State its first loss in 18 CIAA games, 17-14 on Sept. 17.

Junior running back Andre Brandon Jr. (5-10, 182) ran 49 times for 306 yards in last week’s win over Livingstone. He more than doubled the total output in his previous five games and is now third in CIAA rushing stats with 479 yards (87.7 yards per game.). Expect Coach Jones to feature Brandon vs. FSU.

The Broncos and sixth-year head coach Richard Hayes Jr. are closing the season with redshirt freshman Caden Davis and true freshman Demari Daniels taking most of the snaps at quarterback. Senior starting QB Khari Lane got in for a handful of snaps vs. J. C. Smith (a 21-13 FSU win last week) and played sparingly the previous week in a win over Livingstone. He sat out the Oct. 8 win over St. Augustine’s. His last start was Sept. 29 in a 13-10 win over Chowan.

SIAC and CIAA games for this week

SIAC

Thursday, October 27

Edward Waters 22, Miles 16

Saturday, October 29

Kentucky State vs  Tuskegee in Frankfort, KY – ESPN+ 1p 

Lane vs. Central State in Jackson, TN 2p 

Benedict vs. Clark Atlanta in Columbia, SC 2p

Albany State vs. Morehouse in Albany, GA – ESPN+ 2p

Savannah State vs. Fort Valley State in Macon, GA 6p

CIAA

Saturday, October 29

Elizabeth City State vs. Bowie State in Eliz. City, NC 1p

Lincoln (PA) vs. Virginia State in Lincoln University, PA 1p

Saint Augustine’s vs. Livingstone in Raleigh, NC 1p

Virginia Union vs. Chowan in Richmond, VA – HBCUGO 1p

Winston-Salem State vs. J. C. Smith in W-S, NC – AspireTV 1p

Fayetteville State vs. Shaw in Fayetteville, NC 4p

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That’s probably the basketball player in him. At 6’2, 175 pounds, he looks like he could play guard in the CIAA just as much as quarterback. In fact, a CIAA rival was interested in him playing basketball, Peters said.

“I had some interest from Winston (Salem-State) in basketball,” Peters said, hair blowing in the wind as he shook his head. “But I’m done with that sport, I’m good on that.” 

Peters actually started his high school career at Rocky River, where he played multiple sports but didn’t start football until his sophomore season. As he prepared for his junior year in 2017, he saw the handwriting on the wall there. 

“I knew that next year, if I wanted to play, I had to transfer probably because the same lineup, different coaches were coming in. So I ended up taking a transfer to Butler because Davis Cheek had just left. He had signed Elon and it was an open spot.”

Christian Peters took over Butler’s offense for head coach Brian Hales, leading the team to a 17-6 record in two seasons. 

“Butler made me focus more on football, and I think that’s why that kind of shaped me to get here,” Peters said. “And I wouldn’t be here without that.”

Shaw was the first school, Peters says, to offer him in high school. There were others, including a pair of CIAA schools, as well as other D2 programs. Ultimately, though, he chose to come to Raleigh where he would redshirt in 2019.

Shaw, along with the rest of the CIAA, sat out the 2020 football season due to COVID-19. Peters says the time between the 2019 season and the 2021 season allowed him to grow largely due to his time spent working with his receivers.  

“Honestly, my freshman year – not to say I didn’t take it as serious – but I didn’t have that “want to.” That grind every day,” Peters said. “But it just clicked. Something clicked in me like, ‘Look, you can play, you can play.’ And I needed to go get with my guys to get that chemistry and that mesh where we know what we can do on game day on Saturdays.”

The hard work started paying off for Christian Peters last year. He played in all but one of Shaw’s 10 games, muscling time away from incumbent quarterback Torrin Campbell and leading the team in completions, attempts, yards and touchdowns. He also finished third on the team in rushing. One problem he had last fall was turnovers. He threw six interceptions in just 135 pass attempts and fumbled the ball four times, losing three of them.

Shaw head coach Adrian Jones hasn’t declared a starter yet, but he does like what he’s seen of Peters so far. 

“You know, we’re keeping up with the interceptions, the good plays and the bad plays,” Jones said. “But one thing I can say about Christian – he’s done a great job of watching Torrin Campbell be a true leader and he’s taken on that leadership and he’s grown a whole lot. So he’s done a lot of good things for us and we look forward to – whoever is going to be that guy – we to look forward to them leading our team to being great.”

Shaw enters the season looking to get to the CIAA Championship Game for the first time in dozen years. It is ranked in the HBCU Gameday Staff D2 poll and received some votes in the AFCA poll as well. And it may well go as far as Peters takes it. 

“You don’t want it to go to our head and we think we’re too good,” Peters said of the polling votes. “But you don’t want to be too low. You know that people are seeing you, people noticing you. So keep the same grind every day and we might climb up that poll.”

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“It means a lot. It shows that hard work pays off. We’ve been working hard,” Jones told HBCU Gameday. “We’ve been trying to get better and better each and every day. And our biggest thing is we got to take one game at a time.

The CIAA championship game is somewhere Shaw hasn’t been since 2010, and to get to the game it would have to knock off Fayetteville State. FSU has had a lock on the CIAA South crown since 2017, but

“We want to win a championship,” Jones said. “In order to win a championship, you got to win the first one and then we’ll go to the second and third one. But we’re focused and we’re ready to rock and roll.”

Shaw held its final fall camp practice on a fall-like August morning at Raleigh’s Chavis Park, a few miles away from the oldest HBCU in a state filled with them. It’s a home-away-from-home scenario that Shaw’s program has become accustomed to with a landlocked campus in the heart of North Carolina’s bustling capital.

The past two seasons Shaw University has called George L. Williams Field home – located on the campus of its rival and neighbor St. Augustine’s University. This year it will return to a familiar place, going back to Durham County Stadium which it called home prior to its short-lived alliance.

The Bears are a hard-hitting bunch, and that much showed in Tuesday’s practice, complete with a scuffle and a late shove out of bounds sending a teammate into a golf cart. Normal camp occurrences, but what Jones likes is the accountability that his squad is developing. 

“We’ve been working hard mentally and doing things that we’re supposed to do, doing the right things, the little things we’ve been practicing on,” he said. “So I’ve really enjoyed our guys holding each other accountable and doing what they are supposed to do.”

Shaw passes the eyeball test for a Division II team with noticeable bulk and size permeating its ranks. That’s something that was an emphasis for Jones as he continues to work on his program, which will travel all the way to Michigan to play Wayne State.

“As you can see we’ve got some big guys here. And that’s one of the things we wanted to do – recruit some big O-linemen, big D-linemen. We’re just going to continue to be physical. We’re going to continue to do what we do, we’re going to play Shaw football. We’re not worried about another team. But our mentality is so different. We came from the bottom and now we’re trying to work our way up.”

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The Bulldogs were predicted to win the CIAA again in 2022.

BSU isn’t the only reigning HBCU football champion ranked in the top 25.

SIAC Champion Albany State is ranked in the 18th spot to start the season – the same spot it finished in following the 2021 season. ASU went 10-2 last season to claim the conference title. It brings back the reigning SIAC Defensive Player of The Year (Stephen Pierre) and the 2022 SIAC Preseason Player of The Year in quarterback Dionte Bonneau.

Two other HBCU football programs – both of them in the CIAA – were listed in the “receiving votes” category. Virginia Union received four votes while Shaw University received two votes. VUU finished 6-4 overall, 5-2 in CIAA North play as it was runner-up in the division to BSU. Shaw also finished 6-4, 5-2 in the conference and second in the CIAA South to Fayetteville State.

