INDIANAPOLIS (April 2, 2026) – CollegeInsider.com named Howard University graduate guard Bryce Harris (Brentwood, N.Y.) its recipient for the 2026 Nolan Richardson award. The announcement came Thursday afternoon.
 
The prestigious award is presented annually to a division I player who is the heart and soul of his team and a leader on and off the court.
 
"Given his impact on winning, Bryce Harris is without question the best player to ever suit up for Howard basketball," said Angela Lento, Vice President of College Insider, Inc. and member of the Nolan Richardson award voting panel. "You cannot watch a Howard game and not come away thinking he is a difference maker. It is a short list of mid-major players that have been a part of three NCAA Tournaments in four years. Bryce Harris is a winner."
 
This season, Harris, who was recently named to the BOXTOROW HBCU All-American First Team (March 16), became the second straight Bison (eight overall) to win MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) Player of the Year after leading the conference in scoring (17.4 ppg) and rebounding (6.7 rpg). Nationally, he finished the regular season among the nation leaders in free throw attempts (52^nd) and free throws made (49^th).
 
In 2021, Harris joined HU where he played his entire five-year collegiate career, a rare feat in the current college basketball landscape. Bison head coach Kenneth Blakeney considers Harris the most important recruit in program history, winning three MEAC Titles, earning three NCAA Tournament bids and securing the program's first NCAA Tournament win.
 
Harris is the first Bison since the 1980s to be part of four winning seasons at The Mecca, tallying over 1,500 career points and 700 career rebounds.
 
Off the court, Harris has been an involved member of the Howard University community. In his sophomore year, he joined Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., has been a student tour guide and actively involved with the team.
 
The Nolan Richardson award is named in honor of one of the true legends of the game, becoming the only coach to win NJCCA, NIT and NCAA National Championships.
 
After winning a junior college national championship at Western Texas College, Richardson went on to lead Tulsa to the NIT Championship in his first season at the helm. In 1994, he led Arkansas to a NCAA National Championship. His famed "40 Minutes of Hell" produced over 500 career wins.
 
Richardson went on to be inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame (2008) and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame (2014).
 
Howard looks to build on this year's success for the upcoming 2026-27 campaign.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com and/or the CollegeInsider.com website at www.CollegeInsider.com.