Advertise & Recruit on HBCU CONNECT The #1 way to reach the HBCU community — 300K+ monthly visitors & 1.5M members View the Media Kit →
Quick Search

Active Bloggers

Roger Gates Roger Gates
Hampton University class of 1995
Joel Savage Joel Savage
class of 1993
HBCU CONNECT HBCU CONNECT
Central State University class of 1995
Reginald Claremont Reginald Claremont
Clark Atlanta University class of 1998
rickey johnson rickey johnson
Other College... class of
LaMarr Blackmon LaMarr Blackmon
Cal St Univ, Long Beach class of 1992
P C P C
class of
Brian Smith Brian Smith
class of
Cata Rizzle Cata Rizzle
Hampton University class of 2001

LeMoyne-Owen College's Wells & Lawrence Participate In NBA-HBCU Showcase

LeMoyne-Owen College
Posted By: Kennedy Williams on August 04, 2022


LeMoyne-Owen College head men's basketball coach Bonzi Wells and former Magician Jaquan Lawrence were both participants in the first-ever NBA-HBCU Showcase.

What started as just an idea of Coach Wells, turned into a showcase that included former NBA players who are now HBCU head coaches. Mo Williams, represented Jackson State University, Reggie Theus represented Bethune-Cookman, and former NBA lottery pick Kenny Anderson represented Fisk University. "It was an awesome event that I think will get bigger and better each year, it was a pleasure to represent LeMoyne-Owen College and I'm already looking forward to next year", said Magicians head coach Bonzi Wells.

The NBA featured 28 HBCU basketball players in the 2022 NBA x HBCU Showcase in Las Vegas on July 11. Earlier this year, several players participated in Travis Williams' HBCU All-Star game in New Orleans on April 3. Currently, the league is trying to increase the number of players from HBCU schools. Major leagues - NFL, NBA, MLB - have listened to the outcry from fans and experts because HBCU athletes are not being drafted, and many are not invited to tryouts. Recently, NFL teams drafted four athletes.



However, the NBA and MLB did not select an HBCU player in their recent drafts. Today, Robert Covington remains the lone HBCU player in the NBA.

The objective of the game was to give the NBA direct exposure to these players with the hope of an invitation to official team tryouts for the NBA or G League (NBA minor league). Former NBA player Shareef Abdur-Rahim oversees the G League as its president. The G League has been responsible for over 100 players to receive invitations to NBA teams with ten-day, two-way, and rest-of-season contracts.

The HBCU event participants have either recently completed their collegiate eligibility or played in the NBA G League, Europe, Israel, or Puerto Rico. The hope of the NBA x HBCU Showcase is for the players to compete before coaches, scouts, and team executives for an opportunity to develop in the G League or NBA-affiliated European leagues.

For Lawrence, this was a cap to an amazing colligate career and another opportunity to be in front of pro scouts. "I think I played really well and im grateful for Coach Wells and the NBA, giving me this opportunity", said Lawrence. Jaquan was the SIAC Defensive Player of the Year and earned All-SIAC honors this past season.

SOURCE LeMoyne-Owen College
If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email!
Comments
Please Login To Post Comments...
Email:
Password:

 
More From This Author
US State Dept. Selects DSU Adjunct for Philippines Project
Horizon Therapeutics Adds Meharry Medical School as a Horizon Scholars Partner
WSSU Four Volleyball Student-Athletes Named to the CSC Academic All-District Volleyball® Team
Bluefield City Board Honors BSU Chancellor Garry Moore
State Funding of Morgan Research Centers Supports R1 Aspirations While Addressing Societal Challenges
Norfolk State University Board of Visitors Extends President's Contract to 2027
Latest News
Detroit Early Middle College Weaves HBCU Culture Into the High School Experience