Fayetteville State, the four-time CIAA runner-up, did not receive any votes. 

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Teams from the CIAA’s North Division have won the last four CIAA football titles — the last three by Bowie State (2018, 2019 and 2021) with Virginia State taking the crown in 2017. One reason could be that the North Division teams play tougher non-conference schedules than their South Division counterparts.

Looking at the schedules of CIAA teams in 2022, the same could apply.

Top of the heap

Bowie State (12-2, 7-0 CIAA) is the current conference kingpin as it enters its first season in 13 years without head coach Damon Wilson, who moved over to lead Morgan State of the MEAC. The Bulldogs are ranked seventh nationally in the Lindy’s Magazine Div. II preseason rankings and 10th in the Versus D2 college rankings that came out a week ago.

Former BSU player and assistant under Wilson, Kyle Jackson, takes the reins of the Bulldogs on an interim basis for the 2022 season. He inherits another tough non-conference schedule that will likely prepare the CIAA-favorite Bulldogs when conference play begins.

Last year, after a close 32-24 loss on the road to MEAC member Delaware State to open the season, BSU got a hard-fought home win over Saginaw Valley State (28-19) and a road win at New Haven (27-13) before starting its CIAA schedule.

Jackson and Bowie State open at home this season on Sept. 3 vs. New Haven, ranked 18th in the 2022 Lindy’s preseason NCAA Div. II national rankings. New Haven’s loss last year to BSU came in a 10-2 season. The Chargers went on to win the 2021 Northeast-10 conference championship and then won a first round Div. II playoff game over conference rival Bentley. They lost in the second round to Kutztown, 10-7.

New Haven is the preseason pick to repeat as NE-10 champion.

A special date at SVSU

The Bulldogs then play at Saginaw Valley State on Sept. 10 before beginning CIAA play vs. Shaw on Sept. 17.

This year’s Bowie State game at SVSU will include a unique collaboration of common ground that will highlight the history and experience of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). BSU will combine with SVSU to offer several educational and cultural events in the days leading up to the Saturday football game, including appearances at SVSU by Bowie State’s renowned Symphony of Soul marching band, and joint programs hosted by faculty of both institutions.

“While our athletic teams and those of other HBCUs often compete against non-HBCUs in various sports, the experience is often limited to the athletic contest,” said Clyde Doughty, director of intercollegiate athletics at Bowie State. “This partnership between Bowie State and SVSU provides extraordinary learning opportunities for representatives of both schools and their communities. I am not aware of any similar ventures that have ever been undertaken.”

SVSU finished 7-4 a year ago. After its loss at Bowie State, SVSU battled eventual Div. II national champion and fellow Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference member Ferris State in a 47-45 loss. Ferris State went on to win the GLIAC title and beat Valdosta State in last year’s D2 championship game, 58-17.

SGSU was picked fourth in the GLIAC this year after a 4-3 finish last year.

There will likely be an indication how Jackson and the Bulldogs will fare without Wilson and departed quarterback Ja’rome Johnson and star running back Calil Wilkins, after these early games.

Bowie State in preseason rankings

Bowie State is picked seventh in the Lindy’s Magazine 2022 NCAA Div. II preseason poll. Riding a stingy defense a year ago, the Bulldogs got a 17-7 win over Fayetteville State to win its third consecutive CIAA crown. They then posted a 31-10 win over Lenoir-Rhyne in the first round of the D2 playoffs and a 13-10 win over Newberry in the second round to reach the national quarterfinals.

BSU lost to eventual national runners-up Valdosta State, 41-17 in the D2 quarterfinals. In its toughest CIAA contest in 2021, BSU staved off four TD passes from QB Chauncey Caldwell and over 200 rushing yards from Darius Hagins to pull out a 51-44 win over Virginia State.

BSU will play at Virginia State on Sat., Oct. 8.

CIAA football: N. Div. contenders

Virginia Union (6-4, 5-2), who finished behind BSU in the N. Div. last year, also has a tough non-conference opponent early. The Panthers, in their fourth season under Dr. Alvin Parker, travel to 2021 Div. II runners-up Valdosta State on Sept. 10 after opening at home on Sept. 3 vs. Virginia-Lynchburg. Valdosta State, who walloped VUU 51-7 a year ago, is ranked first or second in most preseason Div. II polls.

Virginia State (3-6, 3-4), with new head coach Dr. Henry Frazier III at the helm, opens on the road on Sept. 3 at Lenoir-Rhyne. The Bears finished 8-3 overall last year, 6-2 in the South Atlantic Conference behind champion Newberry. Both made the Div. II playoffs where they lost to Bowie State. It was the third straight Div. II playoff appearance for LRU. The Bears are picked second in the SAC and come in ranked 16^th in the Lindy’s preseason poll.

Chowan (7-3, 4-3), who finished between VUU and VSU in the North a year ago, begins the season with home games vs. middle-of-the-road SAC teams Barton on Sept. 1 and Tusculum on Sept. 10. Mark Hall is in his second year leading Chowan.

CIAA football: South Division schedules

Four-time South Division champion and 2022 division favorite Fayetteville State (8-2, 7-0) is led by seventh-year head coach Richard Hayes. The Broncos open at home vs. UNC-Pembroke of the Mountain East Conference. The game is dubbed the Two Rivers Classic and is set for Sept. 3. They last met in 2016 with UNC-P defeating FSU 50-28. UNC-P was 6-5 last year, 6-4 in the MEC.

FSU follows that with a Sept. 10 date at home vs. Wingate, who finished 8-3 a year ago including a 40-21 win over FSU at Wingate. Wingate also beat Shaw 20-7. Wingate lost to Newberry and Lenoir-Rhyne in last year’s SAC race. The Bulldogs are picked third in the preseason behind Newberry and Lenoir-Rhyne.

Shaw (6-4, 5-2), the second choice in the S. Div., opens at Wingate on Sept. 3 before travelling to Wayne State on Sept. 10. The Wayne State Warriors are picked sixth in preseason GLIAC projections. Shaw is led by Adrian Jones, also in his seventh season.

Winston-Salem State (3-6, 3-4) also has an interesting start to its first season under Robert Massey now that his interim tag has been removed. The Rams open on Sunday, Sept. 4 in Canton, Ohio vs. Central State in the Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic.

The Rams then renew an old CIAA rivalry the following Saturday (Sept. 10) as they travel to Durham to face North Carolina Central of the MEAC. This will be the 46th meeting between the Rams and the Eagles with NCCU holding a slight 23-22 series advantage by virtue of last season’s close 20-13 triumph.

The schedules

NORTH DIVISION

BOWIE STATE

Date Opponent Time

9/3 New Haven 1

9/10 @ Saginaw Valley State 1

9/17 @ Shaw 1

9/24 @ Saint Augustine’s 1 

10/1 Livingstone (HC) 2

10/8 @ Virginia State 4

10/15 Virginia Union 12n

10/22 Chowan 1

10/29 @ Elizabeth City State 1 

11/5 Lincoln 1

CHOWAN

9/1 Barton 6

9/10 Tusculum 1

9/17 Johnson C. Smith 1

9/24 Winston-Salem State 6

10/1 @ Fayetteville State 7 

10/8 @ Lincoln PA 1

10/15 Virginia State (HC) NA

10/22 @Bowie State 1

10/29 @ Virginia Union 1

11/5 Elizabeth City State 1

ELIZABETH CITY STATE

9/3 @ Benedict 6

9/10 Livingstone in Rocky Mt. NC 4

9/17 Winston-Salem State 12n 

9/24 @ Shaw 1

10/1 @ Johnson C. Smith 1

10/8 @ Virginia Union 1

10/15 Lincoln (PA) (HC) 1

10/22 Virginia State 1 

10/29 Bowie State 1 

11/5 @ Chowan 1

LINCOLN (PA)

9/3 @ Delaware State 2 

9/10 @ Central State 1 

9/17 Fayetteville State 7

9/24 @ Johnson C. Smith 12n 

10/1 @Winston-Salem State 1:30  

10/8 Chowan (HC) 1

10/15 @ Elizabeth City State 1

10/22 Virginia Union 12n 

10/29 Virginia State 1 

11/5 @ Bowie State 1

VIRGINIA STATE

9/3 @ Lenoir-Rhyne 6 

9/10 Bluefield State 6 

9/17 Saint Augustine’s 6 

9/24 @ Livingstone 4

10/1 Shaw 6

10/8 Bowie State (HC) 4

10/15 @ Chowan ?

