Winston-Salem State won its second CIAA men’s basketball tournament in three years by outlasting Lincoln last season.

The tournament returns to Baltimore this week, with play beginning Monday evening. Here’s what you need to know about each team.

Claflin

16-9 overall record, 13-5 conference record

  • Coach: Brion Dunlap, 2nd season.
  • Player to watch: Bryson Dennis, a 6-foot-1 senior guard from Snellville, Georgia, scored a season-high 32 points against Virginia State in an 82-75 victory Jan. 13.
  • Key note: Claflin went on a four-game winning streak in a seven-day span from Jan. 13-20. The Panthers knocked off CIAA opponents Virginia State, Livingstone and Winston-Salem State, along with nonconference opponent Morris College in the HBCU Classic.

Winston-Salem State

18-8, 12-5

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  • Coach: Cleo Hill Jr., 6th season.
  • Players to watch: Jaylen Alston, a 6-foot-4 senior guard from Gibsonville, North Carolina, is the team’s leader with eight double-doubles on the season. Dayln Brandon is a 6-foot-5 junior guard from Baltimore.
  • Key note: Winston-Salem State is sports media personality Stephen A. Smith’s alma mater. The program rose to prominence under the late Clarence “Big House” Gaines, a Morgan State alumnus (1941-45). Gaines coached Winston-Salem State for 47 years, compiling an 828-447 record, winning an NCAA Division II championship in 1967 and winning the CIAA championship eight times. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982.

Lincoln (Pa.)

14-13, 10-7

  • Coach: Jason A. Armstrong, 2nd season.
  • Players to watch: Bakir Cleveland, a 6-foot-5 junior guard from Newark, New Jersey, has four 20-point performances. Freddie Young Jr., a 6-foot-3 sophomore guard from Ewing, New Jersey, has scored in double digits 12 times.
  • Key note: Armstrong was a La Salle Academy high school teammate of Shammgod “God Shammgod” Wells in 1995 and Metta Sandiford-Artest, formerly known as Ron Artest, in 1997.

Fayetteville State

16-12, 11-7

  • Coach: Luke D’Alessio, 5th season.
  • Players to watch: Tairell Fletcher, a 6-foot-2 junior guard from Fayetteville, North Carolina, has scored 20 or more points in six games. Caleb Simmons, a 6-foot-4 junior guard from Newburgh, New York, has four double-doubles. Tyler Gill, a 5-foot-11 redshirt sophomore guard from Raleigh, North Carolina, previously played for Towson University.
  • Key note: D’Alessio has a long history with the state of Maryland — especially the Baltimore area. He was the head coach for 10 seasons at Bowie State, spent 2010-13 at Loyola Maryland and led CCBC-Catonsville to a 124-52 record from 1993-99.

Virginia State

14-14, 8-9

  • Coach: Lonnie Blow Jr., 13th season.
  • Players to watch: Kendall Bynum, a 6-foot guard from Chesapeake, Virginia, scored 23 points, shooting 7-for-10 from the field with four rebounds and two steals, in a 78-63 victory over St. Augustine’s on Dec. 30. Imhotep “Tap” George is a 6-foot-8 forward from Laurel. He is the team’s third-leading scorer.
  • Key note: The Trojans had a successful run in the UVI HBCU Classic, defeating the University of the Virgin Islands 77-69 on Dec. 15 and conference rival Claflin 73-71 the following day. Virginia State fell to Bloomfield 72-68 on Dec. 17.

Shaw

13-13, 9-9

  • Coach: Bobby Collins, 3rd season.
  • Players to watch: D.J. Thomas, a 5-foot-8 senior guard from Raleigh, North Carolina, has been perfect from the free throw line in six games. Shayne Saigo, a 6-foot-5 senior forward from Knightdale, North Carolina, has scored 20 points or more in seven games.
  • Key note: Collins formerly coached at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, where he held a 49-82 overall record over four seasons.

