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UNC Greensboro Basketball: 2021-22 season preview for Spartans

By Jerran Anderson

Mar 15, 2018; Boise, ID, USA; UNC-Greensboro Spartans mascot waves a flag in the first half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament at Taco Bell Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 15, 2018; Boise, ID, USA; UNC-Greensboro Spartans mascot waves a flag in the first half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament at Taco Bell Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports /
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Kaleb Hunter  UNC-Greensboro Basketball (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Kaleb Hunter  UNC-Greensboro Basketball (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

2021-22 season outlook

By March, UNC Greensboro basketball could have 20+ wins under their belt once again and even be in the NCAA Tournament conversation, at the very least as a bubble team, despite their mid-major status.

Head coach Mike Jones has an NCAA Tournament appearance under his belt already in 2018. His penchant for more should be present in the defensive-minded identity of his team in 2021-22. As Radford’s head coach in 2020-21, his squad ranked 44th in the nation in scoring defense (64.6 ppg). If he can replicate that with a much similar bunch, the Spartans could surprise some folks in the SoCon basketball landscape.

The Spartans will need Kaleb Hunter and Keyshaun Langley to step up in a big way. They shouldn’t have much of an issue adjusting to Coach Jones’ style of play that put defense first but also favors a typically guard-heavy rotation. Back at Radford, he led them to back-to-back Big South regular-season crowns from 2018-20 and the conference’s automatic tournament bid in 2017-18 with a conference tournament victory.

Ranking all D-I head coaches for 2021-22. dark. Next

Jones has a winning pedigree that fits what Wes Miller had already built before leaving for a bigger job at Cincinnati. Now, he’ll have to prove he can hang in the SoCon in 2021-22 in his first season on the sidelines. Look for them to finish at the Top 5 in the standings.