UNCG Basketball Fan

Charleston (16-10) @ UNCG (11-15)

2012-02-14T21:09:00.002-05:00

When: Wednesday, February 15 7 pm
Where: Greensboro Coliseum (7,617/23,500)
TV: None/Spartan All-Access

Charleston Athletics

Preseason Preview

1/12 UNCG 73 - Charleston 66 Recap

UNCG Stats
Last Game: @ Chattanooga (W 77-76) Recap
PPG: 69.5
RPG: 35.9
APG: 12.0
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (18.1)
Leader Rebounds: David Williams (5.2)
Leader Assists: Drew Parker (2.7)
FG %: 39.8
3 Pt %: 33.4
FT %: 68.4

Charleston Stats
Last Game: Davidson (W 86-78) Recap
PPG: 71.3
RPG: 36.7
APG: 12.1
Leader Points: Antwaine Wiggins (16.5)
Leader Rebounds: Trent Wiedeman (8.4)
Leader Assists: Andrew Lawrence (5.5)
FG %: 42.6
3 Pt %: 34.4
FT %: 64.5

Simpson is SoCon Player of the Week

2012-02-14T14:06:00.002-05:00

Sophomore Trevis Simpson was named SoCon Player of the Week by the league office today. He has had some huge games lately and is definitely in the running to be the league's Player of the Year.

Simpson averaged 26.5 points per game last week as UNCG picked up road wins at Samford (71-69) and Chattanooga (77-76) to move into first place in the North Division.

Mid-Major Report

2012-02-14T10:55:00.003-05:00

Via ESPN ...

Southern

After Davidson (13-2) beat Kansas in December, it was hard to envision the Wildcats losing -- even one game -- in conference play. They've lost two, both on the road. But they won't face much danger in their last four conference games, especially with only one more road game. They'll win the South unless Georgia Southern (11-4) catches them down the stretch. Beyond the regular season, however, Davidson has proven to be a mature team with the poise to score an upset in March Madness. UNC-Greensboro (9-5) is on top in the North. But Elon (8-6) and Samford (7-7) are in the mix.

Via USA Today ...

UNC GREENSBORO

--The Spartans have completed their run to the top of the Southern Conference north division. Now it's time to see if they can stay there. With their Feb. 11 victory at Chattanooga, UNC Greensboro completed a run in which they won nine of 10 games and went from last place in the division to first.

Staying there, however, will have to include three of the team's final four games coming against south division opponents. The Spartans' lone remaining game against a north foe is the regular-season finale against Elon, quite possibly a game that will determine the division crown.

--Like many of the teams in the league, UNC Greensboro is finding that it better be ready for close games. The Spartans' Feb. 9 win at Samford and Feb. 11 win at Chattanooga were each decided by one basket. In the latter, guard Derrell Armstrong connected on a lay-up with 16 seconds remaining to give Greensboro the victory.

--It's not hard to see how UNCG Trevis Simpson took over the league's top scorer spot. Since his "down" game against Samford on Jan. 22 -- when he scored 15 points -- the sophomore scored at least 23 points in each of his next six contests. Heading into the team's Feb. 15 game against College of Charleston, Simpson was averaging 18.1 points per game, a full point more than The Citadel big man Mike Groselle.

Landon Clement Story

2012-02-13T12:10:00.003-05:00

Friday I made a post discussing former players that had transferred to other places. On of the guys I mentioned was NC Central star, Landon Clement. Well, my timing was awesome. Today The Post Game column wrote a great article about Clement, detailing all of his struggles and triumphs. It is truly a good read.

Good luck going forward, Landon.

UNCG-Chattanooga Highlights & Press Conference

2012-02-13T10:22:00.006-05:00

From WRCB in Chattanooga, here is a video of the end of the UNCG-Chattanooga game.

Wes Miller's Post Game Press Conference from GoMocs.com ...

Blog Updates

2012-02-13T09:47:00.003-05:00

Hey guys ... Just thought I'd point out a few other SoCon related blogs that I think everyone should definitely bookmark and go read. I link to most of these below, but I thought I would just make a post to remind everyone that there are a lot of great conference related sites around.

Obviously, I talk about UTC fan Jon's site MocsMania. However, another UTC fan has decided to start making posts again at what used to be one of my favorite sites ... SoConFans. This site should be a must read for UNCG fans right now as we are in the race for a division title. That site always has an updated version of "If it ended today ..." pairings for the SoCon Tournament.

Another very good site is the Western Carolina blog Purple & Gold. While it's not a basketball only site, it's definitely a basketball heavy site at this time of the year.

From the other division of the conference are two very good low country related sites. There's the Citadel geared Sports Arsenal and the Charleston site King Kresse. The Charleston site will be a good read this week for G fans.

Also, let's not forget to mention again the UNCG Sports Blog.

Scanning the SoCon - Week 15

2012-02-12T22:28:00.002-05:00

Scanning the SoCon - Week # 15

1. Davidson
2. Ga Southern
3. UNCG
4. Wofford
5. Elon
6. Samford
7. Charleston
8. Furman
9. Chattanooga
10. App State
11. Western Carolina
12. Citadel

What role do you believe that blogs and message boards play in a basketball program? What role should they play? Is their role too big or too small?

DavidsonCats- The best thing that the Davidson board has done is to keep distant fans tied in to the program. Passionate fans need a central place to follow the action, celebrate the successes, and vent about the failures. The boards provide this central place. Some people (coaches, players, administrators) should avoid the boards. We are fan sites.

MocsMania- Oh, the million dollar question. I do believe that there is plenty of negativity on message boards, and that is OK. They are for honest discussion. Coaches and players should do everything they can to avoid the message boards, because they serve no good purpose for them. I think their roles have become too big in many cases, because many of the questions that get asked of the coaches and players are driven by the blogs and message boards.

TheSportsArsenal- I know there are people who say that recruits read message boards, etc., and that negative posts can impact recruiting, and I suppose the case could be made that blogs have an effect as well. I'm a bit dubious about all that, at least with regards to schools in the SoCon. There really aren't that many fans on those forums. At any rate, it seems to me that these days players/recruits are more likely to be directly engaged via twitter than message board or blog posts. Blogs really shouldn't play any role in how a basketball program operates -- with the exception of my blog, of course. Alas, I do not believe the denizens of the hoops program hang on every word I type. For shame, for shame.

UNCGBasketballFan- I could probably write a book on this subject. Obviously, UNCG fans have had some first hand experiences with this exact question this year. I think that there is always a line that the message board/blogger fans flirt with between being critical and just being mean. These players are just kids that have a lot on their plate and we (me included) forget that sometimes. However, I think these sites all serve a great purpose. They allow fans to meet and interact regardless of the university/fanbase size. So, in that respect, I think these sites should be embraced by the school for the impact they have on the program and the "buzz" they can generate.

Current SoCon Standings

2012-02-12T08:09:00.002-05:00

As of 2/12 ...

North
1. UNCG (9-5)
2. Elon (8-6)
3. Samford (7-7)
4 App State (6-9)
5. Western Carolina (4-10)
5. Chattanooga (4-10)

South
1. Davidson (13-2)
2. Ga Southern (10-4)
3. Wofford (9-6)
4. Charleston (8-7)
5. Furman (7-8)
6. Citadel (1-13)

Games this Week
Wednesday 2/15
- Samford @ Davidson
- Charleston @ UNCG
- Chattanooga @ App State
- Elon @ Wofford

Thursday 2/16
- Citadel @ Western Carolina

Saturday 2/18
- UNCG @ Ga Southern
- Winthrop @ App State
- Western Carolina @ Elon
- Charleston @ Kent State
- Wichita State @ Davidson
- Furman @ Samford
- Citadel @ Chattanooga
- Wofford @ Charleston Southern

Spartans Win Another Nailbiter

2012-02-11T22:21:00.005-05:00

UNCG 77 - Chattanooga 76

Times-Free Press
UNCG Athletics
Chattanooga Athletics

Halftime: UNCG 38 - Chattanooga 37

UNCG Stats
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (28)
Leader Rebounds: Aloysius Henry (7)
Leader Assists: Drew Parker (5)
Team FG: 25-60 (41.7%)
Team 3 Pt: 12-25 (48.0%)
Team FT: 15-20 (75.9%)
Rebounds: 35
Turnovers: 14

Chattanooga Stats
Leader Points: Drazen Zlovaric (22)
Leader Rebounds: Jahmal Burroughs (12)
Leader Assists: Keegan Bell (6)
Team FG: 24-64 (37.5%)
Team 3 Pt: 4-23 (17.4%)
Team FT: 24-30 (80.0%)
Rebounds: 43
Turnovers: 15

Thoughts
UNCG got hit with an ambush on Saturday night. 5,000 rabid fans and a determined basketball team dressed in black were waiting to jump them at McKenzie Arena. When they did jump them, it was almost a complete knockout. Through 10 minutes, UNCG had 3 made baskets and 8 turnovers. But the Spartans got up off the mat to take a 1 point lead at halftime and a 10 point lead in the second half.

The game ended in a scenario that has played out for the Spartans a lot over the past month and a half. Trevis Simpson made a big basket, Derrell Armstrong made a driving layup and David Williams made a block to preserve the win.

Elon lost at Samford earlier in the day. So, the UNCG win put them alone in first place in the North division by 1 game with 4 to play. This season appears to be coming down to the regular season finale in Burlington to decide the North Division Champion.

Transfer Update

2012-02-10T22:19:00.004-05:00

I've been keeping up with a few players that were at one time very connected to the UNCG basketball program. I thought it would be a good time to look and see how those players are doing currently.

We can start with former UNCG guard Landon Clement. Clement transferred from UNCG to NC Central towards the end of the 2008-2009 season. After sitting out a year due to NCAA rules, Clement had a great junior season. He scored in double figures in all 30 of the Eagles games and finished the season averaging 18.7 points per game. Starting this season, Clement was voted preseason first team All-MEAC. Unfortunately, he has been facing injury issues that have allowed him to only play in 9 games. He has averaged scoring 15.9 points in those 9 games.

Next, let's check in on former UNCG forward Damien Eargle who transferred after his freshman season back to his hometown of Youngstown, Ohio. Last season, the redshirt sophomore averaged 11.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and a whopping 3.0 blocks per game. This season, Eargle has improved his numbers for the Penguins. He is averaging 10.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.0 blocks through 24 games.

Former UNCG assistant coach Rod Jensen became the head coach at College of Idaho last season. Two former UNCG players have ended up on his current roster. DeAngelo Jackson appeared in 6 games for the Coyotes, averaging 4.2 points and 3.8 rebounds. Former Spartan walk-on guard Sean Spooner is averaging 4.4 points and 2.2 rebounds in close to 20 minutes of playing time per game.

Former Spartan forward Cody Henegar left the team at the end of the first semester. He has transferred to NCAA Division II Carson-Newman.

The final player I want to find is former UNCG commit Mike Liabo. Liabo singed his NLI to attend UNCG. However, unknown reasons caused the Spartans to release him from the NLI. Liabo ended up enrolling at Tennessee-Martin. He had a solid freshman campaign, averaging 11.2 points and 3.2 rebounds. This year he currently averages 14.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists.

UNCG (10-15) @ Chattanooga (10-16)

2012-02-10T20:50:00.000-05:00

When: Saturday, February 11 7:30 pm
Where: McKenzie Arena (10,928)
TV: None

Chattanooga Atheltics

Preseason Preview

1/19 Chattanooga 72 @ UNCG 81 Recap

UNCG Stats
Last Game: @ Samford (W 71-69) Recap
PPG: 69.2
RPG: 36.0
APG: 11.8
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (17.7)
Leader Rebounds: David Williams (5.2)
Leader Assists: Drew Parker (2.6)
FG %: 39.8
3 Pt %: 32.7
FT %: 68.1

Chattanooga Stats
Last Game: Elon (W 83-75) Recap
PPG: 71.4
RPG: 39.3
APG: 15.0
Leader Points: Omar Wattad (13.3)
Leader Rebounds: Drazen Zlovaric (6.8)
Leader Assists: Keegan Bell (6.4)
FG %: 42.6
3 Pt %: 35.3
FT %: 67.4

Thoughts
UNCG has already managed to at least earn a split in this far west SoCon road trip. Now it's time to get greedy. If the Spartans can grab a win on Saturday night, they will set themselves up to really make a challenge for the North Division crown. The other two competitors in that race are playing each other in Birmingham. So, it is very important for UNCG to escape "the Roundhouse" with a win.

The last time these two teams met at the greensboro Coliseum, Derrell Armstrong put up a career high 29 points. However, the Mocs frustrated current SoCon scoring leader Trevis Simpson. Simpson ended the night with just 5 points to go along with his 5 fouls. UNCG did manage to hit a season 14 3 pointers, as UTC was more than happy to play UNCG fast paced style.

Historically, UNCG has had success in this arena. It was the sight of one of the bigger upsets in program history. On March 4, 2005 UNCG defeated a Davidson team that had gone undefeated through conference play in the semifinals of the SoCon Tournament, 73-68. The Spartans lost the follow day to the host Mocs by 4.

As for this trip to the "Scenic City", let's hope the Mocs (who have dropped 7 of their last 8) are again interested in playing UNCG's frenetic pace. Also, let's hope that UNCG is able to shoot the ball better than they did at Samford. UTC is a very athletic team with several very good post players. Aloysius Henry will need to continue his strong play. Also, Aaron Brackett will need to pick back up his level of play in order for the Spartans to sweep this road trip. Go Spartans !!!

SoCon Tournament and Asheville Update

2012-02-10T09:59:00.002-05:00

I meant to post this last week, but completely forgot.

The Asheville Citizen-Times recently ran an article detailng the progress of the renovations on the US Cellular Center (formerly the Asheville Civic Center). Apparently, everything is running on schedule and the $5 million dollars worth of improvements are going to be ready in time for next month's Southern Conference Tournament (March 2- March 5).