10/22 @ Elizabeth City State 1

10/29 @Lincoln (PA) 1 

11/5 Virginia Union 12n

VIRGINIA UNION

9/1 VA-Lynchburg 7

9/10 @ Valdosta State 5 

9/17 Livingstone 6

9/24 @ Fayetteville State 4 

10/1 Saint Augustine’s 1

10/8 Elizabeth City State (HC) 12n

10/15 @ Bowie State 1

10/22 @ Lincoln (PA) 12n

10/29 Chowan 12n

11/5 @ Virginia State 12n

South Division

FAYETTEVILLE STATE

9/3 UNC Pembroke 7 

9/10 Wingate 7 

9/17 @ Lincoln PA 7

9/24 Virginia Union 4 

10/1 Chowan 7 

10/8 Saint Augustine’s (HC) 2

10/15 @ Livingstone 1:30

10/22 @ Johnson C. Smith 1

10/29 @ Shaw 4

11/5/ @ Winston-Salem State 4

JOHNSON C. SMITH

9/1 @ Bluefield State 6 

9/10 @ Allen 6

9/17 @ Chowan 1

9/24 Lincoln (PA) 12n 

10/1 Elizabeth City State 1

10/8 Shaw 1 

10/15 @Saint Augustine’s 1

10/22 Fayetteville State (HC) 1

10/29 @ Winston-Salem State 1

11/5 @ Livingstone 1:30 

LIVINGSTONE

9/3 Catawba 6

9/10 Elizabeth City State in Rocky Mt., NC., 4

9/17 @ Virginia Union 6

9/24 Virginia State 4

10/1 @ Bowie State 2

10/8 Winston-Salem State 1

10/15 Fayetteville State (HC) 1:30

10/22 @ Shaw 1

10/29 @ Saint Augustine’s 1 

11/5 Johnson C. Smith 1:30

ST. AUGUSTINE’S

9/1 @ Tusculum 6 

9/10 Limestone 1 

9/17 @ Virginia State 6 

9/24 Bowie State 1 

10/1 @ Virginia Union 1 

10/8 @ Fayetteville State 2

10/15 Johnson C. Smith (HC) 1

10/22 Winston-Salem State 1 

10/29 Livingstone 1 

11/5 @ Shaw 1

SHAW

9/3 Wingate 4

9/10 @ Wayne State 6 

9/17 Bowie State 1

9/24 Elizabeth City State 1

10/1 @ Virginia State 6 

10/8 @ Johnson C. Smith 1

10/15 @ Winston-Salem State 1:30 

10/22 Livingstone (HC) 1

10/29 @ Fayetteville State 4

11/5 Saint Augustine’s 1

WINSTON-SALEM STATE

9/4 Central State in Canton, OH 4

9/10 @ NC Central 6

9/17 @ Elizabeth City State 12n

9/24 @ Chowan 6

10/1 Lincoln (PA)  (HC) 1:30

10/8 @ Livingstone 1

10/15 Shaw 1:30 

10/22 @ Saint Augustine’s 1 

10/29 Johnson C. Smith 1

11/5 Fayetteville State 4

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That was perhaps the feeling Wednesday for head coaches and players at the 2022 CIAA Media Day at Roanoke’s Holiday Inn Valley View.

Damon Wilson, who led Bowie State for 13 years, has moved to Morgan State with former linebackers coach Kyle Jackson taking the helm of the Bulldog program on an interim basis. Jackson says, ‘not so fast’ to the rumors of BSU’s impending demise.

The CIAA football champions

“The biggest key is setting the standard of expectations,” Jackson said. “When I talk to the guys, I let them know the standard is the standard regardless of who’s here, who’s not here.”

Jackson is a former middle linebacker who played under Wilson in 2009 and 2010 and joined Wilson’s coaching staff in 2017. He also echoed his former mentor’s mantra of ‘tradition never graduates.’

“Things are not going to change much,” Jackson said of his 12-2 team that was undefeated in conference play (8-0) and won an unprecedented two games in the NCAA Div. II playoffs to reach the national quarterfinals.

“We saw how far we could really go (last season). It opened a lot of eyes to the potential the Bowie State program has. A lot of those guys are returning.”

Bulldog stalwarts

Chief among the BSU returnees is Joshua Pryor, a 6-4, 260-pound senior defensive lineman who accompanied Jackson to the proceedings. Pryor had his three championship rings prominently displayed on his fingers.

Pryor would likely have been the league’s preseason defensive player of the year had one been chosen. Often facing double teams, he posted 73 tackles, six sacks and 21.5 tackles for 84 yards in losses last season. Pryor has 28.5 sacks, 66 tackles for losses of 343 yards in his three seasons at BSU.

“I will have double-teams, they’re going to run away from me,” Pryor said, “but I know my guys are going to be there at the end of the day. We all have our job to do and that’s execute.”

BSU also returns hard-hitting defensive backs Myles Woolfolk (75 tackles) and Raymond Boone (58 tackles) and linebacker Wesley Bowers (58 tackles). Boone had been rumored to be joining head coach Deion Sanders at Jackson State but Jackson said he is returning to the Bulldogs.

On offense, Jackson has to find replacements for two-year starter JaRome Johnson at quarterback and 1,000-yard rusher Calil Wilkins.  

CIAA football: North Division challengers

Bowie State’s chief challenger in the North Division may come from a source familiar with the Bulldogs’ tradition.

New Virginia State head coach Dr. Henry Frazier III could be considered the architect of the Bowie State program. Frazier was a successful quarterback for the Bulldogs from 1986-89 and served as head coach from 1999 to 2003 where he coached Damon Wilson.

He moved to Prairie View A&M from 2004 to 2010 and won the SWAC championship in 2009. Frazier spent two years at NC Central in the MEAC before returning to help Wilson as a special assistant during the 2018 and 2019 championship years. He replaced Reggie Barlow at VSU late, in May of this year.

“I have experience with that,” Frazier said of his late arrival. “I got the Bowie (head coaching) job on July 22 and we still had a winning season. So I figure we’re ahead of the curve right now.”

Frazier also said Barlow did not leave the cupboard bare. “It’s not empty. There’s players and talent there. Walking into this situation is my best situation in terms of Bowie, Prairie View or (NC) Central. Coach Barlow and his staff did a good job of signing a pretty good class, 23 or 24, we brought in another ten freshmen and another 12 to 15 transfers on top of that. So, we’ll have players. It’s just a matter of them following my lead.”

Virginia Union and Elizabeth City State

Virginia Union has been the closest to dethroning Bowie State in the North. The Panthers finished 12-5 in the division over the last three seasons under Dr. Alvin Parker, finishing second, a game behind Bowie State twice (5-2 last season).