Detroit Early Middle College Weaves HBCU Culture Into the High School Experience

Detroit Early Middle College (DEMC) is b ringing the culture of historically Black colleges and universities into the fabric of high school life. Through an HBCU-inspired House system, student leaders ...more
Reginald Claremont • 115 Views • October 30th, 2026
NSU Engineer Dr. Renny Edwin Fernandez Advances Smart-Bandage Technology for Better Wound Care

NSU Engineer Dr. Renny Edwin Fernandez Advances Smart-Bandage Technology for Better Wound Care

What if your bandages could communicate? That is exactly the question driving groundbreaking research at Norfolk State University , where Dr. Renny Edwin Fernandez , an associate professor in the Depa ...more
Roger Gates • 141 Views • October 29th, 2026
PLC Detroit Students Explore Black Fashion Legacy with B. Michael During “Stitched in Excellence” Conversation

PLC Detroit Students Explore Black Fashion Legacy with B. Michael During “Stitched in Excellence” Conversation

Recently students from Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design (PLC Detroit) interviewed fashion designer B. Michael at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, connecting their de ...more
P C • 172 Views • October 27th, 2026
In Case You Missed It: Connect with Employers You Missed Speaking with At Our Fall Conference & Career Fair!

In Case You Missed It: Connect with Employers You Missed Speaking with At Our Fall Conference & Career Fair!

HBCU CONNECT's free Fall Virtual Conference & Career Fair drew more than 3,800 member logins and visits to the platform on Wednesday, October 21, as 49 employers and organizations recruited college st ...more
Cata Rizzle • 1,898 Views • October 26th, 2026
📣 Introducing the MS-CC Student Community of Practice (CoP)!

📣 Introducing the MS-CC Student Community of Practice (CoP)!

Connect with fellow students, share your ideas, and explore what’s next! The MS-CC Student CoP brings undergraduate and graduate students together across institutions to explore research, technolog ...more
David Lockett • 239 Views • October 22nd, 2026
Popular News
Louisiana Upholds Life Sentence to Black Man For Stealing Hedge Trimmers in 1997

Louisiana Upholds Life Sentence to Black Man For Stealing Hedge Trimmers in 1997

While this may not be HBCU related news, as an AFrican American male, I had to share this appalling decision by the Louisiana court system to keep a man in jail with a life sentence for such a petty c ...more
Roger Gates • 406,311 Views • August 6th, 2020
Blonde Instagram Model Goes Viral for Graduating from HBCU and Pledging Delta Sigma Theta!

Blonde Instagram Model Goes Viral for Graduating from HBCU and Pledging Delta Sigma Theta!

A blonde woman is going viral this morning, for graduating from A Historically Black College while pledging a Black sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated. @Blonde_HBCU The woman, an IG ...more
Roger Gates • 190,669 Views • November 30th, 2020
Apple to Invest over $40 Million Dollars into HBCUs - Time to major in Computer Science!!!

Apple to Invest over $40 Million Dollars into HBCUs - Time to major in Computer Science!!!

On Tuesday Johnny C. Taylor, President and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund stopped by “NewsOne Now” to make a major announcement that could literally change the lives of thousands of HBCU st ...more
Roger Gates • 131,353 Views • March 11th, 2015
North Carolina HBCU Unity Day

North Carolina HBCU Unity Day

Shaw University - Elizabeth City State University - Johnson C. Smith University - Fayetteville State University - Livingstone College - North Carolina A&T State University - North Carolina Central Uni ...more
Reginald Claremont • 120,148 Views • August 8th, 2016
Black Billionaire Robert F. Smith to  Donate $50 Million to Support STEM Students at HBCUs

Black Billionaire Robert F. Smith to Donate $50 Million to Support STEM Students at HBCUs

The Student Freedom Initiative announced today a $50 million personal gift from Robert F. Smith, philanthropist and Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners. This gift matches the initial fu ...more
Roger Gates • 87,013 Views • October 22nd, 2020
Please Give Us a Like on Facebook!
Featured Members