NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
For years, students, alumni, and even staff members of HBCUs have wondered why the top high school basketball recruits have continued to choose the top-notch Division 1 schools over HBCUs. With such prominent names still undecided like Bronny James and Mikey Williams, do HBCUs have a fighting chance against the likes of Duke University, UNC, or Kansas? If not, they really should be up there.
Let’s look at this and see if we can come up with a solution here.
Let’s be clear. This is not a racial situation where it’s time to go back to the days of segregation. This is more like exposure for programs that are left to be swept under the rug. We can make the same argument for Ivy League schools like Harvard or Yale. Why do they not get the top high school prospects either?
According to ESPN, Mikey Williams is ranked 30th in the Class of 2023. James is ranked 34th. Those players are prominent as they are still undecided on which college they will attend. Williams does have a few Black Colleges on his list. Alabama State, Texas Southern, Hampton, North Carolina Central, and Tennessee State are still in the running with programs such as Kansas, Memphis, and USC.
Bronny, on the other hand, according to the same ESPN chart has no Black Colleges listed under him. And that is a serious issue. The reason that his position is different from Williams’ is because of the extra incentives Bronny brings to the table.
James brings more than just a 6’3 frame and ball-handling skills to a team. I hate to say it, but he brings the presence of his dad, LeBron James. Think about it. How many high school teams had a reality show following for 2 years? Bronny is a walking billboard. Not saying the kid can’t play but having that name James does help.
Imagine stepping onto Central’s campus and seeing LeBron and possibly Dwyane Wade there cheering Bronny on. Imagine the revenue that could bring to the school. Not to mention the NIL deals his presence will add to the programs. And as far as exposure, ESPN will come calling just to get a glimpse of James’ son on national television. Another bonus will be, the same scouts may take notice of another player. The love is spread around.
What’s Best For Mikey Williams and Bronny James?
With Duke, they have their own mystic. The same goes for UNC and other top programs in the country. Their players want to win or at least play in front of millions of people to help draw interest from NBA scouts. So, here is where this gets a bit weird. For instance. If you’re already in the Top 100 of your class, those same NBA scouts already know your name. What they’re looking to see is what program you choose. Those same scouts will be out in the Duke or UNC stands but there will also be in the stands at Hampton or Tennessee State.
A scout’s job is to find talent, no matter the location. If a big name like Mikey Williams or Bronny James were to skip a Top 10 program and head to an HBCU, guess what, those same NBA scouts will follow. The same media that’s following them in high school will still follow them at Alabama State or North Carolina Central. Howard just went through this type of recruitment with Makur Maker. Although he didn’t stay at Howard, he did decide to take his talents to an HBCU instead of UCLA, Kentucky, and Memphis.
The collegiate basketball scene is not what it used to be. While games are still important, these players are now looking for better exposure or financial opportunities thanks to the new NIL rule out there. All these HBCUs mentioned in this article are Division 1 schools. Meaning, UNC, Duke, or whoever, could very easily put them on the schedule, and then we will get to see who has the better talent.
Now is the time for these young men to change the game and make a name for themselves. It’s time to take a little-known University and turn it into a powerhouse the same way Deion Sanders is doing for Jackson State with football.
If Williams and James were to both choose the same HBCU or even choose rival schools, imagine what that would do. Think about the press that would receive. For some, most can’t see past the tense battles between Michigan and Ohio State or Duke and UNC. But best believe, these HBCUs have their own historic rivalries.
And if we want to go further, this is not just about the African American kids coming to HBCUs either. In what rulebook does it say that the nation’s top non-black kids can’t come?
With just a single decision, players like Mikey Williams and Bronny James can change college basketball forever. But will they? Does either of these kids have the guts to throw caution to the wind and put everything on the line and help these HBCUs?
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