The MEAC and SWAC represented themselves and the HBCU community well in the NCAA Tournament this past week.
While we are still searching for that elusive first Sweet 16 appearance by an HBCU at the D-I level, there were some outstanding performances to honor.
Here are the HBCU Sports All-HBCU/NCAA Tournament Teams.
Men’s All-HBCU/NCAA Tournament Team
- Bryce Harris, 6’4 sr. guard/forward, Howard
Harris not only wowed people with his play (19 points in the Bison’s first-ever tourney win over UMBC and 21 against Michigan), but with his parting address dedicated to Howard head coach Kenny Blakeney.
Harris chose to stay at Howard following a foot injury that cost him most of the 2024-25 season and he made the most of it, winning MEAC player of the year honors and leading Howard to another milestone in the school’s sports history books.
- Dontae Horne, 6’4 sr. guard, Prairie View A&M
Horne was a scoring machine all year long and Lehigh got a taste of that in the First Four. Horne scored 25 points (and grabbed seven rebounds) as the Panthers earned their first NCAA D-1 tournament win as well.
Horne, a transfer from Georgia Southern, expressed his gratitude for the Panthers taking a chance on him, proving to be a great spokesman for the university as well as the team’s scoring ace.
- Cory Wells, 6’7 grad student forward, Prairie View A&M
Wells was a solid complement to Horne in the First Four, scoring 19 points and pulling down 11 rebounds as well as collecting three blocked shots and three steals each.
- Ose Okojie, 6’5 senior guard/forward, Howard
Okojie represented the Bison well on the podium, but his athleticism on the court was UMBC’s undoing as he scored 23 points in Howard’s 86-83 win.
For a player who missed most of the previous year with an injury and didn’t play much the two years before that, Okojie’s patience proved to be a blessing for Howard in 2026.
- Cam Gillus, 5’11 junior point guard, Howard
Lehigh transfer Gillus helped keep the Bison in the Michigan game with five three-point field goals and 21 points, proving to be the point guard Howard needed to make their run.
Women’s All HBCU/NCAA Tournament Team
- Zennia Thomas, 6’2 sr. forward, Howard
The MEAC player of the year played well against No. 3 seed Ohio State, scoring 15 points and grabbing six rebounds.
A transfer from Kentucky, Thomas has been a valuable asset to head coach Ty Grace’s mission of making Howard a nationally recognized team.
- Ariella Henigan, 5’6 freshman guard, Howard
There aren’t many 5-foot-6 guards achieving double-doubles in NCAA tournament games, but that’s what Henigan did against the Buckeyes, scoring 14 points and hauling in 10 rebounds.
With Henigan in place as the floor general, Howard has even more to look forward to next season.
- DeMya Porter, 6’1 soph. forward, Southern
Porter, who has nearly doubled all of her statistical averages this season, overwhelmed Samford in the Jags’ First Four win with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
- Jaylia Reed, 5’5 grad student guard, Southern
Reed transferred from Mississippi Valley State for one final chance at a SWAC championship.
It worked out perfectly for her as she led Southern to their first NCAA tournament win with 16 points in the Jags’ 65-53 win over Samford.
- Jocelyn Tate, 5’11 soph. guard, Southern
Tate’s strong play over the last month of the season continued with 10 points and seven rebounds against Samford and 10 points against South Carolina, the only Jaguar to reach double figures in the game.
