This year’s CIAA Basketball Tournament will feature a record number of local student-athletes since the weekly event has returned to Baltimore.
In addition to the 17 participants from Baltimore City, the tournament will feature numerous others from around the region – including Baltimore, Howard, Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties – who will likely attract support from family, friends, old teammates and coaches.
Baltimore’s rich, storied basketball legacy has largely shaped its identity as a town. Numerous hoop legends got their start in the playgrounds, recreation centers and Boys & Girls clubs throughout the city.
Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, will remain an iconic figure in Baltimore sports history. The CIAA legend ranks among the greatest HBCU athletes of all time, making history as the highest HBCU NBA draft selection ever. After a superb run at Winston-Salem State, Monroe was drafted second overall to the Baltimore Bullets in 1967.
Other recognizable names who have ties to Baltimore and the CIAA include venture capital executive Stanley Tucker (Morgan State); former Harlem Globetrotter and nonprofit leader Choo Smith (Bowie State); Baltimore City College head basketball coach Omarr Smith (Bowie State); former Harlem Wizard Arthur Smith (Bowie State); and Forest Park High School Athletic Director Jermaine Dunn (Virginia State).
Not to mention, Poly girls basketball coach Kendall Peace-Able attended Lincoln University and City College Athletic Director Rolynda Contee was an athlete during her time at Virginia State. Simply put, the CIAA has produced an abundance of influential figures who have made their marks on and off the hardwood.
An awaited return to Baltimore is more than a homecoming affair for CIAA participants with local ties – it will be a chance to register an impressive showing in front of relatives and friends in a quest to keep their respective team’s postseason hopes alive.
Here are the 17 participants featured in this year’s tournament who are from Baltimore:
Women’s basketball
- Coach Shadae Swan (Bowie State): The Baltimore native and former St. Frances standout is back for her ninth season as head of the Bowie State women’s basketball program. She has led the Bulldogs to a favorable second-place ranking in the conference standings (stats good as of Feb. 10) with a 16-8 overall record. The Bulldogs are 10-2 against CIAA opponents and have won four straight. As the tournament approaches, Swan and the Bulldogs hope to capture the program’s first conference championship since 1999.
- Destiny Ryles (Bowie State): A two-sport athlete in high school, the 5-foot-3 guard comes from St. Paul’s School for Girls, where she led the girls basketball team to multiple IAAM conference titles before starring at the University of the District of Columbia. Through 22 games, the senior is recording a team-high 18.2 points per game to go with 4.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists. She will play a pivotal role for BSU in her return home to CFG Bank Arena.
- Kristin Sterling (Bowie State): The 5-foot-10 forward is a newcomer to the program who most recently competed for N.C. A&T, a well-known HBCU that was once part of the MEAC. In high school, she earned numerous honors as a standout for the Pikesville High School girls basketball program. So far, she’s averaging about three points and 2.6 boards in 14 minutes of action per contest.
- Chaniya Taylor (Bowie State): The 6-foot-1 freshman has seen limited minutes so far this season. While at Forest Park High School, she was a crucial piece to the team’s success. Taylor also played volleyball at Forest Park.
- Kaziah Akinniyi (Lincoln): Akinniyi followed in the same footsteps as Poly girls basketball coach Kendall Peace-Able, who also attended Lincoln. The 5-foot-9 guard is a third-year player in the program, and her role has increased considerably since last season. As of Feb. 10, she’s averaging 5.6 points and about two rebounds. Before her Lincoln career, Akinniyi contributed to Poly’s MPSSAA 3A state championship run in 2022.
- Riley Holliday (Lincoln): The sophomore returner is looking to contribute to the Lions’ postseason run when she returns to her hometown. Holliday, a 6-foot-2 forward, competed alongside Akinniyi at Poly.
- Ariana Makumi (Lincoln): Makumi, a freshman, also played for the Poly girls basketball team. She recorded a season-high 12 points in 30 minutes of action against Johnson C. Smith on Nov. 17. Makumi will likely serve a pivotal role come tournament week, considering she’s started 13 of 14 games for Lincoln.
- Maya Gray (Livingstone): The freshman guard has contributed in spots throughout the season, recording seven points against Mansfield and USC Aiken earlier this season. Gray was part of the Western High School girls basketball dynasty under Coach Tasha Townsend.
- Breasia Coit (Livingstone): Coit, also a freshman, competed alongside Gray at Western High School. The 6-foot-2 center scored a season-high 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds to help Livingstone to a narrow 68-66 win at Fayetteville State on Jan. 28.
Men’s basketball
- Caleb Johnson (Bowie State): Johnson is in his senior season with the Bulldogs, who are 14-10 overall (as of Feb. 10). In past seasons, the 6-foot-2 guard has been one of the team’s primary leaders. Though his scoring averages are down this year, Johnson is often relied upon to lead and control the tempo of the game. For instance, he’s just coming off a 27-point performance that powered Bowie to a win over Bluefield State on Feb. 1. Johnson is a graduate of Archbishop Curley, which is where he played high school ball.
- Jordan Downs (Bowie State): Downs is a 6-foot-4 freshman who comes from basketball powerhouse St. Frances Academy in East Baltimore. He helped lead the Panthers to a 2024 Baltimore Catholic League title before bringing his talents to Bowie. Downs recorded five points and three steals at Shippensburg on Dec. 1, 2024.
- Tyler Buckhanon (Bowie State): The third-year player has contributed in spurts for the Bulldogs with a slightly expanded role from last season. The 6-foot-9 junior earned several honors as a standout at Bath County High School in Kentucky and is seeing a little more playing time this season for BSU.
- Detwan Montague (Bowie State): A former standout at St. Frances Academy and Springdale Prep in Carroll County, the 6-foot-8 Montague is a redshirt junior forward. Montague’s role has been limited this season, but his post presence could be useful for the Bulldogs during the tournament, depending on matchups and several other factors.
- Che Evans (Virginia Union): Evans made his way to a CIAA program after bouncing around a few Division I programs, including San Diego State, UTEP and USC Upstate. The 6-foot-7 forward is tallying about nine points per game for the Panthers so far as one of the main contributors on the team. Before college, he led Dulaney High School (Baltimore County) to an MPSSAA 4A North regional title after averaging 20.5 points, eight rebounds and six assists his junior season. He netted 16 points at UDC last November.
- Jamal Cannady Jr. (Livingstone): Cannady, a former star at Dunbar and New Era Academy, also played for Trevecca Nazarene and Bryn Athyn at the collegiate level before transferring to Livingstone this season, where he is one of the club’s premier talents. Cannady, a 6-foot-1 senior, is a top-five scorer in the conference, averaging 16.5 points per game on 41 percent shooting from the field. He hopes to bring his offensive prowess to the CIAA tournament as Livingstone strives to stay alive in the postseason.
- Donovan Leak (Livingstone): Through 21 games with the Blue Bears, Leak, a third-year player, has shown bright spots. The 5-foot-11 junior guard played at Shiloh High School in Snellville, Georgia, before committing to Livingstone. He was also a part of Choo Smith’s AAU basketball program.
- Jordan Foster (Fayetteville State): The first-year player will be redshirting this season, according to Fayetteville State Athletics officials. Before transferring to FSU, the 6-foot-1 guard competed for CCBC Dundalk at the JUCO level. In high school, Foster played at Gilman.
The 2025 CIAA Basketball Tournament tips off on February 25, 2025 at CFG Arena in downtown Baltimore. The conference will release the tournament brackets within the next few weeks as teams conclude the regular season.