Nathaniel Pollard Jr. MVP as Team Barnett Tops Team Reed in 2023 HBCU All-Star Game

Despite being in just its second year of existence, the HBCU All-Star Game looks like a potential staple of Final Four weekends for years to come.

The event gives 24 draft-eligible HBCU basketball players national exposure and a chance to play in front of pro scouts, an opportunity that is not often afforded to them.

This year's game, which was broadcasted on CBS, took place at Texas Southern University's H&PE Arena in Houston and pitted Team Reed—named after the late, great Hall of Famer Willis Reed—and Team Barnett, named after two-time NBA champion Dick Barnett, against one another in an entertaining exhibition.

Team Barnett dominated most of the afternoon as they lit it up from beyond the arc, coming away with a 113-99 victory. They led by double-digits the majority of the game, mainly because they made 17-of-35 shots from three-point range.

They were led by MVP Nathaniel Pollard Jr. of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, who finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds.

Meanwhile, despite the loss, Team Reed had the best player on the floor in Texas Southern's Joirdon Karl Nicholas, who finished with 29 points and 10 rebounds as he showed out on his home floor.

Aside from the final result, the game featured some eye-popping plays from both teams.

Players from the SWAC, MEAC, SIAC, CIAA, Big South and OVC conferences all participated. And with the pre-draft process in full swing, Sunday's game was a perfect opportunity for these players to show off their skills to talent evaluators.

While all the talent and action on the court was exciting, the true impact of the game happened off the court as several large donations to the HBCU Scholarship Fund were made during the broadcast.