March Madness: UNC-Asheville is Going to the NCAA Tournament
By Jason Lisk
Conference: Big South (19-13)
Location: I had to search for this, but apparently, in a place called Asheville. Which is in North Carolina.
Famous Alum: Ty Wiggington, an occasionally-decent infielder who was an MLB All-Star last year.
They’re Back! First appearance since 2003, when they snuck in at 14-16, won the play-in game, and were smoked by the TJ Ford-led Texas Longhorns in round one. Texas lost in the Final Four to eventual champ Syracuse.
School’s Leading Scorer: Bamford Jones (1,919)
Resume: Won at Auburn in overtime. Lost by 47 at Ohio State, and were more competitive in double-digit losses at North Carolina and Georgetown.
They’re Young: The Bulldogs probably are a year away from throwing a scare into someone. Five of their best players will be back next year (three juniors and two sophomores).
All-Important Rankings: 181 (RPI), 150 (Pomeroy), 168 (Sagarin).
Projected Seed: Likely a #16 seed, could move to a 15 with several other upsets.
Twitter: Couldn’t find a team account, but here’s the ESPN Radio affiliate in Asheville (@ESPNAsheville) that may get you some leads if you want to follow them during the tournament. Sharp-shooting guard Matt Dickey (@MattDickey2) has a protected account. [UPDATE: athletic dept is @ashevilledogs]