Who	UNCG (15-6, 10-3) at VMI (11-10, 7-6)
When	Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, 7:00 p.m.
Where	Cameron Hall -- Lexington, Va.
Series History	UNCG leads 20-8
Last Meeting	UNCG 76, VMI 59 (Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021)
Watch	ESPN+
Live Stats	CLICK HERE
Listen Live	TUNEIN RADIO
Game Notes	UNCG / VMI

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The finish line is in sight. Yet, it's still so far away. There's nothing to do, but to keep running and grinding.
 
The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's basketball team begins the stretch drive of a special season with its annual visit to the Virginia Military Institute.
 
With five games remaining and ranked 15th in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll, the Spartans are in first place of the rugged Southern Conference despite being inexplicably shutout this season from any SoCon Player of the Week recognition. They lead Furman by a game in the loss column and the remaining eight squads by at least two games.
 
It's a great position to be in, but again on Feb. 16, it means nothing.
 
UNCG is looking forward to the challenge as three of its final five games are on the road. UNCG defeated VMI, 76-59, on Jan. 30 behind Isaiah Miller's dominant performance of 25 points, seven rebounds, and seven steals.
 
The Spartans know they will have their hands full against the Keydets, who are 10-1 at home this season. VMI has won two of its last three games, including an 85-56 win over Samford last Saturday. VMI senior guard Greg Parham became just the 42nd member of the VMI men's basketball team's 1,000-point club. It was VMI's largest margin of victory in the SoCon under head coach Dan Earl.
 
Fortunately, UNCG has thrived on the road this season, compiling an 8-2 record in foreign facilities.
 
That record is impressive when one considers that all seven squads UNCG has defeated on the road have a combined 45-21 record at home (68.1 percent). The Spartans' eight road wins are tied for the third-most in Division I men's basketball.
 
Also, you will notice during the game that UNCG head men's basketball coach Wes Miller will be participating in a NABC initiative to honor the late John Thompson by wearing commemorative towels over his shoulder during Wednesday's game at VMI. Every head men's basketball coach who is an active member of the NABC was sent a towel, and many programs have purchased additional towels for their entire teams.
 
In his phenomenal autobiography "I Came As A Shadow", Thompson revealed the towel was a tribute to his mother, who always wore a towel when she was in the kitchen. It was always a way to have a piece of her with him.
 
"As I've gotten into coaching and studied the history of our game more, I've come to not just appreciate John Thompson as not only as one of the elite coaches in the history of our game, which I already knew, but also appreciate the barriers that he was able to break down especially racially in our profession," Wes Miller said. "The stereotypes he was able to break. The thing I've been the most amazed about over time is learning about the impact he had on the kids that he coached outside of basketball. There's so many stories about that.

"Even though I never had any personal interaction with him being in our game jis presence has been felt for generations and he's impacted the history of our game in so many way and I have a great appreciation for that now."
 
The NABC launched the initiative – intentionally targeted to take place during Black History Month - to honor Thompson for his lasting impact both on and off the court. Towels featuring an image of Thompson were distributed to every NABC-member head men's basketball coach in NCAA Divisions I, II and III and the NAIA.
 
Additionally, every program in HBCU conferences currently competing in the 2020- 21 season was outfitted with sets of towels.
 
"John Thompson was an icon in our profession, and we wanted to make sure his legacy was celebrated in a prominent way this season," said NABC Executive Director Craig Robinson. "Big John not only achieved the highest levels of coaching success during his career, but he also paved the way for more equitable opportunities for countless Black student-athletes and coaches – me included."
 
"Our goal is that this collective effort by coaches will bring about important dialogue and help educate those watching on what Big John meant to our game and our society," Robinson added.
 
UNCG will return home to host Chattanooga Saturday at 5 p.m. The game will be televised on Nexstar.