University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Defending Big South Men's Basketball Champions Gear Up for New Season
10.12.2016 | Men's Basketball
ASHEVILLE, N.C.--With another season approaching, head coach Nick McDevitt and the UNC Asheville men's basketball team are ready for another chance to battle in the Big South Conference. The Bulldogs will enter 2016-17 with seven of their 16 players either freshmen or sophomores, something the fourth-year head coach is somewhat used to these days.
Asheville completed last year with a 22-12 record, the third highest win total in school history and marked the third time in the last six years, the program has produced at least 20 victories.
The UNC Asheville Bulldogs have had the most consistent and successful program in the Big South Conference over the past six years. Asheville claimed its third Big South Conference Championship and trip to the NCAA Tournament in that six-year span. The Bulldogs, a preseason pick to finish in eighth place, finished in fourth during the regular season, and one game out of first place with a 12-6 conference record. The double-digit league win figure marked the ninth straight year the Asheville program has produced at least 10 league wins.
This year's team has plenty of new faces. With only eight players returning, the Bulldogs will look for the eight new players to help provide significant minutes. McDevitt believes bringing this new group together will be key.
“We have six freshmen on the team this year. This will be the toughest season they've ever endured,” McDevitt stated. “There will be some ups and downs along the way and we need our freshmen to stay not only physically tough but mentally strong as well. Our upperclassmen will need to step up to provide leadership and teach the younger players how to keep their composure throughout a demanding season.”
Asheville is eager to see which of these eight new players can help produce on the court immediately. “We are really excited about these young players. They are all very athletic and versatile,” claimed McDevitt. “Freshman MaCio Teague is a long armed athletic guard who can play and defend multiple positions because of his length. Teague has a real knack for scoring and will be counted on right away.”
The head coach is also excited about two more freshman guards, Justin Brown and Drew Rackley.
“Rackley is a tough guard who makes the right decisions. He brings a mature presence to the floor right away as a freshman,” McDevitt stated. “Brown's size and athleticism will allow him to compete early. He may be the most athletic player on our roster.”
David Robertson and Kevin Vannatta, the two returning upperclassmen guards, will both need to provide both leadership and experience in the backcourt.
“They will be counted on heavily to be a backbone to the team this season. Vannatta is a true team leader who has constantly improved since coming here in all facets of the game,” McDevitt boasted. “Anyone can see statistically how much of an impact he is, but Kevin also bring intangibles to the court. He's a very tough kid and a vocal leader.”
“Robertson has played a lot of ball. He is an experienced and smart player, and now, as a senior, will now be looked upon to provide leadership,” McDevitt explained.
The Bulldogs also return two senior forwards, Giacomo Zilli and Will Weeks, as well as an experienced junior Ahmad Thomas.
“Thomas will be counted on heavily this season. He has a high basketball IQ and is a great defender that gets it done on both sides of the court,” McDevitt claimed.
Asheville will look for these three veterans, as well as the others, to help fill the shoes that last year's team's leading rebounder Dwayne Sutton (12.0 ppg, 7.7 rpg) left. Sutton was a member of the All-Rookie team and was the Big South Tournament MVP.
The Bulldogs also lost other key players from last season's team in the offseason: starting center Sam Hughes (10.9 ppg) and freshman guard Dylan Smith (13.5 ppg) who was Honorable Mention All-Conference and was the team's leading scorer.
The goal this season is the same as every other year: to win the Big South and make the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs are no stranger to this as this is exactly what they did last season.
In the Big South Tournament at Campbell, the Bulldogs roared past Liberty, top-seeded High Point and second-seed Winthrop to win their fifth tournament title. Asheville went to the NCAA Tournament where it fell to eventual national champion Villanova in the first round at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
"Going to the NCAA Tournament was a great way to end a fun season," declared McDevitt. "We had a lot of great moments like going 2-1 in the Alaska Shootout, beating Georgetown on the road and having a great comeback win at home against Winthrop (the Bulldogs trailed by 23 with 15:31 left in the second half). And of course winning the Big South Championship."
Asheville will once again take on a tough non-conference schedule to help prepare them for what should be another strong year in Big South play. This year's non-conference menu features games at Georgia, VCU, Ohio State and historical powerhouse, Kansas.
Consistency will be a big factor on how the Bulldogs' season goes. “It's (consistency) what has made us so successful over the years. We have been fortunate enough to get good players year in and year out that are able to compete,” McDevitt explained. “Each year is different but we try to have a consistent approach. We try not to get too high when things are going well, as well as not getting too down on ourselves when times are tough. We strive for game to game consistency.”
“I think this will be another strong year for us. I'm very excited about our roster and its potential. If we can get our group of young men to mesh well together, avoid the injury bug, and be patient, as well as mentally tough, I think we can make another serious run this season.”
The Bulldogs will open regular season play when they travel to Richmond, VA to face VCU beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, November 11.
