The lead up to the start of the 2020-21 college basketball season has been full of challenges and disappointments for teams, players, coaches and administrators as everyone tries to navigate through the tough decisions of what’s right and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. We congratulate the teams that have found a way to take the court this season. And, we wish the best of health, physically and mentally, to those teams that are not playing. We look forward to seeing you for the 2021-22 season.

Our preseason HBCU men’s basketball first-team and second-team is divided between the Division I, II and NAIA levels.  Many NAIA teams started playing games in early November, while NCAA D-I teams started playing the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Most of the D-II teams will begin their seasons in January primarily playing a conference-only schedule.

Leading our D-I first team are a pair of guards recognized as the preseason conference player of the year in the MEAC and SWAC. 

North Carolina A&T State senior guard Kameron Langley was a first-team BOXTOROW and All-MEAC last year, leading the nation in assists per game (8.0), total assist (247) and triple doubles (2). He set the school and conference all-time assists record. 

Jackson State senior guard Tristan Jarrett averaged the second highest scoring average per game in the SWAC last year (16.8) and was a first-team All-SWAC member. Jarrett had a minimum of 20 points in 11 games, and scored over 30 points twice during the regular season in back-to-back games.

Rounding out the D-I first-team are Alcorn State senior guard Troymaine Crosby (13.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.3 spg) and Texas Southern grad forward Justin Hopkins (10.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg,), who were both named to the preseason All-SWAC first-team, and Coppin State senior forward Koby Thomas, who is a preseason All-MEAC first-team member, is the MEAC’s top returning scoring (13.3 ppg) and was in the top 10 in rebounds (6.9 rpg), steals (1.3 spg) and field goal percentage (.469) last year.

The D-II first-team features two pairs of teammates, All-Americans, MVPs and a “Super Sophomore” that had an outstanding freshman season. 

Starting with a pair from Miles College, senior guard Avery Brown averaged 17.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game for the SIAC champions on his way to earning conference player of the year, first-team All-SIAC and BOXTOROW first-team All-American honors. Jelani Watson-Gayle, Brown’s backcourt senior teammate at Miles, was the MVP of the SIAC tournament, second-team All-SIAC and BOXTOROW All-American.  Watson-Gayle led the league in 3-pointers attempted (202), made (84), by percentage (.416) and per-game rate (3.0) as he averaged 16.1 points per game.

West Virginia State senior guard Glen Abrams scored 18.3 points per game, which earned him first-team conference honors and BOXTOROW first-team All-American honors. Abram’s teammate, sophomore forward Anthony Pittman averaged 15.1 ppg, 7.9 rpg and a team-high 56 steals and 42 blocks which earned him second-team All-MEC recognition. 

Lincoln (PA) University senior forward Daequan Williams averaged a double-double (12.6 ppg, 11.2 rpg) and earned second-team BOXTOROW All-American honors, as well as second-team recognition from D-II coaches in the D2CCA. Williams also earned the CIAA Defensive Player of the Year award.

The nation’s leading scorer in the NAIA leads our group of seniors on the first-team NAIA division, along with a pair of guards from New Orleans that play for rival schools, another top 15 scorer in the nation, and a seven-footer from Helsinki, Finland that averaged a double-double in the sunshine state.

Harris-Stowe senior guard Deshawn Munson averaged 28.5 points, 11.4 rebounds, 8.1 assists, 3.0 steals per game as he earned NAIA first-team All-American along with Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and first-team All-conference from the American Midwest Conference (AMC).  Munson was also named to the Top 25 Bevo Francis Award Watch List in March 2020.

First-team All-GCAC guards Malik Amos and Rayshawn Mart played against each other three-times for Dillard University and Xavier (La.) University, respectively. Amos averaged 19.2 points and 3.2 assists per game for Dillard. He was sixth in the nation in total 3pt FG made and was 16th in the nation in scoring.  Mart helped lead Xavier to the conference championship as he averaged 16.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists per game.

Huston-Tilloston senior guard Aloysis James averaged 19.2 points and 3.2 assists per game as he earned first-team All-Red River honors. James' scoring average was 14th best in NAIA. Florida Memorial’s senior center Mubashar Ali was a big deal for the Lions last year. The seven-footer was a first-team All-Sun Conference player last year as he averaged 13.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.

A full listing of first and second team preseason selections for all three divisions is below. We look forward to tracking these young men throughout the season and see which new players move onto our radar as the season plays out.