Draft season is always stressful for everyone involved: players, coaches, scouts and team officials. Players at HBCUs risk being wholly overlooked due to several factors, with the consistent one being “competition.” The official National Basketball Association draft took place during the summer, in addition to the WNBA draft.
There are a total of two draft rounds that grant each of the NBA teams the opportunity to pick their desired player until they reach number 58. The last draft that someone from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University was drafted to the NBA was Jerome James in 1998.
The 2024-2025 basketball season has started, and before this semester, the athletic department attempted to rejuvenate the team’s leadership and roster. In addition to this, the men’s basketball team has won three games and lost five. However, the coaches seem confident that there is room for growth and improvement, as recent interviews show.
Unlike the NFL, the NBA has become less of a defensive contact sport, which has led to less of a need for players within defensive positions, making it harder for players to envision themselves in the league. In fact, upon observation, in recent years, not many players from FAMU have declared themselves for the NBA draft. The reasons behind such a matter are unknown.
Still, on a larger scale, there seems to be a consistent pattern of players at historically black colleges and universities missing out in comparison to those at predominantly white institutions and players from overseas.
“I believe one should dream BIG and give all you have towards accomplishing your goals. At the same time, I feel it’s important to have balance and find a way to enjoy the moment you’re in of being in college as those experiences will come and go faster than you think,” said former FAMU assistant basketball coach Craig Brown
The NBA became an official sports league in 1949; however, the first official NBA draft had been held by then, taking place in 1947. By 1950, Earl Floyd, the first player from an HBCU, had been drafted into the NFL. A gradual increase continued the momentum, but there still seemed to be a need for more players from HBCUs than from other universities.
Thus far, 21 players drafted from HBCUs were drafted during the first round, with none of them being players from FAMU. In fact, according to documented records, the most draft picks for the NBA have come from Tennessee State University and Jackson State University, followed by Grambling State in third place. FAMU has only had four players drafted into the NBA in total. The basketball program is currently a part of the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) division in men’s basketball. Which is considered one of the top leagues for college sports.
However, even with FAMU and other HBCUs being a part of upper divisions, there is still a lack of HBCU players in the NBA. Sources have referred to this as a “drought,” detailing that it has been over 10 years since a player from an HBCU has been drafted directly into the NBA.
“As a kid, I was always told and taught that I had to be twice as good as my white peers because if anything less, the other person would more than likely get chosen over me. I still think about this in my adult life when going after career opportunities,” said Brown.
For this problem to be accurately addressed, more awareness should be raised. More exposure for players here at FAMU on a local, state, and local level would help through endorsements, networking, and frequent marketing. Doing so will place more players on the scouts’ radar and lead to possibilities for growth.
In addition to the NBA draft, the NBA combine takes place just before the draft, and invitations are needed to attend and compete. As of 2024, the latest win for FAMU basketball included a former player, Nasir Core, who was selected to participate in the 3’s company basketball Big 3 draft competition, ranking in tenth place.
The only other options players must hope for are free agent opportunities and more minor leagues such as the G League, TBL (The Basketball League), UBL (United Basketball League), and the UBA (United Basketball Association) to play the sport they love.
Players can only remain hopeful at all HBCUs, not just FAMU, that their hard work and recognition will be recognized and rewarded one day.
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