Talent fuels Shaw, Bowie State

Bowie, Maryland -- There are no nights off in the CIAA, one of the country's most competitive Division II conferences. And that isn't expected to change this season.

Shaw, under coach Cleo Hill Jr., is the defending champion and should contend for the title again. Bowie State, ranked eighth in one national preseason poll, will be loaded, and those teams were picked as favorites to win their divisions in the CIAA preseason coaches' poll.

"I really think we can be very good this season," coach Darrell Brooks of Bowie said. "We're deep and pretty athletic, and I really like our experience this year. If we can rebound and defend, we can be a good basketball team."

Bowie State, which reached the second round of the Division II tournament last season, is led by 7-foot center Travis Hyman and point guard Darren Clark. Hyman was the CIAA's defensive player of the year, and Clark had 114 assists and averaged 15.1 points last season.

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