Also, it appears that ticket sales are going really well.

Powers said ticket sales are hard to measure at this point, but 5,300 of the expected 6,600 seats at U.S. Cellular Center are in circulation, which means they have been sold, are part of sponsorship or other packages or are being made available to each SoCon school.

“If I’m a local basketball fan and wanted to make sure I saw all the games, I would get a ticket now,” Powers said. “Some schools have already sold their allotment and are asking for more.”

Asheville is a great destination city that is really making an effort to own the SoCon Tournament. With the way UNCGhas been playing lately, I think it would be wise to get a huge Spartan group of fans there for every game. I'm sure if you give the UNCG ticket office a call (336-334-3250) they can hook you up or you can buy them online here. Also, SoConTravel.com has all the hotel info and some other deals for things to do around Asheville.

Current SoCon Standings

2012-02-10T08:34:00.002-05:00

As of 2/10 ...

North
1. Elon (8-5)
1. UNCG (8-5)
3. Samford (6-7)
4. App State (6-8)
5. Chattanooga (4-9)
5. Western Carolina (4-9)

South
1. Davidson (13-1)
2. Ga Southern (10-4)
3. Wofford (8-6)
4. Charleston (7-7)
5. Furman (6-8)
6. Citadel (1-12)

UNCG Picks Up Huge Road Win

2012-02-09T21:58:00.003-05:00

UNCG 71 - Samford 69

News & Record
UNCG Athletics
Samford Athletics

Halftime: UNCG 41 - Samford 41

UNCG Stats
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (25)
Leader Rebounds: Aloysius Henry (11)
Leader Assists: Parker, Van Dussen, Armstron (3 tie)
Team FG: 23-61 (37.7%)
Team 3 Pt: 9-28 (32.1%)
Team FT: 16-20 (80.0%)
Rebounds: 44
Turnovers: 11

Samford Stats
Leader Points: Drew Windler (18)
Leader Rebounds: Will Cook, Tyler Hood (8 tie)
Leader Assists: Jeffrey Merritt (5)
Team FG: 26-65 (40.0%)
Team 3 Pt: 7-32 (21.9%)
Team FT: 10-16 (62.5%)
Rebounds: 39
Turnovers: 10

Thoughts
There is no other way to look at this game ... it was a big win. UNCG needed this game to put some distance between themselves and the 3rd place Bulldogs. Also, this win gives UNCG the season sweep over Samford. This will help in case of a tie-breaker.

As an added bonus, UTC defeated Elon on Thursday night. So, the Spartans moved back into a tie for 1st place in the North Division. Elon and UNCG now switch places for their Saturday games. If the Spartans can defeat the Mocs, either outcome in Birmingham is acceptable.

That Spartans gutted out this win on a night when they didn't play their best. They got big contributions from reserve players like Aloysius Henry (11 rebs), Nick Paulos (12 pts) and Derrell Armstong (13 pts).

Now it's on the "Scenic City" with a real chance to seize control of the north. Gotta keep grinding out these wins!

UNCG (9-15) @ Samford (9-14)

2012-02-08T19:53:00.003-05:00

When: Thursday, February 9 8 pm
Where: Pete Hanna Center (4,974)
TV: None

Samford Athletics

Preseason Preview

1/22 Samford 60 @ UNCG 61 Recap

UNCG Stats
Last Game: @ Furman (L 85-93) Recap
PPG: 69.1
RPG: 35.6
APG: 11.7
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (17.4)
Leader Rebounds: David Williams (5.2)
Leader Assists: Drew Parker (2.6)
FG %: 39.9
3 Pt %: 32.7
FT %: 67.6

Samford Stats
Last Game: @ Wofford (W 66-61 OT) Recap
PPG: 65.1
RPG: 32.1
APG: 14.0
Leader Points: Drew Windler (13.7)
Leader Rebounds: Jeffrey Merritt (6.8)
Leader Assists: Jeffrey Merritt (3.3)
FG %: 43.7
3 Pt %: 33.7
FT %: 66.4

Thoughts
This game is very cructial to how the rest of UNCG's season is going to play out. The Spartans lead Samford by 1 game and trail Elon by 1 game. UNCG can't afford to lose this game and have Elon win. It would all but take them out of the race for 1st place in the North. Also, it would put UNCG in a tough spot for trying to take 2nd in the North.

Samford played very well in Greensboro 3 weeks ago. It took a last second put back by David Williams to defeat the Bulldogs by 1 point. However, it was entertaining that the put back was made possible by Samford's players complaining about a possible travel violation by Trevis Simpson and not boxing Williams out. It was quite ironic since Samford spent more time complaining about calls than any other basketball team I've ever seen.

The last two Spartan trips to the Pete Hanna Center have turned out well for UNCG. In order to have a chance for a first round bye, this trip needs to also go well. Go Spartans !!!

"Taking Charge in Greensboro"

2012-02-07T16:26:00.011-05:00

Here is an article on NCAA.com about Coach Miller taking over at UNCG. It's great to still see UNCG getting positive press. The more the Spartans win, expect to see more positive press.

"I don't think any of us in this program feel like we've been successful yet. We have big goals and dreams and not all of them have to do with winning streaks in the middle of the season," Miller said.

Also, Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde has this little blurb in in his coulmn on Rivals today ...

Back from the Dead
Teams and people we’ve all given up on at least once, and now are showing signs of life:

UNC-Greensboro. The Spartans were 2-14 at one point, with the victories over a non-Division I opponent and truly dreadful Towson. Then they won seven in a row before losing Saturday to Furman. They’re now 9-15 and second in their division in the Southern Conference, which is otherwise known as Davidson, Wofford and 10 stiffs.

UNCG-Citadel Highlights

2012-02-07T14:11:00.002-05:00

I thought I'd try to re-eastablish some good feelings for Spartan fans. Here are some highlights from last Thursday's win over the Citadel.

Scanning the SoCon- Week 14

2012-02-07T09:23:00.003-05:00

Scanning the SoCon - Week # 14

1. Davidson
2. Wofford
3. Ga Southern
4. Elon
5. UNCG
6. Furman
7. Samford
8. Charleston
9. App State
10. Western Carolina
11. Chattanooga
12. Citadel

Which game are you most looking forward to this week that does not involve your team?

TheSportsArsenal- UNCG-Samford on Thursday is a big SoCon North game and probably a must-win for homestanding Samford if it entertains hopes of a first-round conference tourney bye.

Current SoCon Standings

2012-02-05T08:56:00.003-05:00

As of 2/5 ...

North
1. Elon (7-4)
2. UNCG (7-5)
3. Samford (6-6)
4. App State (5-7)
5. Western Carolina (4-8)
6. Chattanooga (3-9)

South
1. Davidson (11-1)
2. Wofford (8-4)
2. Ga Southern (8-4)
4. Furman (6-6)
5. Charleston (6-7)
6. Citadel (1-11)

Schedule for this Week
Monday 2/6
- App State @ Elon
- Furman @ Ga Southern
- Wofford @ Davidson

Thursday 2/9
- Western Carolina @ Charleston
- UNCG @ Samford
- Elon @ Chattanooga
- App State @ Furman
- Wofford @ Ga Southern
- Davidson @ Citadel

Saturday 2/11
- Davidson @ Charleston
- Ga Southern @ Citadel
- UNCG @ Chattanooga
- Elon @ Samford
- Wofford @ App State
- Western Carolina @ Furman

Paladins Sink Free Throws and UNCG Win Streak

2012-02-04T17:39:00.003-05:00

UNCG 85 - Furman 93

News & Record
UNCG Athletics
Furman Athletics

Halftime: UNCG 30 - Furman 39

UNCG Stats
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (28)
Leader Rebounds: Derrell armstrong (6)
Leader Assists: Drew Parker (5)
Team FG: 26-62 (41.9%)
Team 3 Pt: 6-21 (28.6%)
Team FT: 27-31 (87.1%)
Rebounds: 40
Turnovers: 18

Furman Stats
Leader Points: Brandon Sebirumbi (20)
Leader Rebounds: Charlie Reddick (6)
Leader Assists: Charlie Reddick (4)
Team FG: 32-51 (45.1%)
Team 3 Pt: 10-19 (52.6%)
Team FT: 37-47 (78.7%)
Rebounds: 32
Turnovers: 15

Thoughts
In a game that had 56 fouls called (2 technicals) and 78 free throws, UNCG had its 7 game winning streak snapped in Greenville. Furman sank over 75% of it's ridiculous 47 free throw attempts, including 24 of 28 to close the game. Even though the Spartans hit 27-31 from the free throw line itself, they were still outscored by 10. The loss drops UNCG to 1-8 at Timmons Arena and 2-4 in road conference games this season.

It was a 9-2 Furman run before halftime that gave Furman the cushion it needed to hold off the Spartans for the entire second half. UNCG cut the lead to under 5 on at least 4 different occasions, but the Paladins had an answer every time. UNCG didn't take care of the ball as well as it has recently and didn't shoot particularly well.

The UNCG loss, coupled with a Elon win at home over the Citadel, dropped the Spartans back down to second place in the North Division by 0.5 games. Samford surprised the South Division's 2nd place team, Wofford, to climb 1.5 games behind Elon. All of this means that next weekend's Bigmingham-Chattanooga swing will be huge for both Elon and UNCG. The Spartans need to regain their swagger quickly.

UNCG (9-14) @ Furman (11-11)

2012-02-03T10:47:00.008-05:00

When: Saturday, February 4 3 pm
Where: Timmons Arena (4,000)
TV: SoCon Netowork*/ESPN3
*Viewing Guide

Furman Athletics

Preseason Preview

UNCG Stats
Last Game: Citadel (W 82-71) Recap
PPG: 68.4
RPG: 35.4
APG: 11.7
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (17.0)
Leader Rebounds: David Williams (5.3)
Leader Assists: Drew Parker (2.5)
FG %: 39.8
3 Pt %: 32.9
FT %: 66.3

Furman Stats
Last Game: Davidson (L 53-71) Recap
PPG: 64.2
RPG: 34.2
APG: 10.9
Leader Points: Brandon Sebirumbi (10.7)
Leader Rebounds: Brandon Sebirumbi (5.5)
LeaderAssists: Richard Brown (3.3)
FG %: 41.3
3 Pt %: 33.5
FT %: 73.6

Thoughts
Well, that little home stand was awful fun for us Spartan fans. But now is where it gets interesting. UNCG finished with 5 of its last 7 games on the road. If UNCG is going to bet a SoCon tournament bye, they are going to have to go out and earn it.

The road to the tournament starts at Timmons Arena in Greenville on Saturday afternoon. It's a place where UNCG sports a sad 1-7 record. The Paladins lost a lot with the graduation of Amu Sakaa and Noah States. However, Furman has rebounded based on aless than steller schedule and the play Brandon Sebirumbi.

Statistically, there's not a lot of difference between Furman and UNCG. The Paladins have been pretty pedestrian at home (2-3) in conference games and the Spartans have been pretty pedestrian on the road (2-3) in conference games.

So, this game looks like a toss-up. Hopefully, UNCG can lean on its winning ways and continue the streak. Go Spartans!!!

Updated SoCon Standings

2012-02-03T10:08:00.003-05:00

As of 2/3 ...

North
1. UNCG (7-4)
2. Elon (6-4)
3. Samford (5-6)
3. App State (5-6)
5. Western Carolina (4-7)
6. Chattanooga (3-8)

South
1. Davidson (10-1)
2. Wofford (8-3)
3. Ga Southern (7-4)
4. Furman (5-6)
5. Charleston (5-7)
6. Citadel (1-10)

Citadel Post Game

2012-02-03T09:43:00.003-05:00

Coach Wes Miller gives a lot credit to Citadel's coaches forkeeping their guys fighting. It's a great point he makes. The video is from UNCG's YouTube page.

"The word streak doesn't exist in the UNCG vocabulary." -Wes Miller

- WFMY News 2 (via DigTraid.com) recap & video.

-UNCG Sports Blog recap.

Simpson leads UNCG to Seventh Straight Win

2012-02-02T22:10:00.005-05:00

UNCG 82 - Citadel 71

News & Record
UNCG Athletics
Citadel Athletics

Halftime: UNCG 39 - Citadel 29

UNCG Stats
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (23)
Leader Rebounds: Trevis Simpson (7)
Leader Assists: Korey van Dussen (7)
Team FG: 31-58 (53.4%)
Team 3 Pt: 8-20 (40.0%)
Team FT: 12-16 (75.0%)
Rebounds: 35
Turnovers: 16

Citadel Stats
Leader Points: Mike Groselle (20)
Leader Rebounds: Mike Groselle (8)
Leader Assists: DeVontae Wright, Marshall Harris, Lawrence Miller (3 tie)
Team FG: 24-56 (42.9%)
Team 3 Pt: 5-12 (41.7%)
Team FT: 18-25 (72.0%)
Rebounds: 28
Turnovers: 13

Thoughts
UNCG decided the last contest with the Bulldogs was a little too close. So this time, the Spartans pushed ahead by double digits midway through the second half and cruised to a victory. Derrell Armstrong (14 pts, 5 rebs, 4 assists), Aloysuis Henry (13 pts, 6 rebs) and Kyle Randall (7 pts) came off the bench to really spark G. Citadel's LawrenceMiller (15 pts) seemed to ignite UNCG's Trevis Simpson (23 pt, 7 rebs) with a little second half trash talk. However, it was the good defense played on SoCon POY candidate Mike Groselle (20 pts, 8rebs) that helped UNCG pick up the win.

That runs UNCG's home winning streak to 5 and overall streak to 7. The Spartans still only find themselves 0.5 games ahead of Elon, who defeated Charleston in 2OT. So, the run will need to continue if the Spartans are going to earn a North Division title. 5 of UNCG's last 7 games are going to be played on the road. That stretch starts on Saturday afternoon at Furman.

