As basketball season prepares to tip off, talented players at Division I historically Black colleges and universities are chasing conference titles and national recognition.

The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) are welcoming both experienced returners and an influx of newcomers from the transfer portal. From dynamic guards and versatile forwards to shot-blocking centers across men’s and women’s programs, here are some players to watch from Division I HBCUs.

Women’s players

Kalia Walker, Alabama A&M

Kalia Walker is a smaller guard at 5-foot-5 but has proven herself to be a dependable scorer and tenacious defender for the Bulldogs, whose scoring defense finished last season ranked No. 2 in the SWAC. Last season Walker tied for the most points scored by a SWAC player, tallying 30 points against North Alabama. She also was the second-leading scorer in the conference, averaging 14.6 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. She enters this season as the conference’s preseason offensive player of the year and a member of the preseason All-SWAC first team.

Da’Brya Clark, Norfolk State 

Guard Da’Brya Clark is one of two returning starters for the Spartans this season after the graduations of Diamond Johnson, Niya Fields and Makoye Diawara and the transfer of Kierra Wheeler. Clark is the team’s top returning scorer, assist leader, 3-point leader and rebounder from a season ago. In a hybrid role last season when she started and came off the bench, Clark averaged 9.7 points and 2.6 rebounds while shooting 41.5% from the field. She also led the team in 3-point percentage, shooting 40.9% from beyond the arc. Clark helped lead Norfolk State to two consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.

Chaniya Clark, North Carolina A&T 

At 6-foot-4, center Chaniya Clark’s versatility in the paint and rebounding make her a vital piece in the Aggies’ quest to win the program’s first CAA tournament title. In the 2024-25 season, she averaged 10.2 points and 7.9 rebounds while shooting 52.4% from the field. Clark has improved her shot-blocking year over year, with a team-high 47 blocks last season. She led the Aggies in total rebounds (229) and is the team’s top returning scorer. Clark is the only Aggie to earn preseason All-CAA first team honors.

Aniya Gourdine, Southern

Guard Aniya Gourdine was the anchor on the Jaguars’ scoring defense, which ranked No. 1 in the SWAC last season. Gourdine ranked No. 2 in the conference in total steals (76), No. 5 in total points (395) and No. 5 in total assists (90), and she averaged 12.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.3 steals per game. She also scored 17 points in the Jaguars’ first NCAA tournament win in program history. Southern has won two SWAC tournament titles in the past three seasons and is the preseason favorite to win the conference again.

Men’s players

Daeshun Ruffin, Jackson State

Guard Daeshun Ruffin is primed to be one of the SWAC’s most explosive guards this season. In his first season playing in the SWAC, he averaged 15.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists. He is the conference’s leading returning scorer from a season ago. Ruffin also ranked No. 1 in the conference in free-throw percentage and No. 2 in assists per game. The Ole Miss transfer is expected to be a difference-maker as Jackson State pursues its first conference tournament championship since 2007. Entering this season, he was named SWAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and earned preseason All-SWAC first team honors.

Kintavious Dozier, Alabama A&M

Kintavious Dozier, a 6-foot-1 guard, provides experience and leadership for the Bulldogs in their first season under new head coach Donte’ Jackson. Last season, Dozier averaged 12.4 points and 3.6 rebounds for Grambling State while shooting 44.1% from the field. Dozier was a key player in Grambling’s SWAC tournament victory in 2024; now he is hoping to replicate that success for Alabama A&M, which hasn’t won a conference championship since 2005. He was named to the preseason All-SWAC first team.

Bryce Harris, Howard 

Bryce Harris, a 6-foot-4 guard, enters the season as one of the most experienced returning players in the conference. After standout guard Blake Harper’s transfer to Creighton, Harris is expected to be a reliable and consistent offensive threat for the Bison after being sidelined by an injury a season ago. In 2023-24, Harris averaged a career-high 16.6 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting a conference-leading 54.7% from the field. Despite playing only seven games last season, Harris earned preseason All-MEAC first team honors.

Anthony McComb III, Norfolk State

Anthony McComb III is expected to fill an immediate void in the Spartans’ guard rotation due to the transfer of Brian Moore Jr. and the graduation of Christian Ings. McComb, a 6-foot-3 transfer from the University of New Hampshire, averaged 12.9 points and 3.1 rebounds a season ago. McComb made 39 3-pointers last season, which will be an asset for the Spartans, who finished last season ranked second to last in the conference in 3-point percentage. McComb was voted to the preseason All-MEAC third team, and Norfolk State is the preseason favorite to once again win the conference.

The post Here are Division I HBCU basketball players to watch during the 2025-26 season appeared first on Andscape.