Tennessee State guard Aaron Nkrumah looks to end the drought of NBA draft picks from HBCUs

Tennessee State guard Aaron “AK” Nkrumah didn’t expect to even be at the NBA’s G League draft combine in May.

Days before the event, Nkrumah received a late invitation to attend after a spot opened. Once there, he impressed scouts with his athleticism, versatility and hustle, earning a promotion to the NBA draft combine and transforming from an under-the-radar prospect into a player on NBA draft boards.

“When I scored 22 in the G League combine, that’s when I knew — ‘All right, I could really play with these guys,’” Nkrumah told Andscape. “I just needed the platform. I just needed the stage to prove that I belong. … I’ve never really had buzz like that. … It made me want more success.”

It has been nearly 15 years since the last time a player from a historically Black college or university was selected in the NBA draft; the Orlando Magic took Norfolk State center Kyle O’Quinn with the 49th overall pick in 2012.

Now, after working out with NBA teams, Nkrumah is on the verge of ending the drought during the 2026 NBA draft this week in New York.

Nkrumah’s NBA pursuit carries significance for both Tennessee State and HBCU basketball as a whole.

Former Tennessee State standout Robert Covington, the most recent HBCU success story in the league, went undrafted but played 11 seasons in the NBA (2013-24). Former Winston-Salem State guard Javonte Cooke, who signed a two-way contract with the Portland Trailblazers in October 2025, is the most recent HBCU player to play in the NBA. He was called up for 19 games during the 2025-26 season before being waived in March.

Nkrumah’s path to becoming an NBA draft prospect has been anything but conventional. The Worcester, Massachusetts, native began his basketball career playing recreationally at outdoor parks and in pickup games but didn’t start playing organized basketball until middle school. After beginning his college career at Nichols College, a Division III school in Massachusetts, he transferred to Worcester State, another D-III Massachusetts school, for the 2022-23 season.

In his first season at Worcester State, Nkrumah averaged a team-high 16.9 points per game and earned Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors. In his second season with the Lancers, he increased his scoring average to 20.0 points per game and repeated as MASCAC Player of the Year.

After the season ended, the 6-foot-6, 175-pounder entered the transfer portal, looking to prove he could compete at the Division I level.

After being recruited by former Tennessee State head coach Brian “Penny” Collins and assistant coach Joshua Bone Jr., Nkrumah transferred to the historically Black university for the 2024-25 season.

“The biggest growing pains I had making a jump from D-III to D-I was the physicality and understanding for the game,” Nkrumah said. “I just had to embrace all the information coaches are giving me while trying to produce, so it was a lot to soak in. I was able to stay grounded and just be myself.”

Bone, who is now the assistant men’s basketball coach at Middle Tennessee State, recalled seeing flashes of Nkrumah’s potential every day in practice, especially when he would deliver a powerful dunk that would bring the gym to a standstill. Bone knew Nkrumah’s combination of athleticism and leadership separated him from others on the floor.

“He trains like he has something to prove from day one, so that’s a testament to who he is,” Bone said. “He’s always been the hardest worker on the team. … He’s really humble, but he’s been a killer since he stepped on campus.”

In his first season at Tennessee State, Nkrumah averaged 10.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.

“From my IQ standpoint, my game really grew in that aspect, because Penny really nailed everything into my head, like what I needed to be doing, like how I’m supposed to be doing it and just regular things that would benefit the team, helping us win games,” Nkrumah said.

When Collins left Tennessee State in the summer of 2025 to pursue a job with the Memphis Grizzlies, Nkrumah and several other players decided to return to TSU to play under former Trailblazers guard Nolan Smith, the new men’s basketball coach.

“Everyone enjoyed playing with each other, so we all decided to stay and play for each other, and then when Nolan came in, he kind of just brought in what he knew, and we were really bought in to what he has to offer and obviously his championship DNA,” Nkrumah said of Smith, who played on Duke’s national championship team in 2010. “We were open to just buying in.”

Playing for Smith offered Nkrumah a new layer of development during his senior season. Under Smith’s guidance, Nkrumah gained a greater understanding of decisionmaking and shot selection. He averaged 17.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.8 steals per game, earning Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year honors and leading the Tigers to their first NCAA tournament appearance since 1994.

“He plays to win. He’s a winner. He’s won everywhere he’s been, from D-III to here,” Smith said. “When you talk to him, he wants to win. Those are the things — the winning attitude and the winning energy — that will show up in workouts. … When you get a guy like Aaron Nkrumah, you’re going to get a guy who’s about winning, and that’s what the NBA is looking for right now.”

With Nkrumah’s conference player of the year award and strong NCAA tournament appearance — he scored 21 points against No. 2 seed Iowa State — Smith believes Nkrumah shouldn’t have been a last-minute invitee to the G League draft combine.

“That to me was almost disrespectful to HBCUs and the talent at HBCUs, that a guy like Aaron Nkrumah gets overlooked,” Smith said. “But it’s OK — it’s all part of his story. It’s been part of his journey from where he started to here, and then he’s going to continue to knock down that wall.

“What he accomplished this season, and the fact that he got there and was still ready, no matter the circumstance, just shows you what type of person that he was, what type of basketball player he was, that he was ready for his moment, and he took full advantage of it.”

Nkrumah said he entered the season knowing he would declare for the NBA draft and focused on proving he belonged at the next level.

“The season really never ended for me. I stayed in the gym — I didn’t take a break,” Nkrumah said. “I was ready from a physical standpoint, but mentally, I was kind of just going into it with a nothing-to-lose [mentality], because I feel like I said many times, ‘I belong here.’”

For those who know him, Nkrumah’s breakout performance at the NBA G League draft combine wasn’t a surprise. Bone said the combine gave the rest of the world the opportunity to see what he had seen in person for more than a year.

“I think a lot of these scouts — they know what they’re doing, but they’d rather go to the Tennessees or Kentucky and Dukes to find these guys,” Bone said. “But [Nkrumah] just sheds light on HBCUs, and you never know what you’re going to get, so you can get a steal. If you can play at an HBCU and be successful, you can be successful anywhere.”

Nkrumah has spent the past several weeks completing workouts with more than half of the NBA’s teams and meeting with scouts and coaches.

If he hears his name called on draft night, he would add to Tennessee State’s rich professional basketball tradition. The Tigers are tied with Jackson State for the most draft picks among HBCUs, with 23 draftees each — but none since the mid-1990s.

Nkrumah is considered a second-round prospect with the potential to sign a two-way contract. He plans on spending draft night with his family in his hometown of Worcester.

Nkrumah said ending the NBA draft drought for HBCU players would mean “everything to him.”

“When I was playing D-III, I didn’t think I would have the chance to play in the league,” Nkrumah said. “I can’t explain it, [but] it would be a dream come true. … It will just let you know, if you can play [high-level basketball], they will find you.”

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