Simpson Shows Off Moves at the Pro Am

Evidently, Trevis Simpson put on a show last night at NC Pro Am at NC Central. David Morrison of the Greensboro News & Record was there and posted this entry to his blog.

But, the real show is this YouTube video of Simpson showing off his high flying moves. Check out his compilation at the end.

Interim No More

Wes Miller was named the UNCG men's basketball coach today. He had spent the last 2+ months as the interim coach after Mike Dement was let go. Miller earned an 11-11 record as head coach this season and lead UNCG to it's first outright division title in the Southern Conference. He is the 9th head coach in UNCG history.

Here is the AP story through the News & Record.

He (Miller) says the program's foundation is in place, and he wants "to take UNCG to the next level as a basketball program."

This article is from the News & Record's sports blog.

"The next level is to consistently compete for championships," Miller said. "What does that mean? That means Dancing. We want to Dance."

Here is the Winston-Salem Journal's article about the hire.

"Wes Miller is authentic, passionate and makes the people around him better. I feel strongly that not only will Wes have a significant impact on UNCG basketball, but he will make a mark on college basketball as his career develops over time," said UNCG athletics director Kim Record.

From WFMY News 2's DigTriad page, here are inteviews with Coach Miller and UNC-Chapel Hill head Coach Roy Williams.

WXII also had video from the press conference.

Press Conference on Tuesday

UNCG has scheduled a press conference at 4:30 on Tuesday afternoon at the Greensboro Coliseum. It is expected that interim head coach Wes Miller will be named the full time head coach. I will have more of an opinion post later this week once this becomes official.

Here is the News & Record article.

Hot Catamounts End UNCG Run

UNCG 77 - WCU 82

Asheville Citizen-Times
News & Record
UNCG Athletics
Western Carolina Athletics

Halftime UNCG 37 - WCU 42

UNCG Stats
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (24)
Leader Rebounds: Derrell Armstrong (7)
Leader Assists: Derrell Armstrong (4)
Team FG: 28-60 (46.7%)
Team 3 Pt: 8-19 (42.1%)
Team FT: 13-14 (92.9%)
Rebounds: 30
Turnovers: 13

WCU Stats
Leader Points: Cole, Mutombo (17 tie)
Leader Rebounds: Trey Sumler (8)
Leader Assists: Trey Sumler (5)
Team FG: 29-62 (46.8%)
Team 3 Pt: 10-21 (47.6%)
Team FT: 14-19 (73.3%)
Rebounds: 36
Turnovers: 13

Thoughts
The last 5 minutes of the first half gave Western Carolina all of the margin they would need. After that, it was all about surviving every run that UNCG threw at them. That was a great game in a fun environment. I totally expected the Cats to get tired and eventually fade. It never happened.

Western Carolina deserves a lot of credit. They were the better team on Sunday night. I will absolutely be rooting against them in the championship game due to their fans being obnoxious assholes. I'll get to more of that in my trip wrap-up post sometime later this week.

For now, I'm just sad to see what had become a fun 2012-2012 season come to an end. The last 2+ months have been an enjoyable ride. I am already ready for next season.

UNCG Comeback Stuns App

UNCG 65 - App State 55

Asheville Times-Citizen
News & Record
UNCG Athletics
App State Athletics

Halftime: UNCG 32 - App State 39

UNCG Stats
Leader Points: Trevis Simpson (17)
Leader Rebounds: Simpson, David Williams (9 tie)
Leader Assists: Williams, Derrell Armstrong (3 tie)
Team FG: 23-61 (37.7%)
Team 3 Pt: 5-14 (35.7%)
Team FT: 14-24 (58.3%)
Rebounds: 44
Turnovers: 9

App State Stats
Leader Points: Ike Butts (16)
Leader Rebounds: Ike Butts (10)
Leader Assists: Mike Neal (2)
Team FG: 21-58 (36.2%)
Team 3 Pt: 2-17 (11.8%)
Team FT: 11-13 (84.6%)
Rebounds: 36
Turnovers: 14

Thoughts
The Spartans were done. You could feel the air go out of the fans behind the bench. The score was 49-38 with about 10 minutes left in the game, and I wrote the word "Ovah" on my Twitter feed.

