Embiid goes back to back

Joel Embiid has done it again. For the second straight season the Philadelphia 76ers’ center is the NBA scoring champ.

The 7-foot-1, 280-pound, 29-year-old native of Cameroon finished with a 33.1 scoring norm, just ahead of Dallas’ Luka Doncic (32.4).

He had three games of at least 50 points, including a 52point explosion against Boston in which he was 20-for-25 from the field.

Later this spring, Embiid is likely to get his first MVP title after finishing runnerup to Denver’s Nikola Jokic in 2022 and Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2021.

Embiid was the points-pergame king last year with a 30.6 average.

More than just a scorer, Embiid averaged 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 blocked shots while hitting 55 percent from the floor, 33 percent beyond the arc and 86 percent at the foul line.

Joel Embiid

Led by Embiid and veteran guard James Harden, the Sixers will carry a 54-28 record into the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs against the Brooklyn Nets.

Embiid, the third overall draft pick out of Kansas in 2013, becomes the first center to lead the NBA in scoring in consecutive years since Buffalo’s Bob McAdoo did it three straight seasons, 1974-76.

Towering centers aren’t always the scoring leaders because they tend to play fewer minutes, get fewer transition baskets, and aren’t generally as prolific 3-point shooters as forwards and guards.

Chicago’s Michael Jordan is the NBA’s all-time leader in scoring titles with 10 between 1987 and 1998.

Next comes Wilt Chamberlain with seven crowns between 1960 and 1966 with the Philadelphia and San Francisco Warriors and Philly 76ers.

Kevin Durant, George Gervin and Allen Iverson have four scoring titles each.

Here are the NBA’s other regular season statistical leaders:

Rebounds: Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento, 12.4

Assists: James Harden, Philadelphia, 10.7

Blocked shots: Jaren Jackson, Memphis, 3.0

Steals: O.G. Anunoby, Toronto, 1.9

Field-goal percentage : Walker Kessler, Utah, 72.0

Three pointers made: Klay Thompson, Golden State, 295

Three-point percentage: Luke Kennard, Memphis, 49.4 to HBCUs. Just four HBCU athletes were drafted in 2022 and none in 2021.

The modern-day draft is mostly about the Power Five, Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Hampton and the other Division I HBCUs compete in the one-step down Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

While HBCU numbers are down in the NFL, Hampton has had its share of athletes make it to the top.

That group includes defensive lineman Reggie Doss (Rams, 1978 to ’87), linebacker Justin Durant (2007-’17 with four teams), lineman Kenrick Ellis (2011-’15, Jets, Vikings), and tackle Michael Ola (2012-’19, 10 teams).

Three Pirates have made the NFL this century from Central Virginia Schools – Petersburg lineman Kendall Lanford (200818, six teams), Petersburg receiver Jerome Mathis (2005-’11, three teams) and Hanover receiver Zuriel Smith (2003-’06, three teams).

The upcoming NFL draft will consist of seven rounds and 259 selections.