GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's basketball team will hit the road for two battles in The Southern Conference (SoCon) this week. First, the Spartans will travel to Chattanooga and face the Mocs at McKenzie Arena on CBS Sports Network on Thursday with a start time of 5:00 p.m. They will then head to Samford for a 6:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. CT tip off on Saturday at Pete Hanna Center on ESPN+.
 
The Spartans are 9-6 overall and 2-0 in SoCon play. Chattanooga is 9-6 overall and 1-1 in the SoCon, while Samford will host VMI before the Spartans and are currently 12-3 overall and 2-0 in the SoCon.
 
This will be the 57^th meeting between the Spartans and Mocs with the overall series tied 28-28. Chattanooga won the most recent battle on Feb. 10, 2024, 89-61. The Spartans have a 6-4 advantage in the last 10 games.
 
This will be the 37^th meeting between the Spartans and Bulldogs with UNCG having the slight edge, 20-16, in the overall series. Samford has won the last six meetings, while UNCG last won on Jan. 22, 2022, 61-58, in Greensboro, North Carolina.
 

 
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE SPARTANS

• The Spartans opened the SoCon slate with a 68-66 victory over Wofford and followed that with an 84-67 win over Furman.
• In the win over the Paladins, Kenyon Giles surpassed the 1,000-career points milestone while leading the game with 25 points.
• Ronald Polite III was second on the team with 18 points and Joryam Saizonou had 11 points.
• Donovan Atwell had a team-high seven rebounds.
• Atwell and Demetrius Davis each had nine points.
• UNCG had the advantage in points in the paint, 26-22, points off turnovers, 16-9, second-chance points, 14-12, and fastbreak points, 6-3.
• The Spartans outshot the Paladins in field goal percentage, 57.4-39.3, and three-point percentage, 52.2-25.7.

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS

• Three Spartans are averaging double figures, including Giles (16.6), Polite III (13.4) and Atwell (12.9).
• Jalen Breath and Miles Jones are pacing the team with 6.1 and 5.1 rebounds per game, respectively.
• The Spartans are in the top 50 nationally in seven categories, including three-point percentage defense (5^th/27.2), field goal percentage defense (19^th/38.6), scoring defense (23^rd/63.6), three-point percentage (32^nd/37.9), turnovers per game (32^nd/10.1), three-pointers per game (36^th/9.9) and assist/turnover ratio (50^th/1.46).
• The Spartans are leading the SoCon in field goal percentage defense, scoring defense and least turnovers per game.
• Giles is nationally ranked in three-point percentage (15^th/45.1), total three-point field goals made (33^rd/46) and three-pointers per game (41^st/3.07).
• Nationally, Atwell is ranked in total three-point field goals made (36^th/45), three-point attempts (40th/115) and three-pointers per game (44th/3.00).
• The Spartans' 6-0 start at home continues to match last year's start, where UNCG went 9-0 to begin the season.
• UNCG has the advantage against its foes in points per game, 74.6-63.6, three-pointers per game, 9.9-6.0, rebounds per game, 37.9-35.1, assists per game, 14.7-11.3, and steals per game, 6.5-5.5.
• Giles joined 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.
• Polite III and Malik Henry both came 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.
• Davis joined the Spartans after playing the last two seasons at Chattanooga and one year each at Lawson State Community College and Augusta.
• UNCG concluded last season 21-11 overall and 12-6 in The Southern Conference (SoCon) and it was the seventh year out of eight with 20 or more wins for the Spartans.
• The Spartans were voted to finish sixth in the 2024-25 SoCon Preseason Coaches' Poll and Atwell was voted to the 2024-25 Preseason All-SoCon team.
• The Spartans returned nine from last year's roster and added seven newcomers.

 
SCOUTING CHATTANOOGA

• Chattanooga was voted to finish second in the 2024-25 SoCon Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• Honor Huff and Try Bonham were selected to the 2024-25 Preseason All-SoCon Team.
• After falling 99-94 in overtime to Mercer in its SoCon opener, the Mocs bounced back with an 81-68 victory over The Citadel.
• Bonham is leading the team with 13.3 points per game, while Bash Wieland and Huff follow with 12.8 and 12.1 points per game, respectively.
• Sean Cusano paces the team with 5.5 rebounds per game and Bonham is second with a 4.2 average.
• Huff is second in the conference with 116 three-point attempts per game, which is 39^th nationally.
• The Mocs have a slight edge in points per game, 76.7-72.2, rebounds per game, 34.9-33.5, and assists, 16.7-13.1.
• Nationally, the Mocs are ranked in the top 50 in five categories, including three-point attempts per game (23^rd/29.3), free throw percentage (38^th/76.9), assist/turnover ratio (39^th/1.52), bench points per game (47^th/28.40) and three-pointers per game (49^th/9.5).

 
SCOUTING SAMFORD

• Samford was voted to finish on top of the league in the 2024-25 SoCon Preseason Coaches' Poll, earning six of the 10 first-place votes.
• Collin Holloway and Rylan Jones were selected to the 2024-25 Preseason All-SoCon Team.
• Head into their game against VMI, the Bulldogs are on a three-game win streak.
• Jones is nationally ranked in assist/turnover ratio (15^th/3.33), assists (18^th/90), assists per game (18^th/6.0) and steals (49^th/30).
• Trey Fort leads the team and is nationally 24^th in total three-point field goals made (48), 28^th in three-point percentage (44.0) and 30^th in three-pointers per game (3.20).
• Jaden Brownell is 25^th nationally with a 59.9 field goal percentage.
• As a team, the Bulldogs are averaging 88.7 points per game compared to their opponents' 75.8. Samford is also averaging 12.0 three-pointers per game while its foes are averaging 8.1.
• The Bulldogs are nationally ranked in the top 20 in 10 categories, including turnovers forced per game (3^rd/17.80), three-pointers per game (3^rd/12.0), steals per game (3^rd/10.6), scoring offense (4^th/88.7), three-point attempts per game (9^th/31.1), assists per game (9^th/18.6), bench points per game (14^th/33.13), fastbreak points (19^th/15.87) and effective field goal percentage (20^th/0.573).

 
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
UNCG returns home to host The Citadel on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at the First Horizon Coliseum at 7:00 p.m. Military and First Responders Appreciation: Military and First responders receive free admission with valid work ID and up to four of their guests receive the discounted ticket rate of $10!
 
The Spartans will then travel to Cullowhee, North Carolina, on Saturday, Jan. 18 to contend Western Carolina at the Ramsey Center.