DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University men's basketball program begins the 2023-24 season on Monday, Nov. 6, under the helm of head coach
LeVelle Moton, who is in his 15th season. There are 11 new Eagles that have entered the nest to join six returners.
With 17 players on board, NCCU will have the deepest roster since the 2010-11 team, matching roster size. That team was the second squad that Moton coached in his tenure at NCCU.
The six familiar faces returning to men's basketball are
Ja'Darius Harris (Trenton, Tenn.),
Devin Gordon (Powder Springs, Ga.),
Fred Cleveland Jr. (Chicago, Ill.),
Timmy Adedire (Baltimore, Md.),
Terrence Crawford (Graham, N.C.), and
Chris Daniels (Raleigh, N.C.). Seniors Harris and Cleveland bring back the most experience for the Eagles. Both made 29 appearances in 30 games last season. Cleveland was named to the 2023-24 All-MEAC Preseason Third Team. He was eighth in the conference in assists last season, averaging 2.8 per game.
With all five starters of the 2022-23 team departing NCCU, Moton brought in 10 transfers from both the Division I and NJCAA levels to contribute to the Eagles this season. Three sophomores
Kye Dickson (Toronto, Canada),
Po'Boigh King (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.), and
Josh Smith (Chicago, Ill.) make their way to Durham, N.C., from junior college programs. Dickson averaged 21 points per game last season at Grayson College, King recorded an average of 13.4 points per game while at Harcum College, and Smith scored 13.9 points per game during his time at Independence Community College.
The remaining sophomores,
Guy Fauntleroy (Upper Marlboro, Md.) and
Perry Smith Jr., (Augusta, Ga.) spent their freshmen seasons playing for Austin Peay State University and the University of Vermont, respectively. Fauntleroy played in 28 games, starting seven, while Smith was a part of the American East Conference Championship team at his former school.
Juniors
Cobey Harraway (Seattle, Wash.) and
Gbenga Olubi (Corona, Calif.) flew into the nest from the West Coast, while
Keishon Porter (Pinetops, N.C.) is a nearby talent. Harraway averaged 10.5 points per game in his final season at the State College of Florida. Olubi started 23 games in his sophomore season at Utah State Eastern, totaling 14.3 points per game. Porter averaged 14.1 points per contest during his time at Cape Fear Community College.
Junior
Brock Williams (Burlington, N.C.) and graduate student
Emmanuel Izunabor (Fayetteville, N.C.) will play together again after spending time at High Point University. Izunabor was a top-20 rebounder in the Big South Conference last season, finishing top-five in offensive rebounds.
Caleb Ellison is the lone freshman hailing from Winston-Salem, N.C. where he attended Ronald Reagan High School.
The MEAC's preseason order of finish predicts men's basketball will finish third. Last year's team finished second in the league with a 10-4 record, ending the season in the MEAC Basketball Tournament semifinals.
NCCU opens the 2023-24 regular season at No. 1 Kansas on Monday, Nov. 6. The game starts at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT) at the Allen Fieldhouse, with streaming available for subscribers of Big 12 Now/ESPN+.
For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com, or download the NCCU Eagles Athletics app.
