HIGH POINT, N.C. - The High Point University men's basketball team will make its first actual road trip of the season to cross town foe UNC Greensboro on Tuesday night. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. inside Fleming Gymnasium.
Men's Basketball - UNC Greensboro
Tuesday, December 3 | 7 p.m. | Greensboro, N.C. | Fleming Gymnasium
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Records: High Point 8-1, UNCG 3-4
Last Meeting: December 19, 2023 | Result: HPU won 74-63
All-time Record: HPU leads 10-3
The Matchup
The Panthers and Spartans will meet for the 14th time in program history with the first matchup dating back to 1974 and the most recent matchup last season in 2023. UNC Greensboro competes in the Southern Conference and finished the 2023-24 season with an overall record of 21-11 and a conference record of 12-6. Currently, the Spartans are 3-4 after falling in back-to-back games to San Jose State and UTEP in the Ball Dawgs Classic. UNCG is led by Kenyon Giles who transferred this season from Radford averaging 14.7 points per game and 2.1 rebounds. Giles is complimented by Donovan Atwell and Ronald Polite III each averaging 12 points per game. UNCG is coached by Mike Jones who enters his fourth season with the program.
Last Time Out
High Point hosted Pfeiffer University on Saturday, November 30 at the Qubein Center and picked up the 81-50 win over the Falcons. The last time the Panthers defeated a team by 30 points was against Pfeiffer in 2022 (109-71). The Panthers were led by four players in double figures,
D'Maurian Williams (18 points),
Kezza Giffa (14 points),
Kimani Hamilton (11 points), and
Bobby Pettiford (11 points). After returning to play this past week in the Cayman Islands Classic, Pettiford scored his season-high versus Pfeiffer after going 4-for-5 from the field.
Notable Player & Team Notes
CIC All-Tournament Team
Kezza Giffa was named to the Cayman Islands Classic All-Tournament team after averaging 16 points, 3.0 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game. He scored a week-high 23 points in the win over Old Dominion.
Pettiford Loves Thanksgiving Game Winners
In the final game of the Cayman Islands Classic,
Bobby Pettiford secured the go ahead basket with 10 seconds left to go in the game. This was the third straight season that he scored a game winner in the game before Thanksgiving.
Best Start in DI History
The 5-0 start for High Point is the best start in Division I program history since becoming DI in 1999. In 2022-23, High Point started 3-0 before falling to UNLV in mid-November.
Giffa & Bodo Bodo on Lou Henson Watch List
The 2024-25 Lou Henson 'Early Season' Watch list has been announced as two players from the High Point University men's basketball team have earned recognition,
Kezza Giffa and
Juslin Bodo Bodo. Giffa was named a finalist in 2023-24 for the Lou Henson award after averaging 16.2 points per game, 2.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists.
Top 10 - CollegeInsider.com Mid Major Rankings
In the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 rankings, High Point ranks No. 12 in the week three rankings. The Panthers highest spot in the rankings thus far was 8th in week two
.
Bracketeer.com Preseason All-American Awards
In the Bracketeer's Preseason All-American Watch List
Kimani Hamilton was named a First Team recipient while
Kezza Giffa was named to the second team.
Preseason Polls
On October 15th, the Big South Conference announced the Preseason Men's Basketball Poll for the upcoming 2024-25 season. High Point University was picked to finish 1st in the poll, while
Kezza Giffa was named the Preseason Player of the Year, while
Kimani Hamilton &
Juslin Bodo Bodo were named to the first team.
New & Improved
Returning eight players from last year's roster, the Panthers added 12 newcomers with six transfers and six freshmen. The reigning Big South Regular Season Champions are ready to jump back into full action after a historic 27-win season led by first-year Head Coach
Alan Huss in 2023-24.
HPU Stat Rankings Following 2023-24 Season
-9th in NCAA in PPG (83.9)
-1st in NCAA in Free Throws Made (20.1)
-6th in NCAA in Free Throws Attempted (25.8)
-15th in NCAA in Free Throw % (77.8)
-16th in NCAA in Rebounds (40.00)
-25th in NCAA in Win % (75%)
-Highest National Kenpom Ranking in Program History (114th)
-Highest National NET Ranking in Program History (110th)
-8th in Kenpom Raw Offensive Efficiency
-10th in Kenpom Offensive Rebound %
2023-24 Regular Season CHAMPS
HPU was named the outright Big South regular season champs for the first time since 2015-16. This was HPU's 5th Big South Regular-Season Title and the 2nd outright title.
2023-24 Season Recorded Most Wins in D1 Era
With a record of 27-9, the Panthers set the record for the most wins in a single-season.
2023-24 Season Was the Most Wins by a First-Year Head Coach
Coach Huss won the most wins as a first-year head coach in the entirety of the men's basketball program history. Also registered the most wins by a rookie head coach in the country last season.
Bodo Bodo Awards
Juslin bodo Bodo was named a National Freshman of the Year and a Kyle Macy Freshman of the Year Finalist in 2023-24.
Lou Henson Award Finalist
Giffa was named a Lou Henson Award Finalist in 2023-24.
2023-24 Big South Postseason Awards
Head Coach
Alan Huss was named the Big South Coach of the Year becoming the 2nd coach in program history to earn the award (Scott Cherry).
Duke Miles was named the Big South Newcomer of the Year and
Juslin Bodo Bodo was named the Defensive and Freshman Player of the Year.
Duke Miles,
Kimani Hamilton &
Kezza Giffa were named to the First Team All-Conference selections while
Juslin Bodo Bodo and
Titas Sargiunas were named to the All-Freshman team.
#GoHPU x #OnTheProwl