“That’s the game (vs. Bowie State) that’s been stopping us every year,” Parker said. “We win that game any one of the three years and we’re playing in Salem (site of the championship game). We feel good about what we’re doing and we have a process at Virginia Union that’s tried and true. It creates championships.” The Panthers play at Bowie State this season on Oct. 15.

Coach Parker brought along sophomore running back Jada Byers (914 yds., 5.4 yards per carry) who led the league with 12 rushing touchdowns. He earned offensive freshman of the year honors. “I feel this is the season we get it done,” Byers said.

Marcus Hilliard is the new coach returning to lead his alma mater, Elizabeth City State. The Vikings have not had a winning season since 2012. Hilliard played for former ECSU coach Waverly Tiller in the early 2000s when the Vikings were perennial contenders for N. Div. and conference honors. He has been a defensive guru at both ECSU and VUU and wants to return ECSU to its former standing. The 2022 theme for the Vikings is ‘Restore the Culture, A new era at ECSU football.’

“Coach Hilliard has come in not just to create a football team that is going to compete on Saturdays but build a program that can compete for years to come,” said Zion Riddick, ECSU’s all-CIAA kick returner and wide receiver.

Hilliard was the defensive coordinator on that 2012 ECSU team that made it to the championship game. “We had a good run before,” Hilliard said of his time playing and coaching with Tiller. “Putting my impact on the team and bringing back some of the good things we did in the past, that’s my goal. We’ve been down, so we’re trying to change the infrastructure. I just want to put my stamp on that.”

Chowan and Lincoln (Pa.)

Chowan, particularly in the last two seasons with Bryce Witt at quarterback, has been an offensive juggernaut and threat in the North. The Hawks led the CIAA in total (432.2 ypg.) and scoring offense (38.5 ppg.) last season.

Second-year head coach Mark Hall will enter 2022 without Witt (2,864 passing yards, 31 TDs, 4 ints.) or standout wide receiver/kick returner Imeek Watkins (68 rec., 886 yds., 10 TDs). Wideout Laurence King (51 rec., 658 yds., 8 TDs) returns.

Chowan finished 7-3 overall, 4-3 in CIAA play in Hall’s first season. Defensive Rookie of the Year Isaac Anderson (37 tackles, 8 sacks, 20 TFL), a 6-3, 260-pound tackle, is the top returning defender.

Lincoln enters its third season under Josh Dean coming off a 1-9 season, 1-6 in the CIAA. The head coach said he’s taking on more responsibility this season. Junior defensive back Eric Best said he believes the team is coming together

CIAA football: Top of the South Division

The real chasers of Bowie State are again led by head coach Richard Hayes’ Broncos of Fayetteville State. After dominating the South Division, FSU has fallen to the Bulldogs in the CIAA championships game in each of the past three campaigns. They have won four straight S. Div. titles.

They are still searching for their first championship in seven years under Hayes. The championship game losses to BSU have been by 30-10 (2018), 23-7 (2019) and 17-7 (2021) scores. “We feel like we’re very competitive (vs. BSU). We’ve started slow every year, turned the ball over early,” Hayes said. “If we can eliminate those things, I think we’ll have a good chance in the end.”

FSU will feature the league’s top returning quarterback, Khari Lane, who was voted the preseason all-CIAA quarterback. Lane threw for over 2,000 yards with 20 TDs and only five interceptions. Brandon Barnes-Bowman (5 ints.) leads the defense.

Sixth-year head coach Adrien Jones has guided Shaw (6-4, 5-2 S) past Winston-Salem into second in the S. Div. behind FSU. The Bears are 0-5 during Jones’ tenure vs. FSU including a close 15-12 fourth-quarter loss a year ago.

The Bears return the league’s top ground attack (194.8 ypg.) with top returning rusher, junior Sidney Gibbs (948 yds., 5.7 ypc., 94.8 ypg., 6 TDs.) and Andre Braxton (508 yds., 10 TDs). All-CIAA offensive linemen and Antavious Zachery and Tyreese Bobbitt are also back in the fold.

“They (the offensive line) were the MVPs of our team,” Jones said. “We’ve got a lot of toys on our offense. We’ve got to be dynamic in anything we do, offense, defense and special teams.

“I think that we have the football team to beat Fayetteville State but we’re gonna have to play disciplined football, we’re going to have to be smart coaches and put out our guys in the right situations at the right time.”

Winston-Salem State and others

After two seasons, Robert Massey had the interim tag removed and plans to get Winston-Salem State back to elite status. That development has helped the Rams, in effect, start over.

“We have additional coaches added to the staff, obviously that we needed,” Massey said “It’s (having the tag removed) helped us from the recruiting standpoint. It’s put us in position to bring in about 40 freshman. We’ll bring in about 20 transfers. We want to build this program, basically starting over. But at the same time, we want to compete for a championship.”

The Rams (3-6, 3-4 S) had just junior DB Elijah Banks on the preseason all-CIAA team.

Johnson C. Smith (1-7, 1-5 S), Livingstone (1-8, 1-5 S) and Saint Augustine’s (1-7, 1-6 S) were able to muster just one win last season.

Maurice Flowers enters his first season leading JCSU. The former Fort Valley State head man is returning to his alma mater and his hometown of Charlotte, NC. Flowers said he’s brought in 55 freshmen to turn the Golden Bulls program around. He will feature all-CIAA graduate wide receiver Reggie Bryant who hauled in 49 catches for 693 yards and seven TDs a year ago.

Sean Gilbert enters his second season leading Livingstone. He said a new blue turf is ready for the Bears’ stadium while construction on a new track is being finished. He said his young and green team should be better and more competitive. Sophomores Jade Echols at middle linebacker and Malik Head at defensive tackle are the top defenders. Andrew King is a key transfer.

David Bowser enters his second season with double-duties of athletics director and head football coach at St. Aug’s. He hopes to shore up a defense that gave up 218 rushing yards and 33.4 points while scoring just 11 points per game last season. Defensive tackle Marcus Davis, the student body president, and sophomore cornerback Jeron Hinton are leaders on that side of the ball. Soph QB Christopher Perkins leads the offense.

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Without going too long, HBCU Gameday is introducing its inaugural staff polls for FCS and Division II/NAIA HBCU Football. Our polls will come out weekly throughout the season as we watch and vote.

Points were assigned for each vote, with a first-place vote being worth ten points and a 10th place vote being worth one point. Points were tabulated to compile the top 10. 

The FCS poll results can be found here.

Without further ado, here is the inaugural HBCU Gameday Preseason D2 HBCU Football poll as voted on by our staff. 

HBCU Gameday Staff D2 Poll

10. Lane College
Lane showed its teeth early in the 2021 season but the Dragons soon ran out of fuel. Can it maintain it and make its move this year?

9. Kentucky State
Kentucky State had some moments in 2021, but it will be heading into 2022 with a new head coach.

8. Benedict College
Benedict made some strides under Chennis Berry last year, so some expect them to be the top challenger to Albany State in the SIAC East. 

7. Tuskegee
The Reginald Ruffin Show is here for a good time, but not a long time. Will it be enough to get the Golden Tigers back in the hunt? 

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6. Savannah State
Savannah State is starting over with a new head coach and has seen an exodus of many of its key players. 

5. Miles College
Reginald Ruffin has left the building, and headed down the street. Can Miles still keep the West on lock?

T-4. Shaw
Shaw has been the bridesmaid to the bridesmaid in the CIAA South. Can it ruin the Broncos planned coronation?