Citadel (4-17) @ UNCG (8-14)

2012-02-01T11:00:00.003-05:00

When: Thursday, February 2 7 pm
Where: Greensboro Coliseum (7,617/23,500)
TV: None/Spartan All-Access

Citadel Athletics

Preseason Preview

1/14 UNCG 67 @ Citadel 66 Recap

UNCG Stats
Last Game: Western Carolina (W 89-86 OT) Recap
PPG: 67.8
RPG: 35.5
APG: 11.5
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (16.7)
Leader Rebounds: David Williams (5.3)
Leader Assists: Drew Parker (2.5)
FG %: 39.2
3 Pt %: 32.6
FT %: 66.0

Citadel Stats
Last Game: Furman (L 58-67) Recap
PPG: 65.9
RPG: 32.5
APG: 14.0
Leader Points: Mike Groselle (17.3)
Leader Rebounds: Mike Groselle (9.6)
Leader Assists: DeVontae Wright (2.8)
FG%: 44.1
3 Pt %: 34.0
FT %: 64.4

Thoughts
It took a full-on miracle for UNCG to escape Charleston with a "W" at McAlister Fieldhouse. That was only 3 weeks ago. While everyone is patting the team and coaches on the back, I hope they remember that if Mike Groselle catches the errant pass, UNCG wouldn't be on a 6 game winning streak.

If this current season of SoCon basketball tells us anything, it's that if you don't come to play you will lose. Look at Samford. They gave Citadel their only conference win and Davidson it's only conference loss. There is very little difference between any of the 12 teams.

The Spartans have went from worst to first in the span of 3 weeks. However, it's gonna take a good closing month in order to earn that conference tournament bye. UNCG only has 3 home games left and it needs to win all three.

To win this one, Trevis Simpson and Derrell Armstrong are going to have to continue their good play. The Spartans are going to have to better defense than they did in Charleston (Citadel FG 22-44, 3 Pt 8-13) and rebound better (Citadel 31 - UNCG 27). Mike Groselle is probably the best player in the SoCon. It will take a group effort (with minimal fouls) to contain him. Go Spartans !!!

SoCon BracketBusters Matchups

2012-02-01T08:25:00.008-05:00

I've had so much other stuff going on this week that I forgot to report that the matchups for this year's Sears BracketBusters event were announced on Monday. Four SoCon teams are participating this year. Davidson's home game will be televised on one of the ESPN networks. The participants were determined before the start of the season. UNCG has participated in the event twice, losing at St. Peter's (2006-2007) and winning at home against UNCW (2007-2008).

2012 Southern Conference BracketBuster Matchups
- Wichita State (18-4 9-2 MVC) @ Davidson (15-5, 9-1)
- Winthrop (9-14, 6-6 Big South) @ App State (9-11, 5-5)
- Charleston (13-9, 5-6) @ Kent State (14-6, 4-3 MAC)
- Wofford (15-8, 8-3) @ Charleston Southern (14-7, 8-3 Big South)

Armstrong Named SoCon Player of the Week ... Again

2012-01-31T14:41:00.002-05:00

UNCG guard Derrell Armstrong was named SoCon Player of the Week for the second straight week. Here is the announcement from SoConSports.com.

The junior averaged 25 points, seven rebounds and three assists in two games last week as the Spartans picked up overtime wins over Appalachian State (77-73) and Western Carolina (89-86).

UNCG Press

2012-01-31T09:49:00.009-05:00

From WFMY News 2's DigTraid page, here's an interview with UNCG Coach Wes Miller. Also, there are interviews with Trevis Simpson, David Williams and a video of practice.

USA Today posted their weekly SoCon update with some interesting notes about UNCG.

--The carnage that was the January schedule of games in the Southern Conference has produced plenty of good basketball, but it's come at the majority of the league's expense. Entering the final month of the regular season, only Davidson, Wofford, Furman and College of Charleston will have winning overall records. The best overall win tally in the north division is Elon's 10-10 record.

--The league is about a month away from voting for its top coach, but barring some unforeseen changes, it may very well come down to Davidson's Bob McKillop and UNC-Greensboro interim coach Wes Miller. The latter, who took over for Mike Dement in early December, coached his team to six straight victories to close out January. Miller's team was atop the north division standings entering the final month of regular-season play.

McKillop, who has his team on top of the south division standings, has his team at 9-1 entering February an in line to win the regular-season title.

--As far as the Player of the Year honors go, the decision may be a bit harder for the coaches and media. The Citadel big man Mike Groselle enters the final month of play as the Southern Conference leader in both points (17.3 ppg) and rebounds (9.6 rpg). However, many may not vote for a player on a team that has struggled so much. The Bulldogs won just one of their first one of their first 10 league games. Others to keep an eye on are UNC Greensboro guard Trevis Simpson, College of Charleston senior Antwaine Wiggins and Georgia Southern's Eric Ferguson. Ferguson is the only other player in the league in the top five in both points and rebounds.

There was an article this past weekend in the Raleigh News & Observer about Wes Miller and App State coach Jason Capel and their unique relationship as head coaches in the same conference.

Also, I believe Wes Miller is scheduled to be on WFNZ's (Charlotte, NC) syndicated afternoon sports radio show "The Drive" hosted by Taylor Zarzour and Marc James. The show airs from 3-7 EST. I will post the time he is going to be on the show when I find out. The show can be heard on UNCG's flagship station WCOG 1320 AM in the triad, on ESPN Radio in the triangle and on WFNZ in Charlotte. The show is streamed over the Internet here, here and here.

UPDATE: Wes will be on at 6 pm EST.

UPDATE x2: The interview can be heard here.

UNCG-WCU Highlights

2012-01-30T10:26:00.001-05:00

From UNCG's YouTube channel ...

Scanning the SoCon - Week 13

2012-01-30T08:27:00.002-05:00

Scanning the SoCon - Week # 13

1. Davidson
2. Wofford
3. Ga Southern
4. UNCG
5. Elon
6. App State
7. Furman
8. Charleston
9. Samford
10. Western Carolina
11. Chattanooga
12. Citadel

Who do you think is the best sixth man in the league?

DavidsonCats- There are several players who have primarily come off the bench this year, but have started a few games. Guys like Jack Isenbarger and Derrell Armstrong. My top sixth man would be Chris Czerapowicz. He hasn't started any games and has been Davidson's best scorer off the bench. Through 20 games, he's scored 183 points and grabbed 88 rebounds. 9.2 points and 4.4 rebounds. He's getting better rapidly.

MocsMania- I'd love to be a homer here and pick Z Mason, who I think will be a force in the SoCon starting next year, and already has proven to be one of the Mocs better players. But in the end, you really can't go wrong with UNCG's Derrell Armstrong at this point. He is one of the main reasons that the Spartans have started winning. I know he hasn't played that well all year, but at his current level of play, there really is no going wrong picking him.

TheSportsArsenal- Right now I would slightly favor Derrell Armstrong of UNCG as the league's top sixth man.

UNCGBasketballFan- Well, it's kind of hard to decide who is really coming off of the bench for some teams. This week I watched Omar Carter (ASU) and Harouna Mutombo (WCU) not start for their teams. However, I'm going to be biased and say that right now, UNCG's Derrell Armstong is the best pure bench player. He's scored 23 or more points his part 4 games is one of the leading catalysts to UNCG quick climb up the standings.

Updated SoCon Standings

2012-01-29T07:55:00.004-05:00

As of 1/29 ...

North
1. UNCG (6-4)
2. Elon (5-4)
3. App State (5-5)
4. Samford (4-5)
5. Western Carolina (3-6)
6. Chattanooga (3-7)

South
1. Davidson (9-1)
2. Wofford (7-3)
3. Ga Southern (7-4)
4. Furman (5-5)
5. Charleston (4-6)
6. Citadel (1-9)

Schedule for this Week
Monday 1/30
- Charleston @ Samford
- WCU @ Wofford

Wednesday 2/1
- Davidson @ Furman

Thursday 2/2
- Citadel @ UNCG
- Charleston @ Elon
- Chattanooga @ WCU
- Samford @ App State

Saturday 2/4
- UNCG @ Furman
- Citadel @ Elon
- Ga Southern @ WCU
- Charleston @ App State
- Chattanooga @ Davidson
- Samford @ Wofford

Western Carolina Post Game

2012-01-29T06:32:00.000-05:00

David Williams had 18 rebounds !?!?!?!

WFMY has extended highlights on its DigTriad website.

UNCG Wins Another Overtime Thriller

2012-01-28T17:39:00.005-05:00

UNCG 89 - Western Carolina 86 OT

News & Record
UNCG Athletics
Western Carolina Athletics

Halftime: UNCG 41 - WCU 31

UNCG Stats
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (26)
Leader Rebounds: David Williams (18)
Leader Assists: Derrell Armstrong (4)
Team FG: 26-56 (46.4%)
Team 3 Pt: 7-18 (38.9%)
Team FT: 30-37 (81.1%)
Rebounds: 43
Turnovers: 21

Western Carolina Stats
Leader Points: Trey Sumler (22)
Leader Rebounds: Tawaski King (11)
Leader Assists: King, Sumler, Keaton Cole (2 tied)
Team FG: 26-73 (35.6%)
Team 3 Pt: 9-27 (33.3%)
Team FT: 25-33 (75.8%)
Rebounds: 43
Turnovers: 16

Thoughts
The Spartans again had trouble closing out an opponent in regulation only to take a fast least again in overtime and hold on during another come back attempt.

This time, a questionable foul call allowed the Catamounts to shoot 3 free throws with under 2 seconds to tie the game up. While I do think the call was a big bailout call for the Western player, UNCG has to not challenge that shot to the point of being in position to have it called in the first place.

It was still great to see UNCG shrug off that disappointment and thrive in another overtime session. Trevis Simpson (26 pts & 5 rebs) and Derrell Armstrong (23 pts, 6 rebs & 4 assists) had another outstanding performance, it was David Williams' 18 rebounds that really helped UNCG down the stretch in regulation and overtime.

UNCG has now swept 3 straight weekend doubleheaders to move from last to first in Southern Conference North Division. It's unfortunate that 3 of their 4 conference losses came before December 6. However, with almost half of the conference season left to come, the Spartans will have to continue their winning ways to pick up a tournament bye.

Western Carolina (9-12) @ UNCG (7-14)

2012-01-28T03:46:00.003-05:00

When: Saturday, January 28 2 pm
Where: Greensboro Coliseum (7,617/23,500)
TV: None/Spartan All-Access

Western Carolina Athletics

Preseason Preview

12/3 UNCG 69 @ WCU 73 Recap

UNCG Stats
Last Game: Appalachian State (W 77-73 OT) Recap
PPG: 66.8
RPG: 35.1
APG: 11.4
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (16.2)
Leader Rebounds: Aaron Brackett (4.8)
Leader Assists: Drew Parker (2.5)
FG %: 38.9
3 Pt %: 32.3
FT %: 64.6

Western Carolina Stats
Last Game: Elon (L 63-71) Recap
PPG: 69.4
RPG: 35.3
APG: 10.8
Leader Points: Harouna Mutombo (13.3)
Leader Rebounds: Harouna Mutombo (6.0)
Leader Assists: Trey Sumler (3.9)
FG %: 42.2
3 Pt %: 32.9
FT %: 68.5

Thoughts
UNCG has done a great job of getting themselves into position to make a run at a tournament bye or even a division title. The guys weathered a very rough beginning to the season. However, to really compete for that division title, the Spartans have to continue to win. Victories are especially important when the games are against teams in the North division.

While UNCG and WCU are playing on Saturday, Elon and App State will be competing in Burlington. In order to keep pace with the Pheonix, the Spartans have to find a way to pick up another "W". A Mountaineers win coupled with a Spartans victory would put UNCG alone in first place for the first time in a very long time.

The story for today's game is much the same as the one from Thursday night. UNCG played Western Carolina almost 2 months ago. So much has changed since then that it might as well have been last season. The Spartans are playing with a different attitude and a different style of offense. Added to that is the new found strength of the UNCG bench. Derrell Armstrong has been on a tear over the past three games. In order to beat the Catamounts, he will have to continue his great play.

Western Carolina will play their methodical "Princeton style" offense. It will require UNCG to stay focused on the defensive end and to not get frustrated and impatient. This could translate into poor shots on the offensive end.

I'm thinking the strong performance on Thursday night will lead to a very nice home crowd again today. It's nice to see such enthusiasm building up around the program. I hope the team continues to stay hungry and play hard. Go Spartans !!!

Cremins to Take a Leave of Absence

2012-01-27T14:42:00.002-05:00

College of Charleston Coach Bobby Cremins is currently deciding whether to take a leave of absence or to step down. The Charleston Post & Courier has an article discussing the situation there.

College of Charleston head basketball coach Bobby Cremins, suffering from unspecified but non-life threatening health problems, is deciding whether to take an extended leave of absence or resign, high-level sources told The Post and Courier on Friday.

An official announcement from the school is expected at a new conference scheduled for 6:15 p.m. today.

UNCG-App State Highlights

2012-01-27T14:00:00.002-05:00

From UNCG's YouTube channel ...

WFMY News 2 also has a good extended highlight clip on their DigTraid website.

Current SoCon Standings

2012-01-27T10:35:00.002-05:00

As of 1/27 ...

North
1. Elon (5-3)
2. UNCG (5-4)
3. App State (4-5)
4. Western Carolina (3-5)
4. Samford (3-5)
6. Chattanooga (3-6)

South
1. Davidson (9-0)
2. Wofford (6-3)
3. Ga Southern (6-4)
4. Charleston (4-5)
4. Furman (4-5)
6. Citadel (1-8)

App Post Game

2012-01-27T10:08:00.003-05:00

Coach Miller owns his mistake and credits the team for "having his back" in the post game press conference.

Here is MocsMania's recap of the UNCG-App State game. As I told you yesterday, the blog label the game as the "SoCon Monster Game of the Week".

