UNCG Spartans, Furman Paladins To Square Off in First Round of SoCon Tournament

The following is a preview of the second first round matchup of the SoCon Tournament 2010. Please stay tuned as I will be bringing you complete previews of all four opening round games, as well as recaps of all 11 games from Charlotte.

I will also include previews of the quarterfinals, semifinals, and championship game, which is slated for Monday evening. Also be on the lookout for some miscellaneous tournament notes as I try to get everyone ready for the 89th renewal of the nation's oldest conference tournament.

No. 4 (North) UNC Greensboro (7-22, 6-12 SoCon) vs. No. 5 (South) Furman (13-16, 7-11 SoCon), 4:15 p.m.

Furman and UNC Greensboro will square off in the second first-round matchup of the 2010 SoCon Basketball Tournament, and it will mark the third time the two schools have squared off in the league's postseason tournament.

Furman has won both of the previous meetings, including a 73-71 win over the Spartans in the 2007 tournament, also under the direction of Jeff Jackson, and that also accounts for the last win for the Paladins in the SoCon Tournament.

The winner of the first-round showdown will face No. 1 overall seed Wofford in the quarterfinals on Saturday at approximately the same time.

Furman enters the tournament with an all-time mark of 42-50 in the nation's oldest postseason conference tourney, while the Spartans are 10-10. UNCG last won a game in the tourney in 2008, with a 63-46 win over Appalachian State, before dropping an 82-52 decision to eventual champion Davidson.

Furman and UNCG split the two regular-season games, with UNCG garnering an 88-78 win in the first meeting between the two on Jan. 9 at the Greensboro Coliseum, while the Paladins were able to avenge the earlier setback to the Spartans with a 72-64 win over the Spartans on Feb. 4 at Timmons Arena on the campus of Furman University.

The Spartans have played one of the toughest slates in the SoCon this season and their 7-22 record can be quite deceiving, having faced seven Atlantic Coast Conference teams as a part of their non-conference schedule this season.

The Spartans have played especially well down the stretch, having won two out of its final three games in the 2009-10 season, defeating Georgia Southern (81-79) and posting maybe their most-impressive game of the 2009-10 season with a win at The Citadel (59-53), snapping the Bulldogs' six-game winning streak.

Meanwhile, Furman has played some solid basketball down the stretch as well, as the Paladins have played particularly well on the defensive end of the floor down the stretch.

Despite losing two of its last three games, Furman continued to amp up the pressure on the defensive end of the floor. The Paladins posted a pair of three point losses down the stretch at Davidson (61-58) and at home against the College of Charleston (69-66) in the regular-season finale.

One of the things that could cause the Paladins problems on Friday afternoon is UNCG's experience. The Spartans will likely start four seniors (Ben Stywall, Mikko Koivisto, Kendall Toney, and Pete Brown). Stywall is a player that has shown he could single-handedly take over a game, as he showed in the regular-season finale against Georgia Southern, scoring 30 points and adding 11 rebounds.

Stywall has simply been amazing this season for the Spartans and has resembled former great Kyle Hines with his performance on the offensive end and on the boards. Stywall, who became the school's all-time career leader in rebounds in the six-point win at The Citadel, enters Friday's first-round affair averaging a double-double (14.5 PPG, league-leading 10.3 RPG).

In the first meeting with the Paladins, which was an 88-78 win for the Spartans, Stywall was able to finish with 11 points and four boards, which are manageable numbers from Furman's standpoint.

In the second meeting between the two, which was a 72-64 win for the Paladins on Feb. 4 at Timmons Arena, Stywall had an effort which has resembled his play for much of the season, posting 13 points and ripping down 10 rebounds to complete one of his league-leading 14 double-doubles this season.

Another player that could play a factor in the 2010 SoCon Tournament in determining how far the Spartans are able to advance is senior Mikko Koivisto (8.7 PPG).

