University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville Men’s Basketball Holds First Official Practices of 2017-18 Season on Saturday
09.30.2017 | Men's Basketball
Video (with quotes from Nick McDevitt and senior Alec Wnuk)
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville men's basketball team officially opened practices for the 2017-18 season with two practices on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017.
The Bulldogs' first official practices of the new season comes as the preseason buzz continues to grow for UNC Asheville men's basketball.
In fact, as more and more preseason college basketball magazines hit the shelves, the one thing that is constant in all of them is who they have pegged to win the Big South – the Bulldogs.
In the Street & Smith's preseason college basketball magazine the Bulldogs are tabbed to win the Big South Conference. The Bulldogs are also the preseason favorite in the league in the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook.
The latest preseason publications to tab the Bulldogs as the preseason choice in the league come after both the Lindy's Sports and Athlon Sports preseason college basketball magazines had the Bulldogs as the pick to win the Big South Conference.
In the Lindy's Sports preview they note that "Nick McDevitt has built a strong program in the N.C. mountains."
Lindy's Sports tabs senior guard Ahmad Thomas as the Big South Preseason Player of the Year, while sophomore guard MaCio Teague joins Thomas on the preseason All-Conference first-team in the publication.
In the Lindy's Sports Honor Roll for the Big South, UNC Asheville senior guard Kevin Vannattais noted by the publication as the "best playmaker" in the league, while the reigning Big South Defensive Player of the Year in Thomas is said to be the best defender. Teague is tabbed by the publication as the "best NBA prospect" in the Big South.
In the player ratings in the Lindy's Sports preseason publication, Thomas is also listed as one of the top-25 shooting guards in the country at the No. 24 spot. Lindy's Sports notes, "the 18.0 scorer is a threat at both ends."
In the Athlon Sports preseason preview for the Big South in picking the Bulldogs to win the league they note "it's time to acknowledge alumnus coach Nick McDevitt as a mid-major monster who puts some bite in the Bulldogs each year no matter the circumstances."
Athlon Sports places both Thomas and Teague on the preseason All-Conference first-team as well.
In the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, both Teague and Thomas are preseason all-conference selections.
UNC Asheville will start the 2017-18 season having collected back-to-back 20-win seasons and having made two straight postseason appearances with the Bulldogs playing in the 2016 NCAA Tournament and the 2017 CollegeInsider.com Tournament.
The 2016-17 Bulldogs claimed a share of the Big South regular season championship and earned the second-most wins in program history in a season with 23. Asheville reached 20 wins faster than any other team in program history in 27 games.
UNC Asheville is currently accepting deposits for season tickets, and fans can reserve their season ticket for only $50 per seat. The season ticket includes both men's and women's home regular season basketball games.
To purchase your tickets today, please visit HERE. The 2017-18 UNC Asheville men's basketball schedule can be viewed HERE.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville men's basketball team officially opened practices for the 2017-18 season with two practices on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017.
The Bulldogs' first official practices of the new season comes as the preseason buzz continues to grow for UNC Asheville men's basketball.
In fact, as more and more preseason college basketball magazines hit the shelves, the one thing that is constant in all of them is who they have pegged to win the Big South – the Bulldogs.
In the Street & Smith's preseason college basketball magazine the Bulldogs are tabbed to win the Big South Conference. The Bulldogs are also the preseason favorite in the league in the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook.
The latest preseason publications to tab the Bulldogs as the preseason choice in the league come after both the Lindy's Sports and Athlon Sports preseason college basketball magazines had the Bulldogs as the pick to win the Big South Conference.
In the Lindy's Sports preview they note that "Nick McDevitt has built a strong program in the N.C. mountains."
Lindy's Sports tabs senior guard Ahmad Thomas as the Big South Preseason Player of the Year, while sophomore guard MaCio Teague joins Thomas on the preseason All-Conference first-team in the publication.
In the Lindy's Sports Honor Roll for the Big South, UNC Asheville senior guard Kevin Vannattais noted by the publication as the "best playmaker" in the league, while the reigning Big South Defensive Player of the Year in Thomas is said to be the best defender. Teague is tabbed by the publication as the "best NBA prospect" in the Big South.
In the player ratings in the Lindy's Sports preseason publication, Thomas is also listed as one of the top-25 shooting guards in the country at the No. 24 spot. Lindy's Sports notes, "the 18.0 scorer is a threat at both ends."
In the Athlon Sports preseason preview for the Big South in picking the Bulldogs to win the league they note "it's time to acknowledge alumnus coach Nick McDevitt as a mid-major monster who puts some bite in the Bulldogs each year no matter the circumstances."
Athlon Sports places both Thomas and Teague on the preseason All-Conference first-team as well.
In the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, both Teague and Thomas are preseason all-conference selections.
UNC Asheville will start the 2017-18 season having collected back-to-back 20-win seasons and having made two straight postseason appearances with the Bulldogs playing in the 2016 NCAA Tournament and the 2017 CollegeInsider.com Tournament.
The 2016-17 Bulldogs claimed a share of the Big South regular season championship and earned the second-most wins in program history in a season with 23. Asheville reached 20 wins faster than any other team in program history in 27 games.
UNC Asheville is currently accepting deposits for season tickets, and fans can reserve their season ticket for only $50 per seat. The season ticket includes both men's and women's home regular season basketball games.
To purchase your tickets today, please visit HERE. The 2017-18 UNC Asheville men's basketball schedule can be viewed HERE.
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