The Spartans on the other hand may just be the favorite in the North at this point. Can they carry this momentum over to Saturday? They have failed to do that the last two weekends. Yes, they came up with two wins, but nailbiters over The Citadel and Samford are not what the Spartans have in mind. They will need to play a solid game at home against Western Carolina on Saturday to continue their five game winning streak and stay right in the hunt in the North.

My thoughts exactly.

UNCG Wins 5th Straight in Overtime

2012-01-26T23:47:00.005-05:00

UNCG 77 - Appalachian State 73 OT

News & Record Recap
UNCG Athletics Recap
App State Recap

Halftime: UNCG 26 - App State 32

UNCG Stats
Leader Points: Derrell Armstrong (27)
Leader Rebounds: Taylor Hoffer (10)
Leader Assists: Armstrong, Drew Parker, Korey Van Dussen (tie 2)
Team FG: 27-63 (42.9%)
Team 3 Pt: 5-17 (29.4%)
Team FT: 18-27 (66.7%)
Rebounds: 40
Turnovers: 15

Appalachian St Stats
Leader Points: Omar Carter (19)
Leder Rebounds: Andre Williamson (8)
Leader Assists: Mike Neal (3)
Team FG: 22-50 (40.0%)
Team 3 Pt: 7-18 (38.9%)
Team FT: 22-32 (68.8%)
Rebounds: 33
Turnovers: 20

Thoughts
I'll admit that 10 minutes into the game I was saying to myself, "Well it was a good run that had to end sometime." UNCG wasn't making shots and really wasn't guarding anyone. They had already fallen behind 30-13 and their leading scorer was going to get to spend the rest of the half on the bench with 3 fouls. It was not a recipe for success. But the team fought back.

I also thought G was snake bit on Thursday night with the repeatedly bad mistakes at the end like fouling a 3 point shooter or getting a technical foul for having too many men on the court. But the team fought back from those too.

This team deserves a ton of credit for battling through mistakes and a rough first part of the season in general. It's really hard to believe how far this team has came in the past month. It seems like these guys have really forgot how to lose at this point, and I hope they never try to remember.

Also, credit needs to be given to reserve big man Taylor Hoffer. He battled hard with ASU center Ike Butts who is much larger. However, Hoffer worked his way to his first career double-double and really ignited G by showing some extreme toughness against the bigger App State players.

Times-Free Press Previews Tonight's Game

2012-01-26T10:49:00.007-05:00

From the Chattanooga Times-Free Press ...

The Spartans win if ... Junior guard Derrell Armstrong continues the hot streak that he’s been on. The SoCon player of the week scorched UTC for 29 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the arc after entering the game with five 3s all season. He followed that with 27 points in a last-second 61-60 win against Samford.

The Mountaineers win if ... They dominate the post and slow the game just a tick. Both teams like to run and it’s the Spartans’ best style, but ASU has a big advantage in a half-court game because of its size and experience.

UPDATE: Also MocsMania has a nice preview of th game as it is listed as the "SoCon Monster Game of the Week".

Appalachian State (8-10) @ UNCG (6-14)

2012-01-25T08:43:00.005-05:00

When: Thursday, January 26 7 pm
Where: Greensboro Coliseum (7,617/23,500)
TV: None/Spartan All-Access

App State Athletics

Preseason Preview

12/1 - UNCG 64 @ App State 78 Recap

UNCG Stats
Last Game: Samford (W 61-60) Recap
PPG: 66.3
RPG: 34.9
APG: 11.6
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (15.9)
Leader Rebounds: Aaron Brackett (4.8)
Leader Assists: Drew Parker (2.6)
FG %: 38.7
3 Pt %: 32.5
FT %: 64.4

Appalachian St. Stats
Last Game: Western Carolina (W 84-72) Recap
PPG: 67.9
RPG: 34.7
APG: 12.8
Leader Points: Omar Carter (13.2)
Leader Rebounds: Andre Williamson (6.9)
Leader Assists: Mike Neal (3.1)
FG%: 44.0
3 Pt%: 36.5
FT %: 62.8

Thoughts
The last time these two teams faced each other, "Spartan killer" Omar Carter scored 24 and ASU cruised to an easy 12 point win in Boone. The bright spot for the Spartans was Aaron Brackett. He scored17 points and had 9 rebounds. That game was also played on December 1st and at this point, it might as well be a different season. UNCG was coached by Mike Dement. They had just been thoroughly beaten by arch rival NC A&T. Their players had spent the week trashing their most loyal supporters on Twitter. They were a team in chaos that was getting ready to drift into a long losing streak.

What a difference a few months can make. Coming into this game against App, the Spartans have a new coach, a new confidence, and a shiny new winning streak on display. UNCG also has seen the recent emergence of what is looking like the best 6th man in the SoCon, Derrell Armstrong.

I expect the Greensboro Coliseum to see it's biggest crowd of the season for the "Gold Out" game. The fact that G is playing a rival with a pretty large local alumni base shouldn't hurt either.

However, let's not lose sight of the major division implications. UNCG and ASU are tied at (4-4) in the North and only 0.5 games behind Elon (4-3). Western Carolina and Elon will meet in Burlington on Thursday night. A Catamount win would catapult the ASU-UNCG winner into first place. An Elon victory would put the loser of the Spartans-Mountaineers game in a tough position to win the North title.

Even though there are quite a few conference games left to go, these in-division games are crucial. This is one that UNCG absolutely needs to win for a bunch of reasons. It's a home game in front of a lot of fans that were disheartened by the early season swoon. A win would completely re-energize the fan base and start filling up the bandwagon. Also, it would force the entire league would have to look up and say, "uh oh, those guys are still winning."

I've spent a lot of my time as a G fan watching them win more often than they lost. These last three (and a half) seasons have really hurt. I'm tired of them and ready to put them in the past. It's time to put a big nail in that coffin and move on to better times. Go Spartans !!!

Goodman Interviews Wes Miller

2012-01-25T07:51:00.001-05:00

Jeff Goodman's column "Eye on College Basketball" ran a featured story on UNCG coach Wes Miller yesterday. Good stuff, but I really like this quote ...

"One of the players told me that, but I haven't even looked at it," Miller said. "I know we're not where we want and need to be. We're not afraid to talk about big goals and dreams, but in order to do that we have to take it one practice and one game at a bime."

Armstrong Named SoCon Player of the Week

2012-01-24T14:29:00.002-05:00

UNCG guard Derrell Armstrong broke Davidson's Jake Cohen's Southern Conference Player of the Week winning streak by taking the award this week. Here is the announcement on SoConSports.com.

The junior averaged 28 points and five rebounds in two games last week as the Spartans ran their win streak to four with victories against Chattanooga (81-72) and Samford (61-60).

Gold Out

2012-01-24T11:26:00.002-05:00

UNCG Signee Picks Up Accolade

2012-01-24T01:00:00.000-05:00

UNCG fall signee, Jordan Potts (5'-10" PG, Northland HS/Columbus, OH) was named "Athlete of the Week" this week by the Columbus Dispatch. It sounds like Potts had a great week shooting the basketball and dishing out assists. He also plays for the #1 team in the state. Two other players on the team have committed to play D1 ball for the Dayton Flyers.

I will try to point out articles throughout the year about UNCG commits as I receive them.

Mid-Majority Comes to Greensboro

2012-01-23T19:21:00.001-05:00

The Mid-Majority is a great website that is geared towards mid-major basketball programs. They have authors that travel all around the country to visit and review basketball arenas. This past Sunday, they visited the Greensboro Coliseum to watch the Spartans host Samford. Here is their article.

Final Samford Wrap Up

2012-01-23T11:57:00.006-05:00

First, before I get post the highlight video from the UNCG-Samford game, I have to quote something said by Samford coach Jimmy Tillette on the game recap on the University's athletics website.

We found a way to have a lead and I thought we found a way to have a win. I thought that was a very questionable no-call on that travel at the end.

I'm not shocked that the Samford coach made a statement like that. He showed his ass a bunch of times during the day. He and his players spent a large portion of the day pouting and compaining, even though there was a pretty signifigant foul & free throw difference in their favor.

Now here are some game highlights, from the UNCG Youtube channel. Watch the final play a bunch of times. Not a travel.

Also, here is the UNCG Sports Blog's recap of yesterday's game. By the way, if you don't follow Calvin's Twitter feed, you should. He does a great job of in-game updates.

Scanning the SoCon - Week 12

2012-01-23T09:12:00.002-05:00

Scanning the SoCon - Week # 12

Rank the teams.
1. Davidson
2. Wofford
3. Elon
4. Ga Southern
5. App State
6. Western Carolina
7. UNCG
8. Charleston
9. Chattanooga
10. Samford
11. Furman
12. Citadel

Which game are you most looking forward to that does not involve your team?

DavidsonCats- I want to know who is going to win the North. I think ASU is the best team in that division, so I'm eager to see how they do at UNCG and against Elon.

MocsMania- I'm going with Thursday's battle between Appalachian State and UNCG. The winner of this game will have a leg up on at least a bye from the North, and possibly on the whole North division. Both teams are 4-4 in SoCon play. The winner jumps out in front. I think this should be a great game, and it will tell us a lot about both teams, who are trying to make runs at the North division title.

Current Conference Standings

2012-01-23T09:00:00.002-05:00

As of 1/23 ...

North
1. Elon (4-3)
2. UNCG (4-4)
2. App State (4-4)
4. Western Carolina (3-4)
5. Chattanooga (3-5)
6. Samford (2-6)

South
1. Davidson (8-0)
2. Wofford (5-3)
2. Ga Southern (5-3)
4. Charleston (4-4)
5. Furman (3-5)
6. Citadel (1-6)

Schedule for the Week
Monday 1/23
- Citadel @ GSU

Thursday 1/26
- App State @ UNCG
- Furman @ Charleston
- Ga Southern @ Samford
- Elon @ Western Carolina
- Davidson @ Chattanooga
- Wofford @ Citadel

Saturday 1/28
- Elon @ App State
- Western Carolina @ UNCG
- Furman @ Citadel
- Wofford @ Charleston
- Davidson @ Samford
- Ga Southern @ Chattanooga

Samford Post Game

2012-01-22T21:49:00.002-05:00

Post game press conference with Coach Miller, David Williams and Derrell Armstrong.

Also, WFMY News 2 has highlights of the game, including a replay of the final play here.

Buzzer Beater by Williams Pushes Winning Steak to Four

2012-01-22T18:43:00.003-05:00

UNCG 61 - Samford 60

News & Record
UNCG Athletics
Samford Athletics

Halftime: UNCG 35 - Samford 27

UNCG Stats
Leader Points: Derrell Armstrong (27)
Leader Rebounds: David Williams (7)
Leader Assists: Drew Parker (3)
Team FG: 23-71 (32.4%)
Team 3 Pt: 8-28 (28.6%)
Team FT: 7-9 (77.8%)
Rebounds: 34
Turnovers: 7

Samford Stats
Leader Points: Drew Windler (19)
Leader Rebounds: Jeffrey Merritt (11)
Leader Assists: Jeffrey Merritt (3)
Team FG: 21-47 (44.7%)
Team 3 Pt: 4-14 (28.6%)
Team FT: 14-19 (73.7%)
Rebounds: 43
Turnovers: 23

Thoughts
It took a David Williams rebound and put back in with 2 seconds to play to lift UNCG over Samford for their 4th straight win. However, it was causing 23 Bulldog turnovers (Williams had 4 steals) and taking 24 more shots that really allowed the Spartans topick up their 3rd home win of the season.

Derrell Armstrong continued his play by scoring 27 points. Trevis Simpson got himself back on track with 15 points. But UNCG had to weather a rough second half that saw very few shots falling and massive foul trouble.

UNCG again stepped up their play in the final five minutes to take back a game that looked like it might slip away. This is really a stark change from just a few weeks ago when the Spartans seemed to swoon over those last few minutes.

Now UNCG will have a giant set of weekend rematch games against App State & Western Carolina. Two wins could really set UNCG up to earn a North division title and first round tournament bye.

Samford (5-12) @ UNCG (5-14)

2012-01-20T11:48:00.007-05:00

When: Sunday, January 22 2 pm
Where: Greensboro Coliseum (7,617/23,500)
TV: None/Spartan All-Access

Samford Athletics

Preseason Preview

UNCG Notes
Last Game: Chattanooga (W 81-72) Recap
PPG: 66.6
RPG: 34.9
APG: 11.7
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (15.9)
Leader Rebounds: Aaron Brackett (4.9)
Leader Assists: Drew Parker (2.5)
FG %: 39.1
3 Pt %: 32.7
FT %: 64.1

Samford Notes
Last Game: @ Elon (W 86-80) Recap
PPG: 66.6
RPG: 32.4
APG: 15.1
Leader Points: Drew Windler (13.2)
Leader Rebounds: Jeffrey Merritt (6.8)
Leader Assists: Jeffrey Merritt (3.2)
FG %: 44.1
3 Pt %: 34.6
FT %: 63.4

Thoughts
If there's a SoCon team that is hot as UNCG, it's the Samford Bulldogs. Samford found themselves in the same position as UNCG just a few weeks ago. However, last Saturday Samford played a very good game against Chattanooga and it propelled them to their own two game winning streak.

Samford has a lot more in common with with SoCon teams like Davidson and Elon than any other programs. They run a system and they stick to it. The Spartans will be trying to get Samford into playing wild and out of control. UNCG has dictated tempo in 2 of their last 3 games (Charleston & UTC). However, Samford will not bring the same athletes to Greensboro that those two teams possess. So, they are going to try to stick to their system.

The key will be to continue shooting well and forcing the opponent into taking shots that they are not as comfortable taking. With the other teams in the North division all playing each other, A UNCG win should move UNCG into some tie for first place in the division. It would also give UNCG their longest winning streak in quite as long time. Go Spartans !!!

