Men's Basketball 8/19/2026 1:33:00 PM

Welcome to the Nest: NCCU Unveils 2026-27 Men's Basketball Roster

DURHAM, N.C. – Head men's basketball coach LeVelle Moton and the North Carolina Central program has completed its incoming class for the 2026-27 season, with 14 new Eagles in the Nest.

"I am pleased with how we finished out this recruiting cycle for the 2026-27 season," said Moton. "After last season, my staff and I agreed that we needed to pinpoint heavily on positional size at every single position. Averaging out our roster, we stand at 6'5" overall. I believe we've accomplished that in this class while also bringing in talented, skilled, and determined individuals who are also high character young men and representatives of our basketball program."

Returner

Ryan Archey returns as the lone Eagle veteran. The senior guard played 25 games last season for NCCU. Archey averaged 3.2 points in 8.1 minutes per game off the bench, recording a season-high of 13 points against South Carolina State in the final regular season meeting.

New Eagles

Former School: Morgan State

Christian Meeks is one of three new transfers from within Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference programs to play for NC Central this season, coming from Morgan State. Meeks started 27 games in 30 appearances for the Bears, averaging 5.9 points on 55.3 percent shooting from the field and also averaged 5.8 rebounds. Meeks also had stops at Waubonsee Community College and Missouri-St. Louis.

Former School: Brunswick Community College

Alius Bowser flies in the Nest after spending two seasons at Brunswick Community College, where he was an NJCAA All-Region 10 Second Team selection in his sophomore campaign. Bowser earned 31 starts in 33 games played, averaging 13.0 points on 49.5 percent shooting from the field. He also shot 42.8 percent from beyond the arc and 83.3 percent from the free-throw line. Bowser scored a season-high 30 points over Gulf Coast State last season.

Former School: Brunswick Community College

Darius Kane also comes from Brunswick Community College, hailing as an NJCAA All-Region 10 First Team selection. Starting all 34 games, Kane shot over 50 percent averaging 11.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.6 assists. The guard put up 28 points last season over Gaston and passed for 13 assists at USC Salkehatchie. Kane also played for Belmont Abbey previously.

Former School: South Atlanta High School

Duor Duor is the only signee that played high school ball last season. The incoming freshman was named the Georgia High School Association's Class AA Region 6 Boys Basketball Player of the Year in his final two years at South Atlanta High School. His four-year career included 119 games played, ending his senior season averaging 20.3 points, 11.4 rebounds and 2.8 blocks. Duor put up 32 points on three separate occasions last season, grabbed a season-high 18 rebounds and recorded six blocks in three different games. He earned GBCA/GACA 2A Boys North All-State honors.

Former School: Shaw

Isaiah Buckley was an integral part of Shaw's team last season with 23 starts for the Bears. Buckley earned 2026 BOXTOROW HBCU All-American Second Team honors after averaging 14.4 points on 46.7 percent shooting from the field and 4.4 assists in 36.6 minutes a game. The junior's season-highs include 24 points at Claflin, nine assists at Winston-Salem State and four steals versus Johnson C. Smith. Buckley started his collegiate career at Davis & Elkins.

Former School: St. Charles High School

Bryce Selby enters his first year on the team for NCCU. Prior to enrolling, Selby played at St. Charles High School in the DMV area, averaging 11.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game in his senior year. Selby scored 25 points versus Patuxent, grabbed 10 rebounds over Thomas Stone and swiped four steals twice in his final year.

Former School: Maryland Eastern Shore

Trey Brown is another in-conference transfer, spending last season at Maryland Eastern Shore. Brown competed in 27 games, averaging 3.3 points and 2.4 rebounds. His season-highs last year were 14 points at Howard, seven rebounds at Georgia and four assists at American. Brown spent the previous two seasons at Northwest Florida State and Salt Lake Community College.

Former School: Maryland Eastern Shore

Maurice Vassel joins teammate Trey Brown from Maryland Eastern Shore. Vassel appeared in 54 contests during his two seasons at UMES, combining for 23 starts. The Brooklyn, N.Y. native shot over 50 percent from the field in both seasons. His career-highs are 10 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks.

Former School: South Georgia State

Chandler Thomas joins the Eagles after spending two seasons at South Georgia State. Thomas made the leap from averaging 9.6 points and 4.9 rebounds his freshman year to 16.2 points and 6.4 rebounds as a sophomore on 49.6 percent shooting from the field. He scored a season-high 28 points over Eastern Florida State, grabbed 12 rebounds versus North Florida Prep, passed for eight assists and picked seven steals against Motlow State. Thomas ended the year named to the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association (GCAA) All-Region First Team.

Former School: Brunswick Community College

Viktor Alao completes the trio of Eagles that started at Brunswick Community College. Alao started 27 games in 34 appearances with the Dolphins in his freshman campaign. He averaged 10.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game and shot 41.8 percent from three-point range. Alao scored a season-high 23 points versus Caldwell Community College, knocking down five threes in the contest.

Former School: Alabama State

Tyler Mason flies into the Nest after a season at Alabama State. The forward saw action in 22 contests with the Hornets, scoring a season-high 20 points against Alabama A&M. Before heading to the SWAC, Mason started his career in the Atlantic 10 at UMass and also attended Howard College.

Former School: Gaston College

Jozohn Price competed for two seasons at Gaston College totaling 51 games played. Price made 30 starts last season, averaging 8.0 points and 4.5 rebounds. He put up 20 points and 13 rebounds as season-highs last year.

Former School: Claflin

Cristian Sanon is one of three CIAA transfers, making his way from Claflin. Sanon started in 18 games last season, averaging 11.5 points on 40.7 percent shooting from the field and 38.8 percent from beyond the arc. He netted a season-high 24 points versus Lincoln (Pa.) and five rebounds against Shaw. Prior to the last two years at Claflin, Sanon spent his first year at Emmanuel (Ga.).

Former School: Shaw

Daniel Mbaeteka joins former Shaw teammate Isaiah Buckley at NC Central. Mbaeteka played in a total of 31 games for the Bears. The seven-footer saw action in nine games last year, totaling 37 minutes, eight points and four rebounds.

For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com.

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