DC Big Man Chooses Spartans

According to Marcus Helton of DMVelite.com, 2014 6'-8" F/C Quadree Smith (Fairfax, VA/Paul VI) has became the second player to commit to UNCG's 2014 class. Smith picked UNCG over offers from Towson, Tennessee, George Mason and Drexel.

ESPN.com Recruiting lists Smith as a 3-star recruit and ranks him as the 6th best HS player in Virginia. They have this to say about him ...

Smith is the kind of kid who has no identity crisis. He's a business man in the lane and given his obvious size, he's a problem.

DMVelite ranks him as the 13th best player in the DC area.

Rivals.com has some video on Smith (as well as the gaudy list of offers that Smith was sporting).

The Washington Post had a nice article featuring Quadree back in January. There were two great quotes to highlight ...

“He’s relentless out there,” Derrickson said. “I know I have to try to match his intensity or else he’s going to kick my butt.”

“He’s got almost a point-guard awareness where he’s able to identify things and always knows what’s going on around him,” Farello said. “Out of huddles, you might see him telling a teammate what to pay attention to or what scheme might work. Q’s one of the better leaders I’ve coached in that he’s such a positive influence on his teammates.”

I will admit that I don't have the best in videos to offer right now, but I will seek out better ones in the near future. For now, I'll post these ...




This is huge pick up for UNCG. The Spartans have had trouble getting skilled big men to come to Greensboro for as long as I can remember. UNCG has always had to turn to undersized guys for the 4 and 5 positons. It's refreshing to see our coaching staff aggressively go after so many skilled front court players and get them to commit to UNCG. I can't wait to see another one in uniform next season.

Welcome to the Spartans, Quadree !!!

Maryland Standout Coming to Greensboro

According to Edgar Walker of MarylandHoops.net is reporting that 2013 G/F Tevon Saddler (6'-4" Baltimore, MD/St. Frances Academy) has became the fourth player this fall to commit to play for UNCG. Saddler picked the Spartans over St Joseph's, Delaware, Miami (FL), Southern Mississippi, Towson, and South Florida.

- Here is the recruiting and commitment story on MarylandHoops.net and the Baltimore Sun.

- Tevon is a 2 star rated player by ESPN Recruiting. He is ranked as the #8 player in the state of Maryland.

- Rivals lists Saddler as a 3 star recruit.

- Scouthoops also lists Saddler as a 3 star prospect.

- Recruiting analyst  Reggie Rankin named Tevon the breakout star of last fall's "Under Armour Grind Session" in Chicago. Rankin had this analysis ..

Saddler is an athletic wing who has good length and competes on both ends of the floor. He excels on the break and from the wing off the bounce, where he can get to the rim and finish above it with a clear path. He is a slasher who will give a lazy defender nightmares. Saddler can rebound and initiate the break and is a very good and willing passer, but he must work to extend his range and make his jumper a consistent weapon to take his game to the next level. He plays with great urgency and is a capable multiple-position defender as well.

- Here is an article from the Baltimore Sun from last fall that gives the reader a glimp into Saddler's recruitment as a junior in high school.

Videos ...
Highlights


I-95 Challenge


Interview


Welcome to the Spartans, Tevon !!!

Randy White Joins Spartans

I'm not sure how I missed this back in July, but CBS Sport's Jeff Borzello reported that UNCG received a commitment from Texas PF Randy White (6'-8"). UNCG athletics hasn't reported it yet. So, I'm a little in the dark if this is actually true. In the meantime, here is some of the info that I could find on Randy.

- Rivals Profile.

- YouTube video from his U15 team (so this is old).


I'll post more info when I find it or if there's anything more to this story.

Miller Gets First Commitment

It took new UNCG coach Wes Miller less than a week on the job to secure his first commitment. Kayel Locke (6'-5" 240 lbs PF) out of Baltimore's McDonogh School has chosen to play next season with the Spartans according to multiple sources, including recruiting guru Dave Telep and Rivals.

There was a article in Sunday's Baltimore Sun about Locke's decision to come to UNCG. Among other things he discussed his relationship with the coaching staff and his interaction with AD Kim Record and Chancellor Linda Brady.

