Date: February 24th, 2019
Time: 3:00 PM
Opponent: UNC-Greensboro (23-5, 12-3 SoCon)
Place: Greensboro Coliseum (23,500)
Television: none
Webcast:
ESPN+
Radio online:
640WXSM.com
UNCG 2018-2019
Schedule
UNCG 2018-2019
Roster
UNCG
Message Board
23-5 (12-3 in conference) UNCG is rated 79th by Kenpom compared to 64th for ETSU. They are ranked 79th in overall Defense (ETSU is 97th) and 140th in overall Offense (ETSU is 53rd). The last 3 games they have struggled: losing by 10 at Furman, getting blown out for the second time this season by Wofford on the road this time by 30 (80-50) after dropping the first game at home by 29 (72-43). Thursday they had to go to overtime to barely scrape by Western Carolina in Greensboro, the second time this year they struggled with the Catamounts.
More and more the Spartans have become Sophomore Isaiah Miller’s team, not Senior Alonso’s. In conference Miller has taken over the scoring lead from Alonso (16.7 to 15.7) and is even shooting a higher percentage from 3 (.326 to .318!!, albeit with 0.9 makes to 2.3 for Francis). But Alonso had a big game to save their bacon against Western, with 25 points and the last second 3 to win it in overtime. Senior Demetrius Troy (.276 from 3, .348 from 2) has also struggled some. James Dickey has picked up his offensive game after injury raising his 2 point % by 100 points from last time to .545.
Key to the ETSU loss the first time around was the failure to defend against bigs shooting 3’s (6-8 Kyrin Galloway 2-2, and, inexcusably, 6-7 Freshman Angelo Allegri, who only averages 3.9 points per game but was allowed the freedom to shoot 5-6 from 3 for 15 points!!). Those 2 guys were allowed to make 7 of UNCG’s 11 three’s! If Allegri was held to his average of about 4 points, the Bucs would have won that game.
Guard scoring was not strong against UNCG – it’s hard for ETSU to win when the usually steady Patrick Good scores 2 points on 0-5 from 3, although Tray Boyd picked up some of the slack with 5-7 from 3.
Scoring margin in conference for UNCG has dropped to +4.2 from an early season +11.5 as they’ve struggled to put away SoCon foes. ETSU is +8.0 in scoring margin in conference. UNCG hasn’t been scoring efficiently: .324 from 3 (9th in conference, to ETSU’s .367) and .436 FG% (8th in conference to ETSU’s second place .496).
UNCG’s turnover margin is 2nd in D1 at +5.6 (compared to +1.3 last year) and they are 13th in D1 in steals with 8.9 per game. Bucs have improved in turnover margin to +0.81 in conference play, still leaving an edge to UNCG.
The Spartans’ rebounding margin is +1.1, much worse than last year’s excellent +6.8. Bucs rebounding has really slacked off in recent games, but still remains an advantage, +8.4 in conference
UNCG’s FG% defense is average (.435, 157th in D1) to the Bucs’ .426 (114th in D1). 3pt % defense is weak for both teams: .354 (239th in D1) for UNCG to the Bucs’ .363 (290th in D1). Both those figures improved greatly for the Spartans in the latter part of conference play last year.
Miller, (16.7 ppg, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 3.4 steals), Alonso (15.7 ppg, 2.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists) and Troy (7.9 ppg on .276 from 3, 3.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists) get 28 to 29 minutes. 6-8 Kyrin Galloway gets 26 minutes (8.6 ppg on .375 from 3 with 1.4 makes and 3.7 rebounds). Dickey 23 minutes, 7.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocks. Key subs are 6-9 230 Eric Hamilton (18.3 minutes, 6.7 ppg, 5.5 rebounds), 6-4 Rs-Fr shooting guard Kaleb Hunter (19.1 minutes, 6.7 ppg on .292 from 3) and 6-3 Jr Malik Massey (17.2 minutes, 3.0 ppg, mostly from 3). Allegri only gets 9.4 minutes but must be guarded from 3.
Kenpom favors the Spartans at home by a single point, 70-69. UNCG is 13-1 at home with their only loss coming in a blowout to Wofford. But Kenpom also favored ETSU by 6 in Freedom Hall the first time around. Not quite the way that worked out. The Bucs need to prove they can win against UNCG going into the tournament. Especially if they want a chance at the 2 or 3 seed.
Stats are conference play only:
Guards:
#01 6-0 180 So Isaiah Miller; 28.9 minutes, 16.7 ppg on .326 from 3 (0.9 makes), .585 FT%, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.6 t.o.’s, 3.4 steals,
#10 6-3 185 Sr Francis Alonso; 29.3 minutes, 15.7 ppg on .318 from 3 (2.3 makes), .851 FT%, 2.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.5 t.o.’s, 1.3 steals
#11 6-0 187 Sr Demetrius Troy; 29.3 minutes, 7.9 ppg on .276 from 3 (1.1 makes) and .348 from 2, 3.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.1 t.o.’s, 0.9 steals
#44 6-4 190 Rs-Fr Kaleb Hunter; 19.1 minutes, 5.7 ppg on .292 from 3 (0.5 makes)and .436 from 2 (1.6 makes), 2.7 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 1.1 t.o.’s, 0.5 steals
#02 6-3 185 Jr Malik Massey; 17.2 minutes, 3.0 ppg, on .381 from 3 (0.5 makes) and .346 from 2 (0.5 makes), 1.1 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.5 t.o.’s, 0.2 steals
Front Court:
#21 6-9 190 Jr James Dickey; 13 games, 23.4 minutes, 7.5 ppg, no 3’s and .545 from 2, .467 FT%, 7.6 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 2.3 t.o.’s, 1.3 steals, 2.0 blocks
#14 6-8 215 Jr Kyrin Galloway; 26.6 minutes, 8.6 ppg on .375 from 3 (1.4 makes), 3.7 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.9 t.o.’s, 0.9 steals, 0.9 blocks
#35 6-9 225 Jr Eric Hamilton; 18.3 minutes, 6.7 ppg, no 3’s, .581 from 2, 5.5 rebounds, 0.2 assists, 0.9 t.o.’s, 0. 4 blocks
#13 6-7 205 Fr Angelo Allegri; 9.4 minutes, 3.6 ppg on .500 from 3 (0.9 makes), .500 FT%, 1.4 rebounds
#04 6-7 255 Fr Mohammed Abdulsalam; 12 of 15 games, 4.5 minutes, 0.3 ppg, no 3’s, 1.4 rebounds, 0.1 blocks
Bucs need to mop the floor with these guys. Let there be no question about whether they want to see us in the tournament or not.
