The Opening Tip
• Longwood claimed the Big South title for the first time in team history with a 79-58 win over Winthrop in the Big South final.
• The Lancers are headed to the NCAA Tournament for the first time at the Division I level after also going as a member of both the Division II and Division III ranks. The last time the team qualified for a national tournament, regardless of level, was in the 2000-01 season.
• The 26 wins are a program best since the team went 28-3 in the 1979-80 season, the same year the team made a run to the Division III Final Four.
• The Lancers set a variety of program records this season at the Division I level: winning 26 games, going 16-1 at home and winning 11 straight.
•
Justin Hill and
Isaiah Wilkins were named to the All-Big South First Team.
DeShaun Wade was an honorable mention, and
Griff Aldrich was named the Big South Coach of the Year. It was the first time the team has had multiple players named to the All-Big South First Team.
Last Time Out
• Longwood dominated from start to finish in the Big South Championship, crushing Winthrop 79-58 behind a sterling offensive and defensive effort.
• The Lancers led 45-27 at halftime and cruised from that point on. Every time Winthrop made a run, Longwood had the answer.
• The Longwood defense limited Winthrop to 25 percent shooting from three, 41 percent overall. In addition, the Lancers nabbed 10 steals, leading to 32 points off turnovers.
•
Isaiah Wilkins led a Longwood attack that saw all nine players score, with the senior posting a team-best 19 points and eight rebounds.
•
Justin Hill added nine points, eight rebounds and five assists while
Leslie Nkereuwem added 11 points and six rebounds.
• The win clinched the program's first Big South title after the team won the regular season crown.
By The Numbers
• Longwood's offense has been one of the top outfits in the Big South sharing the basketball all season. The Lancers were first in the league with 14.4 assists per game. Point guard
Justin Hill ranks second in the league in assists per game (4.3), and
Jordan Perkins is 13th (2.8)
• Longwood has totaled more assists than turnovers in 21 of 32 games this season. The team has had less than 10 turnovers in a game eight times.
• The team's 12.2 turnovers per game rank as the third-fewest in the Big South, and the team leads in the Big South in turnover margin (+2.1).
• Longwood has the most wins among all men's basketball teams in the Commonwealth (26). The men's and women's teams have combined for 47 wins this season, which also ranks first in the Commonwealth.
• The men's and women's teams have also combined for 36 wins in the 2022 calendar year, the top mark in the Commonwealth.Â
• The Lancers lead the Big South in scoring offense (76.4 points per game) and rank third in scoring defense (65.0 points allowed per game). Longwood leads the conference in scoring margin with an average of +11.3 points per game, which is 18th in the nation
• Longwood has excelled on its home court under fourth-year head coach
Griff Aldrich, amassing a 42-17 record in Willett Hall during his tenure. That includes a 16-1 mark this season, an 8-5 record in 2020-21, an 8-6 record in 2019-20 and a 10-5 mark in 2018-19.
• The Lancers' +7.2 rebounding margin ranks 13th nationally, and their 12.4 offensive rebounds per game are 25th in the nation and first in league.
• Longwood's defense is second in the Big South in steals per game (7.8).
• The Lancers are 19th in the nation in three-point field goal percentage (.379).
Quotables
"This has been a really special year. These guys, throughout the season, have committed themselves to one another and to the team, and that has led to success, not only for the team but for Longwood and Farmville in general. One of the other exciting things for us this year that no doubt has had a major impact on this team and the program has been to watch the students and community and alumni support both the men's and women's teams throughout the season. You all have become the hardest place to play in the Big South Conference...This is your championship as well"
—Longwood head coach Griff Aldrich on Selection Sunday at Longwood's watch party
Series History
• Tennessee and Longwood have never met.
• The Volunteers are fresh off an SEC Title after beating Texas A&M 65-50 in the SEC Tournament.
• Tennessee has won seven straight games heading and 12 of their past 13 heading into the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
• Kennedy Chandler was named SEC Tournament MVP and is Tennessee's leading scorer at 13.8 points per game. Santiago Vescovi is second on the team, scoring 13.4 points per game while also draining a team-high 95 three's.
Â
#HorsePower