"From the beginning, we had a really good relationship,” Locke said. “I thought [the fact that Miller is so young] was cool because he really related to me on a lot of subjects. I think having experience is also a great thing. It’s also cool to be a part of a team with a coach who really can connect with his players and bring them together in that aspect. I see them playing hard for their coach. I knew that’s what I wanted. I thought it was definitely a good thing.”

Locke, who was selected to the MIAA A Conference first team after averaging 24 points and 11 rebounds for the Eagles, has visited UNC-Greensboro’s campus twice. He took an official visit there last year, and returned to Greensboro during the college season. Locke said he hit it off with the entire coaching staff, and also had good conversations with the athletic director and the school’s chancellor.

The Baltimore Sun named Locke as their Boys Athlete of the Week on January 4 2012.

The Baltimore Sun's Recruiting Report wrote a story about Locke last summer right after his performance in the Peach Jam Tournament.

Locke’s shining moment came during NBE’s 78-71 win over Virginia-based Boo Williams on the first night of pool play at the Peach Jam. Locke paced his squad with 23 points and 12 rebounds in 28 minutes. For the tournament, Locke averaged 11.8 points and 5.4 rebounds. He shot nearly 48 percent from the field in leading NBE to a 3-2 record.

Here are a couple of YouTube videos from that game. Locke is #33 in maroon.






There are several more videos of the game. I just decided to post a few.

ESPN Recruiting rates Locke a 79. He was also listed among their top players in the Maryland during the preseason. They also wrote an article about Locke back in 2009 when he was finishing his freshman season.

"Kayel can shoot it out to the three-point arc, and he has nice floor skills," Evans said. "He can pass the ball and handle it. He is a power forward for us, but I see him as a small forward in college. A lot depends on how much taller he gets. Kayel is a legit 6-4 now, and he has grown a little this year. He is only 14, and he has size 17 shoes. His father is 6-7 and his mother is about 5-7, so I don't think Kayel is done growing yet."

The Locke family puts a premium on education. They enrolled Kayel at McDonogh in the sixth grade, and Kayel has done well academically, maintaining a 3.0 GPA.

Locke played this past season for one the best AAU programs in the country. Locke was on the Baltimore Elite squad. He had 4 class of 2012 teammates (Donte Pretlow-Morgan St, Jared Jones-Loyola, Isaiah Miles-St Joes, Sam Cassell Jr-undecided) that will go onto play D1 basketball next season.

Below is a highlight video of that team.



There are plenty of other videos of Locke on YouTube. Fell free to search them on your own.

Locke joins Jordan Potts as commitments for the 2012-2013 season. Potts signed his NLI in the fall. Locke can sign his NLI during the official signing period which runs from April 11 to May16. The athletics department cannot discuss anything about recruits that haven't signed the NLI. So, there won't be an article on their website until then.

Welcome to the Spartans, Kayel !!!

"Taking Charge in Greensboro"

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.

Rivals Midseason Report

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.

Rivals Preseason SoCon Prediction

Rivals has posted their Southern Conference predictions for the upcoming season. Nothing too ground breaking here. I'll just repost their predicted order of finish.

ORDER OF FINISH
North Division
1. Chattanooga
2. Western Carolina
3. Appalachian State
4. UNC Greensboro
5. Elon
6. Samford

South Division
1. Davidson
2. College of Charleston .
3. Wofford
4. Georgia Southern
5. The Citadel
6. Furman

New 2012 Commitment

With 3 open scholarships for the class of 2012, UNCG has used one of them on 5'-10" PG Jordan Potts (Columbus, OH). According to Rivals, the Northland HS senior picked the Spartans over James Madison, Western Kentucky, Bethune-Cookman and a large group of other mid-majors.

- ESPN Recruiting rates Jordan at 80.

Strengths: A sturdy point guard whose body type borders on stocky, Potts runs the teams and distributes the ball for a highly talented All Ohio Red team. He rarely looked to create anything off the dribble and was typically content to keep the ball moving along the perimeter.

- Jordan's former HS teammate is Jarred Sullinger who was a McDonald's All-American and now plays at Ohio State.

- Jordan's AAU program All-Ohio Red won the 2011 Under-17 National Chamionship.

