GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's basketball team, who received the No. 7 seed, is set to compete in the 2026 Southern Conference (SoCon) Tournament. The Spartans will go head-to-head with No. 10 VMI in a first round matchup on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Harrah's Cherokee Center.

The Spartans are entering the tournament with a 13-18 overall mark and a 9-9 SoCon record. The Keydets have a 6-25 overall record and a 1-17 mark in the conference.
UNCG and VMI faced off last season in postseason play in one of the SoCon Quarterfinal matchups, where the Keydets claimed a 64-57 victory.

The winner of the Spartans versus the Keydets will move on to a quarterfinal game set for Saturday, March 7 at 2:30 p.m. versus No. 2 Wofford.

UNCG has the overall series advantage against the Keydets, 28-11. The Spartans swept VMI during the regular season, taking game one, 85-78, in Lexington, Virginia, on Jan. 20, and then 92-71, in Greensboro on Feb. 11.

2026 SoCon Basketball Championship Information
 

Game 32: No. 7 UNC Greensboro (13-18, 9-9 SoCon) vs. No. 10 VMI (6-25, 1-17 SoCon)
Date	Friday, March 6
Time	7:30 p.m.
Location	Asheville, N.C. (Harrah's Cherokee Center)
Coverage	Live Stats: Live Stats |  Video: ESPN+
Social Media	Twitter: @UNCGBasketball | Instagram: @uncgbasketball | Facebook: UNCGmbb

LAST TIME OUT FOR THE SPARTANS

• UNCG concluded the final weekend of the regular season with an 85-80 victory over Chattanooga and then falling to Samford, 87-78.
• Justin Neely paced the Spartans against the Mocs with his 18^th double-double of the season and 25^th of his career, scoring 18 points and grabbing 17 rebounds.
• Against the Bulldogs, five Spartans reached double-figures in the contest with Lilian Marville leading the team with 21 points.
• Donald Whitehead Jr. added 14 points and Valentino Pinedo, KJ Younger and Clinton Efinda chipped in 11 points apiece.

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS

• The Spartans are pacing the SoCon free throw percentage (24.0) and three point percentage (36.5).
• Neely leads the conference in four categories, including: double-doubles (18), rebounds (352), defensive rebounds per game (8.87) and rebounds per game (11.4).
• The graduate student is nationally ranked in: defensive rebounds per game (1^st/8.87), rebounds (2^nd/352), double-doubles (3^rd/18), rebounds per game (3^rd/11.4), free throws (8^th/184), free throw attempts (14^th/235), points (72^nd/546) and field goal percentage (82^nd/53.1).
• 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 is the second Spartan this season to score 30 or more points, with Younger scoring 30 at Mercer.
• Neely (17.6), Younger (14.6) and Whitehead Jr. (10.5) round out the Spartans averaging double-figure points.
• Neely (2.5) and Whitehead Jr. (2.4) are leading the team in assists per game.  
• Pinedo is leading the Spartans with 27 blocks this season.
• Neely was 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.
• He was also voted to the SoCon All-Conference First Team.
• 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 KEYDETS

• VMI received the No. 10 seed heading into the 2026 SoCon Tournament after concluding the regular season 6-25 overall and 1-17 in the SoCon.
• VMI's lone SoCon win this season came against Chattanooga on Jan. 3, 79-71. Since then, the Keydets have lost their last 16 games.
• The Keydets are pacing the SoCon and are 17^th nationally with a 10.7 three-pointers per game average.
• TJ Johnson is second in the league with 411 field goal attempts, 35:23 minutes per game, 3.57 three-pointers per game and 107 total three-pointers this season.
• Johnson was selected to the All-SoCon Third Team following the 2025-26 regular season.
• Head Coach Andrew Wilson is in his fourth season at the helm of the VMI men's basketball program.
• Johnson (18.4), Linus Holmstrom (10.9) and Tan Yildizoglu (10.1) are pacing the team in double-figures.
• The Keydets concluded the 2025-26 regular season with a 86-79 loss at Chattanooga on Feb. 28.

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.   

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UP NEXT
The winner of Friday's first round game will face No. 2 Wofford in a quarterfinal matchup on Saturday, March 7 at 2:30 p.m. at Harrah's Cherokee Center in Asheville, North Carolina.  

Click here for more information on the SoCon Tournament