2024 NC Basketball Spotlight & 10-Year Snapshot: UNC Greensboro (FEBRUARY)

2024 North Carolina Sports Network
NC Basketball Spotlight, 10-Year Snapshot:
UNC Greensboro

By Evan Rogers
North Carolina Sports Network
(updated Feb. 8, 2024)

School: University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNC Greensboro)

Location: Greensboro, N.C.

NCAA DI Member Since: 1992-93

Conference: Southern Conference (SoCon)

SoCon Member Since: 1997-98

SoCon Ranking Among 32 Leagues (KenPom): 20th (2023), 12th (2022), 14th (2021), 15th (2020)

NCAA Tournament Bids: 4 (1996, 2001, 2018, 2021)

Conference Titles: 4 (1996 in Big South; 2001, 2018, 2021 in SoCon)

Conference 1st-Place Finishes: 7 (1995, 1996 in Big South; 2002, 2017, 2018, 2021 in SoCon)

Head Coach: Mike Jones (58 years old, 3rd season at UNCG)

As A Player: Howard (1983-87)

Record At UNCG (Through Feb. 7): 54-33 (.621) in 2+ seasons

Previous Head Coaching Experience: Radford (10 seasons, 174-150)

College AC Experience: Howard (1994-97), Furman (1997-2000), Richmond (2000-02), West Virginia (2002-03), Georgia (2003-09), VCU (2009-11)

Assistant Under: Mike McLeese, Larry Davis, John Beilein, Dennis Felton, Shaka Smart

2022-23 Record: 20-12, 14-4 (3rd in 10-team SoCon)

2023-24 Preseason Prediction (Coaches/Media): 2nd/4th in 10-team SoCon

2023-24 Record (Through Feb. 7): 17-6, 8-2 SoCon

2023-24 Midseason Ranking (KenPom): #130 nationally (2nd in SoCon)

Upcoming Schedule Highlights: Samford (2/8), Chattanooga (2/10), at Wofford (2/17), Western Carolina (2/21), VMI (2/28), at ETSU (3/2)

Now in his third season at the helm, UNC Greensboro coach Mike Jones appears poised to return the Spartans to the NCAA Tournament.

UNCG most recently appeared in the coveted postseason event in 2021, after Wes Miller (now the head coach at Cincinnati) guided the Spartans to the Southern Conference’s regular-season and tournament titles. In his playing days, Miller was a reserve guard for most of his time at North Carolina and a member of the Tar Heels’ 2005 NCAA title team.

As he did during his full decade (2011-12 through 2020-21) as the head coach at Radford, which included an NCAA Tournament appearance, a Big South championship, two first-place league finishes and two conference coach of the year awards, Jones has shown steady growth during his two-plus seasons at UNCG.

After a 17-15 record and a fifth-place SoCon finish in 2021-22, the Spartans jumped to 20-12 and third place last season. Now they’re off to an impressive 17-6 overall record this year, and their Feb. 8 home game against Samford is a battle between the league’s first- (9-1 Samford) and second-place (8-2 UNCG) teams.

The Spartans returned two of their top three scorers from last season’s team in Keyshaun Langley (who starts alongside his twin, Kobe Langley) and Mikeal Brown-Jones. After serving in a sixth-man role in 2022-23, Brown-Jones has emerged as a SoCon Player of the Year candidate this season.

The Langley brothers are highly regarded for their defensive abilities, and Kobe brought home SoCon Defensive Player of the Year honors last season.

“I believe you can win games with good offense, but I believe you can win championships with good offense and great defense,” Jones said. “We try to build from that standpoint; defending and rebounding is the most important thing.”

In their third game this season, the Spartans secured a thrilling road win over then-#14 Arkansas, 78-72, at Bud Walton Arena. UNC Greensboro also posted impressive neutral-court victories over Delaware (88-77) and Illinois Chicago (58-57). In conference play, the Spartans already have swept Furman, dominated Chattanooga (70-54) on the road, and edged Western Carolina in Cullowhee.

UNC Greensboro’s success depends heavily on its outside shooting and a roster filled with capable shooters and intelligent, quick perimeter defenders. Thus far in conference play, the Spartans have both the best 3-point shooting accuracy (41.8 percent) and the best 3-point defense (29.5 percent).

So far this season, the Spartans have shot a tick under 40 percent from 3-point range overall, which ranks in the top 10 nationally. Sophomore Donovan Atwell, the team’s youngest starter, leads UNCG with 62 makes from deep at a 40.5-percent shooting clip.

2023-24 UNC Greensboro Spartans
(17-6, 8-2 SoCon; through Feb. 7)

Starters

PG Kobe Langley, Gr. — 29 mpg, 9 ppg, 3 rpg, 46% FG, 73% FT, 37% threes, 135/41 ATO, 8 blocks, 51 steals
(6-1/180); 2023 part-time starter, SoCon DPOY; SW Guilford HS; High Point, N.C.

