UNC Asheville Men’s Basketball: Looking back on the 2020-21 season

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The 2020-21 basketball season was unlike any other in the history of the sport, and before we turn the page to the 2021-22 campaign, we thought we would take a look back at some of the highlights from the UNC Asheville men's basketball team this season.

Asheville battled adversity early, as two-year starters Coty Jude and DeVon Baker both missed the beginning of the season due to injury. The Bulldogs opened the 2020-21 campaign by hosting the Mako Medical Asheville Invitational and as a University, would host eight games (men's and women's) in the first 12 days of the season. After Jude returned to the lineup and the team grabbed its first win of the season (S.C. State), Asheville would have the first of seven games that were postponed before being ultimately canceled due to Covid-19.

The Bulldogs ended the regular season with an overall record of 10-9 and a conference mark of 9-5, before falling to Longwood in the Big South Quarterfinals. Despite not being able to compete for 30 days due to Covid, Asheville's 9-5 Big South record, which was the sixth best in terms of win percentage (.643) in the last 15 seasons, earned them a first-round bye in the Big South Championship and was the first quarterfinal matchup to be held in Kimmel Arena since 2018. In addition to being without Evan Clayborne, who had solidified the low post for the Bulldogs with 1.7 blocks (2^nd, Big South) and 6.2 rebounds (6^th, Big South) per game, the Bulldogs played their Big South Quarterfinal against Longwood without the services of head coach Mike Morrell, who was sidelined due to Covid-19 protocols. With the nine conference wins, Asheville continued its turnaround from a few seasons ago, cementing itself as one of four Big South schools (Winthrop, Radford, Gardner-Webb) to have a winning conference record in the past two seasons combined.

The Big South regular season provided no shortage of memorable moments, including a pair of wins powered by a dominant LJ Thorpe down the stretch (Longwood, Charleston Southern), and an incredible comeback win over Radford (January 24) in which the Bulldogs rallied from 17 down as Tajion Jones forced overtime at the buzzer, ultimately taking the contest 76-68. No victory, however, shined brighter than Asheville's 57-55 win at Winthrop on January 29. The win derailed a perfect season for the Eagles to that point, snapping the nation's longest win streak (21 games) and giving Asheville its first victory in Rock Hill since 2011.

Although the season would look different following the January 29 win, both Jones and Thorpe's strong regular seasons powered them to All-Big South Second Team and Honorable Mention recognition. With Baker and Jude missing time early, Jones led the team with 16.0 points per game while knocking down an average of 3.40 threes per game, which ranked sixth among NCAA Division I players and is a new program record, leading to NABC honors. Baker would return in January, averaging 13.0 points in just eight games played, while Thorpe finished the season third in scoring (11.6), second in rebounding (4.1) and third in assists (60) for a Bulldog offense that averaged 73.4 points per game (2^nd, Big South).

For now, the program looks ahead to a 2021-22 season with the hopes of a packed Kimmel Arena and the pursuit of another Big South title.