After seeing seven HBCU teams across men's and women's basketball make the NCAA Division II playoffs, five HBCUs are heading to March Madness at the Division I level. HBCU basketball had an interesting season; Nolan Smith led Tennessee State to an OVC championship and its first March Madness appearance since the mid-1990s.
Meanwhile, Southern University managed to take down the red-hot Alabama A&M Lady Bulldogs to ultimately complete an outstanding season and earn the right to compete for a shot in the official March Madness field. Below are the five teams across men's and women's basketball representing HBCUs in this year's March Madness tournament.
Howard University Men's and Women's Basketball
Howard University's basketball program in totality is making history as both the men's and women's teams are making the Big Dance together for the first time since 1992. For the men's team, they've seen consistent success over the past few seasons, winning the MEAC Championship in 2023 and 2024 and subsequently making it into the official March Madness bracket. This is now their third time appearing in the March Madness tournament.
After a 23-10 season, an 11-3 conference record, and a first-round bye in the MEAC tournament, they beat South Carolina State 78-61 and then emerged victorious over North Carolina Central 70-63. Now they face UMBC in the First Four tournament for the right to clinch a bid and play against top-ranked Michigan, the number one seed in the Midwest.
UMBC will be a formidable opponent, as they finished the season 24-8 and 14-2 in the America East. They are a familiar foe, as they defeated Howard 95-77 in the 2024-2025 season. Coached by America East Coach of the Year Caden Diggs, they boast several notable stars, including Jah'Likai King, DJ Armstrong Jr., and Ace Valentine.
For the Lady Bison, they were one of the biggest stories in HBCU basketball. They finished the season 26-7 overall and 13-1 in conference. They had a resounding run in March Madness, beating South Carolina State and Coppin State and ultimately winning the championship against Norfolk State. They now prepare to face number three Ohio State, which finished 26-7 and 13-5 in the Big Ten.
While the Buckeyes had a solid season, they ultimately lost to UCLA 72-62 in the tournament. The Lady Buckeyes are led by Jaloni Cambridge, an electric guard who has received national attention this season.
Tennessee State Men's Basketball
Nolan Smith led Tennessee State to a phenomenal season and ended the team's 32-year drought after making the March Madness field this season. They won the OVC championship after a 93-67 victory over Morehead State and are set to face Iowa State. Tennessee State is ranked number 15; Iowa State is number 2 on their side of the bracket.
Iowa State finished the season with a 27-7 overall record and a 12-5 record in conference. After beating Arizona State and Texas Tech resoundingly in the Big 12 tournament, they narrowly lost to Arizona 82-80 in the semifinals. They now look to get back on track and compete for a championship against a surging Tennessee State team that's looking to make a statement under former Duke star Nolan Smith.
Prairie View A&M Panthers Men's Basketball
Perhaps one of the bigger shocks of the season is Prairie View A&M's resounding run to the SWAC Championship and a bid into the March Madness tournament. They finished the season 18-17 overall and 9-9 in conference, but they became the first SWAC team to win four games in four days, ultimately winning the SWAC championship. Perhaps their most impressive win was over Bethune-Cookman, a team expected to be the conference favorite.
They are now preparing to face Lehigh, the Patriot League champions, in the First Four tournament. Lehigh finished the season with an 18-16 overall record and an 11-7 record in conference. While they were successful at home, finishing 13-4, they had a 4-11 record away and were 1-1 in neutral-site games, which could bode well for the Panthers. Lehigh had a resounding run to the First Four, beating Holy Cross and Colgate University before ultimately winning the Patriot League Championship over Boston University 74-60.
Southern University Women's Basketball
Southern University has had two straight seasons of basketball excellence. After winning the SWAC championship and making the March Madness tournament last year, they are making it back once again and have proven themselves as a dangerous competitor. They earned massive buzz across the college basketball world for their slate of early out-of-conference victories; to start this season, they picked up two straight victories over the University of Arizona and the University of Houston, competing well against programs that are considered better-resourced.
They then used that momentum to finish out the season 19-13 and 12-6 in the SWAC. Perhaps their biggest accomplishment was their narrow victory over top-ranked Alabama A&M, who was red-hot heading into the tournament. A game-winning jumper by Jocelyn Tate ultimately secured a victory for Southern University over Alabama A&M. They then cruised to a second straight SWAC championship victory over Alabama State.
Now they are set to play Samford University in the First Four tournament for a chance to play NCAA Championship runner-up South Carolina. Samford finished the season 16-18 with a 6-8 record in conference, but they were able to go on a run in the SoCon tournament, beating Wofford and ETSU before beating Chattanooga in the championship.
