Courtesy of the CIAA
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) introduces the 2023-24 All-CIAA Preseason Men’s and Women’s Basketball Teams, as voted on by the CIAA Sports Information Directors Association, and the predicted order of finish as selected by the men’s and women’s head coaches. The preseason teams and predicted order were both unveiled during the CIAA Basketball Media Day in Baltimore, MD.
The 2024-25 women’s preseason team features five returning players from the 2023-24 All-CIAA squad and the 2024-25 men’s preseason team features two returners from last year’s all-conference team.
Coming off a strong season that saw her average nearly a double-double per game with 12.2 ppg (top-15 in CIAA) and 8.2 rpg (3rd in CIAA), Virginia State’s Amesha Miller heads the women’s frontcourt team.
As for the backcourt team, Anii Harris topped all vote-getters on the list. Harris took the court for Bowie State last season and posted a league-leading 19.2 points per game while shooting 42.8% from the field. She also ranked top-10 in steals per game with 2.1. She recently transferred to Virginia State, where she will look to continue having a strong impact on both sides of the ball.
Six schools were represented on the preseason team, with Fayetteville State leading the way including two student-athletes on the frontcourt team and two student-athletes on the backcourt team.
On the men’s side, Fayetteville State guard Caleb Simmons stands atop the group after a standout season that saw him rank ninth in the conference in scoring (13.2 ppg) and sixth in the conference in rebounding (6.5 rpg).
Leading conference scorer Jordan Hinds heads this year’s CIAA backcourt team after averaging a whopping 19.0 points per game, to go along with 6.1 rebounds per game (8th in CIAA) and 2.2 steals per game (2nd in CIAA).
Six schools were represented on the preseason team, with Lincoln University (PA) and Fayetteville State leading the way with three student-athletes each.
Last season, Fayetteville State’s women’s basketball program won their fifth CIAA title, their first since 2020. They won their first two games of the tournament by 10+ points to clinch a spot in the championship game against then reigning champs, Elizabeth City State. They led at the half and only held a one-point lead by the end of the third quarter, but were able to hold on and take home the title.
On the men’s side, Lincoln University (PA) won their first championship last season in over 100 years (1915). They faced off with Elizabeth City State in the opening round and cruised to a 14-point victory before taking down Claflin in the semifinals to book a date with Fayetteville State in the championship final. The Lions trailed by one at halftime but narrowly squeezed out a second-half victory to earn their second championship title in program history.
2024-25 All-CIAA Women’s Basketball Preseason Team
Frontcourt
- Amesha Miller, Virginia State University*
- Morgan Graham, Fayetteville State University*
- Taniyah Green, Virginia Union University*
- Nyah Wilkins, Fayetteville State University
- Jayla Sample, Bluefield State University
- Tatiana Jones, Virginia Union University
- Jakaiya Mack, Winston-Salem State University
Backcourt
- Anii Harris, Virginia State University*
- Mihjae Hayes, Virginia State University*
- Talia Trotter, Fayetteville State University
- Keayna McLaughlin, Fayetteville State University
- Jasmyn Jefferies, Claflin University
CIAA 2024 Women’s Basketball Predicted Order of Finish
1. Fayetteville State University
2. Claflin University
3. Virginia State University
4. Elizabeth City State University
5. Johnson C. Smith University
6. Virginia Union University
7. Bluefield State University
8. Lincoln University (PA)
9. Shaw University
10. Winston-Salem State University
11. Bowie State University
12. Livingstone College
* – Returning 2023-24 All-CIAA Selection
CIAA 2024 Men’s Basketball Preseason Team
Frontcourt
- Caleb Simmons, Fayetteville State University
- Michael Eads Jr. Elizabeth City State University
- John Whitehead III, Claflin University
- Freddie Young Jr., Lincoln University (PA)
- Bakir Cleveland, Lincoln University (PA)
- Jonathan Salazar, Virginia Union University
- Zion Obanla, Claflin University
Backcourt
- Jordan Hinds, Bluefield State University*
- Tahj Harding, Virginia Union University
- Reggie Hudson, Lincoln University (PA)*
- Tairell Fletcher, Fayetteville State University*
- *Ezekiel Cannery, Fayetteville State University
- *Xavier Tubbs-Matthews, Elizabeth City State University
CIAA 2024 Men’s Basketball Predicted Order of Finish
1. Lincoln University (PA)
2. Claflin University
3. Fayetteville State University
4. Virginia Union University
5. Winston-Salem State University
6. Virginia State University
7.Johnson C. Smith University
8. Elizabeth City State University
9. Livingstone College
10. Shaw University
11. Bowie State University
12. Bluefield State University