Bulldogs Begin 2015-2016 at Tennessee Friday Night

THE MATCHUP

Teams: Asheville (0-0, 0-0 BSC)

Tennessee (0-0, 0-0 SEC)

Location: Thompson-Boiling Arena, Knoxville, TN

Time: 7:00 p.m.

LIVE VIDEO (SEC NETWORK +) - LIVE AUDIO (UNCABULLDOGS.COM) -

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Basketball season officially begins on Friday night when UNC Asheville travels over the mountains to take on Tennessee in Thompson-Boiling Arena. Asheville is coming off of a 76-64 exhibition victory over Brevard, while Tennessee took down Alabama-Huntsville 96-83 in their only exhibition contest.

Tipoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. and will be streamed live online through SEC Network +. SEC Network + is the live streaming, digital component of the SEC Network that can be accessed through any computer, tablet, or mobile device. To access Friday's game, visit WatchESPN.com or download the WatchESPN app and log in using your cable or satellite account information.

GAME NOTES

Bulldogs Ready for New Season: The UNC Asheville basketball team will enter the 2015-2016 season with a young roster, as nine of the Bulldogs' 15 players are either freshmen or sophomores for third-year head coach Nick McDevitt. Six players from the top 11 in minutes played last year, and five players who started at least seven games or averaged 10+ minutes, are all absent from this year's roster. Asheville brings back guards David Robertson and Kevin Vannatta to lead a young backcourt, while the bulk of the Bulldog experience plays in the post. Both of this year's seniors – John Cannon and Sam Hughes – as well as juniors Giacomo Zilli and Will Weeks are all ready to go to work down low.

Last Time Out: Asheville opened play last Saturday with their lone exhibition contest before opening at Tennessee. The Bulldogs took down local Division II foe Brevard College, 76-64. Freshman Dwayne Sutton finished with the game's only double-double, notching 17 points and 10 rebounds in his collegiate debut. Will Weeks finished with a 10-rebound, nine-point effort while David Robertson filled his stat line in the win, notching 16 points, adding three assists and three rebounds.

Have I Seen You Before?: Friday's meeting between Asheville and Tennessee will be the ninth all-time meeting between the two schools, all coming since the 1997-1998 season. The Bulldogs are 0-9 all-time in the series, but five of the nine contests have seen the final margin under 10 points. Eight of the meetings have been in Knoxville, with the team's last matchup coming during the 2012-2013 season in Bayamón, Puerto Rico as part of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Tournament (75-68 UT win.)

Hello Again Rick: UNC Asheville teams have met Rick Barnes coached teams four times in Barnes' head coaching career. Asheville is 0-4 all-time (0-2 vs. Texas (2000-01 & 2003 NCAA Tournament), 0-1 vs. Clemson (1995-96 season) and 0-1 vs. Providence (1989-90 season)) against Barnes. The 2003 NCAA meeting was the Bulldogs first appearance in the Big Dance, as they defeated Texas Southern in Dayton, Ohio before falling to Barnes and Texas 82-61 in the First Round game, played in Birmingham, Alabama.

Tipping Things Off on the Road: Friday's matchup at Tennessee will be the third consecutive season Asheville and head coach Nick McDevitt open the regular season on the road (2014-15 at Wake Forest, 2013-14 at Kentucky). The 2013-14 opener at Kentucky was the start of an eight-game road trip to start the head coaching career for McDevitt, and included playing at Duke as part of the Preseason NIT Tournament. Asheville didn't play a home game until December 12 that year.

Get Familiar With Us, We'll be Around: Friday night's matchup on SEC Network+ will be the first of at least 11 times the Bulldogs will be on television screens this regular season between local, regional and national coverage. Asheville will have three games carried locally on WMYA MY40 in the Asheville area, two games on SEC Network affiliates, two games on the American Sports Network and two games on ESPN3. The Dogs' opening Great Alaska Shootout contest against Drexel, and the entire winner's bracket of the tournament, will be on CBS Sports Network, while Asheville could also be selected to appear on ESPNU a total of four times this season.

QUOTABLES FROM HEAD COACH NICK McDEVITT

On playing tough non-conference schedules: “Each year we like to play a tough non-conference schedule, because each and every year our goal is to win the Big South Championship. By winning the Big South, we are obviously on to the NCAA Tournament, where we are going to face one of the big boys. Whether it be a Tennessee or Kentucky, Texas A&M, or Georgetown…I think it is important for our guys to experience playing in those type of environments. We don't just want to get to the NCAA Tournament, once we get there we want to try and advance, and I don't want that to be the first time our team has played against a team of that quality.

Opening at Tennessee: “It's a good game for our fans. Growing up in Western North Carolina, there are a lot of UT fans in the area and a lot of folks who went to school there. It's an easy trip for our fans, and I think their fans will have a familiarity with Asheville and UNC Asheville. We have been fortunate to play them several times over the years, and it is a very good game for us and will be a test for us as we prepare for what will end up being a track meet. We don't want to play that way, but I know they want to get up and down the floor and try to have a lot of possessions. Our job will be to try to slow that down some without stalling the game out. We can't afford to play slow either. We want to play some up-tempo in conference play and other non-conference matchups, so we can't completely reinvent the wheel against Tennessee. It will be a tough challenge, particularly with our young team, but one we are looking forward to.”

UP NEXT

-Following Friday night's game, Asheville has a quick turnaround, as they will continue their two-game season opening trip on Sunday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. against regional rival Western Carolina.