Here's a Youtube clip of Jordan from several years ago.


- UNCG won't released any information about Jordan until he officially signs his National Letter of Intent to play for the Spartans. We will post a link to that article when it becomes available.

-Welcome to the Spartans, Jordan !!!

Newest Spartan - Derrell Armstrong

Wow, this post is a longtime overdue. Former Alleghany CC 6'-1" PG Derrell Armstrong (Mechanicsville, MD) has joined Nick Paulos as the newest faces for the Spartans for this upcoming season.

Armstrong was a teammate of Spartan player Aaron Bracket for one season before going on to earn honorable mention JUCO All-American status this past season at Alleghany. For the 2010-2011 season, Derrell averaged 21.4 pts, 8.9 rebs, 4.5 assists and 2.2 steals. Derrell was a 2009 graduate of Chopticon HS in Morganza, MD.

- According to Rivals, Derrell picked UNCG over Towsen.

- In HS, Armstrong was a 2009 All-Beltway 1st team player.

Armstrong led the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference with a 25.3 points per game average. Armstrong surpassed the 1,000-point plateau in just two seasons playing for Chopticon. Led team with 31 blocked shots. Produced averages of 7.9 rebounds, 4.3 steals and 2.4 assists per game. Shot over 70 percent from the free-throw line.

Surpassed 30 points on six different occasions during the season. Scored season-high of 33 points on two occasions, in overtime win over Glen Burnie on Dec. 22 and again against Leonardtown on Feb. 13. Scored in double digits every single game. Armstrong led the Braves to a 19-5 mark – with three one-point losses – and a 3A South semifinal appearance.

- Here is the article from the UNCG Athletics website after he signed his LOI.

Welcome to the Spartans, Derrell !!!

#1 Duke (11-0) @ UNCG (0-11)

When: Wednesday, December 29 7 pm
Where: Greensboro Coliseum (7,617/23,500)
TV: ESPNU

Duke Athletics
Duke Basketball Report
Duke Forum - Scout
Duke Forum - Rivals

Spartan Notes:
- Last time out, Justin Harper's 17 points helped Richmond outlast several pushes by UNCG, 63-53. Aloysius Henry put up 12 points and 10 rebounds. Trevis Simpson led UNCG with 14 points.
- Tonight's game is the 2nd game of a 5 game home stand for UNCG. After the Blue Devils, UNCG will host Samford, Chattanooga and Elon.
- Duke marks the 6th ACC opponent UNCG will face this season. So far the Spartans have lost to Florida State, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Wake Forest and Clemson. The last 3 of those games were played on the road. Miami (Fla) will visit the Greensboro Coliseum on Feb 15.
- UNCG has found itself with chances late in its last 2 ACC contests. It took a good defensive stand for Wake Forest to turn back UNCG, 69-67. The Spartans then turned around and mounted a furious comeback against Clemson. UNCG trimmed a 21 point halftime deficit down to 2 before before the Tigers were able to hang on to win 71-61.
- Henry leads UNCG in scoring (11.6) and rebounding (6.1). Kyle Randall is averaging 11.4 points and a team best 3.7assists.
- For the year, UNCG is shooting 40.7 from the field, 35.5 from behind the arc and 66.8% from the free throw line.

Blue Devil Notes:
- Last game, Kyle Singler's 24 points help Duke to cruise past Elon 98-72 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. With the win, Duke head coach Mike Krzyewski tied Dean Smith for second on the all-time coaching victories list.
- The Blue Devils come into this season as the defending national champions. Duke defeated Bulter last spring in Indianapolis to capture their 4th NCAA title.
- Duke defeated UNCG 96-62 at Cameron Indoor Stadium to open the 2009-2010 season for both teams. Ben Stywall led UNCG with 19 points and 8 rebounds.
- Tonight's contest could mark a major milestone for Duke's Coach K. A win would give him sole possession of second place on the All-time wins list with 880. That is only 22 wins behind Krzyewski's mentor, Bobby Knight.
- Duke will be playing it's only true road non-conference game tonight. The Blue Devils have played Marquette, Bulter, Oregon, and #4 Kansas State all at neutral sites.
- Duke's super freshman Kyrie Irving is out indefinitely with an injury. Irving is averaging a team best 17.4 points and 5.1 assists per game.
- Nolan Smith is averaging 17.1 points and a team best 5.4 assists. Mason Plumlee leads Duke in rebounding (7.7). Singler is averaging 17.0 points and 5.5 rebounds.
- For the year, Duke is shooting 50.0% from the field, 44.0% from behind the arc and 74.3%from the free throw line.

