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Wolfpack Knows Better Than to Overlook UNCG
Braxton Beverly was asked if the recent rash of upsets in college basketball would help him and his NC State teammates from overlooking Sunday's opponent UNC Greensboro.
The junior guard said it "definitely does help."
But he's also got a more personal experience to remind him that the Spartans, despite being from the non-Power 5 Southern Conference, are not to be taken lightly.
Two seasons ago, the last time the teams met, UNCG upset the Wolfpack 81-76 at PNC Arena in a game Beverly still hasn't completely gotten over.
"It’s something I remember," said Beverly, the only current team member to have played that day. Markell Johnson was suspended at the time while C.J. Bryce and Devon Daniels were sitting out under NCAA transfer rules.
"I guess I’m the only one that still carries that around. (The rest of the players) don’t have to worry about that. At the same time, I still remember it and how upsetting it was."
It's a feeling Beverly has tried to convey to his teammates, especially the younger ones that weren't in the building in 2017 to see State squander an early 14-point lead before falling behind by double digits and trailing the rest of the way.
But after watching this year's Spartans on video in preparation for Sunday's game, Beverly doesn't think any convincing is necessary. Among UNCG's eight wins this season -- in 10 games -- is a 65-61 victory at Georgetown.
"They’re a lot better than people want to give them credit sometimes," Beverly said. "They showed that my freshman year when they came here. That’s one big thing I’ve told the team, is don’t overlook them.
"That’s a big point of emphasis anyway, to never overlook a team, but especially when a team is as dangerous as they are. They’ve got players that are really well coached."
Former North Carolina guard Wes Miller has led the Spartans since 2011 and has built them into one of the best mid-major programs in college basketball. They've won 20 or more games in each of the past three seasons, including a school-record 29 last years.
State coach Kevin Keatts is well aware of UNCG's history under Miller. And not just because of that 2017 loss.
On Nov. 18, 2014, while at UNC Wilmington, Keatts earned his first career victory as a college head coach with an 84-72 victory against the Spartans at Greensboro Coliseum -- the same venue as Sunday's game.
"I think that was my first Division I win as a coach," he said. "I give Wes a lot of credit. It’s a program on the rise. They remind me a lot of my Wilmington teams. You may not be as talented as some of the bigger boys, but because you’ve got talent and you’ve got some older guys, you believe that you’re going to win every game."
UNCG is led by preseason Southern Conference Player of the Year Isaiah Miller, who averages 16.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Senior big man James Dickey has 24 blocked shots and leads the team at 7.5 rebounds per game.
Even without second-leading scorer Kaleb Hunter, who is sidelined with an ankle injury, Keatts said Sunday's game will be a good test for his team as it nears the end of its nonconference schedule.
"They’re a good basketball team. They have a lot of confidence," he said of the Spartans. "They’re a team that has some veteran guys. Dickey is a tremendous shot blocker. Isaiah Miller is a very good player overall. They’ve added some guys. They shoot the basketball from four different positions.
"They take a lot of threes, and they do a tremendous job of mixing the defense up with a 1-2-2 press and then back to man, sometimes zone. They’ve done a really good job. It’s a really good game. It’s similar games, when you think about their league and how it’s become better with East Tennessee State, Furman and Wofford and those guys. We’re excited about it."
As was the case with the Wolfpack's win against Wisconsin in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge last week, Sunday's matchup will feature a contrast in styles
UNCG leads the Southern Conference and is among the nation's top teams in scoring defense, limiting its opponents to 54.6 points per game and 37.2 percent shooting. State, meanwhile, is averaging 81.8 points and hasn't scored fewer than 69 in a game.
That came against the Badgers, an experience Beverly said will help his team deal with the slower tempo the Spartans prefer.
"It shows that we can kind of adapt to whatever we need to," Beverly said. "Of course, we want to push the ball and run the score up. But, if we have to slow it down and it’s kind of an ugly game for us, we can slow it down."
