UNC Greensboro Basketball: 3 reasons the Spartans can upset Gonzaga

RALEIGH, NC - DECEMBER 31: Wes Miller of the UNC Greensboro Spartans coaches his team against the North Carolina State Wolfpack during play at PNC Arena on December 31, 2012 in Raleigh, North Carolina. North Carolina State won 89-68. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

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UNC Greensboro looks to knock off one of the NCAA Tournament darlings when they face the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Thursday afternoon.

UNC Greensboro rolled their way through the college basketball season. They won 27 of their 34 games. They lost just three times in the Southern Conference. And they cruised through their conference tournament, winning the final by 15 points.

The NCAA Tournament is on another level, though. While the committee was kind enough to give the Spartans a No. 13 seed in the Big Dance, they also saddled them with a challenging first opponent: the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

This is the Spartans’ third appearance in the NCAA Tournament and their first since 2001. They’ve never won a tourney game and never started higher than a No. 15 seed. This might be their best ever opportunity to win an NCAA Tournament game.

To get over Gonzaga, however, UNC Greensboro is going to need to throw caution to the wind. The Bulldogs have consistently been one of the best mid-majors in all of college basketball. Just last year, they advanced to the National Championship Game for the first time in program history. Mark Few is a master tactician.

The Spartans are capable of pulling off this upset, though. They’ve played major opponents before this season, beating some of them. They have senior leaders and an established head coach with a rabid fan base. This is possible.

Their first-round game tips off at 1:30 p.m. ET on Thursday afternoon on TNT.

Here are three keys for the UNC Greensboro Spartans against Gonzaga.

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