SPARTAN ESSENTIALS
Who: North Carolina A&T
Where: Greensboro Coliseum | Greensboro, N.C.
When: Tuesday, November 9 | 7 p.m.
Watch (ESPN+) |
Live Stats
Game Notes:
UNCG
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The
Mike Jones era is officially here.
The first-year UNC Greensboro (UNCG) head men's basketball coach is excited to start the 2021-22 season against crosstown foe North Carolina A&T. It should be fun.
Jones being at UNCG is a perfect match. Both are used to winning. Jones has won 21 or more games in five of the 10 seasons he was at Radford. He also won a game in the NCAA Tournament. He inherits the SoCon's best program over the past five seasons (125 wins). UNCG has won at least 20 games in five straight seasons.
Daily growth possession by possession are the expectations this season. The Spartans will look slightly different when they take the floor against the Aggies from the one that exited Bankers Life Fieldhouse after a hard-fought setback to Florida State in the NCAA Tournament in March.
UNCG does have some familiar faces returning in graduate student
Kaleb Hunter, junior
Kobe Langley, and senior
Mohammed Abdulsalam. The trio will form the foundation of UNCG's program this season.
Hunter, who enters the season with 724 career points, had 12 double-digit scoring games for the Spartans last season and averaged 8.6 points per contest. Hunter had one double-double last season against Norfolk State (16 points, 10 rebounds).
In averaging 6.6 points and 6.9 rebounds, Abdulsalam led the SoCon in offensive rebounding per game (2.93). He was 50th in offensive rebounds per game and seventh in the conference in rebounding (7.0). Abdulsalam had a career best 16 rebounds against Western Carolina and a career-high 15 points against North Carolina A&T.
Langley is one of the top defensive performers in the SoCon.
Juniors
Khyre Thompson and
Bas Leyte are excited to potentially enjoy bigger roles this season. They each had key moments during last year's 21-win season. Also returning for UNCG this season are sophomores J.C. Tharrington and
Reggie Raynor.
They will join impact transfers
De'Monte Buckingham (CSU-Bakersfield),
Jalen White (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi),
Dante Treacy (Robert Morris), and
Miles Jones (Radford) and newcomers
Jalen Breath and
A.J. Williams.
In addition to the 1,294 career points he has scored, Buckingham has reached double figures 59 times. He has also hit for 20 or more points nine times, including a career-best 28 in a contest against Georgetown while as a member of Richmond.
Treacy helped Robert Morris win the Northeast Conference postseason tournament championship in 2020. White led Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in scoring with 11.7 points per game, including 12.4 points in conference during the 2020-21 year. He ranked ninth in the Southland Conference in defensive rebounds with 4.7 per outing. White scored in double-figures 11 times.
A Look At North Carolina A&T
- This will be Aggies' first game as a member of the Big South Conference.
- The Aggies were picked third in the Big South Northern Division preseason poll.
- North Carolina A&T returns three starters from last season: Kameron Langley (10.6 points, 6.7 assists), Webster Filmore, and Tyler Maye (7.8 points per game).
- Langley was named to the Preseason All-Big South Second Team.
- Overall, North Carolina A&T returns 11 players including Jeremy Robinson, an 81 percent foul shooter, and Blake Harris, who averaged 8.6 points per outing.
- The Aggies' experienced roster is also bolstered by transfers David Beatty (La Salle), Demetric Horton (Fort Wayne), Marcus Watson (New Mexico State), and Justin Whatley (North Carolina Central).
Up Next
UNCG plays its first road game Friday at Northern Kentucky. It will be a 7 p.m. tip-off.
