Charlotte, NC - The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) introduces the 2022-23 All-CIAA Preseason Men's and Women's Basketball Teams, as voted on by the CIAA Basketball Coaches Associations and the Sports Information Directors Association, and the predicted order of finish as selected by the men's and women's head coaches. The preseason teams and predicted order were both unveiled during the CIAA Basketball Media Day in Baltimore, MD. The 2022-23 women's preseason team features six returning players from the 2021-22 All-CIAA squad and the 2022-23 men's preseason team features five returners from last year's all-conference team.
Senior guard, Andresia Alexander was named backcourt preseason All-CIAA. Alexander averaged 8.5 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per game, and 35 minutes per game in the 2021-22 season.
Eight schools in total were represented among the preseason honorees. On the men's side, Sophomore, Khyree Temple received frontcourt preseason All-CIAA. Temple averaged 14.7 points per game, 3.7 rebounds per game, and averaged 19 minutes per game in the 2021-22 season.
Six schools are represented among the men's preseason honorees. Fayetteville State men and Lincoln women were chosen by league coaches to finish first in the conference. The Johnson C. Smith women's team was picked to finish first in the Southern Division and the Virginia Union men's squad was picked to win the Northern Division. Last season, the Broncos won their first CIAA Basketball title since 1973. Led by Head Basketball Coach, Luke D'Alessio, Fayetteville State defeated Virginia State and Livingstone in the 2022 CIAA Basketball Tournament before downing Virginia Union, 65-62, in the championship game. The Broncos finished the season second in the South with an overall record of 22-9 and were 13-3 in CIAA action. Fayetteville State was the eighth seed in the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Atlantic Region Championship Tournament, its first appearance since 1993. In her first year at the helm of Lincoln, Janice Washington led the Lions to their first-ever Northern Division title en route to their first-ever conference title in 2021-22. Lincoln was the top seed in the conference entering the tournament and finished with an overall record of 22-8 and a league mark of 12-4. The Lions were given an eighth seed in the Atlantic Region of their first-ever 2022 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament appearance.
2022-23 All-CIAA Women's Basketball Preseason Team Backcourt
Shaniya Jones, Johnson C. Smith*
Amaya Tucker, Winston-Salem State*
Ny Langley, Virginia Union
Andresia Alexander, Livingstone
Taniah Johnson, Virginia Union
Frontcourt
Aniylah Bryant, Fayetteville State*
Rasheka Simmons, Fayetteville State*
Sireann Pitts, Elizabeth City State*+
Katerra Myers, Bowie State*
Destiny Coleman, Claflin
Breanna Price, Claflin
Le'Zarea Bowens, Johnson C. Smith *
- Returning 2021-22 All-CIAA Selection +
- Returning 2021-22 Women's Defensive Player of the Year
2022-23 CIAA Women's Basketball Predicted Order of Finish
1. Lincoln (PA) University (7)
2. Elizabeth City State University (3)
3. Johnson C. Smith University (2)
4. Bowie State University
5. Fayetteville State University
6. Winston-Salem State University
7. Virginia Union University
t-8. Claflin University
t-8. Livingstone College
10. Virginia State University
11. Shaw University
12. Saint Augustine's University
First place votes in parenthesis
Northern Division
1. Lincoln
2. Elizabeth City State
3. Bowie State
4. Virginia Union
5. Virginia State
6. Shaw
Southern Division
1. Johnson C. Smith
2. Fayetteville State
3. Winston-Salem State
t-4. Claflin
t-4. Livingstone
6. St. Augustine's
2022-23 All-CIAA Men's Basketball Preseason Team
Backcourt
Cress Worthy, Fayetteville State*
Francis Fitzgerald, Virginia State*
Keleaf Tate, Virginia Union
Isaac Parson, Winston-Salem State
Jonathan Hicklin, Winston-Salem State
Frontcourt
Augustine Ominu, Johnson C. Smith*
Robert Osborne, Virginia Union*
Terrence Hunter-Whitfield, Virginia State*
Raemaad Wright, Virginia Union
Khyree Temple, Livingstone
James Love III, Virginia State
Nathan Springs, Winston-Salem State *
- Returning 2021-22 All-CIAA Selection
2022-23 CIAA Men's Basketball Predicted Order of Finish
1. Fayetteville State University (6)
2. Virginia Union University (3)
3. Winston-Salem State University (1)
4. Virginia State University
5. Bowie State University (1)
6. Lincoln (PA) University
7. Shaw University
8. Livingstone College
9. Johnson C. Smith University
10. Elizabeth City State University
11. Claflin University
12. Saint Augustine's University
First place votes in parenthesis
Southern Division
1. Fayetteville State
2. Winston-Salem State
3. Livingstone
4. Johnson C. Smith
5. Claflin
6. St. Augustine
Northern Division
1. Virginia Union
2. Virginia State
3. Bowie State
4. Lincoln (PA)
5. Shaw
6. Elizabeth City State
