UNCG Men’s Basketball Hosts VMI in a Wednesday Night Battle at the Greensboro Coliseum

UNCG Men’s Basketball Hosts VMI in Wednesday Battle

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men’s basketball team continues its four-game home stand, hosting VMI for a mid-week Southern Conference (SoCon) showdown on Wednesday night at the Greensboro Coliseum.

The Keydets enter the contest 5-16 overall and 0-8 in SoCon play, while the Spartans sport a 13-8 overall record and 7-1 in conference play.

This game is sponsored by Allegacy.

GAME INFO
Where: Greensboro Coliseum | Greensboro, N.C.
When: Wednesday, January 24
Time: 7 p.m.

Promotion: The first 500 students will receive a FREE UNCG t-shirt courtesy of the Province.
WATCH (ESPN+)

This week is the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Week, where basketball coaches across the country will be wearing suits and sneakers during games to honor and support those who have or are still fighting cancer.

Head Coach Mike Jones is suiting up for Laura Jirsa, wife of his longtime assistant coach Ron Jirsa. Laura is a breast cancer survivor, who has used her experience to others with the founding of Ebeauty Community, Inc.

Ebeauty works to improve the quality of life of women undergoing chemotherapy treatments through the implementation of its Wig Exchange Program and Hospital Partnership Program. Their primary goal is to provide all women, regardless of economic status or geographic location, access to wigs.

LAST TIME OUT
UNCG extended its win streak to four-straight with a 59-48 victory over Mercer on Saturday at the Greensboro Coliseum.
The Spartans have won 10 of the last 13 games.
Mikeal Brown-Jones led the game with 17 points.
Twelve of his 17 points came in the last five minutes and 23 seconds of the game.
Keondre Kennedy also had double digits, scoring 10 points.
Keyshaun Langley’s seven assists was a season high.
Jalen Breath scored a career-high eight points and six rebounds.
UNCG had 36 points in the paint compared to Mercer’s 26. The Spartans’ 31 fast break points also outmatched the Bears’ 18.
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS

UNCG is leading the conference in field goal percentage defense (40.0), scoring defense (63.9), three-point percentage defense (30.6), and turnover margin (2.0).
Among the nation, the Spartans are 37th in field goal percentage defense, 42nd in scoring defense, 59th in three-point percentage defense, 71st in turnover margin, 78th in defensive rebounds per game and assists per game.
In the nation, Kobe Langley is 39th in assist/turnover ratio (2.50), 40th in steals (40), and 66th in steals per game (1.90).
His twin brother, Keyshaun Langley is also ranked in the nation: 24th in three-point percentage (42.3), 40th in total three-point field goals made (57), 58th in three pointers per game (2.71), 77th in steals (36), 86th in three point attempts (134).
The Spartans are outscoring opponents, 70.9-63.9, and outrebounding their foes 36.6-34.2.
Keyshaun (13.9), Keondre Kennedy (13.3), and Brown-Jones (11.2) are leading the Spartans in points per game.
Kennedy (6.4) and Abdulsalam (6.3) are leading the team in rebounds per game.

MILESTONES
· Head Coach Mike Jones earned his 200th career win as a head coach on Wednesday, January 4 with the win over Chattanooga at the Greensboro Coliseum.

· He had 174 wins with Radford and currently has 28 victories with the Spartans.

· Kennedy scored his 1,000 career point during the first half in a 88-80 victory against Furman on Jan. 14 in Greenville, S.C.

· Keyshaun is four points shy of joining the 1,000-point club, with his career total of 996.

SCOUTING VMI
Mercer has won the last two games, defeating VMI and ETSU.
In the nation, the Keydets are 12th in three pointers per game (10.2), 17th in three-point attempts per game (27.0), and 24th in free throw percentage (76.2).
Nationally, Sean Conway is 22nd in three point percentage (43.0), 49th in total three point field goals made (55), and 74th in three pointers per game (2.62).
Conway is leading the team with 14.5 points per game, while Asher Woods is second averaging 14.2 points per game.
Tyler Houser is only other Keydet averaging 10 plus points per game, with 10.5 points per game.
Conway and Taeshaud Jackson are leading the team with 5.9 rebounds per game.
Opponents are outscoring VMI, 75.1-71.6 points per game.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
The Spartans wrap up their four-game homestand vs. Furman on Jan. 29.
On Jan. 29, 750 UNCG students will receive a FREE UNCG trapper hat.
UNCG hits the road next week to face Mercer on Thursday, Feb. 2 in Macon, Georgia and then battles The Citadel on Saturday, Feb. 4 in Charleston, S.C.

SERIES HISTORY
· UNCG is 22-10 all-time versus VMI.

· The Spartans won 72-57 on January 11 in Lexington, Va.

· Keyshaun scored a career-best 25 points, while Leyte was second with 14 points and Kennedy tallied 12.

· From 2016-21, UNCG won nine-straight games against VMI.

Courtesy of Denise Archetto
Assistant Athletic Director For Strategic Communications
UNC Greensboro