Sleeping with the Enemy: The Bulldogs of UNC-Asheville

It's the holiday season!  Yes, your Fighting Hoyas were just horribly embarrassed in a loss to Monmouth but hey, it's time to turn your frown upside down!  Here with us to drop knowledge on all things UNC-Asheville are our best blog buddies at Mid Major Madness! Let's do this! Yay!

Tell us something about UNC-Asheville that we might find interesting. Any casual alums?

The "biggest" UNCA alum I would say is Kenny George. You may remember George from a few years back when he captured our imaginations as the tallest player in the country at 7'9. George averaged over 12 points and 7 boards that season but saw his professional career cut short when part of his foot was amputated due to MRSA. Sorry to begin with a downer here. If you're feeling down just enjoy one of Asheville's delicious craft brews.

Georgetown fell victim to Monmouth's Bench this week. Do you feel bad for us?

I do and I don't. I don't because I've been warning you for weeks about Monmouth.  This loss is solely on the Casual Hoya community for ignoring my warnings. I do feel bad for you because Georgetown seems to be the birthplace of mid-major legends. It's time for someone else to take that crown.

(Casual Note: I would buy 100 t-shirts that had 'The Birthplace of Mid-Major Legends' on it. Maybe 200.)

Who are some of the guys on UNC-A that the Hoyas should be absolutely terrified to face on Saturday.

The guy that would've had you shaking a year ago, Andrew Rowsey, is in your conference now at Marquette. Left behind is just a solid core of young players. Freshmen Dwayne Sutton and Dylan Smith are both averaging in double digits. David Robertson and Kevin Vannetta can both be dangerous shooters at time and Sam Hughes is really solid as a mid-major three. The wild card for the Bulldogs is Will Weeks. Weeks is a veteran who opened up the season with a 25 point, 5 rebound night at Tennessee.  Since then Weeks has only reached double-digits once and has been relegated to the bench.  Weeks is still a sleeping giant in my mind and could break out at any time.

How does UNC-A look this season? Where do you see them finishing in the Big South?

I think Asheville is a 9 to 11 win team in the Big South and can be part of the title conversation this year. The Bulldogs are on a roll right now with four straight wins by an average margin of 29.5 points. That margin is a bit skewed by beating culinary school by nearly 70 points but UNCA is still clicking right now and should turn the corner into conference play with a good bit of momentum.

Star Wars is now in theaters.  Is this something that excites you? Talk to me about your go-to snack order at the movies.

Definitely excited about Star Wars, I think I'm going to wait for things to die down until I see it though.  At the movies my top items are Milk Duds (b/c I like the sensation of my teeth being pulled out), popcorn, and cherry coke. I don't think I even like cherry coke but there is some sort of nostalgia with the movies for some reason.

How do you and yours spend Christmas? Please be as specific as possible.

7 AM: Wake up and watch my son open presents. Coffee, breakfast casserole, SSS time 
11 AM: Brunch with my wife's family 
4 PM: Go to my parents house, libations begin
5 PM: Yell at my sister for changing basketball to "A Christmas Story" and argue about how it's the most overrated Christmas movie of all-time and Home Alone and Christmas Vacation is so much better. 
5:30 PM: Argue with my grandma about the republicans foreign policy and the 2016 election 
6 PM: Dinner, likely ham, spinach souffle, some other stuff that I'm blanking on right now
7 PM: White elephant gift exchange where no one understands the rules and there are a lot of arguments
8 PM: Go home, enjoy a nightcap and watch Home Alone, Christmas Vacation, or Muppet Christmas Carol! Take that Claire!

What is your initial reaction to finding out that Georgetown has a top 10 men's basketball budget (http://bbstate.com/all/budget-mbb) and that JT3 is the 11th highest paid coach (http://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/salaries/mens-basketball/coach/)?

How do you feel about JT3's salary being over $2 million more than UNC Asheville's total basketball budget? I don't know what the answer is at Georgetown. I've harped on the sterile environment that is the Verizon Center before and I really want the Hoyas to do well because your such an iconic program. I definitely don't think JT3 is performing to the level of his compensation but it's obviously a touchy situation given his last name. I'd argue that the best program in DC right now is in Foggy Bottom, so what is Mike Lonergan doing that is different? Perhaps Georgetown is chasing too many big names and not focusing in on local talent (I get that that's not the GW model)? You're not getting your ROI on your basketball program right now and I can't stray away from your scheduling.  From doing these Q&As over the past several years it seems as if you have A LOT of home games, in sterile environments, against mid-majors. That doesn't excite a fan base or recruits and you're not battle tested heading into conference play. When you turn the page into conference play you'll have played two true road games and seven out of your last eight games will be against mid-majors and a lot of not very good mid-majors.

Final score prediction?

73-61 G'town