T-4. Va. Union
Virginia Union has been waiting in the wings of the CIAA North for nearly a decade. If not now – when? 

3. Albany State (one first-place votes)
After rising to the top of the SIAC, Albany State now has the task of staying on top of the conference. 

2. Bowie State (Two first-place votes)
Bowie State has undergone massive change since last season. From its head coach to its defensive coordinator to many of its top players. All eyes are now on Prince George’s County. 

1. Fayetteville State (Two first-place votes)
Fayetteville State has been the bridesmaid in the CIAA for the last half-decade. Is this the year it finally breaks through and claims the big prize?  At least two of our voters think so. 

Receiving votes: Virginia State, Langston and Morehouse

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The CIAA Tournament was not the same after the conference lost seven teams that moved on to form the Div. I Mid Eastern Athletic Conference in 1971. 

It may have gotten better!

While I went off to Howard University in 1972 and followed the Bison into the MEAC ranks, the CIAA tournament hit another gear. 

The Spartans steal the show

Beginning in 1971, the crowds continued coming to the tournament in Greensboro as Norfolk State became the dominant team of the decade. It began with my homeboy, Morrell James of Langston High School in Danville, Virginia, winning the 1971 MVP award after the Spartans beat Shaw for the title. Shaw rode the outstanding play of point guard Ray Haskins to their first-ever tournament final game.

Head coach Bob Smith guided the Spartans to tourney championship wins in 1971 and 1972 before Charles Christian took over in 1973. Christian, an ultra-successful high school hoops coach in Tidewater Virginia, guided the Spartans for the next six years to four more (1974, 1975, 1976, 1978) tournament titles, the last two as the tournament moved back to Hampton. It gave the Spartans six tournament championships in the decade of the 70s. Christian stepped down after the 1978 title.

James, Michael Sneed (1972), the great Eugene Cunningham (1976 & 1977) and Robert Isabelle (1978) gave the Spartans seven MVPs and eight titles between 1968 and 1978. Norfolk and Isabelle knocked off Hampton with future NBA star Rick Mahorn in the 1978 finals.

As Christian left, Dave Robbins stepped up and in at Virginia Union. And things were never the same. 

The White Shadow

Robbins was the first white head coach in CIAA history and he faced a barrage of criticism when he took the job. But he put all that aside and went about the business of bringing winning to the league like never before. 

Over the next 30 years, Robbins kept Virginia Union and the CIAA on the national radar. He won back-to-back CIAA tournament titles early, in his second and third years leading the Panthers (1979 and 1980),. The message to all detractors was that he meant business.

Robbins went on to capture three more tournament titles in the ‘80s (1985, 1987 and 1989). He four-peated in the 1990s, taking all the tournament crowns from 1992-1995., and capped it off with another three-peat from 2004 to 2006 before he retired in 2008. 

The rest of the story

But those CIAA Tournament titles are only half the story. When he didn’t win the CIAA, his teams still went on to the Div. II playoffs. His teams made 21 appearances in the NCAA Div. II national tournament. He produced four DIv. II national players of the year in Charles Oakley (1985), A. J. English (1990), Derrick Johnson (1994) and Darius Hargrove (2006). He produced eight consensus first team Div. II all-Americans.

He processed five future NBA players in Oakley, English, Ben Wallace, Terry Davis and Jamie Waller. 

His 713-194 career record included three NCAA Div. II national championships in three decades — 1980, 1992 and 2005. He is the only head coach to ever accomplish that.

No one had a run like Dave Robbins.

In 1982 and 1983, Hampton won their first titles in CIAA history in back-to-back championship runs under former Maryland State playing legend Hank Ford. The 1982 title featured 6-8 center Greg “Dunkin'” Hines, who took the MVP award as the Pirates downed Saint Augustine’s. In ‘83, it was guard Tony Washington that was the MVP and led Hampton to a win over Norfolk State in the finals. 

CIAA Tournament’s greatest, hottest battles

There were perhaps no greater or more heated battles in CIAA history than those between Christian’s Norfolk State’s teams and Robbins’ VUU Panthers, particularly when Christian returned to the helm of the Spartans from 1981-1990. 

In the mid-1980s, the court battle was led by Robbins’ 6-8 powerful forward Oakley vs. Christian’s lithe guard Ralph Tally. The Oakley-Tally battles are something of legend. Their teams met in the tournament championship games every year from 1985 thru 1987. 

Norfolk State won in 1984 over Saint Augustine’s 68-64 but lost to VUU in the D2 playoffs, 58-56. VUU beat NSU 67-65 in the ’85 CIAA finals. NSU took down VUU 77-75 in the ’86 title game. They then downed the Panthers 70-60 in the D2 playoffs. VUU won again over NSU in the ‘87 championship game, 79-73. Tally was tournament MVP in ’84. Oakley and Tally shared the award in ’85. Tally won it again in ’86.   

Tally was the Div. II national player of the year in 1987 after averaging 28.5 points per game as a senior. Oakley took the award in 1985. Only the aforementioned VUU players under Robbins and Shaw’s Ronald “Flip” Murray in 2002 have been D2 Players of the Year from the CIAA since. 

From 1983 thru 1990, either a VUU player (Oakley ’83 and ’85, Terry Davis ’88 and ’89) or a Norfolk State player (David Pope ’83 and ’84, Tally ’85 thru ’88) were CIAA players of the year.  

The Eagles rise

Only a couple of years later in 1989, after Oakley and Tally finished their epic battles, North Carolina Central did what Winston-Salem State,“Big House” Gaines and Earl Monroe did some 20 years earlier.

The Eagles, under head coach Mike Bernard, lost in the CIAA tournament championship game to Robbins and tournament MVP Terry Davis. But they went on to claim the 1989 Div. II national title over Southeast Missouri State, 73-46. The defensive-minded Eagles’ 27-point margin set a new NCAA championship record.

The 1990s began with Christian winning another title for Norfolk State before stepping down, this time for good. The new-look Spartans rode the play of MVP Darren Sanderlin to the title over Hampton. 

Hampton came back the next year (1991), behind MVP Sheldon Owens, to take the title over Robbins and the Panthers. But Robbins came back with a vengeance for his early 90s four-peat. It was during those four championship years that the tournament came back South to Winston-Salem in 1994 and stayed in North Carolina before moving to Baltimore this season. Current VUU coach Jay Butler was a member of those championship teams from 1993 to 1995. 

Virginia Union’s most powerful team?

The 1992 team had one of Robbins’ most versatile players, 6-5 forward and Tournament MVP Reggie Jones and a phalanx of players just like him. That may have been Robbins’ strongest team that went on to thrash Bridgeport 100-75 for the D2 national championship. Jones, national player of the year Derrick Johnson and Warren Peebles, the CIAA tourney MVP in 1994, were members of that championship team.

 1993 saw the retirement of WSSU’s Gaines after 47 years as the face and heart of the CIAA. The 1995 MVP was rugged VUU 6-7 center Ben Wallace, who went on to stardom in the NBA.

Bernard took over at Norfolk State in 1991 and took home the championship trophy in 1996. St. Augustine’s under Norvell Lee, after knocking on the door several times, finally pushed it in in the 1997 season to win its first title.

WSSU returned to the winner’s circle in 1999 and 2000 as Rick Duckett led the Rams to back-to-back titles. Johnson C. Smith, under Steven Joyner Sr. and tough tournament MVP Antoine Sims captured the first-ever championship for the Golden Bulls in 2001. 

Going out with a bang!

