These HBCU players are still balling out as the NCAAs approach

Here are the updated rankings of the best basketball players from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) this season. March Madness is here, as conference tournaments get ready to take over our lives.

This isn’t your last update on the ballers. You’ll get updates on how these top players and others are doing for the rest of this season.

Here are this week’s top five HBCU women’s and men’s hoopers so far this season.

THE WOMEN

• No. 5: Angel Golden, guard, Bethune-Cookman (second in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) scoring, leads MEAC in free throw percentage, second in 3-pointers per game).

• No. 4: Shareka McNeill, guard, Virginia Union (No. 5 in Division II scoring at 25 points per game, set Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association tournament scoring record with 131 points).

• No. 3: Ashley Bates, guard, Hampton (third nationally in steals, leads Big South in scoring).

  

• No. 2: Na’Jai Pollard, forward, Delaware State (eighth nationally in scoring, second in MEAC rebounding).

  

• No. 1: Shakyla Hill, guard, Grambling State (fourth nationally in steals; leads Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) in scoring, assists, steals and minutes).

On the bubble: North Carolina A&T’s C’Coriea Foy and Cinia McCray.

THE MEN

• No. 5: Kameron Langley, guard, North Carolina A&T (leads MEAC in assists, averages 6.4 assists per game).

• No. 4: Amir Hinton, guard, Shaw (leads Division II in scoring, 29.4 points per game).

• No. 3: Martaveous McKnight, guard, Arkansas-Pine Bluff (leads SWAC in scoring, 20.4 PPG).

• No. 2: Jermaine Marrow, guard, Hampton (sixth nationally in scoring, 25.3 PPG).

• No. 1: RJ Cole, guard, Howard (leads MEAC in scoring, 21.1 PPG; second in assists, 6.4 APG).

On the bubble: Prairie View A&M’s Gary Blackston and Norfolk State’s Nic Thomas.