Winthrop (13-4, 5-1 BSC) vs. UNC Asheville (13-6, 5-1 BSC)
Game Time:9 p.m. EST / Site: Rock Hill, SC (Winthrop Coliseum)
Live Video: none / Television: ESPNU (Robert Lee-PxP/Nate Ross-Color / Audio: 104.1 The Bridge, pregame 8:30 p.m (Dave Friedman-PxP/Mike Pacheco-Color)
Live Stats  / Live Video (none)  / Live Audio / Game Promotion-Theme

Dave Friedman/Mike Pacheco Preview

ROCK HILL, SC—Winthrop men's basketball is currently tied for first place in the Big South Conference standings and will face the other two first place teams this week starting with UNC Asheville Thursday night in the Winthrop Coliseum at 9 p.m. on ESPNU.

The Eagles take on the Bulldogs in a nationally-televised game that will feature a rematch of the 2016 Big South Conference Championship game. Winthrop enters the game with a 13-4 record overall and 5-1 league mark while the Bulldogs are 13-6 overall and 5-1 in the league as well. The game will air on ESPNU or fans can tune into 104.1 The Bridge with Dave Friedman on the call.

After facing the Bulldogs, Winthrop hits the road to Lynchburg, VA to take on Liberty (10-9, 5-1 Big South) and win or lose the game will play a key role in positioning for both teams as the middle of the conference slate approaches.

The 5-1 start to league play the best start under head coach Pat Kelsey and the best start to conference action since the 2006-07 squad went undefeated. While the 2006-07 was 3-0 in league play, the team was 13-4 through 17 games, which is the exact record of this year's squad.

Winthrop has won four straight games and 9-of-10 entering Thursday night's game in which its outscored opponents 77.5 ppg to 63.5 ppg despite just shooting 58 percent from the foul line (have spent most of the season between 72-74 percent). Winthrop has shot 45 percent during that stretch while holding opponents to 40 percent and just 28 percent behind the arc. The Eagles have committed just 35 turnovers in the four games compared to 54 assists.

Senior Keon Johnson leads the team with 21.3 ppg and is second in the league in scoring. He's averaged 22.5 ppg during the win streak while shooting 48 percent from the floor, 60 percent from three (21-for-35) and also dishing out 2.0 assists. Junior Xavier Cooks is second on the team in scoring and 6^th in the Big South at 15.5 ppg as he's averaging a double-double during the win streak (14.0 ppg, 10.5 rpg).

This will mark the 74^th meeting all-time between Winthrop and Asheville as the Eagles hold a 39-34 lead in the all-time series and 33-29 edge in regular season meetings. The Bulldogs won the last meeting 77-68 in the conference title game in March and have won two of the last three meetings. Winthrop and Asheville split the series last season with each team winning on its home court by one point.

The Bulldogs enter the game on a five-game winning streak after dropping their league opener. They are 6-5 on the road this season, having won their last two (at Liberty, at Charleston Southern).

Asheville is led by junior Ahmad Thomas and one of the top freshmen in the league in MaCio Teague, who are both tied for 4^th in the Big South at 16.0 ppg. Either Teague, Thomas or both at the same time have led the team in scoring on 14 occasions. The duo each scored 27 points in the 89-68 win against Longwood a week ago and Teague had a team-high 18 in the win at Charleston Southern this past weekend.

Teague is a dual threat as he leads the team in three-point field goals made with 41 (46 percent) and also leads the team in free throws attempted with 68 (87 percent). Thomas is the team's top rebounder at 6.1 per game (7.0 in league games) and is shooting 51 percent from the floor.

They are the only two players averaging double-figures on the year, but there are three doing so in league play. Teague is scoring 19.7 points, Thomas is averaging 15.7 and David Robertson is scoring 16.3 ppg against league opponents. Robertson's average is up nearly nine points from his season average of 7.8. He averaged just 3.9 in non-conference action. He is second on the team with 36 threes with 26 of them coming in the first six games vs. Big South opponents (4.3 per game).