GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's basketball team travels to the Midwest for a Thursday night battle against No. 16 Indiana in the historic Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana, at 6:30 p.m. This game will be broadcast on FS1.
 
This is the third meeting between the two teams, where all three contests have been in Indiana. The Spartans fell to the Hoosiers on Nov. 28, 2015, 87-79, and prior to that opened their season against Indiana on Nov. 21, 2003, ultimately falling, 71-64.
 

 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE SPARTANS

• UNCG soared past N.C. Wesleyan, 99-54, on Saturday inside Fleming Gymnasium.
• Four Spartans scored double figures, including Akrum Ahemed, who paced the game with 16 points.
• Donovan Atwell chipped in 15 points, while Kenyon Giles had 11 points and Miles Jones registered 10 points.
• Jones tallied 10 rebounds, as well, for his first-career double-double.
• UNCG's 50 rebounds is the most since Dec. 21, 2023, when the Spartans recorded 68 boards against Virginia University of Lynchburg.
• Jalen Breath scored nine points and nine rebounds.
• The Spartans had the advantage in points in the paint (44-18), points off turnovers (20-7), fast break points (19-6) and bench points (45-21).

LAST SEASON FOR THE SPARTANS

• UNCG concluded last season 21-11 overall and 12-6 in The Southern Conference (SoCon).
• This was the seventh year out of eight with 20 or more wins for the Spartans.
• This was the second out of three years under Head Coach Mike Jones that the Spartans won 20 or more games.
• The Spartans won the 2023 Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship in November in the Bahamas.
• The 2023-24 squad made history as a team, defeating then-ranked No. 14 Arkansas, 78-72, in Fayetteville for the programs' first ranked win.
• UNCG concluded the 2023-24 season ranked in the top 50 nationally in five categories, including fourth in three-point percentage (39.7), 12^th in three pointers per game (10.1), 32^nd in field goal percentage defense (41.0), 34^th in effective field goal percentage (.546) and 42^nd in three-point attempts per game (25.4).
• The Spartans led the conference in three-point percentage.
• Breath is the top returning rebounder for the Spartans, after averaging a career-best 6.1 boards per game last season.
• Atwell is the top returning scorer for UNCG, averaging a career-best 11.2 points per game in 2023-24.
• UNCG outmatched its opponents in scoring 75.7-69.8, rebounding 35.4-33.8 and steals 7.0-5.8.

 
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS

• The Spartans were voted to finish sixth in the SoCon Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• Atwell was voted to the Preseason All-SoCon team.
• The Spartans return nine from last year's roster, while adding seven newcomers.
• UNCG has 13 regular season non-conference games this season: five home, five away and three neutral.
• Non-conference breakdown: CAA (2), ASUN (2), Big South (1), ACC (1), Big Ten (1), Big West (1), Mountain West (1), Conference USA (1), NCCAA (1), DIII (2)
• The Spartans opened the 2024-25 season with their first of two SoCon/ASUN battles including Florida Gulf Coast, taking the win 73-64.
• There will be six games in Fleming Gymnasium and eight in the First Horizon Coliseum this season.
• UNCG begins its SoCon slate with a game on New Year's Day, traveling to Spartanburg, South Carolina, to face off against Wofford and the Spartans conclude regular season conference play on March 1 against Samford in Greensboro.
• UNCG travels to Wofford on Jan. 1 and Chattanooga on Jan. 9 and will play on the CBS Sports Network.
• The Spartans' game at ETSU on Feb. 19 will be on ESPNU, while the team will host Samford on March 1 on ESPN2 or ESPNU.
• Giles joins the Spartans after two years at Radford, where he was first on the team with 1.4 steals per game and second on the team with 14.3 points per game.
• Ronald Polite III and Malik Henry both come to UNCG with four years previously at George Mason. Polite III has averaged 7.38 points per game and 2.5 assists per game. Henry contributed a 62.5-percentage in field goals during his time with the Patriots.
• Demetrius Davis joins the Spartans after playing the last two seasons at Chattanooga and one year each at Lawson State Community College and Augusta.
• The Spartans are nationally ranked 11^th with 32.33 defensive rebounds per game, 34^th with 43.33 rebounds per game, 41^st with 36.3 field goal percentage defense and 45^th with a 39.7 three-point percentage.
• UNCG is second in the SoCon in field goal percentage defense, free throw attempts per game (21.7), free throws made per game (15.7), rebound margin (8.3), defensive rebounds per game, three-point percentage, turnovers per game (11.0) and winning percentage (66.7).
• Jones is currently leading the SoCon with 8.00 rebounds per game.
• Giles is nationally ranked 52^nd with 50.0 three-point percentage and 54^th with 3.33 three-pointers per game. He is third in the SoCon in both categories.
• UNCG has the advantage against its foes in points per game, 80.0-66.3, three-pointers per game, 9.7-6.3, rebounds per game, 43.3-35.0, assists per game, 15.7-11.3, and steals per game, 2.7-1.7.