(02-23-2019 07:07 AM)Efan Wrote: [ -> ]Bucs need to mop the floor with these guys. Let there be no question about whether they want to see us in the tournament or not.
As long as we play on all our cylinders and play hard the whole game mopping will be easy....Go BUCS !!!
(02-23-2019 09:48 AM)James Wilson Wrote: [ -> ] (02-23-2019 07:07 AM)Efan Wrote: [ -> ]Bucs need to mop the floor with these guys. Let there be no question about whether they want to see us in the tournament or not.
As long as we play on all our cylinders and play hard the whole game mopping will be easy....Go BUCS !!!
Hopefully be saying...Down goes Sparty!!!
The way I am seeing it now is if we beat UNCG and WCU and Furman loses one more game then we could get the 2 seed. Because G is slightly ahead of us in the NET and that could flip if we beat them and therefore win the tiebreaker. Please correct me if I am wrong but I am hoping that is what happens. But first, we just have to win.
(02-23-2019 01:54 PM)bucfan81 Wrote: [ -> ]The way I am seeing it now is if we beat UNCG and WCU and Furman loses one more game then we could get the 2 seed. Because G is slightly ahead of us in the NET and that could flip if we beat them and therefore win the tiebreaker. Please correct me if I am wrong but I am hoping that is what happens. But first, we just have to win.
Buc fans need to pull for the Terriers today.
(02-23-2019 04:06 PM)Efan Wrote: [ -> ] (02-23-2019 01:54 PM)bucfan81 Wrote: [ -> ]The way I am seeing it now is if we beat UNCG and WCU and Furman loses one more game then we could get the 2 seed. Because G is slightly ahead of us in the NET and that could flip if we beat them and therefore win the tiebreaker. Please correct me if I am wrong but I am hoping that is what happens. But first, we just have to win.
Buc fans need to pull for the Terriers today.
Is there no other way? Under any other circumstances, I would rather poke myself in the eye on purpose rather than hope for a win by the team whose mascot is a small, annoying dog.
(02-23-2019 04:43 PM)BigIslandBuc Wrote: [ -> ] (02-23-2019 04:06 PM)Efan Wrote: [ -> ] (02-23-2019 01:54 PM)bucfan81 Wrote: [ -> ]The way I am seeing it now is if we beat UNCG and WCU and Furman loses one more game then we could get the 2 seed. Because G is slightly ahead of us in the NET and that could flip if we beat them and therefore win the tiebreaker. Please correct me if I am wrong but I am hoping that is what happens. But first, we just have to win.
Buc fans need to pull for the Terriers today.
Is there no other way? Under any other circumstances, I would rather poke myself in the eye on purpose rather than hope for a win by the team whose mascot is a small, annoying dog.
I think we need them to win today. Then we must beat them in the tournament.
Wofford 72 Furman 64 Final
Excellent. Of course, the best result would have been if both teams (figuratively speaking, of course) would have spontaneously combusted at tip off.
I know that I am getting ahead of myself since they have two games left, but I think today's win basically put Wofford in the NCAA tournament as an at-large if they lose in the conference tournament. That would obviously be historic for our conference.
I saw a prediction today that had ETSU as a 3 seed in the NIT. I know we all want the NCAA tournament, but let's remember that to be in serious discussion about an at-large bid to the NIT is also a big deal. We really need to win this UNCG game not only to improve our seeding for the conference tournament but also to keep our chances at the NIT intact.
Two early (questionable) fouls on Bo and outer chances of winning drop tremendously.
Far too many sloppy turnovers.
3 fouls on bo now.. 7 turnovers
Is the game not on the radio?
(02-24-2019 03:37 PM)bucfan81 Wrote: [ -> ]Is the game not on the radio?
It went off right after lineups. Greensboro station not carrying it either.
(02-24-2019 03:47 PM)RodShaw2 Wrote: [ -> ] (02-24-2019 03:37 PM)bucfan81 Wrote: [ -> ]Is the game not on the radio?
It went off right after lineups. Greensboro station not carrying it either.
Thanks. Thought I was in the Twilight Zone there for a minute.
(02-24-2019 03:30 PM)Buced_Up Wrote: [ -> ]3 fouls on bo now.. 7 turnovers
I am watching the stat feed since no radio.
3 assists and 10 turnovers. was 1 to 9, two late assists helped
Hit foul shots so far.
Big time effort for Williamson in the first half. He turned their press into a weapon for the Bucs.
Guards have to drive and then kick out or hit the bigs. Williams only guard doing that.
Coach should have taken Bo out immediately after his second foul.
Bucs can definitely win this game if they play next 20 min like the last ten minutes.