Current SoCon Standings

2012-01-20T09:51:00.003-05:00

As of 1/20

North
1. Elon (3-3)
1. Western Carolina (3-3)
3. UNCG (3-4)
3. App State (3-4)
3. Chattanooga (3-4)
6. Samford (2-4)

South
1. Davidson (7-0)
2. Wofford (4-3)
2. Charleston (4-3)
2. Ga Southern (4-3)
5. Furman (3-4)
6. Citadel (1-5)

Post Game Press Conference - Chattanooga

2012-01-20T09:48:00.001-05:00

Huge production from the bench ...

UNCG Outlast Mocs for Third Straight Win

2012-01-19T22:22:00.006-05:00

UNCG 81 - Chattanooga 72

News & Record Recap
Times-Free Press Recap
UNCG Athletics Recap
UTC Athletics Recap

Halftime: UNCG 37 - Chattanooga 31

UNCG Stats
Leader Points: Derrell Armstrong (29)
Leader Rebounds: Aaron Brackett (11)
Leader Assists: Derrell Armstrong (4)
Team FG: 28-63 (44.4%)
Team 3 Pt: 14-34 (41.2%)
Team FT: 11-19 (57.9%)
Rebounds: 35
Turnovers: 8

Chattanooga Stats
Leader Points: Omar Wattad (19)
Leader Rebounds: Drazen Zlovaric (13)
Leader Assists: Keegan Bell (3)
Team FG: 25-59 (42.4%)
Team 3 Pt: 6-18 (33.3%)
Team FT: 16-26 (61.5%)
Rebounds: 40
Turnovers: 16

Thoughts
I thought it was a great team effort last night to pull out the win. Trevis Simpson was just having an off night and Derrell Armstrong really helped to pick him up. With the combination of Armstrong, Nick Paulos (8 pts) and Kyle Randall (15 pts) Help UNCG's bench to out score the Mocs bench 49-12.

Poor free throw shooting almost allowed Chattanooga to make a furious comeback. However, a big 3 pointer from Korey Van Dussen (7 pts & 4 rebs) put a dagger in the Mocs. From there, the Spartans dropped in enough free throws to pull away.

UNCG has now won 3 straight games and is sitting a position to make a huge push towards contending in the North. With Elon, Chattanooga and App State losing on Thursday, UNCG now finds itself tied for second (.5 game back in the loss column). That's huge thinking back to where they were at only 7 days ago.

Last of Citadel Game Coverage

2012-01-19T10:40:00.003-05:00

Yahoo Sports posted a recap of the Citadel ending in their weekly college basketball series called "The Dagger"byJeff Eisenberg.

UNCG Sports Blog posted an article about the low country wins.

And finally, here's one more Youtube video of Simpson's game winning dunk.

Not a great video and it's taken off of someone's computer, but it's cool to hear the Citadel radio guys.

Interview With Coach Miller

2012-01-19T10:24:00.004-05:00

From WFMY News 2 and DigTriad.com ...

UPDATE: Adding the video to my page has been a pain in the ass. Just use the link and watch it.

UNCG Gets Some Good Press

2012-01-19T09:51:00.002-05:00

I don't remember if I've said it here in the blog, but the Chattanooga Times-Free Press does probably the best job of covering all of the SoCon basketball teams. UTC's beat writer, David Uchiyama, is very plugged into what is happening all around the conference. So, If you're ever in need of some UNCG news, you can usually find some articles there.

Having said that, there is a very good article posted about the UNCG coaching transition. I thought the comments by Korey Van Dussen and Trevis Simpson about the mid season change to Wes Miller were interesting. They are the kind of comments that I would expect and part of the reason why I wasn't a huge fan of making the move in the middle of the year. However, I think it also speaks to the tremendous job that Miller has done to not only keep this team together, but to get the guys to buy into the program for the rest of the season.

There is also a preview article for tonight's game posted at the Time-Free Press.

Chattanooga (9-10) @ UNCG (4-14)

2012-01-18T20:32:00.004-05:00

When: Thursday, January 19 7 pm
Where: Greensboro Coliseum (7,617/23,500)
TV: None/Spartan All-Access (free)

Chattanooga Athletics

Preseason Preview

UNCG Notes
Last Game: @ Citadel (W 67-66) Recap
PPG: 65.8
RPG: 34.9
APG: 11.6
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (16.5)
Leader Rebounds: David Williams (4.7)
Leader Assists: Drew Parker (2.6)
FG%: 38.7
3 Pt %: 31.9
FT %: 64.4

Chattanooga Notes
Last Game: @ Samford (L 70-81) Recap
PPG: 70.7
RPG: 39.9
APG: 16.0
Leader Points: Ricky Taylor (13.2)
Leader Rebounds: Drazen Zlovaric (6.9)
Leader Assists: Keegan Bell (7.1)
FG %: 42.2
3 Pt %: 35.7
FT %: 66.9

Thoughts
UNCG played some inspired basketball this past weekend in the low country of SC. All of the breaks went their way. Some of the breaks included everyone in the North Division taking a step backwards and leaving the Spartans with a chance to really get back into the race for a bye. UNCG is only 1.5 games back (1 in the win column) of Elon, UTC, App State and Western Carolina. With ASU-WCU and UTC-Elon playing games against each other on Saturday, the Spartans can take another huge step forward this weekend. However, it all starts with beating the Mocs.

Chattanooga hasn't won a game on the road this season. They've lost at places like Kentucky and Indiana, but also at Samford. This points to a bigger problem for the Mocs. It would be nice to jump on the Mocs and see if they'll lose hope early. The Mocs have the talent to be one of the best in the SoCon, but they've been very erratic this season. It'll be interesting to see which UTC team shows up in Greensboro.

The Spartans on the other hand, have turned themselves around by doing 2 things that they haven't done well for a while ... shoot better and play better defense. Now I know the overall numbers in the Citadel game don't look that great, but it was the second half defense that UNCG brought to the court that gave them the chance to win at the end.

The last time UNCG made a bunch of Youtube "Sportscenter" type plays, they came out the next game flat and lackluster. Hopefully, the Spartans have learned from this experience and will bring intensity and heart to the court on Thursday night. Go Spartans !!!

What's Next Western, Youth YMCA Teams?

2012-01-18T10:48:00.005-05:00

Western Carolina defeated Toccoa Falls 141-39 last night. Here is a recap of the game. Toccoa Falls College is a "fully accredited, Christian liberal arts, bible college, located in Toccoa, Georgia." The Eagles (3-6) are a member NCCAA (National Christian College Athletics Association).

The Catamounts jumped on TCC 72-17 by halftime and eased up on them the second half. Nine (that's right, nine) WCU players scored in double figures. Trey Sumler led Western with 18 points in 18 minutes of playing time. Two of the three WCU players that didn't score in double figures were starters. The margin of victory is the 3rd highest ever in D1 basketball (if that is what we are calling this).

While these are some tremendous statistics, Western Carolina should be ashamed of themselves. Why in the world were they even playing this game? For the record, this is WCU's second game against a non-D1 school. Earlier this season, the Catamount defeated Montreat College 109-63. But for this game, who gained anything from it? It didn't boost attendance (1, 431). It isn't an early season game to get your team some traction. Even the press WCU is receiving from winning by 100+ isn't all good. Some outlets are questioning their sportsmanship (and with good reason).

This past week, the Charleston Post & Courier printed a story discussing with the commissioner some steps the SoCon could take become a real mid-major conference like the CAA. If the P&C had waited a week, Western would have served their point on a silver platter.

On the other hand, SoCon teams have played 20 games against non-Division I teams, dotting schedules with mystery teams such as Warren Wilson, Lindsey Wilson, Spalding and Virginia-Wise, an NAIA team that's played three SoCon squads this season.

The CAA? It's 12 teams have played just one game against a lower-division squad.

CAA programs must ask the league for a waiver to schedule any non-Division I squad. In the SoCon, teams must request a waiver only if they play more than two lower division teams.

"We've talked about scheduling issues and how that impacts the RPI rankings," Iamarino said. "But we've not gotten to the point where we have created a mandatory format. I don't personally think that's in the best interest
of each program."

But Iamarino does review each team's schedule, and said teams expected to contend are encouraged to "schedule up and put some good non-conference opponents on there." Conversely, a schedule with three or four lower-division opponents draws scrutiny from the league office.

"With one program this year, I had a long conversation with their athletic director about it," said Iamarino, who declined to name the team. "I just felt it was an upper echelon program that was not testing itself sufficiently."

I'm guessing the school he declined to name was west of Greensboro.

This past week's installment of Scanning the SoCon asked the panel's opinion about that specific article and the responses were very similar. Here are the Davidson and Chattanooga blogger's responses ...

This article from the Post and Courier talks about things the SoCon needs to do to improve. What do you think the Commissioner needs to do to help improve the conference?

DavidsonCats- Conference teams currently need to request a waiver to play more than two non-D1s. I'd like to see this changed. How about this-- you can play one non-D1. If you want to play a second one, you submit a request for a waiver and a check for $100,000 to be divided among the schools who schedule zero non-D1 teams. The commish keeps the check, but only grants the waiver if he can't find you a D1 game. What that would mean is that no school would request the waiver. They'd find D1 opponents, even if it meant playing other Southern Conference teams, or just leave a game off of the schedule.

MocsMania- Personally, I think the commissioner needs to help with the scheduling- namely two sets of conference challenges (how about the Big South and the OVC?) and each team plays at home in one, and on the road in the other during the season. Then, the following year, they play return trips. (I stole that one from ChattanoogaMocs on the MocFans message board.) I also think that requiring teams to play in the BracketBuster (with a return trip the following year) will be huge. That would be four games each year out of conference right there. Put those on the Mocs schedule this year, and they would not have had to play a single non-D1. Same is true for everyone else in the conference. But, there also needs to be an influx of money spent on basketball to up recruiting budgets and to hire better coaching staffs. I don't know where that influx of money comes from. But that is where the biggest deal will be.

In the end, I guess I'll say congratulations to Western Carolina while informing them that my nephew's 6th grade Upward Bound team already has a full schedule for this season (just in case they were wondering).

End of Citadel Game

2012-01-16T11:14:00.002-05:00

Still can't believe this ending. Great play call.

Scanning the SoCon - Week 11

2012-01-16T08:21:00.006-05:00

Scanning the SoCon Week #11

1. Davidson
2. Charleston
3. Ga Southern
4. Chattanooga
5. WCU
6. Wofford
7. Elon
8. App State
9. Furman
10. UNCG
11. Citadel
12. Samford

This article from the Post and Courier talks about things the SoCon needs to do to improve. What do you think the Commissioner needs to do to help improve the conference?
DavidsonCats- Conference teams currently need to request a waiver to play more than two non-D1s. I'd like to see this changed. How about this-- you can play one non-D1. If you want to play a second one, you submit a request for a waiver and a check for $100,000 to be divided among the schools who schedule zero non-D1 teams. The commish keeps the check, but only grants the waiver if he can't find you a D1 game. What that would mean is that no school would request the waiver. They'd find D1 opponents, even if it meant playing other Southern Conference teams, or just leave a game off of the schedule.

Current SoCon Standings

2012-01-15T15:21:00.003-05:00

As of 1/15 ...

North
1. Elon (3-2)
2. App State (3-3)
2. Chattanooga (3-3)
2. Western Carolina (3-3)
5. UNCG (2-4)
6. Samford (1-4)

South
1. Davidson (6-0)
2. Charleston (4-2)
2. Ga Southern (4-2)
4. Wofford (3-3)
5. Furman (2-4)
6. Citadel (1-5)

Schedule for the Week
Tuesday 1/17
- Toccoa Falls @ WCU

Thursday 1/19
- Chattanooga @ UNCG
- Samford @ Elon
- Ga Southern @ Furman
- Charleston @ Davidson
- App State @ Wofford

Saturday 1/21
- Charleston @ Ga Southern
- Chattanooga @ Elon
- WCU @ App State
- Wofford @ Furman
- Citadel @ Davidson

Sunday 1/22
- Samford @ UNCG

Spartans Win in Crazy Fashion; Sweep Low Country Trip

2012-01-15T08:11:00.003-05:00

UNCG 67 - Citadel 66

Post & Courier Recap
UNCG Athletics Recap
Citadel Athletics Recap

Halftime: UNCG 32 - Citadel 36

UNCG Stats
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (19)
Leader Rebounds: Aaron Brackett (5)
Leader Assists: Korey Van Dussen (4)
Team FG: 23-50 (46.0%)
Team 3 Pt: 3-9 (33.3%)
Team FT: 18-22 (81.8%)
Rebounds: 27
Turnovers: 9

Citadel Stats
Leader Points: Mike Groselle (22)
Leader Rebounds: Mike Groselle (9)
Leader Assists: DeVontae Wright (7)
Team FG: 22-44 (50.0%)
Team 3 Pt: 8-13 (61.5%)
Team FT: 14-22 (63.6)
Rebounds: 31
Turnovers: 15

Thoughts
What an amazing and stunning turn of events in the last 8 seconds of the game. I went from thinking that G had found a way to finish a second straight game, to full on anger and cussing. Then with the last second alley-oop, I was left completely speechless for a solid 2 minutes. If you didn't get to listen to the game, I'll let you read the game recaps from the above links. For this blog, I'll just move on past that to some of the numbers.

Even though the Citadel's numbers are better than UNCG's, it was really the 2nd half defensive effort that put the Spartans in position to make a play at the end. The team's ability to create their own energy at the end of the game helped. I think both of those things can be attributed to the coaches. Also, it was a solid game for Korey Van Dussen. David Williams continues to make lots of great hustle plays.

After sweeping their first road trip since 2007-2008, UNCG now has a 5 game homestand and a chance to really get back in the SoCon North race.

