Furman at UNC-Greensboro | 4:00 PM | ESPN+
The Furman Paladins, at 13-1, will enter Greensboro Coliseum as an underdog to the 8-6 Spartans. The Dins have not been particularly sucessful against UNCG, holding a 16-21 record in the matchup but more importantly, losing 4 of the last 5 in the series. This year’s team will be looking to buck that recent trend of struggles against the team from Greensboro.
Furman is coming off of a strong wire-to-wire victory against admittedly what might be the weakest team in the conference this year. However, they did what they were expected to do and more, leaning on a variety of guys to score. It will help provide a template for what Bob Richey can expect from his team when UNCG also likely tries to take PJay Smith out of the game offensively. Other guys like Nick Anderson and Eddrin Bronson can take ball handling duties and take some pressure off. As the rotation continues to mesh, everyone will become more and more comfortable playing together.
Furman has struggled offensively in previous matchups with the Spartans over the years, averaging under 70 points. This year will be no different, with Mike Jones’ squad still priding itself on its defense. They squeaked by Wofford last game without shooting well, by leaning on the defensive end and holding the Terriers to 66 points. They will look to do the same against the Paladins.
Radford transfer Kenyon Giles leads UNCG offensively at 16 points per game, on 42% from the three point line. A 5’9 point guard, the Paladins will need to focus on putting a stop to his drive and kick game, as well as keeping track of him off ball for spot up threes. Other players like Donovan Atwell and Ronald Polite thrive off of the chaos Giles creates.
He also heads up their prolific defense, maybe the best in the conference. Giles averages nearly 2 steals per game, which will force the Paladins to take care of the ball and make confident passes on the perimeter. Only SMU and North Florida have scored over 70 points on UNCG this year, which makes every bucket even more important. The Spartans forced 12 turnovers and only turned the ball over 3 times their last time out against Wofford
Keys to the Game:
Stay focused on offense: UNCG wants chaos and will look to break up Furman’s perimeter passing and dribble handoffs. The Paladins will need to be strong on drives and take advantage of the gaps that the UNCG aggressiveness will leave.
Rebounding: UNCG does not have intimidating size, but they are aggressive towards the rim. Rebounding will always need to be a focus for Furman. Finishing out possessions with rebounds in a low scoring game will be essential.
Don’t come out sluggish: The Greensboro Coliseum offers almost no atmosphere, especially with winter break continuing. The Paladins will have to offset this with their own energy and hit early shots. If they come out slow, UNCG can bury them on the defensive end.