NORFOLK, Va. — Author's note: The video above is on file from March 10, 2023.
Norfolk State seniors Joe Bryant Jr. and Kris Bankston will suit up together at least one more time this year on a national stage, a Monday afternoon announcement revealed.
Both Bryant and Bankston were selected to the 2023 HBCU All Star Game, a prestigious honor recognizing the top 24 players at historically black colleges across the Division I and Division II levels.
The matchup will feature two squads named after a pair of legendary HBCU basketball players – "Team Dr. Dick Barnett," led by Howard coach Kenneth Blakeney, and "Team Willis Reed," with Grambling State coach Donte Jackson at the helm.
The former consists of players from the MEAC, SIAC, and Independent conferences, while the latter is made up of SWAC and CIAA players.
Bryant and Bankston headlined an assortment of talent on Team Dr. Dick Barnett, with both rosters being unveiled live on CBS Sports HQ on Monday. Four MEAC opponents will join them as teammates – Isaiah Burke (Morgan State), Brendan Medley-Bacon (North Carolina Central), Sam Sessoms (Coppin State), and Nathaniel Pollard Jr. (Maryland Eastern Shore).
The game will take place in Houston on Sunday, April 2, at the Texas Southern Campus in conjunction with Final Four festivities that weekend at 4 p.m.