HBCUs will be playing under the brightest lights as the third annual Chris Paul HBCU Challenge will take place this weekend.
Howard, Jackson State, North Carolina A&T and Texas Southern will be competing at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
The Chris Paul HBCU Challenge follows the HBCU Tip-off to make up the HBCU basketball showcases presented by the Chris Paul Foundation and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Both showcases give HBCU basketball programs exposure in front of a national audience. The experience is great for the players and the coaches recognize the importance of the opportunity.
“We’re excited to compete in this year’s event. Chris Paul has done a tremendous job giving HBCUs an opportunity to showcase their talents in front of fans, pro scouts, and more. Coming off a MEAC Championship season, we can’t think of a better platform to continue to show the world what makes The Dream Factory so special both on and off the floor. We’re honored to represent Howard University in Las Vegas, and we would like to thank Chris and the official sponsors of the event for the invitation.” Howard coach Kenneth Blakeney said.
Let’s take a look at the matchups.
North Carolina A&T vs Texas Southern
North Carolina A&T and Texas Southern both return for the second straight year. Last year both teams left Las Vegas with one win and one loss. Texas Southern suffered a heartbreaking 67-66 loss in overtime to North Carolina A&T but rebounded the next day with an 82-77 win over Hampton. After defeating Texas Southern, North Carolina A&T lost 70-66 to 2023 MEAC runner-up Norfolk State, who was undefeated in the first two years of the HBCU Challenge.
North Carolina A&T is coming into this year’s challenge without a win this season. The Aggies are now on a nine-game losing streak after a 67-62 loss to North Carolina Central. The Aggies will depend on Landon Glasper, who averages 18.1 points per game. Right beside him, Camian Shell will be a factor in their matchup as he averages 8.9 points and 6.6 assists per game. Recently, Shell had seven points, four rebounds, five assists, and three steals in their loss to NCCU. Shell also recorded a double-double of ten points and 11 assists in their loss to High Point. Defending should be the focus for North Carolina A&T as their have allowed an average of 87.3 points per game against their opponents
Texas Southern, like North Carolina A&T, enters the challenge winless on the season. The 2023 SWAC champion has started the year off 0-7, but they are looking to turn things around this weekend. The Tigers are well rested as this will be their first game in over two weeks. The Tiger’s leading scorer, PJ Henry, scored ten points in their last game against Purdue but scored 27 points in the previous game versus Drake. Although Henry struggled against Perdue, Zytarious Mortle picked up the slack with 25 points off the bench. The Tigers come in with season averages of 3.1 blocks per game and 5.7 steals per game. The offense will need to step up as the Tigers only average 55.9 points per game. Texas Southern averages 36.1 rebounds per game compared to North Carolina A&T’s 28.3 rebounds per game. Texas Southern’s key to victory will be to take advantage of the rebounding convert to second-chance points.
Howard vs Jackson State
Howard and Jackson State will make their HBCU Challenge debut this year. Jackson State enters the weekend 2-7 on year. Their last game ended in a loss to #4-ranked Houston. Ken Evans Jr. averages 18.8 pointers per game and is expected to bounce back after scoring six points against Houston. Evans has scored 20 points or more in five of nine games this season including two 30-point games. If he can get into a rhythm, he can be the difference-maker against Howard. The Tigers steal the ball from their opponents on average 6.9 times per game. Keiveon Hunt has 14 steals on the season. Howard has not had a problem scoring, so Hunt and Jackson State will have to put on an all-around defensive effort to get the win.
Coming off an 88-49 blowout win over Regent, Howard arrives with a record of 4-6 . The 2023 MEAC champion will be led by Seth Towns, Bryce Harris, and Marcus Dockery. The three all average double figures in scoring with Towns averaging 17 points per game. Towns has scored more than 25 points twice and shot 44% from three. Howard averages 37.2 rebounds per game including an average of 27 defensive rebounds per game in their last five games. The Bison have always been a second-half team this season as they average 40.4 second-half points per game. Continuing to score 77.5 points per game and rebounding are the keys to a Bison victory.
The Chris Paul HBCU Challenge will tip-off on Saturday, December 16th, 8:30 PM ET with Texas Southern and North Carolina A&T. Jackson State and Howard will follow at 11:00 PM ET. Sunday’s games will begin at 6:00 PM ET with Texas Southern and Howard. Jackson State and North Carolina A&T will be the last game of the HBCU Challenge at 8:30 PM ET. All games will air on ESPN+.
HBCU TIP-OFF GAMEDAY AI ADVANCED STATS
Howard vs. Jackson State
Howard | OVR 4-6 | MEAC 0-0 | NEUTRAL 0-0
- Seth Towns comes in averaging 13.2 points and 1.9 assists per game.
- The Bison have averaged 27.0 defensive rebounds in their last five games.
- Howard tends to finish games strong. The Bison average 40.4 second-half points per game. This number is the highest in the MEAC (conference average is 36.5).
Jackson State | OVR 2-7 | SWAC 0-0 | NEUTRAL 0-0
- The Tigers recorded an average of 12.8 offensive rebounds per game in their last five outings, marking an increase from their season average of 11.6.
- The Tigers steal the ball from their opponents on average 6.9 times per game. That disruptive effort is led by Keiveon Hunt, who has swiped 14 steals thus far this season (11th in the SWAC).
- Jackson State has allowed (on average) 1.16 points per defensive possession thus far this season. That value puts them eighth in the conference (SWAC average is 1.12).
Texas Southern vs. Howard
Texas Southern | OVR 0-7 | SWAC 0-0 | NEUTRAL 0-0
- Zytarious Mortle showed out for Texas Southern with 25 points on 10-of-22 shooting in the team’s last matchup against Purdue. Mortle (third on the team in total points) will look to keep the scoring up against the Bison’s defense.
- The Tigers come in with season averages of 3.1 blocks per game and 5.7 steals per game. Kenny Hunter has been their individual blocks leader (1.1 per game) while PJ Henry has led them in steals (1.2 per game).
- Texas Southern runs a deliberate, slow-paced offense. The team averages just 68.3 possessions per 40 minutes, which ranks as the second-slowest in the SWAC. The Tigers score approximately 0.81 points per possession in their methodical offensive approach.
Howard | OVR 4-6 | MEAC 0-0 | NEUTRAL 0-0
- Showing a decrease from its season average of 22.0, Howard has only averaged 17.8 attempts from the charity stripe in its last five games.
- Boxing out has been a recent focus for Howard. In their last five games, the Bison have managed an average of 27.0 defensive rebounds.
- Howard is a great second-half team. The Bison average 40.4 second-half points per game, which is the best in the MEAC (conference average is 36.5).
Gameday AI content is produced using Artificial Intelligence technology powered by Boost Sport before being approved and published by HBCU Gameday.