The Howard University men’s basketball team has proven themselves successful, going 11-3 in conference play, the best record in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). They will enter the MEAC tournament as the number one seed, competing for a spot in the NCAA Division I Tournament.
After a devastating one-point loss in their initial matchup against Morgan State University, the Bison turned their season around and won every conference game to follow. This loss was not only a turning point for the team, but also sparked a shift in the individual players as well.
Kenneth Blakeney, head men’s basketball coach, credits this success to the culture created in the Howard men’s basketball program.
“We have to [train young players] through history,” Blakeney said. “We have a culture here that former players return and lend their voice, lend their expertise, lend their history of what they created here at Howard in this new era of basketball.”
With only three returning players from last season, sophomore forward Calvin Robbins Jr., senior guard Ose Okojie and graduate guard Bryce Harris, and seven freshmen, the young group is almost entirely new compared to what the coaches worked with last season. Going 7-7 in conference play during the 2024-2025 season, they had a first-round exit in the MEAC tournament.
However, this team has made major improvements from last year.
The Bison began this season’s conference play with a thriller against 2025 MEAC runner-up South Carolina State University (SC State). Howard battled to the finish, but SC State was able to put it away with a score of 58–57.
Following this game, the Bison stayed on the road to battle the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Though Howard had three starters scoring in double figures, the game was a struggle for the bench, as they only contributed five points to the score.
This loss dropped Howard to 0–2 in conference play, as the Bison fell 57-69, returning home on a three-game losing streak.
Though conference didn’t start as desired, junior point guard Cam Gillus said that the coaches stressed the importance of playing as a team going forward.
“Being a [Historically Black College and University] and being Howard in general, teams come out and play us harder because we’re Howard,” said Gillus, an economics major. “We know that we’re the best team in the league when we play the right way and play together.”
Ahead of the conference home opener against Delaware State University, the team was hopeful to get a win in front of their own crowd with students returning to campus from winter break.
The Bison turned conference around with a huge win against the Hornets, winning 84–58. Junior guard Cedric Taylor III was a major contributor to the game with 15 points and six rebounds.
“Home crowd is always a huge advantage,” said Taylor, a business finance major. “So if we could get them to show out like that, and keep showing out like that, I like our chance at every game we play.”
Heading on the road, the Bison achieved a big win against North Carolina Central University, the score coming to 83–69. Now on a two game winning streak, Howard’s next matchup was tough.
Despite a career high 29 points from Taylor, the Bison fell 77–78 against Morgan State University.
“I hold myself to a pretty high standard, and I do feel myself getting better gradually,” Taylor said. “Most of the team looks at me as one of those leaders, so I’m just trying to put on for them.”
Though it was a hard fought battle that came up short, this game was a turning point in the season. The Bison learned from every mistake in this game and went on to win every conference game beyond this point.
“[The Morgan State game] basically just showed some of the things we needed to improve on,” said Harris, the MEAC Preseason Player of the Year. “Once we attacked it in practice, we did a great job implementing it and moving it towards the game.”
In their next matchup against the 2025 MEAC Champions, Norfolk State University, Howard never gave up the lead and completed a 28-point victory. Harris and Taylor each put up 27 points, and this was one of the Bison’s most efficient shooting games.
The Bison ended the first half of the conference play against Coppin State University. They cruised to a victory and handed the Eagles their sixth loss in a row, closing out the first half of conference play on a high note.
The second half of conference play proved to be a breeze for the Bison. Every game, excluding their final game against Norfolk State, was won by at least 20 points, the biggest win coming against NC Central which the Bison won 100–67.
Graduate guard Bryce Harris said that the key to consistency on the court is playing to each other’s strengths. He emphasized that when every player is at the top of their game, the team becomes unstoppable.
“Individual success comes from the team’s success,” Harris said. “What coach preaches about all the time is that when everybody does their job, everybody’s [going to] eat.”
Additionally, many players reached personal achievements in the second stretch of conference play.
Gillus had a season-high 22 points against Norfolk State. He also recorded a triple-double against Coppin State, with 12 points, 11 assists, and 11 rebounds, only the second triple-double in program history.
Against NC Central, junior guard Alex Cotton had his best 3-point shooting game, going 66.7 percent from behind the arc on four of six shooting. Sophomore forward Travelle Bryson also reached his season high 22 points, shooting 90 percent from the field.
In addition, Taylor and Harris earned conference honors during this stretch, further exemplifying Howard’s dominance. Taylor earned MEAC Player of the Week three times, twice consecutively, while Harris earned MEAC Defensive Player of the Week twice, as well as his fourth Player of the Week of the season.
Howard will take on either Norfolk State or SC State as the number one seed in the MEAC tournament on March 13.
Copy edited by Daryl R. Thomas Jr.
