Upcoming CIAA Tournament Feature Several Participants from the Area 

As has become commonplace, the upcoming CIAA Basketball Tournament will include a number of participants, including 11 student-athletes and one coach.

Baltimore City is home to some of the finest basketball talent the world has to offer. Some are in the professional ranks, whether it be the NBA, WNBA or overseas. Many are competing at the collegiate level, whether it be a Division I, II or III program. Many went on to coach, lead athletic programs and join the executive ranks in sports organizations. 

The area has birthed numerous gifted HBCU ball players, some of whom attended CIAA institutions.

From the days of Stanley Tucker and Morgan State in the 1960s and 1970s to the days of Choo Smith, Arthur Lewis and Omarr Smith with Bowie State in the late 1990s and early 2000s – Baltimore has remained a juggernaut when it comes to producing legendary basketball figures. 

And though Earl “The Pearl” Monroe isn’t from Baltimore City, he was drafted No. 2 overall in the 1967 NBA Draft for the Baltimore Bullets. He was arguably the greatest basketball player to emerge from the CIAA after a decorated career at Winston-Salem State University where he led the team to a national title during the 1966-67 season.

Kendall Peace-Able, head coach of the well-regarded Poly girls’ basketball team, is a Lincoln University alumna.

As CIAA participants with local ties prepare to return home, not only will they compete to keep postseason hopes alive, but they’ll anticipate the reunion with relatives, friends, old coaches and teammates. 

Here are the dozen participants featured in this year’s tournament who are from Baltimore: 

Women’s basketball

Coach Shadae Swan (Bowie State): The ninth head coach in BSU women’s basketball program history, Swan is now in her eighth season in that role. She was named the CIAA Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year in 2019, which is the season she led the Bulldogs to an impressive 22-6 overall record. Swan starred for St. Frances Academy before playing at Goucher College. The BSU women’s team has not won a conference title since 1999, and Swan plans to erase that 25-year drought in her return home starting Feb. 26, 2024.

Tsion Smith (Bowie State): Smith, who had a decorated career at Mt. Carmel High School, is in her second year with Bowie State. She registered a season-high 12 points against WSSU on Dec. 14, 2023.

Kaitlyn Weaver-Adams (Bowie State): The sophomore center has only appeared in one game for the Bulldogs this season. She competed for the highly regarded Team Thrill youth basketball organization and St. Frances.

Khalia Turner (Bowie State): The redshirt sophomore competed alongside Adams at St. Frances. Turner, a freshman guard, has already made significant contributions this season for BSU. In the six games she’s played in so far, she’s averaging about three points and two boards.

Kaziah Akinniyi (Lincoln): Akinniyi, a former Poly standout, is a 5-foot-9 sophomore. She recorded eight points at Bowie on Jan. 20.

Riley Holliday (Lincoln): The 6-foot-2 freshman was a major contributor in a close win over Bloomfield earlier this season where she scored a season-high 10 points. Holliday also spent her high school career at Poly. 

Men’s basketball

Caleb Johnson (Bowie State): Similar to last season, Johnson is one of his team’s primary leaders. The 6-foot-2 junior is having a respectable year for Bowie State with averages of 11.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists on 34.4% shooting from the 3-point line.  Caleb is having a fairly productive season for the Bulldogs. In a recent 73-70 overtime win at home against Virginia Union, Johnson scored a team-high 18 along with six rebounds. He played for Archbishop Curley in high school.

Tyler Buckhanon (Bowie State): Now a second-year player for the Bulldogs, Buckhanon has an expanded role compared to last year. Of the 19 games he’s played he has started in nine, totaling 2.3 points and 2.6 boards on 45% shooting from the field. The 6-foot-9 sophomore earned several honors as a standout at Bath County High School in Kentucky.

Detwan Montague (Bowie State): Montague is a 6-foot-8 redshirt sophomore who played at St. Frances Academy and Springdale Prep in Carroll County prior to his arrival at Bowie State. He has appeared in 11 games for the Bulldogs so far this season.

Kaleb Glasper (Saint Augustine’s): Though his minutes are down from last season, Glasper’s scoring average has increased. He tallied season-highs of 13 points and six rebounds against Chowan. Glasper starred for Reservoir High School in Howard County before competing for the Falcons.

Dalyn Brandon (WSSU): Brandon, a 6-foot-5 junior guard, is a transfer from Allegany College of Maryland in Cumberland. In his two seasons at Allegany, Brandon was a consistent force on offense as he tallied 29 points per game. Prior to competing at Allegany and WSSU, Brandon was a standout at Archbishop Curley in East Baltimore. So far for the Rams, his minutes have been limited.

Donovan Leak (Livingstone): Leak is in his second year with the Blue Bears, and his production has increased slightly since his rookie campaign. Up to this point in the season the 5-foot-11 guard is averaging about four points and two rebounds per game. He played at Shiloh High School in Snellville, Georgia, before committing to Livingstone.

The 2024 CIAA Basketball Tournament tips off on Feb. 26 at CFG Arena in downtown Baltimore. The conference will likely release the tournament brackets over the next week or so as teams conclude the regular season.