Koivisto, a senior guard from Vantaa, Finland, has caused problems for the Paladins in the past. In the Spartans' victory over the Paladins back on Jan. 9, Koivisto not only scored the 1,000th point of his UNCG career, while also contributing 14 points, doing most of his damage from long range (4-of-4 from three-point range in the win).

Koivisto has traditionally been one of the team's deadliest outside shooters (50-of-162, 30.2 percent), despite seeing his perimeter shooting suffer a little this season as opposed to previous seasons in his career.

Koivisto scored 14 points, including connecting on 4-of-5 triples, in the eight-point loss at Furman back on Feb. 4.

Completing the trio of seniors that is really the heart of this UNCG team is Kendall Toney (7.1 PPG, 2.7 RPG), who will surely be playing in front of family and friends this afternoon, as he hails from Charlotte, N.C.

Toney is a strong, physical guard that possesses excellent range. He led the Spartans with 17 points in the last season with the Paladins, while scoring eight points in the initial meeting between the two.

Two players that have really come in and made an impact in the backcourt this season for the Spartans have been East Carolina transfer Brandon Evans (8.4 PPG, 4.3 RPG) and All-Freshman team candidate Kyle Randall (9.4 PPG, 2.6 APG, 3.0 RPG).

Evans is an athletic two-guard and comes into the tournament as the team's fourth-leading scorer. Evans enjoyed his top outing of the 2009-10 season against Richmond, recording 22 points and seven rebounds in a loss. Evans is one of the team's best athletes and scored 11 points in the first meeting with Furman, but missed the second game in Greenville.

Randall is the team's best freshman and the Spartans' second-leading scorer. He has had a couple of strong performances against the Paladins, scoring 14 and four points, respectively, in the two meetings.

Korey Van Dussen (4.5 PPG, 1.3 APG) rounds out the rotation in the backcourt and the talented freshman backs up Evans at the two-guard position. Van Dussen has enjoyed some moments in his first season as a Spartan, recording his top performance of the season way back in November, with a career-high 13 points and five assists in an 82-61 loss to East Carolina.

Pete Brown (4.7 PPG, 3.6 RPG, team-leading 39 blocked shots) and Brian Cole (4.9 PPG, 2.4 RPG) provide the Spartans a solid combination of athleticism and size underneath the basket entering Friday's second first round game.

Cole, a highly-touted 6'8", 220 lb. true freshman from Dacula, GA., had a career effort in the initial meeting with the Paladins, scoring 14 points and adding eight rebounds.

Pete Brown is one of the most athletic players on the UNCG roster and gives the Spartans great size and shot-blocking ability.

Furman counters that rotation with a strong one of its own, and one that enters the tournament as one of the most-athletic rotations.

Furman continues to be led by two of the most-dynamic scorers in the SoCon, in Amu Saaka (15.8 PPG, 7.2 RPG, team-leading 37.3 percent from three-point range) and Jordan Miller (14.3 PPG).

Saaka is one of the SoCon's premier athletes and turned in two of his top games of the 2009-10 season against the Spartans, scoring 31 points in the initial meeting with UNCG this season and then turned around and added 22 points in Furman's eight-point win in the second meeting with the Spartans this season.

Saaka, a transfer from the University of South Florida, has given the Spartans matchup issues with his athleticism in the previous two meetings this season.

Miller had a strong performance in the first meeting with the Spartans, although it didn't show up in the scoring column on the stats sheet at the end of the night. In the 88-78 win by the Spartans, Miller had eight rebounds, two assists, and one blocked shot.

In the second meeting between the two, Miller scored 17 points, pulled down 17 rebounds, and recorded two steals and two blocks.

Miller paced the Paladins with 20 points in a 69-66 loss to College of Charleston last Saturday, and enters Friday's contest leading Furman with 52 triples on the campaign and is shooting 36.1-percent (52-of-144) from three-point range this season.