Shaw’s Murray led the Bears to their first-ever tournament title in 2002 under Joel Hopkins. Cleo Hill Jr., the son of the CIAA legend, was an assistant on that Shaw team. He came back as the head coach to lead the Bears to another title in 2011 and is currently the head coach at his dad’s alma mater, Winston-Salem State.

Robbins’ last run was the three titles from 2004 to 2006 including the national championship run in 2005. That title squad featured two-time CIAA Player of the Year, Darius Hargrove, who was also the tournament’s back-to-back Most Outstanding player in 2004 and 2005. 

Since Robbins retirement in 2008, JC Smith under Joyner won back-to-back crowns in 2008 and 2009. James Stinson of Livingstone won back-to-back crowns in 2015 and 2016. Lonnie Blow, the current coach at Virginia State, won Saint Augustine’s second title in 2010 before winning titles at VSU in 2016 and 2019.

Butler won his first title at VUU in 2018.

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Here are some standouts from the CIAA’s opening week. 

CIAA North

Zach Hobbs, ECSU

The 2018 CIAA Rookie of The Year is no stranger to anyone who follows the league at this point. Now a grad student, he’s leading the way for ECSU as expected. After impressive showings in the exhibition season against NC State and North Carolina, he averaged 23.5 points per game this weekend in West Virginia. He scored 25 on 8-for-17 shooting in the win over Kutztown. He’s shooting 39 percent from the 3-point line so far. Hobbs got to the free throw line 16 times in the pair of games, but hit just under 69 percent. 

Caleb Simmons, Shaw
Shaw basketball coach Bobby Collins has never had an issue bringing in talent, and it looks like he’s got another one in freshman Caleb Simmons. The 6’4 import from New York scored 16 points in 19 minutes in his debut, hitting 5 of 7 field goal attempts in the win. He followed that up with an even better performance in Game Two, putting up 25 points on 11-for-14 shooting against West Virginia State. He’s shooting 76.2 percent from the field after two games. 

Jonathan Norfleet, Virginia State 
Virginia State opened the season at home facing tough competition and managed to come out 2-0. Norfleet scored 15 points in the opener against Mansfield and then added 16 in a win against Shippensburg. Those are pretty good numbers playing in Lonnie Blow’s offense, which usually never has one single “go to guy.” BJ Fitzgerald led the way with 23 against Shippensburg as VSU looks very strong coming out the gate. 

Jordan Camper, Lincoln

Camper made his presence felt early and often at the CIAA/PSAC Challenge. Camper looked like a man among boys in the opener against Kutztown, scoring 26 points and hitting 13 of his 16 field goal attempts to go along with 13 rebounds in the win. He followed that up with a 17-point, 11 rebound performance in a loss to Westchester. He’s hitting 75 percent of his shot attempts so far for LU. 

CIAA South

Navar Elmore, Livingstone

For the last couple of years in CIAA basketball, Nevar Elmore been the defensive specialist as a part of “The Elmore Twins.” But with his brother Lydell off making a living playing basketball, Nevar showed in the first weekend he’s capable of putting in work on his own and getting the ball in the hoop. Elmore averaged 15 points  and 9.5 rebounds in LC’s two games at the Earl Lloyd Classic. His size, length and versatility make him a nightmare for CIAA and D2 teams in general.

Xavier Jones, JCSU

Listed as a forward at 6’5, Jones is undersized but never outworked. He started the season with 19 and 11 against Catawba and followed it with 21 and 8 against Newberry, closing out the weekend averaging 20 and 9. Right behind him is big man Augustine Ominu, who averaged 14.5 and 10.5 in the two contests. Looks like JCSU may look to play bully ball this season. 

Jon Hicklin, WSSU

The 2020 CIAA Championship squad at Winston-Salem State introduced us to Jon Hicklin the facilitator. Through the first two games of the 2021-22 season, we’ve seen John Hicklin the scorer. He put up 19 points in a season-opening loss to West Liberty and followed that up with 18 against Wheeling Jesuit as WSSU picked up the win. He shot 11-for-19 from the field and averaged six rebounds in the first two games. His consistent scoring hand would be a plus early in the season as WSSU integrates former Lincoln star Cam Campbell and freshmen guards Issac Parson and Samage Teel into the offense.

Darian Dixon, Fayetteville State

Fayetteville State comes into the regular season with high expectations – predicted to win the CIAA South. It went 1-1 over the weekend but it got two solid performances from Darian Dixon. The postman averaged 17 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in the opening weekend. He shot a solid 80 percent from the free throw line. He and senior Jalen Seegars are a tough one-two scoring punch to contend with. 

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Playing For Pride

Lincoln (0-2 in conference, 0-5 overall): Chances of winning = in the basement.  The Lions haven’t gotten remotely close to winning a championship since they joined Division II.  The Lions need cub steps, like win more than one game in a season before we can meaningfully put “Lincoln” and “championship” in the same sentence.  I think we all have a better chance of winning the lottery than Lincoln winning a championship this year.

St. Augustine’s (0-2, 0-3): They were closer to a championship in 2019 than they are today.  This flock is struggling to fly, much less go high.  Their championship would be beating Shaw on the field the two teams share, and that’s a tall order on its own.

JC Smith (0-2, 0-4): Their championship drought is a long one, and just add another year for the Golden Bulls.  But, winning against Winston-Salem and Livingstone in the same year would give the same high as a championship, and that outcome is a possibility for the first time in forever. 

Livingstone (0-2, 0-5): LC’s championship chances haven’t been alive for two decades, and this season isn’t any different. Don’t let the record fool you though, as the Blue Bears are proving to be a tough out. Livingstone as a spoiler would give the the program a big boost.

Winston-Salem State (0-2, 0-4): No team that loses 73-7 to a conference opponent should even be in the championship conversation.  End of story.

CIAA Pretenders 

Virginia State (1-1, 1-3): The Trojans are an army that has some ammunition shortages to go to war with the top schools in the conference.  We saw South leader Fayetteville State plunder them, and two other schools with better records at this point loom to raid their end zones for points. 

Virginia Union (1-1, 2-3): The black cats from the capital city do not have the claws from prior years, and they could not get over the hump then.  Expect more noise than scratches on the scoreboard in divisional play.

CIAA Contenders

Elizabeth City State (2-0, 2-3): The Vikings played well in the kiddie pool, but now are sailing into deeper waters in the North.  Expect the ship to take on too much water to make it to championship island. 

Fayetteville State (2-0, 3-1): The Broncos are bear hunting this week, and we have seen how this plays out.  A successful outing against Shaw puts FSU in the driver seat with potentially not much resistance by the other four South teams.  Saddle up, as things look promising to reach the championship for the four consecutive time.

Shaw (2-0, 3-2): The Bears are out to corral Fayetteville State for the first time in a long time.  This game has likely been circled on Shaw’s calendar for some time.  A Bears win means wrestling long time control of the South from the Broncos, as two rivalry games to finish the season just don’t have the same panache from prior seasons.  This season represents their best odds to reach the championship game since 2010. 

Chowan (2-0, 5-0): Things look good for the Hawks to get to the championship game provided that they can get past the conference’s current kings in Bowie State this weekend.  This group has been like FedEx in that they have been serving overnight deliveries to the endzone all season.  Odds look good.

Bowie State (2-0, 4-1): The reigning conference champion remains in control so far, but challengers are all preparing their best shot.  The first one comes at them this Saturday, and it looks like a full strength effort too.  Hold here, and the odds look very good.

