With the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship being decided over the next few days, Indianapolis is currently the epicenter of college basketball. Members of the 2025 HBCU All-Star game are a part of the fabric of the city as well this weekend as they prepare for the fifth annual version of this game.
Over 20 of the best HBCU basketball seniors from this past season have enjoyed the VIP treatment around Indianapolis since Thursday morning when they arrived in town. Players gathered for practices on Friday and Saturday at Corteva Coliseum in Indianapolis, where Sunday’s game will be played.
Coach Byron Smith from Prairie View A&M will lead Team Sam Jones against Tennessee State’s Nolan Smith, who will be coaching Team Bob Dandridge. Smith will coach players like Kintavious Dozier, an All-SWAC performer at Alabama A&M, whom he coached against during his entire playing career. But this weekend, former rivals now find themselves as teammates.
“Oh it’s very fun. Especially when we get in the locker room. We have these different stories and point of views to tell when we were playing each other. I think it’s pretty cool,” Dozier said after Saturday’s practice.
After each team wrapped up it’s final practice on Saturday they were gifted a free pair of Air Jordans delivered by event founder Travis L. Williams. The rest of the evening was filled with a social justice panel discussion and a trip to Fan Fest outside of Lucas Oil Stadium.
But the only game that will truly matter to these players will be the game on Sunday. Let’s take a look at the two rosters for this year’s All-Star game.
TEAM SAM JONES (SWAC/CIAA/INDEPENDENT) – HOME TEAM
| No. | Name | School | Pos | Ht | Wt | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Jacob Cooper | Virginia State University | PG | 5-8 | 165 | Virginia Beach, VA |
| 02 | Dontae Horne | Prairie View A&M University | SG | 6-4 | 190 | Memphis, TN |
| 03 | Larry Howell | Fayetteville State University | SF | 6-6 | 200 | Orangeburg, SC |
| 05 | Roderick Coffee III | Grambling State University | SF | 6-4 | 200 | Painesville, OH |
| 09 | Tyler Shirley | Florida A&M University | PF | 6-8 | 210 | Atlanta, GA |
| 10 | Cory Wells | Prairie View A&M University | SF | 6-7 | 200 | Murphy, TX |
| 11 | Nick Woodard | Alcorn State University | SF | 6-6 | 210 | Oglethorpe, GA |
| 12 | Kintavious Dozier | Alabama A&M University | PG | 6-1 | 195 | Lanett, AL |
| 23 | Daniel Rouzan | Bethune-Cookman University | PF | 6-8 | 235 | Las Vegas, NV |
| 35 | Josh Ogundele | Hampton University | C | 7-0 | 275 | London, England |
Coaches
- Byron Smith – Prairie View A&M University
- Devin Hoehn – Fayetteville State University
TEAM BOB DANDRIDGE (MEAC / SIAC / INDEPENDENT) – AWAY TEAM
| No. | Name | School | Pos | Ht | Wt | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00 | Dionte Johnson | North Carolina Central University | PG | 6-0 | 200 | Bronx, NY |
| 01 | Najashi Tolefree | Miles College | SF | 6-6 | 200 | Milwaukee, WI |
| 02 | Travis Harper II | Tennessee State University | SG | 6-6 | 190 | Columbus, GA |
| 03 | Rob Lawson | Morgan State University | PG | 5-11 | 175 | Capitol Heights, MD |
| 07 | Anthony McComb III | Norfolk State University | SG | 6-3 | 180 | Dayton, OH |
| 11 | Zion Obanla | University of Maryland Eastern Shore | PF | 6-8 | 215 | Houston, TX |
| 21 | Kusamae Draper | Tuskegee University | C | 6-9 | 210 | Conyers, GA |
| 22 | Cameron Clark | South Carolina State University | C | 6-10 | 245 | Gwinnett, GA |
| 25 | Xzavier Long | Hampton University | PF | 6-7 | 190 | Washington, D.C. |
| 30 | Aaron Nkrumah | Tennessee State University | SG | 6-6 | 175 | Worcester, MA |
| 34 | Bryce Harris | Howard University | SF | 6-4 | 220 | Brentwood, NY |
Coaches
- Nolan Smith – Tennessee State University
- Larry Dixon – Morehouse College