ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The opponent doesn't matter.
All that matters for the UNC Greensboro (UNCG) is how it prepares and performs. The Spartans are the No. 1 seed in the Ingles Southern Conference Men's Basketball Championship presented by General Shale Brick and they are focused on what they can control.
UNCG hit the court at the Harrah's Cherokee Center for its first practice and then held an intense off-site workout in
They just want to play and it doesn't matter whether its eighth-seeded The Citadel or ninth-seeded Western Carolina that shows up in Saturday's quarterfinal game at noon. UNCG has enjoyed a solid week of preparation for what it believes will be a memorable trip to the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
"We're really excited with our preparation for the tournament," UNCG senior center
Hayden Koval said. "It's been a roller coaster of a season with lots of ups and downs. I think we are hitting our stride and clicking as a team at the right moment. We've had some good practices."
UNCG is the only SoCon team to play all 18 games and it is the only squad to defeat each program at least once. The Spartans swept The Citadel, winning at home, 87-73, on Jan. 18 and in Charleston, 85-66 on Feb. 3.
Meanwhile, the Spartans split the season series with Western Carolina, cruising to a 77-56 win in Cullowhee and dropping an 81-80 decision in Greensboro two days later.
"Practices have revolved around focusing on us," Koval said. "Coaches have thrown in a few things that this could be The Citadel or this could be Western Carolina. But we will be ready to play no matter who it is."
The Spartans, who won at least 13 conference games in each of the last five years, are looking forward to the opportunity to hit the floor after a well-deserved week off.
They are among the national leaders in several statistical categories, including road victories. UNCG's 10 road wins were tied for the national lead with Belmont, Bowling Green, and Winthrop.
UNCG is ninth nationally in offensive rebounds per game (13.42), 23rd in rebounding (39.9), 32nd in blocked shots (103), and 21st in turnover margin (+3.5). The Spartan total of 1,039 rebounds is fourth. UNCG is 23rd nationally in total steals (195).
The Spartans are 22-21 all-time in SoCon Tournament history. They have advanced to the championship game in three of the last five years, winning it all in 2018. UNCG has lost twice in the last five years in the quarterfinals in 2020 and 2016. All-time as a No. 1 seed, UNCG is 6-3 overall.
UNCG defeated The Citadel in the 2018 and 2019 quarterfinals. UNCG is 2-1 in the SoCon tournament against The Citadel and 3-2 against Western Carolina, though the teams haven't met since 2012. WCU won that contest, 82-77.
