UNC Asheville set to host season-opening tournament

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The 2020-21 college basketball season tips off nationwide on Wednesday, with UNC Asheville serving as the host of the Mako Medical Asheville Classic. The tournament, which will feature Troy, UNC Wilmington and Western Carolina, can be viewed live on ESPN+.

While the UNC Asheville men's basketball team officially begins its season on Friday against UNC Wilmington (3:30 p.m.), the action will begin at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, with a neutral-site matchup between UNC Wilmington and Western Carolina. On Friday at 1 p.m., Western Carolina will take on Troy, followed by the season-opener between the Bulldogs and Seahawks. The tournament wraps up on Saturday, as UNC Wilmington and Troy square off at 1 p.m., followed by a 4 p.m. showdown between UNC Asheville and Western Carolina.

"Our program is excited to get the 2020-21 season started," said UNC Asheville head coach Mike Morrell. "It has been an unusual offseason, but we are very thankful to be at the start of another college basketball season. The Mako Medical Asheville Classic will be a great challenge for our team. We are very grateful to Janet Cone and our administration for working tirelessly to put this event on, and we are extremely appreciative to Mako for their support of this event."

UNC Asheville enters the 2020-21 campaign after improving their win total by 11 games last season, posting a record of 15-16 overall, winning eight conference games and advancing to the Big South Quarterfinals. The 11-win improvement, which was third in all of NCAA Division I, did not go unnoticed, as the Bulldogs were selected to finish second behind Winthrop in the Big South Preseason Poll.

Junior DeVon Baker was named Preseason All-Big South First Team, with LJ Thorpe (R-Jr.) being named All-Big South Second Team, averaging 16.5 and 13.9 points per game, respectively. The 2020-21 squad has depth, returning its six top scorers from last season, and 10 lettermen overall. Tajion Jones shot 50.8 percent from the floor as a sophomore, ranking third amongst league members, while Lavar Batts Jr.'s 55 steals led all Big South players in that category. The 2019-20 outfit made its mark on the defensive end, ranking fourth in the NCAA with a turnover margin of 5.2, 24^th with 8.2 steals per game and 31^st in total steals (255).

Asheville's opening opponent, UNC Wilmington enters the season under the helm of first-year coach Takayo Siddle. In 2019-20, the Seahawks went 10-22 overall, but are led by junior guard Jaylen Sims who averaged 11.8 points per game as a sophomore.

On Saturday, the Bulldogs will face a Western Carolina team that went 19-12 last year, going 10-8 in Southern Conference play. The Catamounts are led by redshirt-junior guard Mason Faulkner who averaged 17.7 points and 6.1 assists per game en route to a Southern Conference First Team selection. In addition to being streamed on ESPN+, Saturday's contest can be viewed locally on WSPA.

Troy, which does not face UNC Asheville, opens its season against Middle Georgia State on November 25, before heading to Asheville for matchups with Western Carolina and UNC Wilmington.

All games will be streamed on ESPN+ and you can follow the live stats here: https://uncabulldogs.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary

Game schedule (All times Eastern)

Wednesday, November 25
UNC Wilmington vs. Western Carolina - 1 p.m. (ESPN+)

Friday, November 27
Troy vs. Western Carolina - 1 p.m. (ESPN+)
UNC Wilmington vs. UNC Asheville - 3:30 p.m. (ESPN+)

Saturday, November 28
UNC Wilmington vs. Troy - 1 p.m. (ESPN+)
Western Carolina vs. UNC Asheville - 4 p.m. (ESPN+, WSPA)