Johnson C. Smith

14-11, 9-9

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  • Coach: Stephen Joyner Sr., 29th season.
  • Player to watch: Avery Huggins, a 6-foot-7 junior forward from Wilson, North Carolina, shot 11-for-18 from the field, 2-for-5 from 3-point range and 3-for-4 from the line in a 27-point performance against Claflin on Jan. 27.
  • Key note: JCSU started 10-4 start before losing four consecutive games from Jan. 15-27.

Livingstone

12-14, 8-9

  • Coach: James Stinson, 19th season.
  • Players to watch: Khyree Temple, a 6-foot-6 junior forward from West Philadelphia, has four double-doubles. 5-foot-11 sophomore guard Donovan Leak is a Baltimore native.
  • Key note: Livingstone had back-to-back games, on Nov. 25 against Virginia University of Lynchburg and on Dec. 2, versus Carolina Christian. The Blue Bears defeated their opponents by nearly identical scores – 125-65 in the first game and 125-63 in the second.

St. Augustine’s

12-16, 8-10

  • Coach: Chucky Brown, 2nd season.
  • Players to watch: Kaleb Glasper, a 6-foot-3 sophomore guard from Baltimore, attended Reservoir High School in Fulton. 6-foot-5 senior guard Jordan Love, from Durham, North Carolina, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native Nemo Johnson, a 6-foot-6 sophomore forward, lead the team in scoring.
  • Key notes: St. Augustine’s preseason exhibition games consisted of two Division I matchups – vs. No. 10 North Carolina and South Carolina State. While St. Augustine struggled against the Tar Heels in a 117-53 loss, the team pulled closer three days later in a 69-61 loss. ... Brown played from 1989 to 2002 in the NBA, winning a championship with the Houston Rockets in 1995.

Virginia Union

13-17, 8-9

  • Coach: Jay Butler, 9th season.
  • Players to watch: Tahj Harding, a 6-foot-5 guard from Lincoln Heights, Ohio, scored 47 points on a 15-for-32 shooting line (6-for-9 from 3-point and 11-for-14 from the free throw line) in a 92-90 loss to Augusta on Dec. 3. 6-foot-2 sophomore guard Michael Harrell is from Laurel, and 6-foot freshman guard Travis Vaughn, a Bel Air native, attended John Carroll.
  • Key note: Virginia Union went on a seven-game losing streak from Dec. 3-Jan. 9, with five losses against CIAA opponents — Livingstone, JCSU, St. Augustine’s, Shaw and Claflin.

Elizabeth City State

10-18, 7-10

  • Coach: John W. Richardson, interim.
  • Player to watch: Jaquantae Harris, a 6-foot-2 sophomore from Fayetteville, North Carolina, scored a season-high 25 points against Newberry on Nov. 21.
  • Key note: Richardson was appointed interim head coach on Jan. 8 to replace Andre Gray, who began the season with a 4-11 record.

Bowie State

11-16, 6-11

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  • Coach: Darrell Brooks, 11th season.
  • Players to watch: Warren Mouganda, a 6-foot-2 sophomore guard from Washington, played for St. Vincent Pallotti High School in the MIAA. 6-foot-2 senior guard Anthony Carpenter (Reisterstown/Gerstell Academy), 6-foot-2 junior guard Caleb Johnson (Baltimore/Archbishop Curley), 6-foot-8 redshirt sophomore center Detwan Montague (Baltimore) and 6-foot-9 sophomore forward Tyler Buckhanon (Baltimore) all have ties to the Baltimore region.
  • Key note: Bowie State knocked off Virginia Union in a 73-70 overtime win on Valentine’s Day to snap a five-game losing streak.

Bluefield State

7-21, 4-13

  • Coach: Devin Hoehn, 3rd season.
  • Player to watch: Jordan Hinds, a 6-foot-5 junior guard from Tamarac, Florida, led Big Blue with 32 points in a 76-61 victory over Saint Augustine’s on Dec. 11.
  • Key note: Bluefield State is the newest member of the CIAA, joining prior to the 2023-24 academic year.