WASHINGTON, D.C., March 17, 2024 – The 2024 MEAC tournament champion Howard University men's basketball team drew Northeast Conference (NEC) tournament champion Wagner College as their opponent in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. The announcement came Sunday night during the annual Selection Show on CBS.

16-seeded Howard earned an automatic bid to the postseason tournament and will battle 16-seeded Wagner in a "First Four" game on Tuesday, March 19, at the University of Dayton Arena (OH). Tipoff is slated for 6:40 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on truTV.

The winner of the First-Four matchup will take on No. 1 North Carolina – Chapel Hill in the first round.

Howard (18-16, 9-5 MEAC) secured the MEAC tournament title for the second consecutive year, defeating Delaware State, 70-67. It is the fifth overall conference tournament victory in Howard's history and the program's fourth trip to the NCAA Division I tournament.

Howard is led by All-MEAC First Team selection junior guard Bryce Harris and All-MEAC Defensive Team selectee graduate forward Seth Towns. Harris leads the team in scoring and ranks second in the conference with 16.6 ppg and rebounding (7.6 rpg.), while Towns ranks second on the team in scoring (14.2 ppg) and rebounds (6.6 rpg).

Howard takes on the Seahawks (16-15, 7-9 NEC) for the first time since the 1997-98 season when Wagner defeated HU, 79-54, in the regular season.

Wagner secured an automatic bid after winning its second NEC tournament championship in school history with a 54-47 victory over No. 2 seed Merrimack on Tuesday evening, March 12.

Wagner is led by Melvin Council, Jr., a first-team All-NEC selection. Seahawks head coach Donald Copeland is in his second season and will guide the program to its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2002-03.