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Shaw (3-2) opened up the scoring with a Devin Versteegen 22 yard field goal in the first quarter.  Andre Brandon, Jr added a rushing touchdown as the first quarter winded down to give the Bears a 10-0 lead. Shaw took advantage of a short field late in the first half, capped off by a Roberts pass reception from quarterback Christian Peters.  

It wasn’t until midway through the third quarter that Virginia Union reached the endzone. Defensive back Domantay Rhem intercepted Peters’ pass, and VUU (2-3) cashed in via a one-yard Jada Byers rush. Shaw responded with a Versteegen field goal on the next drive.  The final score came from Shaw, as Sidney Gibbs scored on a two-yard rush.  Shaw had an opportunity for that score because VUU quarterback Khalid Morris’s fumble deep in Panther territory and Shaw defensive lineman Dast Sturkie recovered the fumble.

Shaw dominated this game in nearly every major statistical category. The Bears outgained the Panthers 393-166 yards, and did so via a balanced effort between the passing and rushing play.  Moreover, Shaw controlled the time of possession (31 to 27 minutes), converted on five of six redzone chances, and forced more turnovers than VUU (two to one). 

Peters paced the Bears’ passing attack with 194 yards on 15 completions. He also had one touchdown pass and one interception.  Gibbs and Brandon combined for 139 rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.  Defensively, Kevin Sherman had seven tackles and two interceptions from his secondary spot, while Devon Hunt notched seven tackles, three tackles for loss, and a sack. 

VUU’s Morris passed for 125 yards, while Byers recorded 67 rushing yards. Rhem collected 11 tackles and an interception, and fellow defensive back Tovias Parker had 10 tackles, including two tackles for loss.

Shaw’s win allowed them to keep pace with division rival Fayetteville State, who also won its second conference game yesterday. Shaw will host Fayetteville State in a high stakes matchup next week, while VUU will be looking to regroup vs Lincoln (PA) for homecoming.

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Raleigh, NC — The Shaw Bears put on a show for their home crowd in their first home game in almost two years as they shut out the Central State Marauders 52-0 Saturday afternoon at the George Williams Athletic Complex.

Shaw improves to 1-2 on the season while Central State drops to 1-2 overall.

The Bears couldn’t have asked for a better start with the defense forcing a quick three and out. On the first play from scrimmage, Sidney Gibbs spined outside and took the handoff 58 yards for a touchdown putting Shaw ahead 7-0 with 12:29 left in the 1^st quarter.  Shaw forced another CSU punt on their second possession.  Facing a third and long situation, Christian Peters found Ah’Shaan Belcher who carried a few defenders with him down to the Marauders 32-yard line.  Three players later the Peters—Belcher connection cashed in from 14 yards out. Devin Versteegen added the PAT to make the score 14-0 in favor of the Bears with 3:53 remaining in the opening quarter.  

After a decent return set up CSU in good field position, Da’Shawn Wallace ended the threat with an interception at the Shaw 16-yard line keeping the score at 14-0 at the end of the first quarter. Shaw pushed their score to 21-0 with an Andre Brandon Jr. one-yard score with 5:27 left in the half.  Peters found the endzone again just before the half connecting with Jon Barnes from four yards out pushing the SU lead to 28-0 at the break.

Jermaine Russel opened the second half with a big kick return up to midfield. The Bears needed little time finding the endzone as Peters scored from 20 yards out on third down with 11:21 left in the third quarter. The Shaw special teams got in on the action with a Jatoine Fields blocked punt that was returned for a touchdown by Jon Barnes putting Shaw ahead 42-0.

Jaleel Scroggins gave the ball back to the Bears with an interception and return to the 10-yard line. Shaw was kept out of the endzone, but Versteegen added his first career field goal from 23 yards out making the score 45-0 in favor of Shaw. Jatoine Fields got in on the scoring action with a one-yard score that featured nothing but runs by Fields padding the Shaw lead to 52-0 producing the final tally.

Peters finished the day 13-17 through the air for three total touchdowns. Gibbs led the rushing attack with 150 yards on 14 carries and one score. The SU offense outgained Central State 487-203 while the defense pitched their first shutout since shutting out Winston Salem State 21-0 on November 2, 2019.

Shaw returns to action Saturday, September 25 when they open CIAA action against Lincoln (PA). Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.

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The Shaw University football team fell on the road to #24 Wingate in the 2021 season opener 30-7 Thursday evening inside Irwin Belk Stadium in Wingate, NC.

Shaw falls to 0-1 on the early season while Wingate improves to 1-0.

The Bulldogs outgained the Bears in total yards 393 to 188. Christian Peters provided a spark off the bench finishing 10-14 passing for 59 yards while also leading the Bears in rushing with 75 yards on eight carries and one touchdown. Devon Hunt led the way on defense with nine total tackles followed by Da’Shawn Wallace with seven tackles. Kareem Butler came away with an interception in his college debut.

For the first time in almost two years the Shaw took the field after a touchback. The Bears would be stopped short on third down but a penalty on Wingate kept the drive alive.  Nothing would come from the second chance as Shaw would again punt the ball away.

Wingate took the ensuing punt down the field in 10 plays going 66 yards scoring on first and goal after a facemask penalty on third down put Wingate ahead 7-0 with 7:54 left in the first quarter. Following another Shaw punt, the Bulldogs offense again moved the ball down the field scoring on a 16-yard pass play pushing the Wingate lead to 14-0 with 2:46 remaining in the opening stanza.

Both teams then traded punts as the Shaw defense forced their first three and out of the game making the score 14-0 at the end of the quarter.

A promising Shaw drive that featured a 22-yard Sidney Gibbs rush was halted by a sack resulting in a 54-yard punt from Karlton Byrd Jr, Wingate started another drive which reached the Shaw 23-yard line before freshman linebacker Kareem Butler intercepted a tipped pass returning it back to the Shaw 36 yard line with just over 11 minutes left in the half. The Bears would be unable to convert the turnover into anything positive as another Byrd punt followed with 9:31 left before the break.

The Wingate offense responded with a 10-play drive resulting in a six-yard run to extend the Shaw deficit to 21-0 with 5:13 on the clock in the second quarter. The Bears would make a switch at quarterback putting in Christian Peters who sparked a Shaw drive inside the Wingate 30 but would come to a stop after a fourth down stop by Wingate leaving the score 21-0 at halftime.

Both teams traded punts to open the second half before the Bulldogs turned their second offensive possession into the points with a 20-yard FG extending their lead to 24-0 with 6:15 left in the third quarter. Neither team would score the rest of the period.

Wingate added another short touchdown with 14:15 left in the game making the score 30-0 in favor of the Bulldogs.

Peters reentered the game and took a read option and hit paydirt from 59 yards out. Devin Versteegen added the PAT making the score 30-7 with 12:26 left in the game. Punts were traded the rest of the game with Wingate coming away with the 30-7 victory.

Shaw will return to action Saturday September 11 as they travel to FCS Davidson College. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m.

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RALEIGH, N.C. — Akeem Judd was named running backs coach at Shaw University, it was announced today by Head Football Coach Adrian Jones.

“I’m really proud of Akeem and happy to announce him to our staff,” said Jones. “He brings a lot of knowledge from his playing days in the SEC and the NFL.”

This is Judd’s first collegiate coaching career opportunity. The former Ole Miss running back played his junior and senior seasons in Oxford, rushing for 1,251 yards and nine touchdowns during his time as a Rebel.

Akeem Judd had a short stint in the National Football League (NFL), signing as an undrafted free agent with the Tennessee Titans in 2017. He also spent time with the New York Jets and Green Bay Packers before announcing his retirement in August of 2018.

