CARROLLTON, Ga.– The University of West Georgia men's basketball team (0-2, 0-0 UAC) returns to the City of Dreams on Wednesday night for its 2026-27 home opener against UNC Asheville (1-2, 0-0 Big South) at the Coliseum. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m., with the game broadcast live on ESPN+.
The Wolves return home following a two-game road trip through the Windy City, where they opened the season against DePaul and Loyola Chicago. UWG fell 75-58 to the Blue Demons in its season opener before dropping a 76-53 decision to the Ramblers on Thursday night.
Despite the losses, West Georgia has seen immediate contributions from its newcomers, with two different transfers leading the Wolves in scoring through the first two contests.
Justin Redmond led UWG with 13 points in his debut against DePaul, shooting 55 percent from the field and connecting on three three-pointers. Lou Hutchinson followed with a career-high 16-point performance against Loyola Chicago, shooting 50 percent from both the field and beyond the arc.
Kenneth Chime has also provided a strong presence in the paint for the Wolves, tying his career high with 14 points against Loyola Chicago while continuing to create second-chance opportunities. The redshirt sophomore collected five offensive rebounds against the Ramblers and currently ranks second in the United Athletic Conference (UAC) with nine total offensive rebounds through the first two games.
Wednesday's matchup marks West Georgia's first appearance at the Coliseum this season, where the Wolves posted a 10-5 record during the 2025-26 campaign. UWG will look to carry that home-court success into the new season against a UNC Asheville team that finished 4-9 on the road last year.
UNC Asheville enters Wednesday's contest following an 83-75 loss to Western Carolina on Saturday. The Bulldogs opened their season with a 100-77 road loss to Richmond before securing their first victory with a 101-74 win over Erskine.
The Bulldogs have showcased their offensive firepower early in the season, ranking third in the Big South Conference in scoring at 84.3 points per game. Asheville also ranks third in the conference in three-pointers made per game, averaging 10.3 through its first three contests.
Against Western Carolina, Connor Dubsky led Asheville with 16 points and five three-pointers, while Ja'Corey Lipkins added 15 points on five triples of his own. The Bulldogs connected on 11 three-pointers in the contest while shooting 37.9 percent from beyond the arc.
Wednesday will mark the first-ever meeting between West Georgia and UNC Asheville as the Wolves look to secure their first victory of the 2026-27 season in front of their home crowd.
