The HBCU All-Star Game, taking place on Sunday, April 3 during Final Four weekend in New Orleans at the UNO Lakefront Arena at 4 p.m. ET, announced the coaching lineup for the two teams set to compete next week.
Team John McLendon, made up entirely of players from the MEAC and SIAC, will be led by Robert Jones, head coach at Norfolk State and will be assisted by Fred Watson, the head coach at Miles College.
Landon Bussie, the head coach at Alcorn State will lead Team Clarence “Big House” Gaines, and will be assisted on the bench by Lincoln University’s Corey Lowery, helming up the team made up of players from the SWAC and CIAA.
“These four outstanding coaches have cemented their status as program builders, champions and leaders of young men. They epitomize the excellence that is black college basketball, and we are proud to have them lead our two teams into this inaugural game on one of the biggest stages,” said HBCU All-Stars LLC Founder and CEO Travis L. Williams.
Jones and his Spartans are coming off of the school’s third-ever appearance in the NCAA tournament after finishing the season as the MEAC regular-season and tournament champions. With a record of 24-7 and 12-2 in the league, Jones was named the MEAC Coach of the Year, and over the course of nine seasons at the school has amassed an overall record of 166-125 and a 104-34 mark in the league.
After leading the Golden Bears to a 25-5 overall mark and 17-1 league record in the SIAC, Watson was named the league’s coach of the year and helped usher Miles College into the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship as the No. 5 seed in the South Region. Over the course of the last two seasons, Watson has led the school to consecutive regular-season conference titles and one tournament title, going 45-13 during that stretch.
After serving for six years as an assistant coach with another school in the SWAC, Bussie has helped turn the Braves into a championship contender in just two seasons as this past year Alcorn State finished with a 14-4 mark, claiming the regular-season title for the first time since 2002. The team earned a berth in the NIT, just the ninth ever appearance in the postseason for the Braves, reigning in coach of the year honors from the conference.
Predicted to finish 10th in the CIAA this season, Lowery led the Lincoln Lions to an 18-10 overall record and 11-5 record in the league to finish second overall and CIAA Coach of the Year honors. Lowery has been coaching for 23 years, with 15 years of experience as a head coach where he has made numerous appearances in the postseason at various collegiate levels throughout the northeast.
HBCU All-Stars LLC will select the third and final coach to represent both Team John McLendon and Clarence “Big House” Gaines’ in the coming days.
The inaugural HBCU All-Star Game will air live on CBS and be available to stream on Paramount+.
To learn more about the HBCU All-Star Game and to get additional information about its ancillary events and tickets visit hbcuallstargame.com and follow @hbcuallstargame.
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