Morgan Professor of Practice Milton Kent Inducted into USBWA Hall of Fame

Trailblazing Sports Journalist Becomes One of Only Three Black Inductees in the Organization’s History

 While Morgan State University’s School of Global Journalism and Communication (SGJC) faculty members continue to draw on their professional expertise to benefit students in the classroom, some are also being recognized for the distinguished bodies of work that have defined their careers. Milton Kent, a professor of practice in the school, was recently inducted into the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) Hall of Fame. The prestigious recognition, bestowed during a ceremony held on April 11 at the NCAA Women’s Final Four in Tampa, places Kent among an elite class of sports journalists whose work has defined the coverage of collegiate and professional basketball over the past several decades.

Kent joins Morgan alumnus William C. Rhoden and the late Bryan Burwell as the only Black inductees in the organization’s history, further underscoring his groundbreaking impact on the profession and his enduring legacy as a champion for inclusive excellence in sports journalism.

A Storied Career Spanning Decades of Influence

A graduate of the University of Maryland’s School of Journalism, Milton Kent began his journalistic career with the Baltimore Sun in 1985, contributing across the Metro, features, and sports sections. Throughout his distinguished career, Kent has covered some of the world’s biggest sporting events, including 18 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Final Fours, four NBA Finals, a World Series, two National League Championship Series, and an NFC Championship game.

In 1994, Kent became one of the country’s first full-time sports media critics. He pioneered a high school sports column in 2004 that became a fixture of the Sun’s coverage until his departure in 2008. He then transitioned to AOL Fanhouse in 2009, where he covered sports media and women’s basketball until 2011.

“It's a privilege and quite humbling to have your body of work recognized,” said Kent. “I'm grateful to all the athletes, coaches and officials for allowing me to tell their stories and to the publications and outlets for lending the space for those stories to appear.”

Since joining the Morgan State University faculty full-time in 2011, Kent has brought his unparalleled experience and insight into the classroom. He has led courses on reporting, editing, sports journalism, criticism, arts and cultural reporting, and solutions journalism within SGJC. For the past decade, Kent has also served as the dedicated faculty advisor to the MSU Spokesman, Morgan’s award-winning student news publication.

“It’s an honor for us and a great opportunity for SGJC students to have a heavy hitter like Milton Kent on our faculty,” said Jackie Jones, dean of the School of Global Journalism and Communication. “He has been, and continues to be, a respected name in sports journalism and deservedly so.”

Under his mentorship, the MSU Spokesman hosted high-profile events, including a 2022 gubernatorial forum co-moderated by NBC News correspondent Antonia Hylton and Morgan student editors and a 2024 United States Senate race forum—also co-moderated by Hylton.

In addition to his work in print, Kent has been the host of “Sports At Large,” a popular weekly commentary program on WYPR (88.1 FM) since 2002. He continues to lend his voice to the ongoing dialogue around sports and society.

As the USBWA celebrates its Class of 2025—comprised of seven reporters and columnists who together represent over 230 years of basketball coverage—it is fitting that Morgan’s own Milton Kent stands as a beacon of excellence, integrity, and inspiration for future generations of journalists.