Once ranked the No. 1 junior college running back in the country – Judd helped lead Georgia Military College to the junior college national championship game as a sophomore while rushing 95 times for 558 yards and four touchdowns during an injury-riddled season.

Keeping it within the family, the relationship between Jones and Judd runs deep as Judd attended Southern High School in Durham, playing under Coach Jones where he ran for 1,324 yards and 14 touchdowns his senior season.

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RALEIGH, N.C. — Bobby Collins ,Shaw University men’s basketball head coach, has announced that he is offering an Elite Day Camp on Saturday, August 7 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on campus inside the historic C.C. Spaulding Gymnasium. Early check in will be held from 12 noon.

Bobby Collins will take the helm at Shaw U starting with the 2021-2022 season and becomes the 16^th head coach in Shaw men’s basketball history

“We are delighted to have Bobby Collins as our Head Men’s Basketball Coach,” said Shaw University Director of Athletics, Dr. Alfonza L. Carter. “He brings with him a wealth of coaching experience. He is a proven winner and can get the job done on the court and off the court. I look forward to his commitment to both academic and athletic success which makes him the right fit to lead our men’s basketball program.

Collins comes to Shaw after serving a two-year stint as an assistant coach at South Carolina State University

“I am very excited about joining the Shaw University family,” added Collins. “Shaw U has a pedigree of winning and I look forward to leading the program back to its winning ways.

The Elite Camp is geared towards high school players and unsigned 2021 seniors looking to compete at the highest level with intentions of playing at the collegiate level. The Elite camp will test participants skill level with drills and competition against some of the best players in North Carolina and around the country.

The cost of the camp is $60 the day of and $40 for early registration.

Camp instruction and skill sessions will be provided by the Shaw men’s basketball staff and current players.

All campers are subject to Shaw University campus COVID-19 protocols. 

To register for the camps online — CLICK HERE

Questions concerning camp should be addressed to Coach Wykevin Bazemore at 919-719-8862. 

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RALEIGH, N.C. — After a year of no football, Shaw U will finally return to the gridiron with four home games and six road contests highlighted by matchups with Wingate, FCS Division I member, Davidson and the Raleigh Classic for the 2021 football schedule released Tuesday.

The Bears will kick off the 21′ campaign with a pair of road games against South Atlantic Conference (SAC) opponent, Wingate on Sept. 2 as the season opener. The game will be the third meeting between the two programs.

The following week, Shaw will travel to face FCS — Davidson from the Pioneer Football League for the first time in program history on Sept. 11 at Richardson Stadium.

Another first time foe awaits Shaw on Sept. 18 against Central State of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) tagged as the Bears home opener from the George Williams Athletic Complex. The Marauders were 3-7 in 2019.

Shaw will begin Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) cross division play with a road contest at Lincoln (PA) on Sept. 25 while the October slate opens with a trip to Richmond, Va. to face Virginia Union for the 47^th time, with the last meeting in 2015.

The remainder of the season consists of CIAA Southern Division competition as the Bears will host Fayetteville State on Oct. 9 from the George Williams Athletic Complex. The following week, Shaw will travel to Salisbury to meet the Blue Bears of Livingstone (Oct. 16).

The next two games will be home tilts for the Bears. Shaw will host Johnson C. Smith for Homecoming on Oct. 23 from Durham County Memorial Stadium while on Oct. 30, SU will celebrate Senior Day against Winston-Salem State on Oct. 30.

Shaw will conclude the regular season against rival and division foe, Saint Augustine’s for the Raleigh Classic (Nov. 6).

The 2021 CIAA Championship is slated to be on Nov. 13 in Salem, Va.

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RALEIGH, N.C.—After a national search, Shaw University President, Dr. Paulette Dillard has announced the appointment of George Knox as its new Director of Athletics.  Knox will assume the role on September 1, 2020, succeeding Dr. Alfonza L. Carter, who announced his retirement after serving nearly two decades in the position.

Knox brings over a decade of professional experience to this role, including a one-year stint as interim director of athletics at Winston-Salem State University. Since 2015, Knox has served as the Associate Director of Athletics at WSSU besides ensuring that the Rams Athletic Department and its student-athletes remain in full compliance with NCAA rules and guidelines, he also supervised the athletic facilities and general game-day operations. 

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“I’m excited to welcome Mr. George Knox as our new Athletic Director,” remarked President Dillard. “Mr. Knox’s work ethic, leadership, and successful track record of fundraising make him the ideal candidate to lead this program. I appreciate his focus on athletes first being students while imparting his competitive mentality.”

Prior to joining the staff at Winston-Salem State, Knox served as the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Associate Commissioner for External Relations where he managed all external partners, including sponsors Coca-Cola, Nationwide Insurance, Food Lion, and Toyota. He also served as the liaison for television production and was the championship coordinator for the CIAA Football Championship game and secondary coordinator for the CIAA Basketball Championship Tournament.

 “I want to thank Dr. Dillard and the Board of Trustees for the opportunity to be the next Director of Athletics at Shaw University,” said Knox. “I will intently focus on the health and wellbeing of our players, their academic success, and helping them win. One of my top priories will be connecting with alumni, corporate partners, and supporters as together we build on the program’s legacy and create a fresh path for winning.”

During his career, Knox has had several accomplishments, including serving on the NCAA Division II Basketball Regional Advisory Committee and on the NCAA Division II Tennis Regional Advisory Committee.

Knox is a graduate of Winston-Salem State University with a degree in Sports Management. He is married to Lakisha Bridges Knox. He is the father of one daughter and one son.

Shaw University sponsors 13 varsity sports teams that compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II. Shaw has 10 sports that compete in the CIAA Conference.  

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Sources tell HBCU Gameday that Winston-Salem State star WyKevin Bazemore and former CIAA head coach Ken Spencer will join Collins on the bench in Raleigh for Shaw University.

The news is expected to be announced later this week.

Bazemore and Spencer have both been integral to Collins career. 

Bazemore, the younger brother of NBA vet Kent Bazemore, was a four-time All-CIAA player. His first three seasons were under Collins. He was a freshman of the 2012 squad that won the CIAA Tournament and made multiple NCAA runs.

Bazemore completed his career notching 1,337 points and recording 984 rebounds. He currently ranks third in WSSU history in career rebounds. He had a brief pro career overseas before getting into coaching, joining the staff at UVA-Wise in 2018.

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Spencer and Collins go back even further. He served as an assistant under Collins, helping recruit future pro Paul Davis and others during WSSU’s time in the MEAC. He’s served as head coach at St. Aug (2010-2012) and Fayetteville State (2016-2019). Spencer led Fayetteville State to the CIAA title game in 2017.

Now Collins’ former player and assistant are joining him in Raleigh to try to rebuild a Shaw program that fell hard in 2020. After winning three straight Southern Division titles from 2017 through 2019, Shaw won just five games last year and was bounced out in the first round of the CIAA Tournament.

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What starts as a promising basketball career for Davon Dillard eventually sends him spiraling into the abyss of the portal, dropping him off in the most unlikely of destinations… A division II HBCU.

As a top 100 recruit from the class of 2015, Dillard’s path took him from the streets of Gary, Indiana to the suburbs of Long Island, New York as a High School hoops phenom. Davon’s journey then takes him to to the plains of Stillwater, Oklahoma, where he excelled on the court and struggled to feel at home off of it. And after 2 and a half up and down seasons at Oklahoma State, Dillard made his way to Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he found something more important than any championship or individual accolade… The warm embrace of HBCU culture.

Witness Davon’s journey from an immature kid to an enlightened man ready to become a professional basketball player… in another most unlikely location.

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