GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's basketball team will continue The Southern Conference (SoCon) regular season slate by traveling to Western Carolina to play on Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 7:00 p.m. inside of Liston B. Ramsey Regional Activity Center.

The Spartans will then host the conference-leading ETSU Buccaneers on Saturday, Feb. 21 inside of Bodford Arena at 4:00 p.m.

With the final two SoCon games being played next week, UNCG is currently in a three-way tie for fourth place with Samford and Furman. ETSU is leading the league with an 11-3 record, while Mercer and Samford are tied for second with a 9-5 mark. Western Carolina is tied for seventh with The Citadel with their 6-8 SoCon record.

UNCG holds the four-game edge in the all-time series against Western Carolina at 36-32. The Spartans are 19-1 in the last 20 meetings with the Catamounts, where UNCG claimed a close 81-78 contest in Greensboro on Feb. 4.  
 
ETSU holds the slight advantage over UNCG, 25-21. The Bucs defeated the Spartans, 86-60, in Johnson City, Tennessee, on Jan. 10.
 

Game 28: UNC Greensboro (12-15, 8-6 SoCon) at Western Carolina (10-15, 6-8 SoCon)
Date	Wednesday, Feb. 18
Time	7:00 p.m.
Location	Cullowhee, N.C. (Liston B. Ramsey Regional Activity Center)
Tickets	Click here to purchase tickets
Coverage	Live Stats: Live Stats |  Video: ESPN+
Social Media	Twitter: @UNCGBasketball | Instagram: @uncgbasketball | Facebook: UNCGmbb

 

Game 29: UNC Greensboro (12-15, 8-6 SoCon) vs. ETSU (19-8, 11-3 SoCon)
Date	Saturday, Feb. 21
Time	4:00 p.m.
Location	Greensboro, N.C. (Bodford Arena)
Tickets	Click here to purchase tickets
Promotions	Senior Night! Gold Rush – Wear Gold! Student Appreciation: Enter to Win Prizes! Campus Community Day
Coverage	Live Stats: Live Stats |  Video: ESPN+
Social Media	Twitter: @UNCGBasketball | Instagram: @uncgbasketball | Facebook: UNCGmbb

 
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE SPARTANS

• UNCG is on a four-game win streak after defeating VMI, 92-71, and then Wofford, 99-89, both at home last week.  
• Against the Keydets, KJ Younger and Clinton Efinda paced the team with 21 points each, while Justin Neely and Lilian Marville each scored 16 points.
• In a battle against the Terriers, Neely recorded his 17^th double-double of the season with 29 points and 16 rebounds. His 29 points matched his career best.
• Younger was second on the team with 22 points, while Valentino Pinedo (15 points), Marville (13 points) and Donald Whitehead Jr. (11 points) rounded out the Spartans' double-figure scoring.

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS

• UNCG comes into the week with a 12-15 overall record and 8-6 mark in the SoCon tying for fourth place in the conference standings.
• The Spartans are pacing the SoCon in free throws made per game (17.2) and three point percentage (36.0).
• Neely leads the conference in four categories, including: double-doubles (17), rebounds (320), defensive rebounds per game (9.19) and rebounds per game (11.9).
• The graduate student is nationally ranked in: rebounds (1^st/320), defensive rebounds per game (1^st/9.19), rebounds per game (2^nd/11.9), double-doubles (2^nd/17), free throw attempts (6^th/214) and free throws (6^th/166).
• Neely recorded a career-best 22 rebounds against VMI on Jan. 21. According to UNCG records, the last time a Spartan collected 20 or more rebounds in a single game was James Dickey on March 15, 2020, when he recorded 20 boards against Mercer. Neely's 22 rebounds are the most in a single game in UNCG's Division I era.
• Neely now joins elite company with 20 or more boards in a single game: Tom Nelson (27), Bruce (25), Kyle Hines (21) and Dickey (20).
• Neely (17.6), Younger (14.6) and Whitehead Jr. (11.0) round out the Spartans averaging double-figure points.
• Neely (2.6) and Whitehead Jr. (2.5) are leading the team in assists per game.  
• Valentino Pinedo is leading the Spartans with 24 blocks this season.
• Neely has been voted SoCon Player of the Week twice this season, with the latest being on Feb. 9, following back-to-back double-doubles in SoCon play.
• The Miami Beach, Florida, native was also named Lou Henson National Player of the Week on Feb. 9.
• 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.
• The 2024-25 season was the eighth year out of nine with 20 or more wins for the Spartans after going 20-12 overall and 13-5 in the SoCon.
• Coach Mike Jones achieved his third year out of four winning 20 or more games last season with the Spartans.

SCOUTING THE CATAMOUNTS

• Western Carolina is on a two-game win streak and will battle UNCG with a 10-15 overall record and 6-8 mark in the SoCon.
• The Catamounts just defeated The Citadel, 87-49, and Chattanooga, 81-76, last week.
• Western Carolina is leading the SoCon and 14^th nationally in offensive rebounds per game (13.92).
• The team is second in the SoCon in bench points per game (26.04), rebound margin (5.6) and rebounds per game (38.88).
• Samuel Dada is second in the conference with a 3.24 offensive rebounds per game average.
• Marcus Kell (13.5), Cord Stansberry (13.2) and Julien Soumaoro (12.2) are leading the team with double-figure scoring.
• Soumaoro stands out from behind the arc, averaging 2.48 three-pointers per game.
• Tidjiane Dioumassi is pacing the team with a 2.9 assists per game average.
• Dada and Abdulai Fanta Kabba lead the Catamounts with 23 blocks this year.
• The Catamounts were picked to finish seventh in the SoCon Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• Kell was selected to the Preseason All-Conference Team ahead of the 2025-26 season.
• Head Coach Tim Craft is in his second season at the helm of the Western Carolina men's basketball program.

SCOUTING THE BUCS

• ETSU was voted to finish fourth in the 2025-26 SoCon Preseason Coaches' Poll. 
• Jaylen Smith was voted to the 2025-26 Preseason All-Conference Team.
• The Bucs will travel to Furman on Wednesday before heading to Greensboro.
• ETSU is coming off an 82-72 overtime loss to Samford, where the Bulldogs outscored the Bucs 14-4 in the extra frame.
• Cam Morris III is leading the Bucs with 14.4 points per game.
• Blake Barkley (14.2 points) and Brian Taylor II (14.1 points) are second and third, respectively, on the team.
• Barkley paces the squad with 5.7 rebounds per game.
• Allen Strothers is averaging 3.3 assists per game.
• ETSU is leading the SoCon in blocks per game (3.6), field goal percentage (48.4), free throw percentage (76.5), scoring defense (68.1), scoring margin (10.2), steals per game (9.1), turnover margin (3.3), turnovers forced per game (13.44) and winning percentage (70.4).
• The Bucs are nationally ranked 20^th in steals per game and 28^th in turnover margin.   
• ETSU has the edge over its opponents in points per game (78.3-68.1) field goals per game (28.0-23.3), free throws per game (15.0-13.0), rebounds per game (34.5-31.9), assists per game (14.7-12.9), points off turnovers (16.9-10.8) and steals (9.1-5.9).
• The Bucs concluded the 2024-25 season 19-13 overall and 12-6 in the SoCon.

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
The Spartans hit the road for their final two games of the regular season, traveling first to Chattanooga on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 7:00 p.m. inside McKenzie Arena. They will then battle Samford on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 6:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. CT in Pete Hanna Center in Birmingham, Alabama.