My Thoughts
Let me start by saying that on paper there is no way that this game should be less than a 40 point Blue Devil win. Duke is the #1 team in the country and in the few years that I've been doing this blog, I've never seen a team shooting this well. They have 3 different players averaging over 17 points per game. Every number I read is just unbelievable. Plus, Duke will want to win this game for their coach.

But every once in a while there are some unbelievable upsets. Little bitty Chaminade beat Virginia and Ralph Sampson. Can tonight be the night where little 'ol winless UNCG steps up and beats the mighty undefeated Blue Devils? Well, they are coming off a break and Christmas holiday. Maybe they will come out flat and UNCG can find some confidence to build on. Anything is possible. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Gop Spartans !!!

Richmond (8-3) @ UNCG (0-10)

When: Wednesday, December 22 12 pm
Where: Greensboro Coliseum (7,617/23,500)
TV: None/Spartan All-Access

Richmond Athletics
Richmond Forum

Spartan Notes:
- Last time out, UNCG battled back from a 37-16 halftime defecit at Clemson before falling 71-67. Korey Van Dussen led UNCG with 20 points and 6 assists. It was the third straight ACC team that UNCG had faced on the road.
- Today's game marks the first of 5 straight that UNCG will play at home. The Spartans will host #1 Duke a week from today before moving into Southern Conference play.
- Kyle Randall lead UNCG in scoring (11.9) and assists (3.7). Aloysius Henry leads UNCG in rebounding (5.7).
- For the year, UNCG is shooting 40.7% from the field, 36.1% from behind the arc and 67.5% from the free throw line.

Spider Notes:
- In their last game, Georgia Tech pulled away from Richmond in the second half of the "Battle at Atlantis". The Yellow Jackets won by the score of 67-54. Justin Harper led Richmond with 15 points and 5 rebounds.
-The Spiders are 1-0 against the SoCon so far this year. Richmond defeated the Citadel 79-37 to start the season. Richmond also has defeated UNCG's opening night opponent VCU, 72-60.
- Last year, UNCG played at Richmond on December 22. It was also a noon start time for that game. In that game, David Gonzalves helped Richmond come back from a slow start to defeat UNCG 89-63.
- Richmond came into last year's contest sporting the exact same 8-3 record as this year.
- Kevin Anderson leads Richmond in scoring (16.6) and assists (3.8). Harper is averaging 14.0 points and team best 6.0 rebounds.
- For the year, Richmond is shooting 50.3% from the field, 42.0% from behind the arc and 60.7%from the free throw line.

My Thoughts
UNCG again gets to face another tough opponent and has another opportunity to show its improvement from the start of the season. The Spartans have played solid, tough basketball as of late, and it would be nice to see them finally push through for a breakthrough win.

Richmond is off to a great start again and comes in sporting some of the best offensive numbers in the country. UNCG will have to have it's best defensive effort of the year to have a shot at this one.

Maybe the Spartans can catch the Spiders looking ahead to Christmas break and not ready to play at this early start time. If so, it should make for a great present to all of the Spartan fans.

Go Spartans !!!

UNCG (0-9) @ Clemson (6-4)

When: Sunday, December 19 2 pm
Where: Littlejohn Coliseum (10,000)
TV: FSN

Clemson Athletics
Clemson Forum - Scout
Clemson Forum - Rivals

Spartan Notes:
- UNCG couldn't get off a shot to beat Wake Forest on Wednesday night. The Spartans fell 67-69. Kyle Randall (15 pts & 5 assists) and Korey Van Dussen (14 points) led UNCG.
- Clemson will be the 5th ACC squad that UNCG has faced this year. UNCG will still host Duke and Miami before the season is over.
- The Saprtans are still in search of their first win this year.
- Kyle Randall leads UNCG is scoring (12.6) and assists (3.8). Aloysius Henry is averaging 11.8 points and a team best 5.8 rebounds.
- On the season, UNCG is shooting 41.1% from the field, 35.7 from behind the arc and 66.8% from the free throw line.

