CIAA tournament, again, welcomes numerous participants from Baltimore area

Excitement awaits as the 2026 CIAA Basketball Tournament soon returns to Charm City, a town whose basketball tradition, culture and legacy run deep. 

For the second consecutive year, the tournament will welcome 17 participants – 16 men’s and women’s players combined along with a head coach – who are either from Baltimore City or competed for a local high school program. 

After a 70-year hiatus, the weekly event returned to Baltimore in 2022. The upcoming 2026 tournament will mark the fifth year the competition has been back in town as the CIAA announced. 

Last summer, the CIAA announced it secured a partnership with Baltimore as the host city of the basketball tournament through 2029, fostering a renewed sense of optimism and morale among the region’s sports fans, CIAA alumni and HBCU supporters.

In addition to the more than dozen participants from Baltimore City, the tournament will feature numerous athletes from around the region – including Baltimore, Howard, Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties – who will likely attract support from relatives, friends, old teammates and coaches.

Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, though a Philadelphia native, will always be regarded as a Baltimore sports icon who competed in the CIAA. Before leaving his mark on the NBA and being named to the Hall of Fame, Monroe averaged more than 41 points per game as part of a stellar national championship run during the 1966-67 season. 

Arguably the greatest basketball player to emerge from a historically Black college, Monroe made history as the highest HBCU NBA draft selection ever. He played for the Baltimore Bullets before competing for the New York Knicks. 

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); Poly girls basketball coach Kendall Peace-Able (Lincoln); City College Athletic Director Rolynda Contee (Virginia State); former Harlem Wizard Arthur Smith (Bowie State); and Forest Park High School Athletic Director Jermaine Dunn (Virginia State).

As local players and a coach prepare for an anticipated return home, conference teams look to culminate their regular seasons on a high note to land the most favorable rank in the CIAA standings. 

Here are the participants featured in the 2026 CIAA Basketball Tournament who are from Baltimore: 

Women’s basketball

• Coach Shadae Swan, Bowie State: The Baltimore native and former St. Frances standout is now in her 10th season as head of the Bowie State women’s basketball program. She recently became the winningest coach in program history after notching her 166th win in December 2025. The Bulldogs are 15-7 overall (stats good as of Feb. 13) with a No. 2 ranking in the CIAA Northern Division standing. Bowie State lost a nail-biter, 63-59, to Virginia State in last year’s tournament. They look to avenge themselves of the loss as the tournament approaches, also hoping to capture the program’s first conference title since 1999. 
• Kristin Sterling, Bowie State: The returner is now a redshirt junior and has shown bright spots for the Bulldogs throughout the season. The 5-foot-10 forward netted a season-high 22 points against Lynn on Dec. 20, 2025. Sterling is averaging about five points and five boards so far this season – slight statistical improvements from last year – and will likely play a major role at some point in her team’s postseason effort. In high school, she was a standout for the Pikesville High School girls basketball program.
• Chaniya Taylor, Bowie State: Back for her sophomore season, the 6-foot-1 forward has seen major improvements from last year. She scored 13 in a tough home loss to Johnson C. Smith on Jan. 3, and is averaging 5.2 points along with five rebounds per contest. Taylor, also a volleyball player in high school, competed for the Forest Park High School girls basketball team before coming to Bowie. 
• Kaziah Akinniyi, Lincoln: The 5-foot-9 guard is in her senior season with the struggling Lions, who are 3-21 overall (as of Feb. 13). Akinniyi is a top contributor on the team, pouring in a team-high 13.6 points to go with 4.8 rebounds. Prior to Lincoln, Akinniyi contributed to Poly’s MPSSAA 3A state championship run in 2022.
• Riley Holliday, Lincoln: The third-year player has started 12 games this season in an increased role from previous seasons. Holliday, a 6-foot-2 forward, is tallying 3.4 points and 7.2 rebounds so far for the Lions. She competed alongside Akinniyi at Poly.
• Brianna Johnson, Virginia Union: The 5-foot-8 guard is a newcomer to the program and has seen limited minutes. Before coming to VUU, she competed for Goucher College and Notre Dame of Maryland – two schools in the area. In high school, Johnson competed for Baltimore City College.
• Saniya Green, Virginia State: A 5-foot-5 sophomore, Green is in her first season with the program. She contributed five points and three boards in a recent win over Lincoln. Green is a transfer from Valley Forge, where she had a solid freshman campaign with 13 points, 6.5 rebounds and five assists per game. She played high school ball at City College.
• Maya Gray, Livingstone: The sophomore returner has only appeared in one contest this season (according to the Livingstone Athletics website): The season opener against Clarion on Nov. 14, 2025. Gray, a 5-foot-7 guard, was part of the Western High School girls basketball dynasty under Coach Tasha Townsend. 
• Breasia Coit, Livingstone: Coit, also a sophomore, competed alongside Gray at Western High School. The 6-foot-2 center recorded a season-high 33 points against Barton College on Dec. 20, 2025. Averaging 13.3 points and 11.4 boards, the double-digit performer’s post presence will be crucial to Livingstone’s success in the postseason. So far, the Blue Bears are 6-17 overall.

Men’s basketball

• Jordan Downs, Bowie State: A 2024 graduate of St. Frances, Downs contributed to the school’s MIAA and BCL title runs during his high school career. The 6-foot-4 sophomore is in his second season with Bowie State and is playing about 13 minutes a game this year – up from five minutes per game his freshman season.
• Marcus Jackson, Virginia State: The high-flying 6-foot-10 forward was among Baltimore’s top recruits for the Class of 2025. Aside from a solid stint at Edmondson-Westside, the lefty competed for Team Thrill. The freshman registered a season-high 15 points in 18 minutes against Johnson C. Smith on Jan. 10. 
• Khyrie Staten, Elizabeth City State: Staten is a senior transfer guard who arrives from Delaware State. He’s playing limited minutes, seeing about nine minutes on the floor each contest. The 22-year-old also competed for University of the District of Columbia and played high school ball at St. Frances, where he helped lead the team to two BCL championships and an MIAA title.
• Kareem Fowlkes, Livingstone: The 6-foot-9 freshman is a former standout at New Town High School in Baltimore County. He’s played limited minutes this season for the Blue Bears, who are 9-15 overall (as of Feb. 13).
• Camerin Horton, Livingstone: In 10 minutes per game, the 6-foot-4 junior is posting 3.6. Points and 3.3 rebounds so far for Livingstone. In a decorated high school career with City College, he led the program to a state title in 2023. Prior to suiting up for the Blue Bears, Horton recorded 10.3 points and 6.4 boards for Hagerstown Community College last year.
• Kyree Smith, Bluefield State: In his first season with the program, the junior is netting 4.3 points in 18.5 minutes per game. He competed alongside Horton as a pivotal contributor to City College’s success a few years ago. Smith scored 12 twice; once against Claflin and another time against UVA Wise. He comes to Bluefield State from St. Mary’s College in Southern Maryland.
• Colin Harshman, Bluefield State: Harshman, a 6-foot-3 junior, hasn’t seen much of the floor this season. The Catonsville High School alumnus competed for Howard Community College before transferring to the West Virginia HBCU.
• Donte Hickman, Claflin: The 6-foot guard is a freshman with the Panthers. Prior to joining Claflin, he competed for Pikesville and IMG Academy in high school.

The 2026 CIAA Basketball Tournament will run from Feb. 24 to Feb. 28, 2026 at downtown Baltimore’s CFG Arena. The conference will release the tournament brackets within the next week or so as teams wrap up the regular season.