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| Spartans go in search of another big win for SoCon |
UNC Greensboro (7-1) at No. 10 Kentucky (6-1)
When: Dec. 1, 2018
Where: Rupp Arena (23,000)
How To Tune In: ESPN2/1 p.m. EST
Series: First Meeting
The SoCon basketball season appears to be setting up as one of the strongest in the recent history of the conference. We have all seen the publicity and the noise that Furman and Wofford have made early on this season, with victories No. 8 Villanova, Loyola Chicago and South Carolina already this season.
When: Dec. 1, 2018
Where: Rupp Arena (23,000)
How To Tune In: ESPN2/1 p.m. EST
Series: First Meeting
The SoCon basketball season appears to be setting up as one of the strongest in the recent history of the conference. We have all seen the publicity and the noise that Furman and Wofford have made early on this season, with victories No. 8 Villanova, Loyola Chicago and South Carolina already this season.
With much of the attention focused on three SoCon games Saturday, at least some should shift some attention to the national scoreboard on Saturday and check in on the UNC Greensboro and Kentucky score periodically Saturday afternoon. The game has the potential to be yet another major conference win for the league that has looked as if it will make a habit of it during the non-conference portion of the schedule.
Kentucky has already faced one Southern Conference team on the hardwood a couple of weeks back, notching a 92-82 win over VMI. Saturday afternoon's between the Spartans and Wildcats will mark the first-ever clash between the traditional SEC power and the emerging mid-major power.
As successful as UNCG has been over the past few seasons, the Spartans have never beaten an AP Top 25 program since moving to Division I basketball in 1991-92. The Spartans are 0-30 all-time against teams ranked in the AP Top 25 all-time.
The Spartans already faced one SEC program in the non-conference, having dropped a 97-91 decision on the road to No. 23 LSU, despite connecting on 19 three-pointers and 32 points from Kyrin Galloway.
Kentucky enters the matchup having reeled off six-straight wins after that season-opening loss to VMI. The Wildcats have been solid since, but UNCG likely will offer the Wildcats their first major test since the season opener. That season-opening loss to Duke raised more than a few eyebrows throughout the college basketball landscape, with the Blue Devils blasting the Wildcats, 118-84.
The Wildcats have shown some signs of improvement since that season-opening setback to the Blue Devils. Kentucky got its largest win of the season last time out against Monmouth, posting a 90-44 win.
The Wildcats also have wins over Southern Illinois (71-59), North Dakota (96-58), VMI (92-82), Winthrop (87-74), and Tennessee State (77-62). For the 10th-ranked team in college basketball, it's not exactly a greatly impressive resume' for a team ranked 10th nationally coming into the matchup.
Still, the Wildcats are a program built on success and championships, whether or not they have looked good or not rebounding from that season-opening trouncing at the hands of Duke. A win by UNCG Saturday night would most certainly represent the biggest regular-season win in the history of Spartan athletics.
It would also be another feather in the cap of head coach Wes Miller, who has seemingly stayed to course to build this program where it has in terms of how it is thought of in the minds of those who follow mid-major basketball and college basketball in general.
UNCG's success over the past three seasons has been beneficial to the Southern Conference. Along with Wofford, ETSU and Furman, the Spartans have helped raise the bar of the SoCon hoops brand over the past few seasons.
Probable Starting Five For UNCG:
G--Francis Alonso (19.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 24-of-52 from 3pt range, 46.2%)
G--Malik Massey (4.9 PPG, 2.3 RPG)
G--Demetrius Troy (8.4 PPG, 2.3 RPG)
F--Kyrin Galloway (13.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG)
F--James Dickey (7.5 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 17 blks)
Off The Bench:
G--Isaiah Miller (13.9 PPG, 2.9 RPG)
Probable Starting Five For Kentucky:
G--Keldon Johnson (16.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG)
G--Immanuel Quickly (7.9 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.0 APG)
G--Tyler Herro (10.9 PPG, 1.7 SPG)
F--Reid Travis (13.6 PPG, 6.3 RPG)
F--PJ Washington (12.6 PPG, 8.4 RPG)
Final Prediction: UNCG 77, Kentucky 73
Kentucky enters the matchup having reeled off six-straight wins after that season-opening loss to VMI. The Wildcats have been solid since, but UNCG likely will offer the Wildcats their first major test since the season opener. That season-opening loss to Duke raised more than a few eyebrows throughout the college basketball landscape, with the Blue Devils blasting the Wildcats, 118-84.
The Wildcats have shown some signs of improvement since that season-opening setback to the Blue Devils. Kentucky got its largest win of the season last time out against Monmouth, posting a 90-44 win.
The Wildcats also have wins over Southern Illinois (71-59), North Dakota (96-58), VMI (92-82), Winthrop (87-74), and Tennessee State (77-62). For the 10th-ranked team in college basketball, it's not exactly a greatly impressive resume' for a team ranked 10th nationally coming into the matchup.
Still, the Wildcats are a program built on success and championships, whether or not they have looked good or not rebounding from that season-opening trouncing at the hands of Duke. A win by UNCG Saturday night would most certainly represent the biggest regular-season win in the history of Spartan athletics.
It would also be another feather in the cap of head coach Wes Miller, who has seemingly stayed to course to build this program where it has in terms of how it is thought of in the minds of those who follow mid-major basketball and college basketball in general.
UNCG's success over the past three seasons has been beneficial to the Southern Conference. Along with Wofford, ETSU and Furman, the Spartans have helped raise the bar of the SoCon hoops brand over the past few seasons.
Probable Starting Five For UNCG:
G--Francis Alonso (19.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 24-of-52 from 3pt range, 46.2%)
G--Malik Massey (4.9 PPG, 2.3 RPG)
G--Demetrius Troy (8.4 PPG, 2.3 RPG)
F--Kyrin Galloway (13.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG)
F--James Dickey (7.5 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 17 blks)
Off The Bench:
G--Isaiah Miller (13.9 PPG, 2.9 RPG)
Probable Starting Five For Kentucky:
G--Keldon Johnson (16.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG)
G--Immanuel Quickly (7.9 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.0 APG)
G--Tyler Herro (10.9 PPG, 1.7 SPG)
F--Reid Travis (13.6 PPG, 6.3 RPG)
F--PJ Washington (12.6 PPG, 8.4 RPG)
Final Prediction: UNCG 77, Kentucky 73
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