Examining 20 standout players this season before annual NBA HBCU Classic

• Download the NBA App >

The NBA All-Star Weekend is here, and the league will once again highlight some of the finest basketball from 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 we approach the matchup, let’s take a look at five noteworthy players from the four major HBCU conferences:

---

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC)

Fred Cleveland Jr., NC Central
• Senior | G

Cleveland, a consistent point guard standing at 5-foot-9, forms a powerful backcourt alongside his fellow senior, Ja’Darius Harris. Earlier this season, he had a career-best performance, scoring 30 points against St. Andrews. Cleveland, who has been named MEAC Player of the Week twice, managed to average 19.3 points and 6.7 assists during a three-game winning run in January.

Bryce Harris, Howard
• Junior | G

Harris, who is the leader of the defending MEAC conference champions, has been named MEAC Defensive Player of the Week four times. He also tops the conference in field goal percentage and leads the Bison in both scoring and rebounding.

Martaz Robinson, Delaware State
Senior | G

Robinson is leading Delaware State to its best commencement in two decades, topping the Hornets in points and rebounds. He has been named MEAC Player of the Week twice. Previously, he was one of the best high school players in Baltimore.

Wynston Tabbs, Morgan State
• Senior | G

Tabbs scored 38 points against UM-Baltimore County and has the ability to score from anywhere on the court. Having transferred from East Carolina, he ranks among the top players in the conference for field goals, free-throws, and 3-point shooting. He also scored 25 points in a game against Coppin State.

Jamarii Thomas, Norfolk State
• Junior | G

The transfer from UNC-Wilmington has instantaneously made a significant impact with the Spartans, emerging as their leading scorer. He scored 31 points against Illinois State and 27 against Florida Gulf Coast University.

---

Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA)

Jordan Hinds, Bluefield State
• Junior | G

As the leading scorer for the Big Blue, he has amassed over 1,000 career points. Renowned for his versatile performance on both offense and defense, he was notably recognized as the CIAA Player of the Week twice within the first month of the season.

Tahj Harding, Virginia Union
• Junior | G

Earlier this season, he scored a staggering 47 points against Augusta University, the highest by a VUU player since former NBA player A.J. English’s 54-point game against St. Augustine in 1990. Besides leading the team in scoring, he is also among the top contributors in steals and assists.

Avery Huggins, Johnson C. Smith
• Junior | F

The multi-talented forward is the top scorer, rebounder, and blocker for the Golden Bulls. Huggins, who transferred from a junior college, scored 27 points against Claflin just last month.

Jaylen Alston, Winston-Salem State
• Senior | G

This season, he achieved a career milestone of 1,000 points. Alston, who is a three-time recipient of the CIAA Player of the Week honors, is the team’s leading scorer and 3-point shooter.

Isaac Parson, Winston-Salem State
• Junior | G

Parson, originating from the small town of Kinston, N.C., known for producing a surprising number of NBA players, was awarded the HBCU National Player of the Week in early January. He also secured a spot in the preseason All-CIAA Team’s 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 is ahead of Clark in terms of scoring, assists, and steals. He achieved his season-high performance against Benedict, scoring 32 points. This marked Clark’s inaugural win against a ranked competitor. Benedict held the No. 8 spot in Division II.

Alvin Miles, Miles
• Senior | G

The fact that the top scorer, assists and steals player for Miles has the surname Miles is purely coincidental. Miles, the educational institution, is optimistic about making significant progress in the SIAC, thanks to the numerous contributions from its leading player.

Walter Peggs, Jr., Spring Hill
• Junior | G

Peggs, a three-time Player of the Week and newcomer of the week, is among the 3-point leaders in Division II. His most notable moment of the season was a buzzer-beater against Central State last month.

Tim Moore, Benedict
• Senior | G

Moore, who has been consistently scoring an average of 16 points per game for the season, is a key contributor to Benedict’s rise to the top of the conference.

Martez Jones, Tuskegee
• Junior | F

In the game against rival Miles, he clinched victory with a buzzer-beating layup, ending the game with 19 points and nine rebounds. Jones is Tuskegee’s leading scorer and rebounder, as well as the conference leader in double-doubles.

---

Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC)

Tai’Reon Joseph, Southern
• Junior | G

Joseph scored 33 points against Florida A&M, which included eight 3-pointers, and an impressive 27 points in a victory over ranked Mississippi State. He is the leading scorer in the SWAC and ranks in the top-25 in Division I.

Antonio “TJ” Madlock, Alabama State
• Junior | G

Two years ago, Madlock moved from South Carolina State to join his father’s team at Alabama State. This season, he was recognized as the SWAC Player of the Week on four occasions and set a personal record by scoring 30 points in a game against Prairie View last month.

Kylen Milton, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
• Junior | G

Milton is UAPB’s top scorer, runner-up in rebounds, and third in assists. He scored 26 points and made nine rebounds in the game against Grambling on January 29. During the away game against Texas Southern, he also scored 20 points, made seven rebounds, and gave four assists.

Jakobi Heady, Bethune-Cookman
• Sophomore | F

Ex-NBA star and BCC head coach Reggie Theus regards Heady as one of his top choices. Leading Bethune in scoring, Heady has gained admiration from Theus, who describes him as “a three-level scorer with a lot of talent.”

Kintavious Dozier, Grambling State
• Junior | G

Dozier, who has been honored twice this season by the MEAC with weekly awards, is the leading scorer for Grambling, making almost 50% of his shots. He scored 25 points against Bethune-Cookman and 23 against Florida A&M.

* * *

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.

The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Warner Bros. Discovery.