UNCG (3-14) @ Citadel (4-12)

2012-01-13T11:21:00.003-05:00

When: Saturday, January 14 7:05 pm
Where McAlister Field House (6,000)
TV: None

Citadel Athletics

Preseason Preview

UNCG Notes
Last Game: @ Charleston (W 73-66) Recap
PPG: 65.7
RPG: 35.4
APG: 11.6
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (16.4)
Leader Rebounds: David Williams (4.8)
Leader Assists: Drew Parker (2.6)
FG %: 38.4
3 Pt %: 31.9
FT %: 63.2

Citadel Notes
Last Game: Elon (L 55-70) Recap
PPG: 68.5
RPG: 33.7
APG: 14.4
Leader Points: Mike Groselle (16.6)
Leader Rebounds: Mike Groselle (9.8)
Leader Assists: DeVontae Wright (2.7)
FG %: 43.8
3 Pt %: 34.7
FT %: 62.9

Thoughts
UNCG finally had a break though performance on Thursday night at College of Charleston. It was a night when many players stepped up in order to pick up that first SoCon win of the season.

Now the Spartans turn right around and face a team that looks very similar to itself. The Bulldogs sport similar stats (albeit against a lesser schedule) and similar All-SoCon player in Mike Groselle. Groselle has posted 9 straight double-doubles coming into this game. It will take a group effort to contain him.

I hope the Spartans have really found some confidence to build upon for the rest of the season.

Charleston Post Game Comments

2012-01-13T09:18:00.005-05:00

Coach Miller after the win ...

Did ESPN3 Forget to Bring an Extension Chord?

2012-01-13T09:05:00.004-05:00

Here's the story about the lack of a live feed from Thursday night's game ...

A satellite uplink failure resulted in Thursday’s game not being available on WMMP or ESPN3, according to the College of Charleston. Saturday’s game against Elon (7 p.m.) is scheduled to be broadcast by WMMP and ESPN3.

Luckily, there were some highlights to be found on Youtube.

Spartan Stun Cougars for Miller's First Win

2012-01-12T22:35:00.007-05:00

UNCG 73 - Charleston 66

News & Record Recap
Post & Courier Recap
UNCG Athletics Recap
Charleston Athletics Recap

Halftime: UNCG 36 - Charleston 35

UNCG Stats
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (16)
Leader Rebounds: Aloysius Henry (11)
Leader Assists: Drew Parker (4)
Team FG: 26-59 (44.1%)
Team 3 Pt: 7-18 (38.9%)
Team FT: 14-22 (63.6%)
Rebounds: 48
Turnovers: 22

Charleston Stats
Leader Points: Trent Wiedeman (15)
Leader Rebounds: Trent Wiedeman (9)
Leader Assists: Andrew Lawrence (3)
Team FG: 22-60 (36.7%)
Team 3 Pt: 6-26 (23.1%)
Team FT: 16-28 (57.1%)
Rebounds: 36
Turnovers: 16

Thoughts
The Spartans won despite having 22 turnovers thanks to some big rebounds by David Williams and some great defense that held Charleston to just 3 points over the final 4+ minutes. Aloysius Henry came alive by pulling down 11 rebounds in 25 minutes of playing time. Also, Derrell Armstrong (16 pts) and Drew Parker (9 pts) really did a great job of not letting UNCG falter while Trevis Simpson sat with 4 fouls.

It's been UNCG that has normally fallen flat at the end of games this season. However, the Spartans really siezed this game at that point and wouldn't let go. It was a really great win for a team that's been playing very hard. It's the first win for new coach Wes Miller and UNCG's first conference win. Unfortunately, there is little time to enjoy it. UNCG faces the Citadel tomorrow afternoon.

UNCG (2-14) @ Charleston (11-4)

2012-01-12T11:58:00.002-05:00

When: Thursday, January 12 8 pm
Where: TD Bank Arena (5,100)
TV: ESPN3

Charleston Athletics

Preseason Preview

UNCG Notes
Last Game: Davidson (L 63-92) Recap
PPG: 65.3
RPG: 34.6
APG: 11.7
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (16.4)
Leader Rebounds: Aaron Brackett (4.8)
Leader Assists: Drew Parker (2.5)
FG %: 38.1
3 Pt %: 31.5
FT %: 63.2

Charleston Notes
Last Game: @Furman (W 66-43) Recap
PPG: 72.5
RPG: 34.9
APG: 12.3
Leader Points: Antwaine Wiggins (16.9)
Leader Rebounds: Trent Wiedeman (7.5)
Leader Assists: Andrew Lawrence (5.1)
FG %: 45.7
3 Pt %: 36.6
FT: 64.9

Thoughts
A lot like Davidson a week ago, I don't see a lot of holes in this Charleston team. They have played a solid schedule and played well against most of the teams. They had a minor hiccup against Wofford a week ago, but then turned right around and got things settled down two days later at Furman.

UNCG will have to bring a lot more poise and energy to the court than they did a week ago at home against Davidson. The Wildcats nearly ran G off their own floor before halftime. This Cougars team is every bit as good as that Davidson team. So, tonight could be another tall task.

Current SoCon Standings

2012-01-09T11:16:00.003-05:00

North
1. Western Carolina (3-1)
2. Elon (2-1)
3. Chattanooga (2-2)
3. App State (2-2)
5. Samford (0-3)
6. UNCG (0-4)

South
1. Davidson (4-0)
2. Charleston (3-1)
2. Ga Southern (3-1)
4. Wofford (2-2)
5. Furman (1-3)
6. Citadel (1-3)

Schedule for the Week
Thursday 1/12
- Furman @ App State (ESPN3)
- WCU @ Davidson
- UNCG @ Charleston (ESPN3)
- Wofford @ Chattanooga
- Samford @ Ga Southern
- Elon @ Citadel

Saturday 1/14
- Davidson @ App State
- Furman @ WCU
- Chattanooga @ Samford (ESPN3)
- Elon @ Charleston (ESPN3)
- UNCG @ Citadel
- Ga Southern @ Wofford

Scanning the SoCon- Week 10

2012-01-09T11:02:00.005-05:00

Scanning the SoCon - Week # 10

1. Davidson
2. Charleston
3. Wofford
4. Elon
5. Ga Southern
6. Chattanooga
7. Furman
8. App State
9. WCU
10. Samford
11. UNCG
12. Citadel

Sum up your team.
UNCGBasketballFan- What a ridiculous week for the Spartans. UNCG went to Coral Gables and played a solid game against Miami on national TV. Trevis Simpson went off for 36 points and the team played very inspired for almost the entire game. It took a major effort on the part of Miami big man Kenny Kadji to keep the Canes from being upset. The Spartans then came home and were routed as thoroughly as possible by Davidson. It took a billion shots for Trevis Simpson to be the only G player in double figures. I'm not sure whether it was the perfect storm of a great game by Davidson and a terrible night for G or something else. However, I don't know what to think of this team anymore. I keep telling people this isn't the worst team in the SoCon, but it sure is starting to look that way. A Saturday date at the Ctadel should answer that question.

Davidson Post Game Press Conference

2012-01-06T14:29:00.002-05:00

Coach Miller says it was a lack of effort ...

Wildcats Dominate UNCG

2012-01-06T09:48:00.002-05:00

UNCG 63 - Davidson 92

News & Record Recap
UNCG Athletics Recap
Davidson Recap

Halftime: UNCG 26 - Davidson 48

UNCG Stats
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (15)
Leader Rebounds: David Williams (5)
Leader Assists: Derrell Armstrong (5)
Team FG: 18-51 (35.3%)
Team 3 Pt: 6-16 (37.5%)
Team FT: 21-33 (63.6%)
Rebounds: 26
Turnovers: 16

Davidson Stats
Leader Points: Nik Cochran (22)
Leader Rebounds: Chris Czerapowicz (8)
Leader Assists: Nik Cochran (6)
Team FG: 30-59 (50.8%)
Team 3 Pt: 10-25 (40.0%)
Team FT: 22-27 (81.5%)
Rebounds: 43
Turnovers: 17

Davidson (8-4) @ UNCG (2-13)

2012-01-05T07:54:00.001-05:00

When: Thursday, January 5 7 pm
Where: Greensboro Coliseum (7,617/23,500)
TV: None/Spartan All-Access

Davidson Athletics

Preseason Preview

UNCG Notes
Last Game: @ Miami (L 89-99) Recap
PPG: 65.4
RPG: 35.1
APG: 11.7
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (16.5)
Leader Rebounds: Aaron Brackett (5.0)
Leader Assists: Drew Parker (2.5)
FG%: 38.2
3 Pt %: 31.2
FT %: 63.1

Davidson Notes
Last Game: Penn (W 75-70) Recap
PPG: 76.2
RPG: 36.6
APG: 12.3
Leader Points: De'Mon Brooks (15.6)
Leader Rebounds: De'Mon Brooks (6.3)
Leader Assists: Tom Droney (3.3)
FG %: 43.0
3 Pt %: 30.7
FT %: 80.4

Scanning the SoCon - Week 9

2012-01-05T02:16:00.000-05:00

Scanning the SoCon - Week #9

1. Davidson
2. Chaleston
3. Elon
4. Western Carolina
5. Wofford
6. App State
7. Chattanooga
8. Furman
9. Ga Southern
10. UNCG
11. Citadel
12. Samford

What do you think the standings in the SoCon North will be at the end of the year?

MocsMania- The North is anybody's guess. Samford is likely the worst team, and not quite ready to contend for anything higher than fifth in the division. UNC-Greensboro is a potential team to contend in the North, but the Spartans have struggled so far. They look like the fifth best team to me. The other four appear to be toss-ups. Elon appears to be the favorite, though they have been coming back to the pack as of late. The second bye should go to Western Carolina. The Catamounts have been showing the most signs of getting it together at this point. The Mocs are a very close third. They have played two road games so far, both of them difficult trips, including their only battle against College of Charleston this year. If they get rolling this week, they will be a contender until the end for a bye in the North. That leaves Appalachian State for fourth. They are not far off from a bye. They could certainly get it.

SoCon Standings

2012-01-04T11:12:00.006-05:00

Just wanted to give a quick update on the SoCon standings as everyone now gets back into conference play.

North
1. Elon (2-0)
Wins: Furman, @ UNCG
1. Western Carolina 2-0
Wins: Samford, UNCG,
3. App State (1-1)
Wins: UNCG
Losses: @ Ga Southern
4. Samford (0-1)
Losses: WCU
5. Chattanooga (0-2)
Losses: @ Ga Southern, @ Charleston
6. UNCG (0-3)
Losses: @ App State, @ WCU, Elon

South
1. Charleston (2-0)
Wins: Chattanooga, Citadel
1. Davidson (2-0)
Wins: @ Wofford, Furman
1. Ga Southern (2-0)
Wins: Chattanooga, App State
4. Wofford (1-1)
Wins: Citadel
Losses: Davidson
5. Furman (0-2)
Losses:@ Davidson, @ Elon
6. Citadel (0-2)
Losses: @ Charleston, @ Wofford

Dunks at Miami

2012-01-04T10:23:00.002-05:00

A compilation of dunks from the Miami game, including the one that broke the goal.

Rivals Midseason Report

2012-01-04T09:40:00.004-05:00

SoCon midseason report from Rivals ...

The name atop the league’s list of scoring leaders—College of Charleston forward Antwaine Wiggins—was somewhat expected at this point after the type of year the senior has had. But the name directly below him is a different story. UNC Greensboro sophomore guard Trevis Simpson was turning into a scoring machine against opponents big and small. During a Jan. 2 loss to Miami, Simpson scored a career-high 36 points.

Simpson led his team in scoring in nine of the Spartans’ first 15 games, and he already had five 20-point games to his credit. Much like the end of last season, though, it stands to reason that teams will begin focusing on him as the season wears
on.

Post Game Press Conference

2012-01-03T16:59:00.003-05:00

Post game from Miami ...

Miami Outlasts UNCG

2012-01-03T16:45:00.002-05:00

UNCG 89 - Miami (FL) 99

News & Record Recap
UNCG Athletics Recap
Miami Athletics Recap

Halftime: UNCG 49 - Miami 49

UNCG Stats
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (36)
Leader Rebounds: Drew Parker (6)
Leader Assists: Drew Parker (10)
Team FG: 32-66 (48.5%)
Team 3 Pt: 11-21 (52.4%)
Team FT: 14-18 (77.8%)
Rebounds: 29
Turnovers: 20

Miami Stats
Leader Points: Kenny Kadji (30)
Leader Rebounds: Kenny Kadji (12)
Leader Assists: Durand Scott (3)
Team FG: 31-59 (52.5%)
Team 3 Pt: 7-20 (35.5%)
Team FT: 30-38 (78.9%)
Rebounds: 38
Turnovers: 18

Thoughts
UNCG had a legitimate chance to defeat a good ACC school on the road. What makes thing seven more encouraging is that they got that chance by playing well, not the opponent playing poor. Miami's size proved to be the big problem on the evening. Kenny Kadji and Reggie Johnson got UNCG in foul trouble and allowed the Canes to live at the free throw line. However, it was the 2nd half Miami 3 point shooting that really hurt UNCG the most.

Trevis Simpson showed why he will be unstoppable come SoCon play. He can hit shots from anywhere and can create his own shot. Plus, his teammates are really looking for him on the break. Derrell Armstrong and Drew Parker did a great job of finding open players. also, I thought it was great to see Kyle Randall step up take his shot with confidence. Randall is a very good player that seems to have spent most of this year really struggling to find his role on the team. I think he can emerge as a very good 2 guard playing along side of Drew Parker.

Also, I thought Armstrong was the victim of a terrible game changing call. I don't normally challenge referee calls, but this one was bad. Down 5, Armstrong was called for a charge on a made basket where the defender clearly had one foot in the restricted circle. On the following Miami possession, the Canes hit a 3 point shot. So, the game should have been a 2 point game, but instead was an 8 point game. UNCG never really threatened from the point forward.

