All eyes are on the UNCA Bulldog’s men’s basketball team and their big man, 7-foot-7 Kenny George. We’re halfway through the regular season, so folks are starting to assess teams that will be headed to March Madness. Can UNCA make the tournament? We hope so. In fact, I think all of Ashvegas is pulling for the Bulldogs.
Here’s the Cleveland Plain Dealer luvin’ on the Bulldogs:
We’ve got your NCAA Tournament Cinder-fella right here.
North Caro lina-Asheville, standing 18-4, 7-0 in the Big South. Rarely will any team in any league go undefeated for the men’s college basketball season, but the Bulldogs look like the exception to the rule. They are coming off a victory over league powerhouse Winthrop (14-8, 5-2), which puts them effectively 2½ games up with the tiebreaker.
While NC-Asheville’s RPI is just now creeping inside the top 100, understand its losses to date have come to East Tennessee State, Virginia Tech, Tennessee and North Carolina. One big key to the Bulldogs is 7-7, 360-pound center Kenny George.
According to those who have played against George, he definitely has basketball skills. He can shoot with either hand and can pass. He struggles when there are many possessions without the clock stopping. But on specialty plays and out-of-bounds plays, both offensively and defensively he has to be accounted for.
“I called a [scout] with the New York Knicks and told them he’s certainly worth a look,” said Buffalo coach Reggie Witherspoon earlier this season after the Bulls had lost at NC-Asheville, 101-90.
George is averaging 20.7 minutes per game, scoring 13.1 points and snatching 7.9 rebounds. The Big Fella’s shooting 70.8 percent from the field, which leads the nation, and 65.2 percent from the line. Just in case you think it’s a matter of getting George in foul trouble to put a dent into the Bulldogs, consider this.
In UNC-Asheville’s 71-56 victory Saturday over Winthrop . . . George didn’t play! Coach Eddie Biedenbach said he wanted to rest George for the stretch run.