Prairie View, Southern Crash the Party as Tennessee State Holds No. 1 in Week 11 HBCU Top 5

March basketball brought chaos—and opportunity—to the HBCU landscape. Conference tournament play reshaped Dr. Cavil’s Inside the HBCU Sports Lab Men’s Major Division Top 5 in Week 11, as Prairie View A&M and Southern surged into the rankings behind deep SWAC Tournament runs. While new contenders emerged, the top of the mountain remained unchanged, with Tennessee State continuing its reign as the nation’s top HBCU program heading into the NCAA Tournament. 5. Southern Jaguars (17–17, 11–7) The Jaguars re-enter the rankings after being unranked a week ago, thanks to a strong…

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Howard Rises to No. 1 as Shakeups Define Week 11 HBCU Women’s Major Division Rankings

Movement was the name of the game in Week 11 of Dr. Cavil’s Inside the HBCU Sports Lab Women’s Major Division Top 5, as a new team entered the rankings and nearly every returning program shifted positions from the previous week. 5. Alabama State Hornets (17-15, 12-6) The Hornets are the only team in the Top 5 that did not change position this week. Alabama State made an impressive run through the SWAC Tournament, advancing to the championship game before falling to defending champion Southern, 73-56. 4. Southern Jaguars (19-13,…

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Prairie View defeats Lehigh 67-55 in NCAA play-in

image via Kyndall White Courtesy of Prairie View Athletics 67 Winner PVAM 55 Lehigh Team 1 2 F PVAM 27  40  67 Lehigh 29  26  55 Prairie View A&M is dancing on. Behind a dominant performance from Dontae Horne and Cory Wells, the Panthers powered past the Lehigh Mountain Hawks, 67-55, Wednesday night at University of Dayton Arena in the NCAA First Four. With the win, Prairie View A&M advances to face No. 1 seed Florida Gators men’s basketball on Friday, March 20 at 9:25 p.m. ET at Benchmark International Arena marking the program’s…

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HBCU History in March Madness: Moments That Changed the Game

With the Tennessee State Tigers men’s basketball team preparing to take the court in the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, the program adds another chapter to the proud legacy of HBCU basketball on college hoops’ biggest stage. Historically Black colleges and universities have long delivered unforgettable moments in the NCAA Tournament—proving time and again that programs outside the traditional power structure can compete, and win, in March Madness. Here’s a look at some of the most defining moments in HBCU tournament history. Texas Western’s Championship Changed College Basketball…

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Dr. Cavil’s Inside the HBCU SPorts Lab Week 10 Women’s Major Division Top 5 rankings

Week 10 of Dr.Cavil’s Inside the HBCuU Sports Lab Women’s Major Division Top 5 saw a new team enter the mix , while two other teams changed positions in the rankings. 5.Alabama State Hornets ( 15-14, 12-6) The Hornets of Alabama State enters the pols at No.5 , after being unranked the previous week. Alabama State ended the regular season winning seven of their last ten games and finished tied for third, along with Southern, in the SWAC. 4. Norfolk State Spartans ( 16-13, 11-3) Norfolk State dropped a spot…

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Southern repeats as SWAC Tournament champs, headed to NCAA Tournament

Image via SWAC.org Courtesy of the Southwestern Athletic Conference Box Score ATLANTA, Georgia- The Southern Jaguars claimed their fourth SWAC Tournament Championship title in the past three seasons after claiming a 73-56 over the Alabama State Hornets at Gateway Arena. The Jaguars used an impressive display of offensive production coupled with a stellar defensive effort to win the title in spectacular fashion. Southern’s Zaria Hurston paced the Jaguars offensively scoring a team high 13 points to go along with three rebounds and one steal. SU’s Olivia Delancy added 12 points, D’Shantae…

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Prairie View wins SWAC Tournament, headed to Big Dance

Image via the Southwestern Athletic Conference Courtesy of the SWAC Box Score ATLANTA, Georgia- The Prairie View A&M Panthers shot 50 percent from three-point range enroute to a 72-66 win against the Southern Jaguars at Gateway Center Arena on Saturday. With the win PVAMU claimed the 2026 SWAC Men’s Basketball Tournament championship title and secured the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. Prairie View A&M had four players score in double figures led by Lance Williams, who had 18 points and five assists. Cory Wells…

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Southern stuns No. 1 seed Alabama A&M, moves one win from SWAC repeat

image via Southern Athletics In their previous meeting, the Southern University Lady Jaguars fell just short against the Alabama A&M Lady Bulldogs, losing 64–61. This time around, the defending champions flipped the script. Southern kept its Southwestern Athletic Conference title defense alive with a gritty 51–49 victory over No. 1 seed Alabama A&M to advance to the SWAC Women’s Basketball Tournament championship game. The Lady Jags’ defense was both stifling and timely. Southern held the Lady Bulldogs — the third-most efficient offense in the SWAC — to just 51 points…

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Alabama A&M’s Kalia Walker named HBCU GO Women’s National Player of the Year

Courtesy of Brian Howard, Assistant AD for Communications, Alabama A&M | Alabama A&M University guard Kalia Walker earned her second award in as many weeks on Tuesday afternoon as she was named the HBCU GO Women’s Basketball National Player of the Year. Walker, who was selected the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Player of the Year, is averaging 14.0 points and shooting 40.4 percent from the floor. In addition, she is shooting 84.6 percent from the foul line.  The Alexander, Ark. native ranks tops in the conference in free-throw percentage – 38th nationally and second in free throws.…

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SWAC Tournament News: Florida A&M beats Jackson State 70-60 to advance to SWAC Semifinals

Image via FAMU Basketball 60 JSU 70 Winner FAMU Team 1 2 F JSU 34  26  60 FAMU 33  37  70 The Florida A&M men’s basketball team got a 22-point showing from the bench on the way to a 70-60 win over the Jackson State Tigers at The Gateway Center Arena at College Park Wednesday. The Rattlers (15-15) had four players score in double figures, led by Antonio Baker, who had 14 points, seven rebounds and four steals. Tyler Shirley tacked on 13 points and Kaleb Washington helped out with 10 points, four assists and…

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