GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG men's basketball team continues its four-game road swing Friday night as the Spartans travel to Bloomington, Ind., for a meeting against perennial Big Ten power Indiana. Game time at famed Assembly Hall is set for 9 p.m. and the game is nationally televised on the Big Ten Network with Stephen Bardo and Josh Lewin providing the call. Additionally the game will be radio broadcast in the Triad on 1320 WCOG AM with Scott Pryzwansky providing the call.
Friday's game marks the second all-time meeting between UNCG and Indiana. The two teams opened the season against each other Nov. 21, 2003 with the Spartans dropping a 71-64 contest at Assembly Hall. The Spartans connected on 41.8 percent (23-of-55) from the field and 37.5 percent (6-of-16) from distance against Indiana. Jay Joseph led the Spartans with 20 points, including four 3-pointers, while Ronnie Burrell added 11 points and Josh Gross chipped in 10 points.
Indiana connected on 42.9 percent (21-of-49) from the field but the Hoosiers went to the free throw line 33 times, compared to just 14 attempts for the Spartans. Bracey Wright led the Hoosiers with 23 points while Marshall Strickland added 17 points. Current UNCG associate head coach Mike Roberts played for the Hoosiers in the game and logged six minutes of action off the bench.
The injury-depleted Spartans enter the game with a 1-4 overall record after dropping all three games at the EMU Showcase last weekend. The Spartans are down to just eight scholarship players available due to injuries occurring at the guard position. The depleted Spartans averaged 61.6 points per game from their starting five in Michigan, but were unable to provide much scoring depth as the reserves accounted for only 23 points total in the three games.
Redshirt sophomore center R.J. White (Frisco, Texas/Frisco) leads the Spartans on the year in scoring at 16.2 points and on the glass at 7.8 rebounds per game. White is coming off a strong performance at Eastern Michigan as he earned All-Tournament accolades after averaging 15.0 points and 8.3 rebounds per game on the weekend with a pair od double-doubles.
Sophomore guard Tevon Saddler (Aberdeen, Md./St. Frances Academy) is second on the team in scoring at 16.0 points per game. Saddler also averages 5.0 points. 4.6 assists and 2.4 steals per game this season while going to the free throw line a team-high 41 times in five games (8.2 attempts per game). Junior forward Kayel Locke (Baltimore, Md./McDonogh) rounds out the Spartans averaging double figures at 11.6 points per game while also ranking second on the team on the glass at 5.4 caroms per game.
Sophomore guard Clay Byrd (Connelly Springs, N.C./East Burke) and senior guard Nicholas Paulos (Salt Lake City, Utah/New Hampton School) have logged heavy minutes early in the season. Byrd is fourth on the team in scoring at 9.2 points per game and leads the team with 13 3-pointers. He is also averaging 32.8 minutes per game after only playing 49 total minutes as a freshman. Paulos is playing a Southern Conference best 38.0 minutes per game and played 117 of a possible 125 minutes last weekend. He is averaging 9.0 points per game this season and is second on the team with 12 3-pointers.
Indiana enters Friday's game with a 4-1 overall record after suffering its first defeat of the season Monday with an 88-86 loss at home to Eastern Washington. The Hoosiers opened the season with victories over Mississippi Valley State, Texas Southern, nationally-ranked SMU and Lamar. Indiana is averaging 88.8 points per game this season while allowing 71.4 points per game against.
Freshman James Blackmon Jr. leads the Hoosiers in scoring at 20.2 points per game and grabs 4.8 rebounds per game. Blackmon has connected on a team-high 18 3-pointers while going to the free throw line a team-best 25 times. Point guard Yogi Ferrell is second on the team in scoring at 18.8 points per game while leading the team with 29 assists.
Troy Williams leads Indiana on the glass, grabbing 6.0 rebounds per game to go along with his 13.3 points per game. Williams is shooting 61.5 percent (16-of-26) from the field this season. Freshman Robert Johnson rounds out the Hoosiers in double figures at 12.4 points per game and is second on the team with 17 assists.
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