UNC Greensboro Basketball: 3 reasons the Spartans can upset Gonzaga

2. Go hard in the paint

UNC Greensboro doesn’t fit the profile of the typical mid-major NCAA Tournament entry, undersized and hoping for the best, but expecting the worst.

The Spartans have some real bruisers in the interior that can dominate the paint. It starts with James Dickey, a 6-foot-10 sophomore who isn’t afraid to throw his weight around. He averaged just 8.9 points per game, but he also secured 8.3 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per contest; both of those marks led the conference by a healthy margin.

The front lines don’t end with Dickey, though. Sophomore forward Kyrin Galloway is still a project, but he stands tall at 6-foot-8. Meanwhile, redshirt senior Jordy Kuiper doesn’t stand out in a box score, but he isn’t afraid to do some of the dirty work inside.

Gonzaga doesn’t hurt for size themselves. Two of their best players are at least 6-foot-9: Johnathan Williams and Killian Tillie. They’ll be ready for a fist fight in the paint on every possession.

That strategy does have the potential to wear down a team, though. The Spartans should consider pounding the paint as much as they can, wearing down the Bulldogs until they’re nothing more than poodles.

If all else fails, there’s one more weapon….