Complete Game Notes

Today's Game
UNCG seeks its first December victory when the Spartans visit Florida State for a Sunday afternoon tilt ... the game is being televised by Fox Sports South and can also be seen on ESPN3 ... this is the first of three games the Spartans will play against ACC teams this season ... UNCG is also scheduled to visit Duke (Dec. 19) and Miami (Jan. 2) ... UNCG is 1-43 all-time against current ACC members, with its lone victory an 83-74 win at Georgia Tech on Nov. 9, 2007 ... the Spartans have faced at least one ACC team every season since 2003-04.

UNCG Head Coach Mike Dement
Mike Dement is in the seventh season of his second tenure as head coach at UNCG. Dement returned to UNCG on April 9, 2005 for his second stint as men's basketball coach. He previously served as the Spartans' head man from 1991-95. Dement, 57, is the ninth head coach in school history – and the first to serve two different tenures as head coach of the program. His 124 wins at UNCG are the most in school history for men's basketball. Dement has also served head coaching stints at Cornell (1987-91) and SMU (1996-04). Overall, Dement is 329-367 in his 25th season as a head coach.

Elon Leftovers
Sophomore swingman Trevis Simpson scored a season-high 27 points, including 18 in the second half ... junior guard Korey Van Dussen enjoyed his finest game of the season with 13 points, six rebounds and three assists ... the Spartans made their first eight free throws but finished the game just 14-of-24 from the free throw line ... UNCG shot below 40 percent for the fifth time this season ... UNCG out-rebounded Elon, 40-36, the fifth time the Spartans have bettered their opponent on the glass.

Simpson Stepping Up
With the loss of leading scorer Brandon Evans to graduation, sophomore swingman Trevis Simpson has assumed the role of top scorer for the Spartans in 2011-12. Currently seventh in the SoCon in scoring at 14.8 points per game, Simpson has scored at least 10 points in eight of UNCG's nine games this season.
    On Monday against Elon, Simpson attempted to almost single-handedly bring the Spartans back from a late 14-point deficit by scoring 13 of his game-high 27 points in the final 6:12. But Elon hung on for an 80-72 victory.

Brackett Breaks Out
Since being inserted into the starting line-up three games ago at Appalachian State, senior forward Aaron Brackett has played like one of the top front court players in the SoCon. Over the last three games, Bracket is averaging 12.0 points and 10.3 rebounds while shooting 52 percent from the field and 80 percent from the line.
    In his season's first start at Appalachian State, Brackett didn't disappoint. He scored a team-high 17 points and just missed a double-double by grabbing nine rebounds. He remained in the starting line-up two nights later at Western Carolina and responded with 13 points and 13 rebounds.

Parker Packing a Long-Range Punch
Sophomore guard Drew Parker isn't exactly the first name that comes to mind when pondering UNCG's top three-point shooters. After all, he shot just 30 percent from beyond the arc as a freshman. But as he enters Sunday's game at Florida State, Parker finds himself atop the SoCon leader board in three-point percentage at .625 (15-24).
    A recent hot streak has lifted Parker to such lofty heights. Over his last four games he has made 12-of-18 from 3-point range, including a 3-of-8 effort on Monday against Elon.

Spartans Picked Fourth in SoCon North
UNCG men's basketball team has been picked to finish fourth in the Southern Conference North Division in 2011-12 according to a vote by league head coaches, the conference office announced in October.
    Chattanooga and Davidson are the favorites to capture the Southern Conference's divisional men's basketball titles in 2011-12.  Appalachian State senior guard Omar Carter was also named the SoCon Preseason Player of the Year as part of the preseason all-conference team. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team or student-athletes as part of the balloting.
    Dement begins the seventh season of his second tenure at UNCG and his 12th season overall with the Spartans looking to build upon last season's strong finish. After opening the year with a 0-15 mark, a team consisting of 11 first-and-second year players closed by winning seven of their final 16 games. The Spartans also won their opening game at the Southern Conference tournament before falling in the quarterfinals.

Another Tough Schedule
    An appearance in the Maui Invitational, home games with East Carolina and 2011 Final Four participant VCU, and road games at Duke, Florida State and Miami (Fla.) highlight UNCG's 2011-12 men's basketball schedule, announced today by head coach Mike Dement.
    In all, the Spartans are slated to play 30 regular season contests including 12 home games, all at Greensboro Coliseum. In addition to a full schedule of Southern Conference games, UNCG will square off against cross-town rival North Carolina A&T in late November at the Coliseum.

Spartans on TV
UNCG men's basketball will make seven appearances on national and regional television outlets during the 2011-12 season.
    The Spartans will appear four times on Fox Sports South, beginning with the season opener at Tennessee on Nov. 11. Other FSN South appearances include games at Florida State (Dec. 11), at Duke (Dec. 19) and at Miami, Fla. (Jan. 2).
    UNCG's game at Georgetown on Nov. 14 will appear on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), which serves seven states from Pennsylvania to North Carolina. MASN is available locally in the Piedmont Triad on DirecTV Ch. 640.
    The Spartans' home game with 2011 Final Four participant VCU on Dec. 22 will be shown on ESPN3, while a Feb. 4 contest at Furman is part of the SoCon Sports Network's season-long television package. The SoCon Sports Network consists of CSS, UNC-TV and ESPN3.
    More television game may be added during the season. Be sure to check with www.uncgspartans.com throughout the year.

Spartans on the Radio
UNCG men's basketball games will once again be broadcast on the Triad Sports Network for the 2011-12 season. Owned by Curtis Media Group, the Triad Sports Network is a trio of AM stations providing all sports programming with ESPN radio affiliation. UNCG will be utilizing 1320 WCOG-AM as its flagship station for the broadcasts. Additional coverage will be provided on a game-by-game availability through 1200 WSML-AM and 1230 WMFR-AM;
    WSML-AM's signal is based out of Graham, N.C., while WMFR-AM is based out of High Point. WZTK-FM, Curtis' FM-talk station, has a 100,000-watt signal that broadcasts nearly statewide and into parts of Virginia and Tennessee.
    Scott Pryzwansky will once again handle play-by-play duties.

About the Southern Conference
The Southern Conference, which began its 91st season of intercollegiate competition in 2011, is a national leader in emphasizing the development of the student-athlete and in helping to build lifelong leaders and role models.
    The Southern Conference has been on the forefront of innovation and originality in developing creative solutions to address issues facing intercollegiate athletics. From establishing the first conference basketball tournament (1921), tackling the issue of freshmen eligibility (1922), developing women's championships (1984), to becoming the first conference to install the three-point goal in basketball (1980), the Southern Conference has been a pioneer.
    The Southern Conference is the nation's fifth-oldest NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association. Only the Big Ten (1896), the Missouri Valley (1907), the Pacific 10 (1915) and the Southwestern Athletic (1920) conferences are older in terms of origination.

Up Next
The Spartans return home to host East Carolina, 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 16 at Greensboro Coliseum.