[h=3]Preview[/h][FONT="]Amidst a season to forge in 2015-16 a exam week failure at the hands of UNC-Asheville set the tone for a dismal Big East season to follow. Thursday's opponent sits two hours east of Asheville but is no less dangerous.[/FONT]
[FONT="]UNC-Greensboro is off to its best start in school history and its first winning record out of conference in nearly a decade. Against the aforementioned UNC-Asheville team, the Spartans shot 50 percent from the floor, 50 percent from three, and collected 20 assists. With numbers like that, the Spartans will be ready to play.[/FONT]
[FONT="]UNCG will be counting on better guard play that is fared in its win over UNCA. 6-0 Dionte Baldwin had a season-worst 2 for 14 in the game, including 1-10 from two point range. The team leader on assists, he needs to be a stronger scoring threat to open opportunities for shooting guard and leading scorer Francis Alonso (12.6 ppg). Alonso is a better shooter from outside than inside, and Georgetown needs an effort similar to what it executed against the Syracuse backcourt.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Up front, UNCG's Marvin Smith bears watching. Third on the team in scoring, the 6-6 forward has scored 31 points over his last two games. He'll also see help from 6-9 redshirt freshman James Dickey off the bench. Dickey averages 5.5 points and 6.7 points in an average of 20 minutes per game.[/FONT]
[FONT="]While UNCG's numbers are slightly inflated by wins over three non-Division I opponents, but the Spartans played Wake Forest to a near draw by matching them on the boards (31 each). Defensively, they are forcing opponents to 30 rebounds per game. Georgetown will need a better number on that statistic to be in this one.
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[h=4]Keys To The Game:[/h][FONT="]Perimeter Shooting: UNCG is averaging 51 percent from three point range over its prior four games. Georgetown must limit outside shooting and force the Spartans to compete in the paint.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Offensive Rebounding: This is Georgetown's last opportunity to build some strength inside before Big East play. UNCG features three solid rebounders and averages 12 offensive rebounds per game[/FONT]
[FONT="]Option C? Who steps up to be the scoring option if Peak and Pryor are off their form?[/FONT]
[FONT="]Over the past two weeks, Georgetown needed a sweep of its final three non-conference games in December to remain in the NCAA conversation entering Big East play. A win Thursday confirms the 2016-17 Hoyas are still in it, a loss raises doubt and a sense that it's 2015-16 all over again.[/FONT]
[FONT="]UNC-Greensboro is off to its best start in school history and its first winning record out of conference in nearly a decade. Against the aforementioned UNC-Asheville team, the Spartans shot 50 percent from the floor, 50 percent from three, and collected 20 assists. With numbers like that, the Spartans will be ready to play.[/FONT]
[FONT="]UNCG will be counting on better guard play that is fared in its win over UNCA. 6-0 Dionte Baldwin had a season-worst 2 for 14 in the game, including 1-10 from two point range. The team leader on assists, he needs to be a stronger scoring threat to open opportunities for shooting guard and leading scorer Francis Alonso (12.6 ppg). Alonso is a better shooter from outside than inside, and Georgetown needs an effort similar to what it executed against the Syracuse backcourt.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Up front, UNCG's Marvin Smith bears watching. Third on the team in scoring, the 6-6 forward has scored 31 points over his last two games. He'll also see help from 6-9 redshirt freshman James Dickey off the bench. Dickey averages 5.5 points and 6.7 points in an average of 20 minutes per game.[/FONT]
[FONT="]While UNCG's numbers are slightly inflated by wins over three non-Division I opponents, but the Spartans played Wake Forest to a near draw by matching them on the boards (31 each). Defensively, they are forcing opponents to 30 rebounds per game. Georgetown will need a better number on that statistic to be in this one.
[/FONT]
[h=4]Keys To The Game:[/h][FONT="]Perimeter Shooting: UNCG is averaging 51 percent from three point range over its prior four games. Georgetown must limit outside shooting and force the Spartans to compete in the paint.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Offensive Rebounding: This is Georgetown's last opportunity to build some strength inside before Big East play. UNCG features three solid rebounders and averages 12 offensive rebounds per game[/FONT]
[FONT="]Option C? Who steps up to be the scoring option if Peak and Pryor are off their form?[/FONT]
[FONT="]Over the past two weeks, Georgetown needed a sweep of its final three non-conference games in December to remain in the NCAA conversation entering Big East play. A win Thursday confirms the 2016-17 Hoyas are still in it, a loss raises doubt and a sense that it's 2015-16 all over again.[/FONT]
