Three HBCU men’s basketball teams made this year’s NCAA field, Prairie View A&M, Howard and Tennessee State, marking the first time since 1994. On the women’s side, Howard and Southern represented, and all earned at least one victory before being eliminated.
Did these squads, all low seeds, finally earn some long-sought respect from PWIs, hoop purists and, more importantly, the NCAA selection committee?
“I feel like sometimes HBCUs get overlooked, so I’m excited that we finally get some recognition that we deserve,” said Southern sophomore guard Jocelyn Tate prior to the Jaguars’ first-round matchup against South Carolina. “We put the hard work in, and yeah, we just go out and have fun.”
South Carolina Head Coach Dawn Staley, responding to a question from The Next’s Rob Knox, said: “HBCUs have been given a raw deal at times because they’re just HBCUs and not Power Four programs. Southern is super well-coached. I do think the more success HBCUs have in the tournament, they will no longer be looked at as just 16 seeds. When you start to see that happen more regularly, then you know they’re being taken more seriously and that they are coached extremely well.”
Said Howard senior forward Zennia Thomas, “Just being able to set the standard for HBCUs, especially on the women’s side, shows that we are able to compete at a high level.”
Howard Women’s Head Coach Ty Grace added, “As soon as I stepped foot on campus in 2015, I wanted to set the standard. As far as HBCU basketball, you couldn’t ask for a more competitive place. These young ladies compete. I’m proud to be at an HBCU.”
Respect goes beyond the scoreboard
Staley’s gesture underscores impact and visibility of HBCU programs
Just before playing Southern, Staley met and spoke with the players.
“I think it shows how good of a person she is,” said Southern senior guard D’Shantae Edwards. “It’s not just about basketball.”
Tate added, “I think a lot of me and my teammates look up to Dawn. We’re definitely fans of hers. Having her come in and talk to us, I think it was very insightful and I’m very thankful for her.”
Staley later told reporters of Southern, “They play a battle-tested schedule. They beat a couple of Power Four teams.”
From Tuscaloosa to Dinkytown: A March to remember
Heavy travel, deep coverage and a commitment to telling the stories
This year’s March Madness journey took us to Tuscaloosa, Ala. (1,041 miles), outside Atlanta (1,127 miles), then back home to Arden Hills (10.8 miles) and the University of Minnesota’s Dinkytown campus (17 minutes), over a span of about three weeks.
Along with the three NCAA first- and second-round games hosted by Minnesota, I attended nearly 60 total women’s and men’s basketball games. Except in one case, MSR was the only local media outlet in attendance at two Black college tournaments and two NCAA Division III games at Bethel University.
Said Rob Knox, a longtime journalist and friend, “I’ve lost count of how many quality and insightful women’s basketball stories I’ve written since the beginning of this month. It’s definitely more than 30.” He estimated covering at least 41 postseason games across three conferences (CAA, MEAC, SWAC), as well as the NCAAs.
FINALLY…
Black College Invitational Championships close out postseason run
Benedict College defeated Bowie State 66–62 (WBB), and Virginia State defeated Bluefield State 69–66 (MBB) in the respective Black College Invitational Championships last Saturday.