Joining Miller as a part of the Paladins' backcourt are point guard Darryl Evans (6.6 PPG, team-leading 93 assists) and shooting guard Justin Dehm (8.6 PPG).

Though Evans has had some problems turning the ball over at times this season for Furman, he gives the Paladins scoring ability and quickness on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor, which is something the Paladins lacked the previous two seasons. Evans narrowly missed double figures in the second meeting with the Spartans this season, scoring nine points in the 72-64 win by the Paladins.

Dehm is probably the smartest player on the court for the Paladins. The 6'4" guard is one of the team's best shooters and has canned 46 triples this season. Dehm has especially played well down the stretch for the Paladins this season, scoring a season-high of 22 points in the 61-58 loss at Davidson.

Bryson Barnes (7.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 32 blocked shots) has also hit his stride with his play down the stretch for the Paladins and is coming off a superlative effort in the regular-season finale, 69-66, loss to the College of Charleston. In that heartbreaking loss for Furman, Barnes had 16 points and a career-high 13 rebounds in the setback.

Barnes had his best performance of the two meetings against UNCG in the initial meeting on the road, as he scored 15 points and pulled down four boards in the losing effort. Barnes also ranks second on the team and sixth in the league in blocked shots this season, with 32 swatted shots on the campaign.

Colin Reddick (4.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG) and Brandon Sebirumbi (5.1 PPG, 2.8 RPG) are two young players that give the Paladins good size and a physical edge in the paint and both can be factors on both ends of the floor should they be able to stay out of foul trouble.

Reddick started the final two regular-season games for Furman and is playing some of his best basketball of his true freshman season at just the right time. Reddick has started 16 games of the 28 games he's played in this season, and has scored in double figures five times this season, with two double-doubles.

He hasn't played particularly well against the Spartans, scoring a combined five points against UNCG in two meetings. His 35 blocked shots are a team standard and rank him third among the league leaders.

Sebirumbi comes into the tournament as Furman's leader in field goal percentage (51.7 percent, 46-of-89) and recently recorded his best game in a Furman uniform, with 15 points and four rebounds in a 79-77 loss at Georgia Southern. Sebirumbi has only scored in double figures twice this season, but has seen increased minutes as a result of his strong play of late.

Sebirumbi had his best game against the Spartans in the first meeting between the two this season, scoring six points in the loss. Sebirumbi has averaged 8.0 PPG and 5.8 RPG in the final four games of the regular-season.

Chris Toler (2.6 PPG), Neil Duval (2.0 PPG), and Noah States (2.0 PPG) round out the frontcourt rotation for the Paladins. States is the best scorer of the trio and is one of the team's best scorers off of the bench. States can also step out and hit the outside shot.

He had a career-high 10 rebounds in the Furman loss at Georgia Southern on Feb. 17. Toler has shown flashes of promise this season and Duval has also been able to play well at times this season, scoring in double figures once. Like States, Duval is also a player that can step out and hit the trey.

Three of the league's best scorers will be on display in Friday afternoon's second matchup, as Saaka (31 pts. vs UNCG on Jan. 9, 34 points against Davidson on Jan. 13), Miller (31 points vs. UTC on Feb. 13), and Stywall (30 pts. vs. Georgia Southern on Mar. 1) account for four of the league's eight 30-point scoring efforts this season.

If Furman can handle the "junk" defenses the Spartans will employ as well as their overall experience, the Paladins have a great chance to keep their streak intact against the Spartans in tournament play.

On the other hand, Furman has had trouble at times this season on the boards and the Spartans come in to the tournament leading the league in offensive rebounds (14.3) and rank fourth in rebounding margin (+0.8).

However, the difference might just be on the defensive end and Furman (holding opp. to 42.5 percent shooting, fourth in SoCon) has been able to rely on that plenty as it has gained in overall experience this season.

This should be one of the best games of the opening day and Furman survives a gritty UNCG squad.