Paladins & Spartans Meet in Sunday Men’s Basketball Showdown
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men’s basketball team, who is currently in first place thanks to a Wofford (13-10, 5-5) victory over Samford (14-9, 8-2) on Saturday, will host Furman tomorrow in a Southern Conference (SoCon) showdown at the Greensboro Coliseum.
The Paladins enter the contest 16-6 overall and 7-2 in SoCon play, while the Spartans sport a 14-8 overall record and 8-1 in conference play.
The game will be broadcast on ESPN+, as well as Nexstar affiliate stations including WMYT/My 12 (Charlotte), WWCW/The CW Virginia (Lynchburg/Roanoke), and WYCW/The CW62 (Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville) for the Ingles SoCon Game of the Week.
This game is sponsored by Allegacy.
GAME INFO
Where: Greensboro Coliseum | Greensboro, N.C.
When: Sunday, January 29
Time: 3 p.m.
Promotion: The first 750 students will receive a FREE UNCG trapper hat.
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 five straight with a 62-50 victory over VMI.
The Spartans have won 11 of the last 14 games.
This was the ninth win this season by double figures.
Senior Keyshaun Langley bypassed the 1,000-career point mark, scoring 14 points. He brought his total to 1,010 career points.
Dante Treacy also had 14 points to lead the Spartans, while Bas leyte had 12 points.
Leyte led the game with nine rebounds, while Keyshaun and Kobe Langley had five boards each.
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
UNCG is leading the conference in field goal percentage defense (39.6), scoring defense (63.3), steals per game (7.4), three-point percentage defense (30.0), and turnover margin (2.3).
Among the nation, the Spartans are 24th in field goal percentage defense, 32nd in scoring defense, 36th in three point percentage defense, and 54th in turnover margin.
In the nation, Kobe Langley is 25th in steals (44), 34th in assist/turnover ratio (2.59), 49th in steals per game (2.00).
His twin brother, Keyshaun Langley is also ranked in the nation: 23rd in three-point percentage (41.8), 40th in total three-point field goals made (59), 61s in steals (39), and 62nd in three pointers per game (2.68).
The Spartans are outscoring opponents, 70.5-63.3, and outrebounding their foes 36.4-34.7.
Keyshaun (13.9), Keondre Kennedy (12.9), and Brown-Jones (11.1) are leading the Spartans in points per game.
Kennedy (6.2) and Abdulsalam (6.1) 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 scored his 1,000 career point during the first half of a 62-50 win over VMI at the Greensboro Coliseum.
SCOUTING FURMAN
The Paladins are on a three-game win streak and are coming to the Coliseum following a 91-84 overtime victory over Samford.
Among the nation, Furman is ranked in the top-30 in eight categories: 8th in effective field goal percentage (0.569), 9th in assists per game (17.7), 11th in three point attempts per game (28.0), 12th in scoring offense (82.8), 14th in assist/turnover ratio (1.48), 15th in three pointers per game (9.8), 16th in field goal percentage (48.8), and 28th in free throw percentage (75.9)
The Paladins are leading the conference in eight categories as well.
Furman is outscoring opponents 82.8-73.0.
Mike Bothwell leads the team averaging 19.5 points per game.
Jalen Slawson is second on the team with 15.7 points per game, and Marcus Foster (11.2) and JP Pegues (10.1) also tally double figures.
Slawson leads the team averaging 7.0 rebounds per game.
Nationally, Bothwell is ranked in the top four categories.
Garrett Hien is leading the team with a .410 three point percentage.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
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 leads the all-time series, 23-20.
· The Spartans claimed an 88-80 overtime win over the Paladins on January 14.
· The two teams have split the regular season home-and-home series in each of the past four seasons prior to the 2022-23 year.
Courtesy of Denise Archetto
Assistant Athletic Director For Strategic Communications
UNC Greensboro