Tiger Notes:
- Last time out, Clemson ran out to a 26-5 lead and never looked back as they defeated Savannah State 61-40. The Tigers were lead by Jerai Grant with 15 points. Savannah State managed to shoot just 22.9% from the field.
- This game will mark Clemson's third against SoCon competition. The Tigers have already defeated Western Carolina (87-64) and Wofford (78-70) this year.
- Clemson finds themselves already at (0-1) in the ACC after failing to earlier UNCG opponent Florida State (75-69) last Sunday.
- Demontez Stitt leads Clemson in scoring this season (13.8). Grant is the leading rebounder (6.0) and Tanner Smith leads in assists (2.8).
- So far this year, Clemson is shooting 43.2% from the field, 32.8% from behind the arc and 67.2% from the free throw line.

My Thoughts
Clemson's offensive numbers aren't very great. In fact they are quite average. It's the defense that new coach Brad Brownell seems to have brought to Clemson. The Spartans will have to take care of the ball just as well as they did on Wednesday in Winston-Salem. Hopefully an early afternoon game close to the holidays will catch Clemson not ready to play.

Every game on TV is another shot at UNCG to impress and gain some good publicity. Let's hope the guys can build off of the positives from the other night and find a way to break through with a win.

Go Spartans !!!

UNCG (0-8) @ Wake Forest (5-4)

When: Wednesday, December 15 7 pm
Where: Lawrence Joel Veterens Memorial Coliseum (14,655)
TV: ESPNU

Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forum (Scout)
Wake Forum (Rivals)
Blogger So Dear

Spartan Notes:
- Last time out, UNCG travelled up to College Park and got destroyed by the University of Maryland, 99-56. Kyle Randall led UNCG with 18 points and 7 assists. The Spartans were crushed on the boards and managed to just shoot 32%.
- Maryland was the 3rd ACC team that UNCG has played this season. The Spartans will play 7 ACC school in total before the season concludes.
- The 0-8 start by UNCG is the worst in school history. Unfortunately, things don't appear to get any easier until after the new year. After playing in Winston, UNCG will play @ Clemson, and then Richmond and #1 Duke at home.
- Randall leads UNCG in scoring (12.3) and assists (3.6). Aloysius Henry leads UNCG in rebounding (5.9).
- For the year,UNCG is shooting 41.1% from the field, 34.6% from behind the arc and 67.5% from the free throw line.

Demon Deacon Notes:
- On Sunday, Wake Forest was buried beneath14 UNCW 3 pointers. The Deacs fell to the Seahawks 81-69 at a game played in the Greensboro Coliseum. Gary Clark led Wake with 20 points and 5 rebounds.
- It's been a rough start to the season for Jeff Bzdelik. Bzdelik came over from Colorado and took over for Dino Gaudio, who was let go at the end of last season. Wake has dropped games to VCU, Winthrop, Stetson and UNCW.
- The Demon Deacons were picked to finish last in the ACC by both the coaches and media.
- Travis McKie leads Wake Forest in scoring (13.3) and rebounds (7.6). Ari Stewart is averaging 13.2 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. C.J. Harris leads Wake in assists (4.7).
- For the year, Wake is shooting 46.2% from the field, 44.7% from behind the arc and 77.1% from the free throw line.

My Thoughts
What an amazing pillow fight we've got here. I bet there will be dozens of people in the LJVM to witness this contest.

If we use transitive properties here, UNCW beat Wake by 12 and lost to NC A&T by 5. UNCG lost to A&T by 12. So, UNCG should beat Wake by 5. Now that I have the whole game broken down, no one even needs to watch. Glad I could help.

Go Spartans !!!

