GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's basketball team will continue The Southern Conference (SoCon) schedule by hosting The Citadel and Mercer this week.
 
The Spartans first host The Citadel on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. inside Bodford Arena. They then host Mercer on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 4:00 p.m. at First Horizon Coliseum.
 
UNCG holds the all-time series record over The Citadel at 40-10 overall. The Spartans are 23-1 in the last 24 meetings with the Bulldogs. UNCG secured both meetings with The Citadel last season with a 70-57 win in Greensboro and a 76-61 victory in Charleston. 
 
UNCG has the slight edge over Mercer at 14-12 in the overall meetings. The two teams split last season's meeting as the Bears notched a 79-78 battle in Greensboro, but the Spartans captured the 78-61 victory over Mercer in Macon.
 

Game 18: UNC Greensboro (6-11, 2-2 SoCon) vs The Citadel (4-13, 1-3 SoCon)
Date	Thursday, Jan. 15
Time	7:00 p.m.
Location	Greensboro, N.C. (Bodford Arena)
Tickets	Click here to purchase tickets
Coverage	Live Stats: Live Stats | Video: ESPN+
Promotion	First 500 UNCG students receive a FREE t-shirt courtesy of Pepsi! Guilford County Night
Social Media	Twitter: @UNCGBasketball | Instagram: @uncgbasketball | Facebook: UNCGmbb

 

Game 19: UNC Greensboro (6-11, 2-2 SoCon) vs Mercer (10-7, 2-2 SoCon)
Date	Saturday, Jan. 17
Time	4:00 p.m.
Location	Greensboro, N.C. (First Horizon Coliseum)
Tickets	Click here to purchase tickets
Coverage	Live Stats: Live Stats |  Video: ESPN+
Promotion	White Out: Wear White! First 500 fans receive a FREE replica white jersey! Reading Day!
Social Media	Twitter: @UNCGBasketball | Instagram: @uncgbasketball | Facebook: UNCGmbb

 
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE SPARTANS

• UNCG fell in its first set of SoCon road contests last week with a 97-85 loss at Wofford on Wednesday, Jan. 7 and falling at ETSU on Saturday, Jan. 10, 86-60.
• At ETSU, Justin Neely recorded his 10^th double-double of the season and 17^th of his career behind 13 points and 10 rebounds, while KJ Younger contributed 13 points and seven rebounds.
• Donald Whitehead Jr. added nine points and two steals.
• Noah Norgaard recorded eight points.
• ETSU had the advantage in field goal percentage (59.7-34.0), three-point percentage (33.3-25.0), points in the paint (54-26), points off turnovers (25-4) and bench points (27-15).
• UNCG led the game in second chance points (12-6), fast break points (15-9), rebounds (36-27) and free throw percentage (76.0-75.0).

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS

• UNCG comes into the week with a 6-11 overall record and 2-2 mark in the SoCon to stand tied for third place in the conference standings.
• The Spartans are pacing the SoCon in free throws made per game (17.4) and three-point percentage (36.1).
• Neely leads the conference and is fifth nationally with 10 double-doubles this season. He also paces the league in rebounds (193), defensive rebounds per game (8.35) and rebounds per game (11.4).
• His 193 boards ranks second nationally, while his 8.35 defensive rebounds average and 11.4 rebounds per game ranks him third in the country.
• Neely is also second in the SoCon in offensive rebounds per game (3.00) and free throws (90).
• KJ Younger (13.4) and Whitehead Jr. (12.0) round out the Spartans averaging double-figure points.
• Neely (2.8) and Whitehead Jr. (2.6) are leading the team in assists per game.  
• Valentino Pinedo is leading the Spartans with 12 blocks this season.
• Neely was voted SoCon Player of the Week on Nov. 24 after averaging a double-double with 17.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game in a 1-1 week in Florida.
• The 2025-26 roster features three returners and 11 newcomers.
• Six of the 14 student-athletes are international, which is the largest international class under fifth-year Head Coach Mike Jones.
• UNCG was picked to finish fifth in the 2025 SoCon Preseason Coaches' Poll with 43 votes.  
• The Spartans will play 10 games in Bodford Arena and four games in the First Horizon Coliseum this season.
• UNCG went 20-12 overall and 13-5 in the SoCon in the 2024-25 season.
• This was the eighth year out of nine with 20 or more wins for the Spartans.
• The Spartans concluded the 2024-25 season ranked 14th in three-point percentage defense (30.1), 15th in field goal percentage defense (40.0), 25th in scoring defense (65.4), 26th in turnovers per game (9.9) and 32nd three-point percentage (37.2). 
• Coach Jones achieved his third year out of four winning 20 or more games last season with the Spartans.
• UNCG entered the 2025 SoCon Tournament as the second seed, marking the third consecutive year under Jones that the team has secured a top three seed. 

