The Opening Tip
• After having its original season opener against Delaware State canceled due to a positive COVID-19 test by an individual outside of the Lancer program, Longwood men's basketball will officially tip off the 2020-21 season Friday against Wake Forest at the Mako Medical Wake Forest Classic. The game will air on ACC Network.
• Following the graduation of a four-man senior class last season, Longwood returns two starters and 10 letterwinners for 2020-21. That group includes 46 percent of Longwood's scoring, 58 percent of rebounding and 51 percent of assists from last year's fourth-place Big South squad.
• The Lancers have just one senior on their roster in forward
Ilija Stefanovic and only two players who have played multiple seasons under head coach
Griff Aldrich: redshirt junior guard
Juan Munoz and redshirt sophomore forward
Abraham Deng.
• The Lancers have won two straight season openers, both under Aldrich. Longwood topped Marymount 73-51 to begin the 2019-20 season and defeated Randolph 84-56 to start 2018-19.
• Friday's game will be Longwood's first season opener on the road since 2013-14 when they began the season at South Carolina.
• Longwood last faced Wake Forest on Feb. 23, 2005, when the then-No. 6 Demon Deacons were in the midst of a 2004-05 season in which they finished second in the ACC behind the play of consensus first-team All-American Chris Paul. Wake Forest won that matchup 88-47.
• Friday's game will be Longwood's first against an ACC school since joining the Big South in 2012-13. The Lancers last faced an ACC foe in 2010-11 when they faced Commonwealth neighbors Virginia and Virginia Tech.
By The Numbers
• Longwood enters its third year under head coach
Griff Aldrich, who last season became the first coach in the program's Division I era to win 30 games by the end of his second season.
• Aldrich's two-year total of 30 wins is the Lancers' best two-year stretch since jumping to the Division I level in 2004. The 2008-09 (17-14) and 2009-10 (12-19) Lancers combined for 29 wins as a Division I Independent.
• The Lancers return 46.3 percent of their scoring, 57.5 percent of their rebounding and 51.3 percent of their assists from last season.
• Redshirt junior point guard
Juan Munoz enters the season on a streak of 18 consecutive games with a made three-pointer. He led Longwood in made three-pointers (51), scoring (10.3 ppg.), steals (43), made free throws (70) and free throw attempts (89) last season.
• Sophomore forward
Leslie Nkereuwem led Longwood with 21 dunks as a true freshman last season, which was three times more than the next closest Lancer. Nkereuwem was Longwood's first player off the bench a team-high 19 times.
• Longwood is 9-8 under Aldrich in games that were either decided by one possession (three points or fewer) or went to overtime. The Lancers went 4-4 in those games in 2019-20 and 5-4 in 2018-19. Longwood is 3-2 in overtime games under Aldrich.
• This year's Longwood team is the tallest in program history with an average height of 6-4.35 inches. Two Lancers — 6-11
Abraham Deng and 6-10
Ilija Stefanovic — are near the seven-foot mark, while a Big South-leading nine players are listed at 6-5 or taller.
• Longwood has made the second-most three-pointers in the Big South over the past two years, sinking 293 to trail only reigning Big South Champion Winthrop's 322.
Quotable
"It's the most talented team I've had in my three years here. We have a good nucleus of guys who have been in the program, but they just don't have the playing experience yet. But I feel great about the type of kids and players we have, and we're heading in the right direction. The question will be how quickly do we season, how quickly do we get that experience?"
— Third-year head coach
Griff Aldrich on the makeup of his 2020-21 Lancers
Series History
• Longwood and Wake Forest meet for only the second time in series history and the first time in 15 years Friday in Winston-Salem, N.C.
• Longwood and Wake Forest last met on Feb. 23, 2005, in Winston-Salem, N.C., where the Demon Deacons — then ranked No. 6 in the nation — ran away with an 88-47 win. Consensus first team All-American Chris Paul scored 10 points, dished four assists and recorded three steals in 24 minutes that night, while five Deacs scored in double figures.
• The game will be the Lancers' first against an ACC opponent since joining the Big South in 2012-13. Their last ACC matchups came in 2010-11 when they faced both Virginia and Virginia Tech.
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