UNCG (0-7) @ Maryland (6-3)

When: Wednesday December 8 7:30 pm
Where: Comcast Center (17,950)
TV: Comcast SportsNet

Maryland Athletics
Maryland Forum (Rivals)
Maryland Forum (Scout)

Florida State (1-0) @ UNCG (0-1)

When: Sunday November 12 3:30 pm
Where Greensboro Coliseum (7,617/23,500)
TV: FSN-South & FSN-Florida

Florida State Athletics
Scalp 'Em
Tomahawk Nation
FSU Forum - Scout
FSU Forum - Rivals

Spartan Notes:
- UNCG dropped it's opening night game at Virginia Commonwealth on Friday night 101-86. Brandon Evans led the Spartans with 26 points. Korey Van Dussen chipped in with a career high 18 points. Trailing throughout most of the game, UNCG made a late run in the second half to get the VCU trimmed down to 9 with a little over 3 minutes remaining. A 9-0 response from the Rams put the game out of reach.
- Four Spartans ended opening night in double figure scoring. In addition the Evans and KVD, Aaron Brackett (12 pts) and Aloysius Henry (10 pts) scored well.
- True freshman Drew Parker had a very good stat line in his first college game. Facing a ferocious full-cour press, Parker handed out a team best 8 assists with only 3 turnovers.
- Kyle Randall (suspension), Taylor Hoffer (ankle injury) and Trevis Simpson (shoulder injury) did not play in Friday night's game.
- Sunday's game will be the first of 7 Spartan games that will be on TV this season. The FSU-UNCG contest will be carried on FSN-South and FSN-Florida.
- Evans lead UNCG this season in scoring (26 points). David Williams leads the team in rebounding (8) and Parker leads the team in assists (8).
- So far this season, UNCG is shooting 46.6% from the field, 43.8% from behind the arc and 75.8% from the free throw line.

Seminole Notes:
- Florida State used a second half run to pull away from North Florida on Friday night. Junior college transfer Bernard James (15 pts & 10 rebs) led 4 Seminole players in double figures. Freshman Ian Miller led FSU with 3 assists on the night.
- The Seminoles played 2 preseason exhibition games earlier this year. They beat Rollins (95-74) and Mid Continent (108-51).
- The ACC media selected FSU to finish in 5th place in their preseason poll. Forward Chris Singleton was selected 1st All-ACC as well.
- Singleton, the ACC Defensive player of the year last season, was named as one one of the top 50 candidates for the Wooden Award that is given the best player in the country every year.
- Florida State is in the midst of a 4 games on 7 days bonanza. FSU plays Gardner-Webb at home on Tuesday and then plays at Florida International on Thursday.
-So far on the young season, James is leading FSU in scoring (15 pts) and rebounding (10). Miller leads in assists (3).
- For the year, FSU is shooting 42.9% from the field, 27.3% from behind the arc and 65.2% from the free throw line.

My Thoughts:
A lot like Friday, I really have no idea what to expect in this game. UNCG played a lot better than I expected at Virginia Commonwealth with a lot of youth. However, this is great competition that the Spartans are facing.

FSU had a bit of an off night on Friday. I'm afraid we might see a team that got to shake off it's rust in game #1 and now comes to play UNCG with some serious focus. What I'm really hoping for is that everyone is back playing today. If UNCG can be within single digits with less than 10 to play, this game could be very interesting. I hope there's a good home crowd that can fill up the Coliseum with some energy.

Go Spartans !!!

SoCon Preview - Rivals

Rivals.com has posted their preview for this year's Southern Conference. They were not very high on what the Spartans could do this season, nor did they pick them to finish up the standings.

UNC Greensboro returns only one senior in G Brandon Evans (8.5 ppg), but sophomore G Kyle Randall (9.5 ppg) could have a breakout season.

ORDER OF FINISH

NORTH
1. Chattanooga
2. Appalachian State
3. Western Carolina
4. Elon
5. Samford
6. UNC Greensboro

SOUTH
1. Wofford
2. College of Charleston
3. Davidson
4. Georgia Southern
5. The Citadel
6. Furman

Spartans Pick Up 2 JUCO Big Men

The UNCG Athletics website has announced the signing of 2 more players to National Letters of Intent (NLI). Aloysius Henry (PF 6'-9" 235 lbs) is originally from St. Lucia, but has played the last 2 seasons at Three Rivers C.C. in Poplar Bluff, MO. Aaron Brackett (PF 6'-8" 245 lbs) is originally from Virginia Beach, VA and has spent his last 2 years at Allegany College of Maryland in Cumberland, MD.

