UNCW (3-5) vs. Mount Olive (5-4)
7 p.m. | Trask Coliseum | FloSports | Listen | StatBroadcast
For the first time in two weeks, the Seahawks are back at home — and it couldn’t possibly come at a better time.
Coming off a disappointing loss on the road, UNCW returns to Trask on Wednesday night to meet a Division II opponent in Mount Olive, tipping off a key three-game stretch to finish off nonconference play.
In need of some positive momentum to finish off 2021, the Seahawks have an golden opportunity to right the ship vs. UMO in a game that now carries quite a bit more intrigue than the typical interdivision matchup.
Here’s what we’ll be watching.
About UMO
Winners of four straight, the Trojans come in on a hot streak after knocking down 18 3-pointers in a 92-75 win over Lees-McRae on Tuesday night in Banner Elk.
UMO rolls with a guard-heavy lineup that likes to play at a high tempo and let it fly from beyond the arc, attempting an average of 28 3-pointers per game.
Guard Alan Treakle (18.2 points) will find a way to get his, whether it’s from 3-point range (38.6 percent) or using his quickness and ballhandling to slice through the defense. The 5-10 Treakle has posted four 20+ point efforts this season, including a 40-point effort vs. Virginia State.
Mathias Caver (6-7) is the only “big” man that figures heavily into the rotation, and he’s held his own, averaging 12.8 points and 6.3 rebounds.
This should be a fun matchup, with the scrappy Trojans averaging 81.8 points over their winning streak, but the Trojans might be dealing with tired legs after playing games 334 miles apart in a matter of 24 hours.
Key Players: G Alan Treakle (18.2 points, 4.1 assists); F Matthias Caver (12.8 points, 6.3 rebounds); G Trayvon Ferrell (9.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 42.9% 3pFG); G Cole Johnson (8.6 points); G Michael Brown (8 points, 6 rebounds); G Derreco Miller (11 points, 6 rebounds in one game).
Turn the Tide
To say that the past three weeks haven’t gone the Seahawks way would be an understatement.
With the chance for three good matchups in Montana, the Seahawks were instead struck with a flu outbreak over the Thanksgiving trip. Upon returning home, UNCW saw what would have been a nice victory slip away because of mistakes down the stretch vs. Norfolk State, and then in Saturday’s debacle, Jacksonville got physical and put the game away in the first half.
It’s not hard to understand why some fans might feel like the sky is falling right now.
The best way for this team to prove that things have changed and the program is ready to take a step forward this season?
Simply winning vs. a Division II opponent isn’t enough.
Come out with great emotion and intensity from the opening tip and do all of the little things right. Get back in transition defense. Move the ball on offense and touch the lane. Make the extra pass and bring Trask to life.
It will mean a great deal for the Seahawks on Wednesday to respond to adversity with a greater attention to detail and play with 40 minutes of fight.
This stretch has been tough, but it also presents an opportunity to build some character and mold leaders who will step up and say, “Enough is enough.”
Who’s it going to be for the Seahawks on Wednesday night?
Is this Working?
Assuming with the Seahawks stick with the same starting lineup for the third straight game, we should have a pretty clear picture of how things are working out for the grouping of Jaylen Sims, Jamahri Harvey, Mike Okauru, Trazarien White and James Baker Jr.
The starting five only played about six minutes together at Jacksonville, playing to a 6-6 tie with the Dolphins.
That same group struggled together in its first game — which isn’t unexpected — vs. Norfolk State, as the Spartans outscored the Seahawks 41-22 over the 14 minutes they played together.
Here are the overall stats for that lineup courtesy of Pivot Analytics:
The coaching staff is obviously seeing something that it likes out of that lineup in practice, and vs. Jacksonville, it was just about the only group that slowed down the Dolphins’ offensive onslaught.
That group of starters has been the most-used lineup over the past two games by a wide margin, followed by Shykeim Phillips joining Sims, Okauru, Harvey and Baker (5.1 minutes):
Next in line is Jamarii Thomas, Phillips, Okauru, Baker and Amari Kelly (4.1 minutes):
This game should offer more clarity on how those groupings are working, and particularly, whether the new starters just needed to get one game under their belts together to find a rhythm.
Have Fun!
I write this stuff because I’m a basketball nerd and former sportswriter who graduated from UNCW and thought it would be fun to combine a couple of things that I enjoy. Generally, I try to avoid writing like a hardcore fan, but instead make honest observations about what I’m seeing, throw in some stats and add my perspective.
But jeez, this hasn’t been a ton of fun for me to write about lately, so I can’t imagine how it feels for the kids and staff experiencing it on the court.
It was a whole lot of fun to watch the Seahawks show a glimpse of their potential vs. Coastal Carolina when they defended hard, forced turnovers, got out on the break and brought back Trask’s old roar.
It was a whole lot of fun to watch, because the Seahawks were having so much fun, smiling, laughing and celebrating as they overcame a slow start to win a game that showcased what this system is supposed to look like when it’s working.
This system is built for fun, rewarding guys who hustle and allowing athletes to show their natural abilities.
Hopefully we’ll be back to enjoying that soon.
(Sorry for the fan moment!)