It was a good week in HBCU basketball at the NAIA level, with players securing the Defensive Player of the Week award for men and women, respectively.
Florida Memorial’s Latavious Mitchell was named the NAIA Men’s Defensive Player of the Week award, in addition to winning the Sun Conference’s Player of the Week award.
He is the second HBCU men’s basketball player to win an NAIA weekly award after Southern University at New Orleans forward Jamal Gibson, who was crowned the NAIA Defensive Player of the Week on January 7.
Mitchell’s week began leading the Lions to a win over St. Thomas (Fla.), recording a career-high seven steals to go along with 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field.
The senior forward followed that performance by leading Florida Memorial to its sixth straight win over Keiser (Fla.). He finished with a season-high 20 rebounds and six blocks while adding 16 points.
Tougaloo’s Makaila Brown took home the NAIA Women’s Defensive Player of the Week award, along with the HBCUAC Defensive Player of the Week award.
She is the first HBCU women’s basketball player to win a NAIA weekly award so far this season.
Brown led the Bulldogs to wins over HBCUAC West division leader Dillard and Southern University at New Orleans, improving the team’s conference record to 9-3.
She averaged 18.0 rebounds, 4.0 steals, and 2.0 blocks across those two games, including a 15-point game against Dillard.