G Keyshaun Langley*, Gr. — 29 mpg, 15 ppg, 3 rpg, 41% FG, 85% FT, 40% threes, 74/31 ATO, 3 blocks, 35 steals
(6-1/175); 2023 1st-team All-SoCon; 2020 FOY; SW Guilford HS; High Point, N.C.

G/F Donovan Atwell, So. — 29 mpg, 11 ppg, 3 rpg, 41% FG, 85% FT, 40% threes, 15/13 ATO, 3 blocks, 18 steals
(6-5/187); 8 mpg, 4 ppg in 2022-23; Providence Day School; Huntersville, N.C.

F Mikeal Brown-Jones, Sr. — 29 mpg, 21 ppg, 8 rpg, 57% FG, 80% FT, 50% threes, 20/35 ATO, 20 blocks, 13 steals
(6-8/220); 2022 VCU transfer (reserve); IMG (Fla.) Academy; North Philadelphia, Pa.

F Jalen Breath, r-So. — 21 mpg, 7 ppg, 6 rpg, 58% FG, 44% FT, 16/30 ATO, 13 blocks, 8 steals
(6-8/225); minimal PT in 2022-23; Booker T. Washington HS; Oklahoma City, Okla.

Key Reserves

G Joryam Saizonou, Jr. — 20 mpg, 6 ppg, 2 rpg, 41% FG, 60% FT, 39% threes, 35/31 ATO, 0 blocks, 8 steals
(6-3/188); 2022 St. Bonaventure transfer (reserve); Beckley (W.Va.) Prep; Almere, Netherlands

G Akrum Ahemed, r-Sr. — 15 mpg, 3 ppg, 2 rpg, 39% FG, 75% FT, 22% threes, 22/17 ATO, o blocks, 7 steals
(6-3/190); 2022 Canisius transfer (reserve); Scotland Campus HS; Hackensack, N.J.

F Miles Jones, Gr. — 13 mpg, 3 ppg, 3 rpg, 37% FG, 75% FT, 38% threes, 9/4 ATO, 2 blocks, 3 steals
(6-6/215); 2021 Radford transfer (reserve); 2023 UNCG redshirt; Radford HS; Radford, Va.

F Tim Ceaser, Gr. — 15 mpg, 4 ppg, 4 rpg, 44% FG, 40% FT, 44% threes, 10/13 ATO, 7 blocks, 6 steals
(6-9/205); 2023 Utah Valley transfer (part-time starter); Marion HS; Marion, Ark.

F Domas Kauzonas, Fr. — 9 mpg, 3 ppg, 2 rpg, 63% FG, 20% FT, 8/5 ATO, 1 block, 3 steals
(6-10/240); 2023 signee; Rabun Gap-Nacoochee (Ga.) School; Vilnius, Lithuania

*—returning starter (started at least 50% of current team’s games last season)

UNC Greensboro Spartans
10-Year Snapshot

Season — Overall, League (Place), Postseason

2022-23 — 20-12, 14-4 SoCon (3rd), no postseason (Mike Jones)
2021-22 — 17-15, 9-9 SoCon (5th), CBI 1st Round (Mike Jones)
2020-21 — 21-8, 13-5* SoCon (1st), NCAA 1st Round (Wes Miller)
2019-20 — 23-8, 13-5 SoCon (3rd), no postseason (Wes Miller)
2018-19 — 29-7, 15-3 SoCon (2nd), NIT 2nd Round (Wes Miller)
2017-18 — 27-7, 15-3* SoCon (1st), NCAA 1st Round (Wes Miller)
2016-17 — 25-10, 14-4 SoCon (t-1st), NIT 1st Round (Wes Miller)
2015-16 — 15-19, 10-8 SoCon (5th), CBI Quarterfinals (Wes Miller)
2014-15 — 11-22, 6-12 SoCon (7th), no postseason (Wes Miller)
2013-14 — 14-18, 7-9 SoCon (6th), no postseason (Wes Miller)

*—conference champion

NOTE: Please visit the North Carolina Sports Network’s 2023-24 profiles and 10-year snapshots for all 19 Division One men’s basketball programs in North Carolina and all 15 Atlantic Coast Conference programs.

Appalachian State Mountaineers, Sun Belt Conference

Boston College Eagles, Atlantic Coast Conference

Campbell Camels, Coastal Athletic Association

Charlotte 49ers, American Athletic Conference

Clemson Tigers, Atlantic Coast Conference

Davidson Wildcats, Atlantic-10 Conference

Duke Blue Devils, Atlantic Coast Conference

East Carolina Pirates, American Athletic Conference

Elon Phoenix, Coastal Athletic Association

Florida State Seminoles, Atlantic Coast Conference

Gardner-Webb Runnin’Bulldogs, Big South Conference

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Atlantic Coast Conference