Henry (Rivals, Scout) helped his team reach the NJCAA finals this season before falling to Howard College. Henry picked the Spartans over Colorado, Iowa State, Wright State, Tennessee Tech, and UT-San Antonio. He is a graduate of Bocage Secondary in St. Lucia and has spent the last 2 seasons playing for Gene Bess, the winningest coach in NJCAA. Assistant coach Corey Gipson also spent 2 seasons at Three Rivers. Henry's brother, Arnold, played basketball at Vermont and North Florida. This season he averaged 11.5 pts, 7.3 rebs, 1 assists & 1.2 blocks per game. This St. Lucia Sports Blog has kept up with Henry's progress.

Brackett (Rivals) is a NJCAA Honorable Mention All-American this past season that attended high school at Kempsville. In his freshman season at Allegany, he helped lead his team to the NJCAA tournament. This past season he averaged 12.1 pts, 10 rebs, 1.1 assists & 0.9 steals a game.

Here is a YouTube video of Aaron from high school.


Welcome to the Spartans, Aloysius and Aaron !!!

This should end this recruiting cycle for the Spartans. In addition to Henry and Brackett, UNCG signed David Williams (SG/SF 6'-6" 200 lbs Jacksonville, FL) to NLI's this spring. Drew Parker (PG 6'-3" 180 lbs Houston, TX), Trevis Simpson (SG/SF 6'-5" 180 lbs Douglas, GA) and Cody Henegar (PF/C 6'-9" 210 lbs Jasper, TN) signed NLI's this past fall. Another fall signee, Mike Liabo (SG 6'-6" 185 lbs Carbondale, IL), is heading to UT-Martin according to this OVCSports.com article.

Williams is Newest Spartan

According to this Indiana basketball blog, David Williams (6'-7" G/F, Jacksonville FL) has verbally committed to UNCG.

Taylor said that David Williams, who verbally committed to Indiana before opening up his recruitment, will play for North Carolina-Greensboro.

- ESPN has Williams rated at 83.

- Rivals & Scout both rate Williams as a 2-star player.

- Williams previously gave a verbal commitment to Indiana, before re-opening his recruitment. He was also receiving attention from Clemson, Florida State and several SEC schools.

Welcome to the Spartans, David !!!

4 Sign to Play for Spartans

Cody Henegar (Jasper, TN), Drew Parker (La Porte, TX), Mike Liabo (Carbondale, IL) and Trevis Simpson (Douglas, GA) signed LOI's to take 4 of UNCG's 5 available scholarships next season. I've already posted articles about Parker and Henegar. So this post will focus on the 2 players that have not been profiled.

Mike Liabo (6'-6" SF, Brehm Prep) was an honorable mention all-state player in Florida in 2008 before his family moved to Illinois. Originally of class of 2009 player, Liabo is spending this season at prep school. Before heading to Illinois, SWFLhoops.com named Mike #7 in their class of 2009.

- Here is the story of Mike's signing on Friday from Brehm Prep's blog.

- Here is an interview of Mike from several months ago.



Trevis Simpson (6'-5" SF, Coffee County HS) originally committed to the University of Buffalo. However, after a recent visit, Simpson changed his mind and has ended up here at UNCG.

- ESPN graded Simpson an 87.

He's a long armed, wiry wing player. Has good athletic ability. Excellent in transition. Can get to the rim because of his ability to knife through the defense or catch the ball and finish with a dunk. Handles the ball well. Plays with his head and eyes up looking for an opening to score or draw and kick.

- Rivals rates Simpson as a 3 star recruit that received interest from BCS program's throughout the southeast. Scout rated Trevis as a 2 star recruit.

- Allmetrosports.com ranked Trevis (misspelled as "Travis") as the #13 player in the state of Georgia in the class of 2010.

Welcome to the Spartans, Mike & Trevis !!!