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS

• The Citadel was picked to finish last in the SoCon Preseason Coaches' Poll ahead of the 2025-26 season.
• The Bulldogs come into Thursday's contest with a 4-13 overall record and 1-3 mark in the SoCon.
• The Citadel is coming off a 79-77 overtime win over Western Carolina on Saturday, Jan. 10 in Charleston. This marked the Bulldogs' first SoCon win since the 2023-24 season.
• Braxton Williams (12.1) and Christian Moore (10.8) are leading the Bulldogs in double-figures.
• Williams stands out from behind the arc, averaging 2.1 three-pointers per game.
• Sola Adebisi is pacing The Citadel in the post with a 5.7 rebounds per game average and 17 total blocks this season.
• Eze Wali leads the team in assists per game (2.2) and steals per game (1.0).
• The Citadel concluded the 2024-25 season at 5-25 overall and 0-18 in the SoCon.
• Head Coach Ed Conroy is in his eighth season at the helm of The Citadel men's basketball team.

SCOUTING THE BEARS

• Mercer was tabbed to finish eighth in the SoCon Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• The Bears come into the week with a 10-7 overall record and 2-2 SoCon mark.
• The Bears are currently tied for third place in the SoCon standings with Samford and UNCG.
• Mercer most recently secured back-to-back 100-point SoCon wins with a 101-63 over the Citadel on Wednesday, Jan. 7 and a 109-97 victory over Wofford on Saturday, Jan. 10 in Macon.
• The 109 points versus Wofford marked the most points scored against a SoCon opponent in program history.
• Baraka Okoje was named the SoCon Player of the Week on Monday, Jan. 12. For the week, Okojie averaged 21.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.0 steal per game, while shooting 61.1 percent from the floor. Okojie has recorded a steal in each of the Bears' last seven games.
• The Bears are pacing the SoCon in scoring offense (84.8) and turnover margin (3.4).
• Mercer is second in the league in blocks per game (3.6), scoring margin (10.3), steals per game (9.3) and turnovers forced per game (14.29).
• Okoje leads the conference in assists (91), assists per game (5.7) and free throws (97).
• Armani Mighty paces the SoCon in blocks (31), blocks per game (1.82), field goal percentage (65.9) and offensive rebounds per game (3.53).
• Mighty leads the Bears with a 9.5 rebounds per game average.
• Okoje (18.2), Mighty (12.9) and Zaire Williams (11.8) are leading the Bears in double-figure scoring.
• Head Coach Ryan Ridder is in his second season with the Bears and finished the 2024-25 season 14-19 overall and 6-12 in the SoCon.
• Mercer will travel to VMI on Thursday, Jan. 15 at 6:00 p.m. before coming to UNCG on Saturday.

FLEMING GYMNASIUM RENAMED BODFORD ARENA

• On Saturday, Nov. 8, Fleming Gymnasium, home to UNCG volleyball, women's basketball and men's basketball was renamed to Bodford Arena.
• This historic moment for the department was made possible through a transformational $2 million gift from the Bodford family.
• This generous support represents the largest unrestricted gift in the history of UNCG Athletics, as well as the first associated with naming a competitive athletic facility.  
• The University is already familiar with the Bodford name - the Bodford Family Speed, Strength & Conditioning Center was dedicated in October 2020.  

UNCG MEN'S BASKETBALL TICKET INFORMATION
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UP NEXT
UNCG will continue SoCon play in Lexington, Virginia, by taking on the VMI Keydets on Wednesday, Jan. 21 at 6:00 p.m. UNCG will return home to host Furman on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 5:00 p.m. in Bodford Arena.
 
The matchup against the Paladins on Saturday will be a part of a doubleheader with the UNCG women's basketball team hosting ETSU at 2:00 p.m. Fans who attend the women's game (who do not already have a ticket to the men's game) are able to stay for the men's game but must relocate to sections four, five or six in Bodford Arena upon conclusion of women's basketball game. If fans have a men's ticket, you are allowed to enter the women's game.