Spiders Pull Away Late

2012-01-03T16:42:00.000-05:00

UNCG 58 - Richmond 78

UNCG Athletics Recap
Richmond Athletics Recap

Halftime: UNCG 30 - Richmond 38

UNCG Stats
Leader Points: Nick Paulos (12)
Leader Rebounds: Aloysius Henry (10)
Leader Assists: Drew Parker (3)
Team FG: 23-66 (34.8%)
Team 3 Pt: 6-22 (27.3%)
Team FT: 6-8 (75.0%)
Rebounds: 46
Turnovers: 17

Richmond Stats
Leader Points: Darien Brothers (20)
Leader Rebounds: Darrius Garrett (12)
Leader Assists: Darien Brothers (5)
Team FG: 28-62 (45.2%)
Team 3 Pt: 10-28 (35.7%)
Team FT: 12-16 (75.0%)
Rebounds: 35
Turnovers: 8

Thoughts
UNCG scored the first 12 point after halftime to take a 4 point lead on Richmond. The game remained close until a little before the 8 minute mark. However, with the score tied at 55, UNCG was out scored 23-3 to finish the game.

G is continuing to play very hard, and at times, very well under new coach Wes Miller. However, these late game swoons are becoming a a little too common.

On the bright side, this game saw a re-emergence of Alysius Henry and Nick Paulos. The Spartans will need Henry's rebounding and Paulos's shooting going into conference play. Hopefully, their strong play can continue.

Happy New Year

2012-01-03T16:41:00.002-05:00

Hey everybody ... Sorry for the intermittent updating through the holidays. My home computer has crashed and I've been all over the place throughout the holiday season.

Thanks for still hanging with me. New updates are coming.

UNCG (2-11) @ Richmond (8-6)

2011-12-30T10:13:00.003-05:00

When: Friday, December 30 4 pm
Where: Robbins Center (9,071)
TV: None

Richmond Athletics

UNCG Notes
Last Game: VCU (L 68-80) Recap
PPG: 64.2
RPG: 34.8
APG: 11.1
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (15.4)
Leader Rebounds: Aaron Brackett (5.4)
Leader Assists: Kyle Randall (2.2)
FG %: 37.6
3 Pt %: 29.9
FT %: 61.6

Richmond Notes
Last Game: Liberty (W 77-61) Recap
PPG: 70.6
RPG: 30.0
APG: 12.0
Leader Points: Darrien Brothers (13.9)
Leader Rebounds: Darrius Garrett (6.4)
Leader Assists: Cedrick Lindsay (4.1)
FG %: 43.9
3 Pt %: 38.7
FT %: 75.7

Thoughts
The good news ... Richmond ranks almost at the very bottom of the NCAA in rebounding. UNCG has done very well in rebounding all season long. Hopefully this is one of the areas that the Spartans can take advantage of the Spiders. Also, teams have shot a little over 70% from the free throw line this season. While this has very little to do with either of today's participants, maybe UNCG can finally start to shoot well from the free throw line.

The bad news ... Richmond is a very good shooting team that doesn't turn the basketball over often. The Spartans haven't been a poor defensive team this season. However, the stats show the Spiders to be very good on the offensive end. UNCG will have to play with great focus to come away with a win.

Scanning the SoCon - Week 8

2011-12-29T13:42:00.003-05:00

Scanning the SoCon - Week #8

1. Davidson
2. Charleston
3. Elon
4. Western Carolina
5. App State
6. Wofford
7. Furman
8. Ga Southern
9. Chattanooga
10. UNCG
11. Citadel
12. Samford

What is on your Wish List for your team this holiday season?

UNCGBasketballFan - My wish is for a better shooting performance night in and night out from the Spartans. UNCG hasn't been able to consistanly knock down shots most of the year. I feel like if UNCG averaged shooting 45% for the season instead on 37.5%, the record would look a lot better.

Rams Outlast UNCG

2011-12-29T13:15:00.002-05:00

UNCG 68 - VCU 80

News & Record Recap
UNCG Athletics Recap
VCU Athletics Recap

Halftime: UNCG 34 - VCU 38

UNCG Stats
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (20)
Leader Rebounds: David Williams (9)
Leader Assists: Derrell Armstrong (5)
Team FG: 26-65 (40.0%)
Team 3 Pt: 6-22 (27.3%)
Team FT: 10-15 (66.7%)
Rebounds: 31
Turnovers: 14

VCU Stats
Leader Points: Bradford Burgess (21)
Leader Rebounds: D.J. Haley (7)
Leader Assists: Rob Brandenberg (3)
Team FG: 27-48 (56.3%)
Team 3 Pt: 5-18 (27.8%)
Team FT: 21-26 (80.8%)
Rebounds: 30
Turnovers: 15

Thoughts:
UNCG again came out and took the fight to an opponent. However, the the story remains the same. UNCG took care of the ball really well for most of the game, with the exception of a four minute span. That span gave the Rams just enough breathing room to escape with a hard fought victory.

The good news is that the Spartans continue to have some of their best outings of the season. Unfortunately this good play is coming during a very difficult stretch of games. I still think that victories are coming for this team. They are playing too well to not start seeing the rewards for their hard work.

Virginia Commonwealth (8-3) @ UNCG (2-10)

2011-12-22T11:56:00.002-05:00

When: Thursday, December 22 7 pm
Where: Greensboro Coliseum (7,617/23,500)
TV: ESPN3/Spartan All-Access

VCU Athletics

UNCG Notes
Last Game: @ Duke (L 63-90) Recap
PPG: 63.8
RPG: 35.1
APG: 10.9
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (15.0)
Leader Rebounds: Aaron Brackett (5.5)
Leader Assists: Kyle Randall (2.3)
FG %: 37.4
3 Pt %: 30.2
FT %: 61.3

VCU Notes
Last Game: UAB (W 68-49) Recap
PPG: 68.2
RPG: 32.6
APG: 12.5
Leader Points: Bradford Burgess (14.3)
Leader Rebounds: Juvonte Reddic (6.4)
Leader Assists: Darius Theus (4.9)
FG %: 41.1
3 Pt %: 35.5
FT%: 72.8

Thoughts:
VCU shoots the ball well and rebounds well.The Rams are going to press after every made basket. It will be very important for UNCG to play sound defense and try to get out on the break often to try to back VCU off of its press. It will be important for UNCG to avoid some of the problems they had last Friday night by keeping the ball out of the corners in perfect trap position for VCU. Also, look for UNCG to attack VCU with a press of its own. UNCG and VCU are the only 2 teams this year to have 20+ steals in a game versus a D1 opponent.

UNCG has shown a lot more energy as of late when playing at home. Hopefully a sizable crowd can give UNCG a boost to pull off a big upset.

Go Spartans !!!

Duke Pulls Away From Spartans

2011-12-20T10:35:00.002-05:00

UNCG 63 - #7 Duke 90

News & Record Recap
UNCG Athletics Recap
Duke Recap

Halftime: UNCG 34 - Duke 45

UNCG Stats
Leader Points: KyleRandal (12)
Leader Rebounds: Trevis Simpson (6)
Leader Assists: Korey Van Dussen (4)
Team FG: 24-59 (40.7%)
Team 3 pt: 4-13 (30.8%)
Team FT: 11-22 (50.0)
Rebounds: 27
Turnovers: 14

Duke Stats
Leader Points: Mason Plumlee (15)
Leader Rebounds: Ma. Plumlee, Mi. Plumlee (13)
Leader Assists: Cook, Rivers, Ma. Plumlee (2)
Team FG: 29-54 (53.7%)
Team 3Pt: 10-21 (47.6%)
Team FT: 22-32 (68.8%)
Rebounds: 46
Turnovers: 18

Thoughts:
Regardless of outcome, I really liked how UNCG played last night.I thought they caught Duke napping and came out as the aggressor. The team seemed push the ball up the court at every opportunity. It seem like UNCG players are having fun and playing very loose. It's a trend I hope continues.

Unfortunately, free throw shooting is still a problem with UNCG. The Spartans missed the front end of several first half 1-and-1 opportunities that could have really closed the gap. However, it's hard to get down on the guys for bringing that much energy to the floor of a top 10 opponent. I still think success is coming soon.

Scanning the SoCon - Week 7

2011-12-19T09:23:00.002-05:00

Scanning the SoCon - Week #7

1. Charleston
2. Davidson
3. Elon
4. Western Carolina
5. Ga Southern
6. Wofford
7. App State
8. Chattanooga
9. Furman
10. UNCG
11. Citadel
12. Samford

What do you think about replacing a coach midseason, as UNCG just
did?

DavidsonCats- I hate to see a mid-season coaching switch. This one needed to happen. Several Spartan players were making idiotic statements in social media outlets, the team was stinking up on the court, and the fans were grumbling. Good luck to UNCG in their coaching search.

UNCG (2-9) @ #7 Duke (9-1)

2011-12-18T22:07:00.002-05:00

When: Monday, December 19 7 pm
Where: Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)
TV: FSN-South

Duke Athletics

Preseason Preview

UNCG Notes:
Last Game: East Carolina (L 62-71) Recap
PPG: 63.9
RPG: 35.8
APG: 10.6
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (16.0)
Leader Rebounds: Aaron Brackett (5.7)
Leader Assists: Kyle Randall (2.3)
FG %: 37.2
3 Pt %: 30.1
FT %: 62.5

Duke Notes:
Last Game: Washington (W 86-80) Recap
PPG: 79.2
RPG: 33.7
APG: 12.7
Leader Points: Austin Rivers (15.8)
Leader Rebounds: Mason Plumlee (9.7)
Leader Assists: Seth Curry (3.3)
FG %: 49.7
3 Pt %: 40.9
FT %: 66.4

Pirates Storm back to Defeat UNCG

2011-12-17T11:20:00.002-05:00

UNCG 62 - ECU 71

UNCG Athletics Recap
ECU Athletics Recap

Halftime: UNCG 26 - ECU 28

UNCG Sats
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (24)
Leader Rebounds: Aaron Brackett (10)
Leader Assists: Aaron Brackett (3)
Team FG: 26-69 (37.7%)
Team 3 Pt: 5-24 (20.8%)
Team FT: 5-8 (62.5%)
Rebounds: 40
Turnovers: 18

ECU Stats
Leader Points: Miguel Paul (17)
Leader Rebounds: Darrius Morrow (13)
Leader Asists: Miguel Paul (4)
Team FG: 24-56 (42.9%)
Team 3 Pt: 5-19 (26.3%)
Team FT: 18-32 (56.3%)
Rebounds: 40
Turnovers: 14

Thoughts:
I really thought UNCG brought a lot of energy to the floor. ECU's press really hurt the Spartans. Coach Miller talked about it after the game. He said that they really hadn't prepared much for it, and it showed. However, the guys have had a rough week. Hopefully they can take plenty of "positives: away from this game.

ECU (4-4) @ UNCG (2-8)

2011-12-15T22:31:00.002-05:00

When: Friday, December 16 7 pm
Where: Greensboro Coliseum (7,617, 23,500)
TV: None/Spartan All-Access

ECU Athletics

Preseason Preview

UNCG Notes:
Last Game: @ Florida State (L 60-75) Recap
PPG: 64.1
RPG: 35.4
APG: 11.0
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (15.2)
Leader Rebounds: Aaron Brackett (5.3)
Leader Assists: Kyle Randall (2.4)
FG %: 37.1
3 Pt %: 31.2
FT %: 62.5

East Carolina Notes:
Last game: UMass (L 58-63) Recap
PPG: 70.4
RPG: 39.5
APG: 14.3
Leader Points: Miguel Paul (16.1)
Leader Rebounds: Robert Sampson (6.5)
Leader Assists: Miguel Paul (5.6)
FG %: 41.7
3 Pt %: 31.6
FT %: 62.9

MocsMania Q&A

2011-12-15T10:26:00.004-05:00

I've been in contact with Jon over at MocsMania this week talking about the coaching move. We decided to do a little Q & A over on his site. Normally I would just link to it b/c I want him to get the site traffic. However, I think this one is important enough to post in it's entirety over here too.

BTW, still go over and check out Jon's site. Even though it's from a UTC perspective, he really pays attention to the entire SoCon. Lots of cool stuff there.

What do you think the breaking point was for Dement that caused him to be fired midseason?

I'm not sure if there was any one thing that brought this on now. Dement has spent the last two seasons on the hot seat. However, a widely accepted rumor has been that former AD Nelson Bobb gave Dement a contract extension right before he left. So the new AD has been forced to stick with him whether she believed in him or not. This year was the last year of that deal. I guess AD Kim Record decided she couldn't wait any longer. Fall recruiting hadn't went as well as hoped and I can only guess that this was a move to try to shore it up as quickly as possible.

Were you in favor of making the move now?

I think there are some advantages to making it now. First, if you think Miller is a possible candidate then this is a great time to see what he's got. Also, It may give UNCG something to sell to spring signees. I think it would be a good sales pitch for Miller to say, "I took a 2-8 team and finished 15-15. We're building momentum." Also, if Miller is obviously not ready, UNCG has just given itself a 3 month head start on other programs that will be making a change at the end of the year. They can already get in contact with possible candidates and, maybe have one in place much earlier in the process than other schools.

What do you think about Miller?

Honestly, I don't know enough about him to give this a good answer. He seems to have been born to be a coach. He was a walk-on at UNC (after being on scholarship at James Madison) that turned himself into a starting PG and team captain. So, you know he has some leadership qualities. He apparently has some very good prep school connections in the northeast and is credited with picking up current freshman Nick Paulos. So, he does have some upside. Plus, he's only 28. When you think about some of the rising stars in coaching right now (Brad Stevens, Shaka Smart, etc.) most got their first big break at around the same age. Not sure if Miller can be as successful as those guys here at UNCG. If the administration thinks he might have some of those guys in him, might as well give him a shot.

Are there any candidates out there to take the job long term? Is Miller the long term answer?