UNCG (0-0) @ #9 Duke (0-0)

When: Friday, November 13 7 pm
Where: Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)
TV: Fox Sports Net

Duke Athletics
Duke Basketball Report (DBR)
Duke Forum (Scout)
Duke Forum (Rivals)

UNCG Athletics Preview

Spartan Notes:
- UNCG is coming of a miserable season in 2008-2009. The Spartans went 5-25 and lost in the first round of the Southern Conference tournament.
- Even though there were no seniors on last season's roster, UNCG lost 3 players over the off season. Damian Eargle (Youngstown State), Daniel Oliver (St. Leo) and Landon Clement (NC Central) all transferred in the summer.
- The Spartans brought in a very nice recruiting class for this season. Korey VanDussen (Zeeland, MI), Kyle Randall (Youngstown, OH), Brian Cole (Dacula, GA) and Taylor Hoffer (Poulsbo, WA) are new to the 2009-2010 squad. Randall was the 2008-2009 Pennsylvania Class A player of the year. ESPN ranked Cole in their top 30 of centers last season. VanDussen finished 3rd in voting for Michigan's Mr. Basketball. Hoffer was a 3 star rated recruit by Rivals. All four guys were nominated for the McDonald's All-American Game.
- Unfortunately, Hoffer will have to redshirt this season after suffering a leg injury.
- East Carolina transfer Brandon Evans is available to play this season after sitting out the 2008-2009 season.
- Evans scored a game high 16 points in last Saturday's Blue-Gold Scrimmage. Kendall Toney led his team with 14 points. Ben Stywall (15), VanDussen (14), Pete Brown (12), Cole (12) and Mikko Kiovisto (11) all scored in double figures. Stywall and Darius Seller had a game high 6 rebounds.
- Elhanan Bone is listed as out for this game.
- UNCG has never beat a ranked team.
- Koivisto led UNCG in scoring (12.4) and assists(2.4) last season. Ben Stywall was the team leader in rebounds (8.4).
- Last season UNCG shot from the 39.8% field, 31.4% from behind the arc and 64.8% from the free throw line.


Blue Devils Notes:
- Last season, Duke went 30-7 and made it to the "Sweet Sixteen" of the NCAA Tournament before failing to Villanova in the regional semifinals. Duke won the ACC Tournament.
- Duke sits currently at #9 in the AP poll. They are one spot higher at #8 in the ESPN/USA Today poll.
- The Blue Devils lost one of their biggest contributors, Gerald Henderson, to the NBA. Henderson is currently playing for the Charlotte Bobcats.
- Duke returns 7 players who averaged double digit minutes last season. Kyle Singler and Jon Scheyer averaged playing over 30 minutes a game last season.
- Elliot Williams (Memphis) transferred during the off season to be closer to his sick mother.
- According to Scout, Duke brought in 3 of the top 10 players in the country for this season. Ryan Kelly and Mason Plumlee were rated as 5 star prospects, and Andre Dawkins was a 4 star prospect.
- The Blue Devils starting PG, Nolan Smith, will be suspended for this game. Smith participated in an unsanctioned basketball game and was suspended for the first 2 games of Duke's regular season.
- Singler led Duke in scoring (16.5) and rebounding (7.7) last season. Scheyer led Duke in assists (2.8).
- Last season, Duke shot 44.4% from the floor, 34.9% from behind the arc and 72.8% from the free throw line.


My Thoughts
This game is pretty straight forward. UNCG has to play a perfect game and hope that Duke is sleep walking. Even then, it might not be enough to overcome playing in one the most hostile environments in college basketball. Duke has a huge size advantage. They will probably only start one player under 6'-5". UNCG may only start 1 player over 6'-5". However, Duke is very thin at the guard spot without Nolan Smith. In their exhibition tune-up for this game they struggled in the first half without having Nolan in the game. Maybe UNCG's improved guards can disrupt Duke and keep the Spartans in the game.


UNCG plays a brutal stretch to open the season. So, I'd really like to see them play well enough in this game to come away with some confidence to carry over into the next few weeks. Also coming away injury free would be nice. The freshmen should take away some great experience knowing they will not play in a tougher venue the rest of the season.

Go Spartans !!!

UPDATE: The News & Observer is reporting that Duke freshman Mason Plumlee is out indefinitely with a fractured wrist.