University of North Carolina Athletics
Know Your Opponent: UNCG
December 28, 2015 | Men's Basketball
UNCG (UNCGSpartans.com)
Location: Greensboro, N.C.
Rankings: No. 284 KenPom, NR AP
Record: 4-8
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): Carolina leads 2-0 (UNC 79, UNCG 56, Dec. 16, 2014, Greensboro Coliseum)
The sudden departure of leading scorer Tevon Saddler just seven days prior to the start of the 2015-16 season was a major blow to a UNCG team that has recorded just one win over D-I opposition thus far. But the Spartans have been competitive for the most part, including a six-point loss at North Carolina State last time out.
Wes Miller's fourth full season in Greensboro has been plagued by his team's inability to score, an issue that is greatly impacted by the fact that UNCG ranks dead last nationally in free throw rate. No team in America gets to the line less often and no one scores a smaller percentage of its points at the stripe. Take into consideration that the Spartans make just 42.4 percent of their 2s against D-I foes (320th in the country) and you have a pretty good sense of the situation.
It's not all bad news, however. Led by top rebounder R.J. White, the Spartans are a very effective team on the defensive glass. They also do a solid job protecting the ball while forcing turnovers on 20 percent of their opponents' possessions.
White is one of four players averaging double figures, joined by leading scorer Kayel Locke (11.4 ppg), Francisco Alonso (10.9) and Diante Baldwin (10.8). Alonso and Clay Byrd are the team's top outside shooters, though Byrd has not played since the win over Jacksonville on Nov. 29.
Monday will be another homecoming for Miller and a chance for the Spartans to play in Chapel Hill for just the second time in program history. Ultimately, however, the season starts for UNCG Saturday at Wofford. The SoCon looks fairly open this year, with a 10-2 Chattanooga squad that boasts wins over Georgia, Illinois and Dayton leading the pack. Asheville's U.S. Cellular Center will host the postseason tournament for what figures to be a one-bid league. Miller and the Spartans will work to take some positives away from the Smith Center to set the tone for the start of the SoCon round robin.
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