Well, here's where things get a little tricky. I don't think there are any other candidates. I think Miller has been the guy all along and will continue to be the guy beyond this year as far as the athletics department is concerned. There are wild flying rumors that several people that hold "clout" with the university are graduates of UNC and have been dreaming of a Tarheel running the show at UNCG. However, I wonder (if these rumors are true) will these people will be inclined to give increased financial support to the program. That is something G is sorely needing right now. If this is happening this simply to get a home game with UNC at the Greensboro Coliseum, then I am beyond outraged.

However in the fictitious world where an actual search takes place after this season, three names absolutely scream at me as possible coaching candidates. One is former WFU and South Carolina HC (and Greensboro resident) Dave Odom. I have no idea if he'd be interested based on desire to coach again or based on extreme budget restrictions that come with the job. However, he's spotted quite frequently at our games and maybe the success of other big name coaches (Bobby Cremins, Cliff Ellis) at other mid-major jobs might entice him. Who knows? I think there has to be a phone call made to him.

The second person has to be former Charlotte HC Bobby Lutz. He is currently having a successful stint as an assistant coach at NC State. I've heard that he is making more money at that position than I think we will be offering for our HC spot. So, if money is his issue then we have no shot. If he wants to move back to the big chair, then he might be willing to listen. Plus, he's a NC native. Again, I think it's a call that needs to be made.

My final suggestion is completely off the grid. However, geographically and financially it would make sense. I think that local Guilford College coach Tom Palombo would be a great choice. He's coached Guilford to 4 straight DIII NCAA tournaments (including back-to-back final fours). He's coached 2 of the last 4 DIII National players of the year and has a 104-19 coaching record the last 4 years. His team this year is already 7-2 (one loss to Davidson). The question is can he recruit to the D1 level. Also, is he comfortable staying at that level or does he have the ambition to move up to a bigger challenge. I've seen his teams play and I think he could definitely be a coaching star.

What about the defection of Cody Henegar? Why do you think he left the team?

I haven't heard a lot about this except that he was unhappy with his role on the team. I've heard he had some defensive limitations that kept him from seeing a lot of playing time. Not sure about the truth to that, though. Cody seemed to have a nice "face the basket" game and would have probably figured heavily into the rotation next year. So, I hate to see him go. I absolutely expect there to be at least another defection or two before the dust settles. And maybe that is a good thing. Whatever was going on up until now wasn't working at all. Something had to change. So, if some guys feel like they need to be other places to succeed, then so be it. I wish Cody and who ever else leaves good luck.

How do you think the Spartans will respond to all this? Let's face it. They've been a wreck, between the blowout loss to UNC-A&T, and the Twitter crisis, and now this. Do they have anything left in the tank to make a run in the SoCon and go from 0-3 in league play into contention for a bye from the North?

Its hard to imagine things can get much worse. I mean, with the way they've treated their fans, I guess the team could just jump into the crowd and start randomly punching people like they were in NBA. But that's getting off point. I think we've already started to see a much better UNCG team. Ever since Drew Parker was inserted into the starting lineup at PG, the team has played much better. I'm not sure how the coaching change is going to play with the team now. I think there are at least one or two of the guys that had mentally given up on Dement. Maybe a new message will cause them to bring a different attitude to the court. I may be wrong, but I think UNCG can realistically go 10-10 over it's last remaining games this season. And that would be a very successful run for coach Miller.

"I Picked a Hellava Day to Quit Drinking"

2011-12-13T21:42:00.003-05:00

Okay. So, it's no secret (based on my last post) that I have been pissed about some things surrounding the UNCG basketball program. So, I decided to act like a 8 year old and take my blog and go home. But I really enjoy doing this blog. Mostly because I love to talk about UNCG basketball and no one in my house wants to hear me do it out loud. So, I have been quietly working on some new ideas. Ideas like not doing games stories, but instead doing a lot of opinion pieces about all different types of topics.

However, this afternoon's news about Mike Dement has caused me to have to change course. So, I will have a bunch of new posts coming soon about a ton of different things. One will certainly be about this coaching move. While I think there were some real reasons to make this move now, I hate to see Dement not succeed with UNCG. So, I will take this little space here to wish him success where ever he ends up and thank him for his time and effort. Also, good luck to interim coach Wes Miller.

One more thing ... thanks for all of the emails and comments. While I don't like to let other's opinions or thoughts motivate me, getting great feedback has certainly been nice. So thanks. And ... if you don't like reading my site or things that are said on the message board, then don't fucking read it and stop whining about it.

Dement out as UNCG Coach

2011-12-13T16:17:00.000-05:00

Mike Dement and UNCG have parted ways. According to this press release from the UNCG athletics department, Wes Miller will take over as interim Head Coach. The release points out that a national search for a men's coach will be conducted.

Also, it appears Sophomore forward Cody Henegar has left the team. I don't have a link to any article stating this information. But I've had it told to me from a couple of places. So, I feel comfortable writing it. I know nothing in the way of what happened to cause him to leave. If I find something, I'll let you know.

Open Letter

2011-11-30T21:50:00.003-05:00

I am writing this as simply an open letter to all followers of the blog.

I graduated high school in 1997 and went off to college at NC State. I spent a year there studying engineering. While there, I attended almost every basketball game in historic Reynolds Coliseum. The atmosphere was always electric. I did some of the camp outs to get good student seats and went to games early just to get to stand on the bleachers behind the team benches. I even stood out in sleet one afternoon for a couple of hours to get tickets to the postseason NIT games.

At the end of that freshman year, I had come to the realization that NC State wasn't the right university for me. Don't mistake this for me failing out. I had very good grades. I just didn't like the class sizes and didn't enjoy the professors. It wasn't a good fit and it was time for a change.

That fall I transferred to UNCG and instantly fell in love with the place. One thing that I did bring with me from NCSU, though, was my love for attending basketball games. I'm not sure I missed very many of them over the course of 3 years. While friends would stay at home to watch Duke or UNC on a random Wednesday night, I would go over to little Fleming Gym and cheer on the Spartans.

Since graduating in 2001, I've managed to make it to huge portion of the games. I've had season tickets for the past 4 years. I've been to so many road games that I've lost count. I've watched G play in the preseason and postseason NIT. I dragged my very pregnant wife to the SoCon tournament a few years ago because I was convinced the Spartans had a run in them.

I started this blog in November of 2008 basically because there was nothing in the way of an Internet presence for UNCG with the exception of a small message board. I thought it would be cool to start a dialogue about my university's basketball program with anyone that would listen. I wanted this site to be a cheerleader for UNCG basketball and to show people that there were people associated with this school that actually rooted for UNCG's basketball team. Since starting the blog, I have had the chance to meet a bunch of people associated with the program. Also I've met some normal, nice folks who just come out to the games and like to talk basketball. I have met a network of other UNCG fans through a now vastly expanded message board. I have had the chance to talk basketball with a bunch of different blog and websites all over the country and to spread the word that UNCG fans care about their basketball program. I am very thankful for and proud of all of these things.

At the very top of this site there is a disclaimer that basically states that everything that is written here is mostly my opinion with some unchecked facts mixed in for fun. I will help everyone to read between the lines that I am an early 30's, partially balding, white guy that possesses absolutely zero talent in the sport of basketball. I have never played or coached a single minute of meaningful basketball in my entire life. I have tried to convince others much smarter about the sport than me to write here, but all have declined. So, it simply has been me writing based on knowledge I've gained sitting in front of the TV or court side. I've mixed in some tongue-in-cheek clips with movie lines that summed up how I felt from time to time. I've tried not to veer off into anything that wasn't somehow related to UNCG basketball.

In the time since I started this blog, I've became a father, got a major promotion and started a new side career. All of this has left with very little free time to actually devote to the day-to-day updates that come during the actual season.

At the start of this season, I decided to really commit to this blog and site. I wanted to really work hard to keep it up to date and looking good. I even decided to pay more attention to my twitter account. I really wasn't aware of how much of an information tool that has become lately.

Two nights ago, I watched my Spartans get beaten substantially by our cross town rivals, NC A&T. The meltdown afterwards by this fan base has been quite intense. I have been right in the middle of it. I hated losing, but the manner in which it happened was completely shocking. I have since made some angered comments over this site, twitter and the forum which probably skirt the line of bad taste. For that, I accept the blame.

However, I have spent more time that I care to add up today exchanging emails with people discussing comments made by current and former UNCG players over twitter about all of posters over at the forum. According to the things that I read, most of the posters are not true fans, haters, jock sniffers and fair weather groupies. It is quite obvious that the forum (and by extension this blog) is not appreciated or welcomed by the team.

Thus, I have decided to take some time away from posting anything in the forum and I will not be updating the blog indefinitely. I do not want to spend any time or effort on something that is not in the best interest of the program that I absolutely care about. I may start back at some point, but right now I think it's best to step away for a bit. I don't make any money off of this site and certainly spend way too much time on it that could be spent in other places. I have always written here because it was fun. After reading those things today, doing this instantly lost all of its appeal. I apologize if my reasoning seems a little juvenile or thin skinned. I just think it's the right time to make this move. I really hope this is just temporary and I'll have a change of heart soon. But who knows.

So, until the next post ...

Go Spartans !!!

Dear Mike ...

2011-11-29T10:42:00.002-05:00

... FIX IT !!!

That Could Have Went Better

2011-11-28T22:22:00.003-05:00

UNCG 65 - NC A&T 87

News & Record
UNCG Athletics
NC A&T Athletics

NC A&T (3-3) @ UNCG (2-3)

2011-11-28T02:00:00.003-05:00

When: Monday, November 28 7 pm
Where: Greensboro Coliseum (7,617/23,500)
TV: None/Spartan All-Access

NC A&T Athletics
Dawg Pound (Blog & Forum)

Preseason Preview

Note: Tonight's game is being called an A&T home game. I'm sure that will mean that all UNCG home game festivities will be taken away from the Greensboro Coliseum. However, since it's being played at the coliseum and not the Aggies actual home court, I refuse to look at this as a road game. In the eyes of the NCAA Selection committee or the RPI this is a home game for UNCG and I will treat it as such for this blog.

Spartan Notes:
- Last time out, 21 second half points from freshman Nick Paulos sparked UNCG to a 72-60 victory over Towson in the consolation game of the Maui Invitational "Mainland" bracket.
- After tonight's game, UNCG will jump into December conference play as they travel to App State (12/1) and Western Carolina (12/3). The Spartans will return home next Monday (12/5) to face rival Elon.
- Last season, a late 9-0 A&T run help vault the Aggies over UNCG 82-70. Aloysius Henry posted a double-double (12 pts & 15 rebs) in that contest. Kyle Randall scored 23 points.
- This season, Trevis Simpson leads UNCG in scoring (12.0). Henry leads the team in rebounding (5.0) and Randall leads in assists (2.6).
- For the season, UNCG is shooting 38.7% from the field, 33.3% from behind the arc and 56.5% from the free throw line.

Aggie Notes:
- Last time out, Nic Simpson's 14 points propelled A&T to an easy victory over visiting Barber-Scotia College, 88-53. Austin Witter also scored 14 points to go along with 11rebounds.
- NCA&T is ranked in the top 25 in the nation in points, rebounds and assists per game.
- Simpson leads A&T in scoring (12.5). Witter leads the team in rebounds (6.0) and Marc Hill leads in assists (4.7).
- For the year, A&T is shooting 42.3% from the field, 31.5% from behind the arc and 73.6% from the free throw line.

My Thoughts:
UNCG has had 8 days off since it's their last game in Murfreesboro. Hopefully the time off has given the guys time to re-charge their batteries and find their offensive rhythm.

Go Spartans !!!

Scanning the SoCon - Week #3

2011-11-21T08:53:00.002-05:00

Scanning the SoCon - Week #3

SoCon Ranking
1. Davidson
2. College of Charleston
3. Western Carolina
4. App State
5. Elon
6. Chattanooga
7. Wofford
8. Ga Southern
9. UNCG
10. Citadel
11. Furman
12. Samford

Spartans Earn a Split at Mainland Regional

2011-11-20T19:29:00.005-05:00

UNCG 60 - MTSU 82

Daily News Journal (Murfreesboro)
UNCG Athletics
MTSU AThletics

Recap:
A 15-0 run by Middle Tennessee State with 14:03 left in the second half turned what was a close game into a blowout. Marcos Knight (17 pts) and JT Sulton (16 pts) led MTSU. Aloysius Henry (12 pts, 7 rebs) was one of only 2 Spartans (Korey Van Dussen, 11 pts) to score in double figures.

Extra Points:
- UNCG out rebounded MTSU 31-29. They also had 12 offensive rebounds to MTSU's 9.
- Every UNCG player saw action in the game.
- The Spartans struggled from the free throw line again. UNCG made just 50% (9-18) of their free throws. Middle Tennessee State shot 77.8% (28-36) from the free throw line.
- The Spartan managed to tally just 10 assists while turning the ball over 23 times.

UNCG 72 - Towson 60

UNCG Athletics
Towson Athletics

Recap:
After a sluggish first half, Nick Paulos (25 points) helped UNCG to run away from Towson in the second half at the consolation game of the Maui Invitaitonal "Mainland" bracket. Kyle Randall (10 pts) and Trevis Simpson (10 pts) also scored in double figures for UNCG. Robert Nwankwo led the Tigers with 17 points.

Extra Points:
- After shooting 10% (1-10) from behind the 3 point arc in the first half, UNCG shot 52.9% (9-17) in the second half. Nick Paulos was 6 of 11 alone.
- After struggling from the free throw line on Saturday, UNCG went 12 for 18 from the line today.
- Korey Van Dussen had 8 steals and 6 rebounds fo the game.
- UNCG forced Towson into 28 turnovers.
- The Spartans dished out 16 assists to only 12 turnovers for the game. UNCG only turned the ball over once in the 2nd half.
- There were 2 technical fouls issued to the Spartans on Sunday. Aaron Brackett picked up one and the UNCG bench was also assessed one.