BALTIMORE, MD — Fayetteville State University men's basketball secured two of the CIAA's highest individual honors as the conference announced its 2026 All‑CIAA Teams and annual awards on Sunday. Senior guard
Larry Howell was named the
CIAA Men's Player of the Year, while standout guard
Ezekiel Cannedy earned
CIAA Sixth Man of the Year recognition. Both were also selected to All‑CIAA Teams following a dominant regular season in which FSU captured the
CIAA Southern Division Championship.
LARRY HOWELL – CIAA Player of the Year / All‑CIAA First Team
Larry Howell delivered the league's most complete and efficient season, averaging
20.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.43 steals per game while serving as the CIAA's leading scorer. His statistical output placed him among the top-performing players nationally and across the conference:
National & CIAA Statistical Rankings (NCAA Division II)
- No. 4 nationally / CIAA No. 1 – Free throws made
- No. 7 nationally / CIAA No. 1 – Free throw attempts
- No. 18 nationally / CIAA No. 1 – Points per game
- No. 21 nationally / CIAA No. 1 – Total points
- No. 35 nationally / CIAA No. 2 – Field goal attempts
- No. 60 nationally / CIAA No. 1 – Field goals made
- No. 52 nationally / CIAA No. 1 – Free throw percentage (86.7%)
- Also among national leaders in minutes played (No. 86 nationally)
Howell shot
42.5% from the field,
37.2% from three, and an elite
86.7% at the line, anchoring his Player of the Year résumé. His top performances included
32 points vs. Lincoln (PA),
31 vs. Winston-Salem State, and
29 vs. Gannon. A three‑time CIAA Player of the Week (Weeks 1, 9, 10), Howell is the only player in the CIAA to rank
top 15 in scoring, rebounding, steals, and free‑throw percentage, underscoring his dominance across all phases of the game.
EZEKIEL CANNEDY – CIAA Sixth Man of the Year / All‑CIAA Second Team
Ezekiel Cannedy produced one of the nation's most lethal perimeter seasons while coming off the bench, averaging
18.1 points per game, the
#3 mark in the CIAA. His three‑point shooting profile ranks among the best in NCAA Division II:
National & CIAA Three-Point Rankings (NCAA Division II)
- No. 8 nationally / CIAA No. 1 – Three-point attempts
- No. 12 nationally / CIAA No. 1 – Total three-pointers made
- No. 11 nationally / CIAA No. 1 – Three-pointers per game
- Top‑65 nationally – Three-point percentage (37.7%)
Cannedy finished the regular season as the CIAA leader in
three‑pointers made (77) and
attempted (201), while ranking
#2 among high‑volume shooters in three‑point percentage. He also stands
#6 in the CIAA in field goals made and
#4 in free‑throw percentage (.798). His major scoring nights—
30 points vs. Gannon,
26 at USC Beaufort, and
multiple 20‑point CIAA efforts—solidified his reputation as the league's premier bench scorer. He was also named
CIAA Player of the Week (Week 3, 14).
Men's Superlatives
- Player of the Year: Larry Howell, Fayetteville State
- Defensive Player of the Year: Alex Atkinson, Claflin
- Sixth Man of the Year: Ezekiel Cannedy, Fayetteville State
- Rookie of the Year: Donovan Flamer, Elizabeth City State
- Coach of the Year: Jay Butler, Virginia Union
Men's Division Champions
- Northern Division: Virginia State
- Southern Division: Fayetteville State
Men's All‑CIAA First Team
- Alex Atkinson, Claflin
- Jacob Cooper, Virginia State
- Larry Howell, Fayetteville State
- Avery Huggins, Shaw
- Myles Pierre, Bluefield State
Men's All‑CIAA Second Team
- Ezekiel Cannedy, Fayetteville State
- Malachi Dark, Virginia Union
- Bobby Gardner, Virginia Union
- Jaiden McGhee, Bowie State
- James Nipper, Livingstone
Men's Rookie Team
Amadou Fall (Lincoln), Donovan Flamer (ECSU), Williams Hopkins (VSU), Julius Olanrewaju (Lincoln), Charles Thomas III (Bowie)
Freddie Vaughn Men's Academic Award
