NC State readies for talented UNCG squad: Preview, Info & How to watch

NC State Wolfpack vs. UNCG Spartans
Gametime: 12:00 pm
TV: Fox Sports South
Streaming: Watch ESPN App
Location: PNC Arena (Raleigh, NC)

Get to know the UNC Greensboro Spartans…
Former UNC guard Wes Miller is in his 6th year as the head coach of the Spartans and it looks like he’s finally breaking through.

After finishing 1st in the Southern Conference in Miller’s first season, UNCG kind of level off, finishing no better than 5th over the past 4 years. During that time, however, Miller has been building. This season, all that building may be paying off.

The Spartans come in 7-3, and although they don’t have any standout wins, it’s their losses that speak the loudest.

Of their 3 losses, 2 have been to ACC teams. They dropped their season opener 60-48 to UVA, they lost by 5 to Wake and their only other loss came on the road to Presbyterian, and that was decided by a single jumper.

This is a team that stresses defense and really gets at it. They are going to pick you up beyond the half court line and throw an array of traps at you. They’ve been pretty successful defensively this season. They rank 6th in scoring defense, 12th in steals per game and 15th in guarding the 3 ball.

Offensively They really rely on 6’3 junior, Francis Alonso (18ppg). He’s a dead-eye shooter from Spain who, despite taking 83 3s already this season, is still shooting 45% from downtown. It’s not some early season hot streak either. As a sophomore Alonso scored 15 ppg, shot 221 3s and knocked down 46% of them.

See him in action below.

What to watch for from NC State…
Don’t get it twisted. This is a tough matchup for NC State.

They need to come out strong and hit UNCG in the mouth, because if the Spartans start believing they can win, then watch out. They have good shooters and strong bigs, they are relentless on defense and aren’t afraid to get physical. All the stats point to this being a dogfight.

Watch for NC State go really stress scoring in transition. The Spartans are going to try to speed them up, but the Pack is used to playing at breakneck speeds. Markell Johnson and Torin Dorn could thrive in this one, because of that.

Yurtseven, Freeman and Abu are also going to be key factors in this one. While this may not be a game played in the half court, it will be a game that is heavily influenced by who controls the boards. If State can hold the Spartans off the offensive glass and turn that into transition buckets, they win. If UNCG is able to win the 2nd chance points battle, then this one could be very close.