That was about the time UNCG remembered they were a better team than App and took off on a 27-6 run to thump App right on back to Boone. Trevis Simpson finished it off with a ridiculous windmill dunk.

I encourage everyone to get to Asheville to see today's game. It's a great place to watch basketball. I'll write a full post on my entire experience next week. But for now the UNCG basketball team rolls on. Hopefully this season can continue on a little longer.

Spartans Clinch Division Title

Following last night's losses by Elon and Samford, UNCG clinched it's first ever outright North Division title. The Spartans were co-champions in the 2001-2002 season.

Here is an article in today News & Record.

Congrats to the team and coaches for all of their hard work. Let's hope the season continues on a little longer, though!

Terriers Hand UNCG Second Straight Defeat

UNCG 56 - Wofford 68

News & Record
UNCG Athletics
Wofford Athletics

Halftime: UNCG 28 - Wofford 30

UNCG Stats
Leader Points: Derrell Armstrong (19)
Leader Rebounds: Aloysius Henry (6)
Leader Assists: Drew Parker (4)
Team FG: 21-54 (38.9)
Team 3 Pt: 5-19 (26.3%)
Team FT: 9-10 (90.0%)
Rebounds: 24
Turnovers: 15

Wofford Stats
Leader Points: Brad Loesing (19)
Leader Rebounds: Lee Skinner (8)
Leader Assists: Brad Loesing (9)
Team FG: 23-45 (51.1%)
Team 3 Pt: 4-11 (36.4%)
Team FT: 18-21 (85.7%)
Rebounds: 31
Turnovers: 16

Thoughts
Definitely a game to forget for UNCG. There is not a ton to say about this game. Trevis Simpson didn't play for the second time in 3 games. Unlike last Wednesday, the Spartans couldn't overcome the loss of their leading scorer. Now UNCG will need Davidson to beat Elon on Thursday night in order to clinch the North Division title.

UNCG wins 3rd straight, Secures Bye

UNCG 78 - Charleston 63

News & Record
Charleston Post & Courier
UNCG Athletics
Charleston Athletics

Halftime: UNCG 31 - Charleston 30

UNCG Stats
Leader Points: Derrell Armstrong (30)
Leader Rebounds: David Williams (11)
Leader Assists: Kyle Randall (6)
Team FG: 30-62 (48.4%)
Team 3 Pt: 8-19 (42.1%)
Team FT: 10-14 (71.4%)
Reabounds: 34
Turnovers: 16

Charleston Stats
Leader Points: Trent Wiedeman (21)
Leader Rebounds:Trent Wiedeman (18)
LeaderAssists: Andrew Lawrence (7)
Team FG: 21-59 (35.6%)
Team 3 Pt: 5-25 (20.0%)
Team FT: 16-21 (76.2%)
Rebounds: 40
Turnovers: 22

Paladins Sink Free Throws and UNCG Win Streak

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.

Simpson leads UNCG to Seventh Straight Win

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.

UNCG Wins Another Overtime Thriller

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.

UNCG Wins 5th Straight in Overtime

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.

Buzzer Beater by Williams Pushes Winning Steak to Four

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.

UNCG Outlast Mocs for Third Straight Win

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.

Spartan Stun Cougars for Miller's First Win

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.

Miami Outlasts UNCG

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.

Rams Outlast UNCG

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.

Duke Pulls Away From Spartans

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.

That Could Have Went Better

UNCG 65 - NC A&T 87

News & Record
UNCG Athletics
NC A&T Athletics

Hoyas Destroy Helpless Spartans

UNCG 45 - Georgetown 86

Stay tuned ...