 
SCOUTING THE HOOSIERS

• Indiana is on a three-game win streak and most recently beating South Carolina, 87-71.
• The Hoosiers' 2024-25 schedule begins with four-straight home games before traveling to Paradise Islands, Bahamas, for Battle 4 Atlantis.
• Indiana has the advantage over its foes in points per game, 85.7-62.3, field goal percentage, .553-.366, three-point percentage, .392-.267, rebounds per game, 38.3-31.3, steals per game, 8.3-7.0, and blocks per game, 6.0-1.3.
• Mackenzie Mgbako is pacing the team with 22.0 points per game.
• Three other Hoosiers are averaging double figures per game, including Malik Reneau (15.0), Oumar Ballo (13.0) and Myles Rice (13.0).
• Ballo is leading the charge with 9.3 rebounds per game and 3.3 blocks per game. He is nationally 47^th and fifth, respectively.
• Mgbako is second on the team with 7.7 boards per game.
• Ballo was named to the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, NABC and Naismith Player of the Year Watchlists.
• He was also selected to the 2024-25 Preseason All-Big Ten Team.
• Reneau was selected to the Karl Malone Watchlist, while Mgbako was voted to the Julius Erving Award Watchlist and Rice was named to the Bob Cousy Award Watchlist.
• Nationally, Indiana is ranked in the top 25 in four categories, including first in winning percentage (100.0), ninth in field goal percentage (55.3), 13^th in effective field goal percentage (0.612) and 24^th in blocks per game (6.0).

 
TICKETS FOR HOME SPARTAN GAMES
To secure your tickets for UNCG men's basketball home games click HERE for options including single games and group discounts, flex plans, and full season ticket options.  The home basketball schedule includes eight (8) home games at First Horizon Coliseum and Six (6) home games at Fleming Gymnasium. To learn more about upcoming ticket promotions or to purchase over the phone call the UNCG Ticket Office at 336-334-3250. 
 
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UP NEXT
The Spartans will continue a four-game road trip to compete in the 2024 Ball Dawgs Classic in Henderson, Nevada, at Lee's Family Forum from Nov. 25-27. UNCG will open the classic with Long Beach State with a start time of 11:00 p.m. ET/8:00 p.m. PT. They will face San Jose State (11:00 PM ET | 8:00 PM PT) the following day and conclude the classic with UTEP (7:30 PM ET | 4:30 PM PT) on Wednesday.

UNCG will return home to host Triad foe, High Point on Tuesday, Dec. 3 in Fleming Gymnasium at 7:00 p.m. This will be the Spartans' White Out Game, wear white! The first 500 UNCG students will receive a white hat! Pre-game tailgate at the UNCG Middle College gym starting at 5 p.m. for UNCG students. UNCG students will receive free food, games and more! Seating is limited! Purchase your tickets today!