UNC-Asheville Bulldogs
Big South (24-9, 16-2)
UNC-Asheville cruised through the Big South and won the regular season title relatively easily. Coach Eddie Biedenbach has done a very good job with the Bulldogs during his 16 seasons at the helm and taking home a conference title is just another piece of hardware for UNC-Asheville and Coach Biedenbach.
Big Wins: 11/26 vs Utah (87-65), 12/4 USC-Upstate (88-81), 1/17 Coastal Carolina
Bad Losses: 12/28 at Western Carolina (67-86), 1/19 Charleston Southern (88-93), 2/14 at Coastal Carolina (69-74)
Coach: Eddie Biedenbach (16 seasons at UNC-Asheville)
Why They Can Surprise:
The Bulldogs have a ton of firepower in the backcourt, led by seniors Matt Dickey and J.P. Primm. Dickey is a great all-around scorer who can knock down the long ball with consistency and is dangerous attacking the basket. Dickey is a very good free-throw shooter and he will get to the line a lot. Those points add up. Primm does not get to the line as often as Dickey, but the point guard is a great shooter and UNC-Asheville should always feel safe with the ball in his hands late in the game. Primm will hoist up quite a few three-pointers, but when his shot is falling, he can score in bunches. Chris Stephenson and super sub Jaron Lane also averaged double figures in the scoring column during the regular season. Neither is as prolific from long range as Dickey or Primm, but Stephenson will use his size and strength to finish above the rim and Lane, at 6-4, is the biggest guard on the team. This is a team that will get up and down the floor and they are no strangers to scoring 90 or more points in a game.
Why They Can Disappoint:
UNCA is not a horrible rebounding team thanks to efforts from players like Stephenson, but this is a very small team. The frontcourt generally consists of 6-4 forward Jeremy Atkinson and 6-5 forward Quinard Jackson. Atkinson is more of a wing than a power forward, since he is not opposed to stepping outside and shooting, but he is a good athlete who can hit the glass. Jackson usually stays in the paint, but he is not a strong rebounder or shot blocker and this is a team that can get outmuscled in the paint. It will be in the hands of Primm to keep the tempo up so UNC-Asheville can attempt to neutralize their lack of size by getting up and down the floor and forcing the opposition to play fast. But as soon as they run into a disciplined team that will slow down the pace and take advantage of the Bulldogs lack of size, UNCA will be headed home.
Probable Starters:
J.P. Primm, Senior, Guard, 15.3 ppg, 4.2 apg
Matt Dickey, Senior, Guard, 16.5 ppg, 3.6 apg
Chris Stephenson, Senior, Guard, 13.1 ppg, 2.7 apg, 6.3 rpg
Jeremy Atkinson, Junior, Forward, 11.7 ppg, 6.6 rpg
Quinard Jackson, Senior, Forward, 5.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Keith Hornsby, Freshman, Guard, 4.1 ppg, 1.8 rpg
Jaron Lane, Junior, Guard, 11.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg
Trent Meyer, Sophomore, Guard, 2.2 ppg, 1.1 apg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 81.2 (5th in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 71.3 (276, 6)
Field-Goal Percentage: 48.4 (16, 3)
Field-Goal Defense: 44.4 (233, 5)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.5 (127, 4)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 35.3 (126, 4)
Free-Throw Percentage: 76.2 (14, 1)
Rebound Margin: 1.4 (141, 4)
Assists Per Game: 16.6 (8, 1)
Turnovers Per Game: 13.5 (159, 6)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
UNC-Asheville 2011 NCAA Opening Round win over AR-Little Rock
UNC-Asheville 2011 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Pittsburgh
UNC-Asheville 2008 NIT First Round loss to Ohio State
UNC-Asheville 2003 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Texas
*all team stats through 3/4
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
