2021–22 UNC Greensboro Spartans men's basketball team explained

Mode:Basketball
Year:2021–22
Prev Year:2020–21
Next Year:2022–23
Team:UNC Greensboro Spartans
Conference:Southern Conference
Short Conf:SoCon
Record:17–15
Conf Record:9–9
Hc Year:1st
Asst Coach1:David Boyden
Asst Coach2:Donny Lind
Tourney Result:First Round

The 2021–22 UNC Greensboro Spartans men's basketball team represented the University of North Carolina at Greensboro during the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Spartans, led by first-year head coach Mike Jones, played their home games at the Greensboro Coliseum and Fleming Gymnasium in Greensboro, North Carolina as members of the Southern Conference (SoCon). They finished the season 17–14, 9–9 in SoCon play to finish in a tie for fifth place. As the No. 6 seed in the SoCon tournament, they lost to Samford in the quarterfinals. Guard De'Monte Buckingham was named to the Southern Conference Sports Media Association third team. They accepted an invitation to play in the 2022 College Basketball Invitational tournament where, as a No. 7 seed, they lost to No. 10-seeded Boston University in the first round.

Previous season

In a season limited due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Spartans finished the 2020–21 season 21–9, 13–5 in SoCon play to win the regular season championship. They went on to win the SoCon tournament, defeating Mercer in the final, and receiving the automatic berth to the 2021 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, where they lost in the Round of 64 to Florida State.

Guard Isaiah Miller was named Southern Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year for the second consecutive year, the first men's player to do so since Stephen Curry. He was also named conference Defensive Player of the Year and named to the All-Southern Conference first-team for a third consecutive season.[1]

Offseason

Following the 2020-21 season, head coach Wes Miller left UNCG to take the position of head men's basketball coach at Cincinnati.[2]

On April 19, 2021, Mike Jones, previously of Radford, was hired to be the new head men's basketball coach.[3]

Nine players entered the transfer portal with graduate student Hayden Koval and sophomores Jarrett Hensley and A.J. McGinnis, along with assistant coach Chris LePore, electing to join Miller at Cincinnati.[4] [5] Senior Kaleb Hunter and junior Bas Leyte withdrew from the transfer portal and chose to stay at UNCG.[6]

The Spartans mitigated those transfer losses with transfers of their own, bringing in Graduate Student De'Monte Buckingham from Cal State-Bakersfield, Senior Dante Treacy from Robert Morris, and Junior Jalen White from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, all of whom were expected to make an impact on Mike Jones's team.

Departing players

Departing Players! style=""
NameNumberPositionHeightWeightYearHometownNotes
Isaiah Miller1G6'0"190Covington, GeorgiaGraduated
A.J. McGinnis2G6'3"180Huntsville, AlabamaTransferred to Cincinnati
Michael Hueitt, Jr.11G6'3"185Fayetteville, North CarolinaGraduated, Transferred to McNeese State
Angelo Allegri13F6'7"205Kansas City, MissouriTransferred to Eastern Washington
Dericko Williams15F6'8"220Kinston, North CarolinaTransferred to Tallahassee Community College
Hayden Koval25C7'1"220Prosper, TexasGraduated, Transferred to Cincinnati
Ryan Tankelewicz30G5'11"170Raleigh, North CarolinaWalk–on; Entered Transfer Portal
Jarrett Hensley32F6'8"205Merriam, KansasTransferred to Cincinnati

Incoming transfers

Incoming Transfers! style=""
NamePositionHeightWeightYearHometownPrevious School
De'Monte Buckingham G 220 Cal State-Bakersfield
Miles Jones G/F 215 Radford
Jalen White F 240 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Dante Treacy G 170 Robert Morris

Schedule and results

|-!colspan=9 style=| Non-conference regular season |-!colspan=12 style=|SoCon Regular Season|-!colspan=9 style=| SoCon tournament|-!colspan=9 style=| CBI tournament

Awards and honors

Southern Conference honors

SoCon Sports Media Association Third Team

Notes and References

  1. Web site: UNCG's Isaiah Miller Named SoCon Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. wfmynews2.com.
  2. Web site: Wes Miller introduced as new Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball coach. Keith. Jenkins. The Enquirer.
  3. Web site: Jones Named UNCG Head Men's Basketball Coach. UNC Greensboro.
  4. Web site: Jarrett Hensley joins list of Spartans headed to Wes Miller's Cincinnati program. EDDIE WOOTEN. eddie.wooten@greensboro.com. Greensboro News and Record.
  5. Web site: Wes Miller's UC Bearcats assistants include former UNCG coaches Chris LePore, Andre Morgan. Dave. Clark. The Enquirer.
  6. 1387086043598528516. hunterkmi. . 27 April 2021.
  7. Web site: Buckingham Earns All SoCon Recognition. UNC Greensboro.