Norfolk State’s Jamarii Thomas is the leading scorer in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference this season.
NBA All-Star Weekend is upon us, and the league will once again showcase some of the best basketball offered by Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
The Virginia Union University Panthers and Winston-Salem State University Rams will compete in the 2024 NBA HBCU Classic presented by AT&T. The game will be held on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 2:00 p.m. ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and be simulcast on TNT, NBA TV and ESPN.
As the matchup approaches, here are five notable players from the four power HBCU conferences:
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC)
Fred Cleveland Jr., NC Central
• Senior | G
Cleveland is a steady 5-foot-9 point guard and forms a potent backcourt with fellow senior Ja’Darius Harris. He had a career-high 30 points earlier this season against St. Andrews. A two-time MEAC Player of the Week, Cleveland averaged 19.3 points and 6.7 assists during a three-game winning streak in January.
Bryce Harris, Howard
• Junior | G
The leader of the defending MEAC conference champs, Harris is a four-time MEAC Defensive Player of the Week. He also leads the conference in field goal percentage and the Bison in scoring and rebounding.
Martaz Robinson, Delaware State
Senior | G
Robinson has Delaware State off to its best start in 20 years, leading the Hornets in scoring and rebounding. A two-time MEAC Player of the Week, he was formerly one of the top high school players in Baltimore.
Wynston Tabbs, Morgan State
• Senior | G
Tabbs had a 38-point output against UM-Baltimore County and is capable of getting hot from anywhere on the floor. A transfer from East Carolina, Tabbs is among the leading field goal, free-throw and 3-point shooters in the conference. He also had 25 points against Coppin State.
Jamarii Thomas, Norfolk State
• Junior | G
The transfer from UNC-Wilmington has made an immediate splash with the Spartans, leading them in scoring as the top option. He had 31 points against Illinois State and 27 against Florida Gulf Coast University.
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA)
Jordan Hinds, Bluefield State
• Junior | G
Has over 1,000 career points as the leading scorer for the Big Blue. He’s known for his all-around play at both ends of the floor and was named CIAA Player of the Week twice in the season’s first month.
Tahj Harding, Virginia Union
• Junior | G
His 47 points earlier this season against Augusta University were the most by a VUU player since ex-NBA player A.J. English had 54 against St. Augustine in 1990. He leads the team in scoring and is one of the leaders in steals and assists.
Avery Huggins, Johnson C. Smith
• Junior | F
The versatile forward leads the Golden Bulls in scoring, rebounding and blocks. Huggins, a JUCO transfer, had 27 points against Claflin last month.
Jaylen Alston, Winston-Salem State
• Senior | G
He notched 1,000 points for his career this season. A three-time winner of the CIAA Player of the Week honors, Alston leads the team in scoring and 3-point shooting.
Isaac Parson, Winston-Salem State
• Junior | G
Hailing from Kinston, N.C., the small town that has produced a surprising number of NBA players, Parson earned HBCU National Player of the Week honors in early January. He was named to the preseason All-CIAA Yeam backcourt.
For the third consecutive year, @ATT will be the presenting sponsor for the #NBAHBCUClassic. This year’s matchup features Virginia Union University and Winston-Salem State University during #NBAAllStar Weekend in Indy, Feb. 17. pic.twitter.com/Qg27wwPByI
— #NBAAllStar (@NBAAllStar) February 2, 2024
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC)
Chris Martin, Clark Atlanta
• Grad student | G
Marin leads Clark in scoring, assists and steals. He had his biggest game of the season against Benedict when he scored 32 points. It was Clark’s first-ever victory over a ranked opponent. Benedict was No. 8 in Division II.
Alvin Miles, Miles
• Senior | G
It’s just a coincidence that the player who leads the team in scoring, assists and steals for Miles has the last name Miles. With multiple contributions from its leader, Miles (the school) hopes to go the distance in the SIAC.
Walter Peggs, Jr., Spring Hill
• Junior | G
His season highlight was a buzzer-beater over Central State last month. A three-time Player of the Week and newcomer of the week, Peggs is among the 3-point leaders in Division II.
Tim Moore, Benedict
• Senior | G
Averaging 16 points a night for the season, Moore has been a steady performer and a key reason why Benedict has surged to the top in the conference.
Martez Jones, Tuskegee
• Junior | F
He had a buzzer-beating layup to beat rival Miles, finishing with 19 points and nine rebounds in that game. Jones leads Tuskegee in scoring and rebounding and also leads the conference in double-doubles.
Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC)
Tai’Reon Joseph, Southern
• Junior | G
Joseph dropped 33 points on Florida A&M (including eight 3-pointers) and perhaps more impressively, 27 points in a win against ranked Mississippi State. He leads the SWAC in scoring and is top-25 in Division I.
Antonio “TJ” Madlock, Alabama State
• Junior | G
Madlock transferred from South Carolina State two years ago to play for his father at Alabama State. He was named SWAC Player of the Week four times this season and scored a career-high 30 points against Prairie View last month.
Kylen Milton, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
• Junior | G
Milton leads UAPB in scoring, is second in rebounds and third in assists. He had a 26-point, nine-rebound game on Jan. 29 against Grambling. He also had 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists on the road against Texas Southern.
Jakobi Heady, Bethune-Cookman
• Sophomore | F
One of the top options for ex-NBA star and BCC head coach Reggie Theus, Heady leads Bethune in scoring and has drawn faves from Theus who calls Heady “a three-level scorer with a lot of talent.”
Kintavious Dozier, Grambling State
• Junior | G
Twice named by the MEAC this season with weekly honors, Dozier leads Grambling in scoring, making nearly half his shots. He had 25 points against Bethune-Cookman and 23 against Florida A&M.
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
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