Selection Sunday is March 17. Will this year’s HBCU teams get better than a low double-digit seed?
Of the 59 times HBCU men’s teams made the round of 64, only one school (Southern) had the best seed (No. 13). Otherwise, 33 times a Black college team has been seeded 16th, the lowest possible seed.
Only four teams have ever won a first-round game—Southern, Coppin State, Hampton and Norfolk State. Alcorn State also won their first NCAA tournament game in 1980, but this was when the tourney consisted of 32 teams.
It’s not better on the women’s side. After Howard, Jackson State and Cheyney made history making the mostly PWI (predominantly white institutions) field in the first NCAA tournament in 1982, only 19 other HBCUs earning NCAA bids and only three (Cheyney, 8-3, South Carolina State 1-1 and Howard, 1-7) have won at least one tournament game.
Only three Black schools have gotten a higher seed than 16th— Cheyney earned No. 1, 2 and 3 seeds in 1983, 1982 and 1984 respectively; Jackson State (No. 7 in 1982), and Howard (1982), Jackson State (1983) and South Carolina State (1983) have all gotten a No. 8 seed.
The MEAC men’s and women’s tournaments are in Norfolk, VA this week (March 13-16). The SWAC is holding its tournaments this week as well in Birmingham, AL. Both HBCU conferences’ tournament winners will receive the automatic NCAA berth.
According to the latest ESPN projections, only Jackson State (SWAC) and Norfolk State (MEAC) are predicted to make the NCAA WBB field, both as No. 15 seeds, and Grambling State (SWAC) and Norfolk State (MEAC) as No. 16 seeds on the men’s side.
Calling this an annual slap or a total disrespect for Black college basketball isn’t a stretch. Wishing it eventually would go away might be a pipe dream as well.
“People are not treating HBCUs at the same level” as PWIs, noted freelance journalist Kyle J. Andrews, who covers college sports for Press Box OnLine out of Baltimore. “I think the problem isn’t necessarily with HBCUs, but I think it’s the people who continue to think that they’re second tier, which they are not.”
Both Norfolk State basketball teams are the top seed in their respective tournaments this week: The men’s remaining seeds are North Carolina Central (2), South Carolina State (3), Howard (4), Morgan State (5), Delaware State (6), Maryland Eastern Shore (7) and Coppin State (8).
The MEAC women’s seeds after the Spartans are Howard (2), North Carolina Central (3), Coppin State (4), Maryland Eastern Shore (5), Delaware State (6), Morgan State (7), and South Carolina State (8).
Jackson State (WBB) and Grambling State (MBB) are the SWAC tournament top seeds. Both teams are expected to emerge as tournament champs after the finals games on Saturday. The same is expected for the two Norfolk State teams as well. The MEAC championship game also is scheduled for Saturday.
“They deserve to be in the NCAA Tournament. Norfolk State is one of the 32 at-large teams. We got to make sure we push for them,” South Carolina State WBB Coach Tim Eatman told the MSR earlier this season.
Andrews covered the recent CIAA tournament. The CIAA is America’s oldest all-Black conference. Lincoln (Pa.) University won the men’s title, and Fayetteville State are the women’s winners. Both teams earned the automatic NCAA Division II berths.
“The CIAA tournament served as a bridge to the [Baltimore] culture,” said Andrews on the tournament now being played in Baltimore—it moved up north to Baltimore in 2022 after years in Charlotte, North Carolina. Officials announced earlier this year that the tourney will remain in “Charm City” through 2026.
Sadly, concluded Andrews, DII HBCUs getting high seeds rarely or never happens.