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University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: J.D. Lyon Jr.
Know Your Opponent: UNCW
December 5, 2018 | Men's Basketball
By Bobby Hundley
UNCW (UNCWSports.com)
Location: Wilmington, N.C.
Rankings: No. 202 KenPom, NR AP
Record: 4-5
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): Carolina leads 3-0 (Carolina 84, UNCW 51, Dec. 31, 2013, Chapel Hill)
Wednesday marks just the second true road game of the season for second-year head coach C.B. McGrath and the UNCW Seahawks and the first since a 97-93 overtime loss at Campbell in the season opener. The UNCW schedule has been littered with in-state foes over the season's first month - in addition to the Camels, McGrath's team has faced UNCG (82-61 loss), Gardner-Webb (81-72 loss), ECU (95-86 win) and Davidson (91-85 loss).Â
Wednesday also stands as the first meeting between McGrath and Roy Williams, who coached McGrath at Kansas and mentored him in Chapel Hill for 14 seasons from 2003-17. While the occasion figures to be a warm homecoming for McGrath and UNCW assistant (and 2005 national champion) Jackie Manuel, the Seahawks will be more focused on shoring up what has been one of the more porous defenses in college basketball.
In each of UNCW's five losses, the Seahawks have allowed more than a point per possession, including a 1.30 PPP effort against Davidson on Saturday. Chief among the defensive issues has been an inability to force turnovers - UNCW ranks 315th nationally in defensive turnover percentage and 330th in steal percentage according to KenPom.
The Seahawks are led by one of the nation's top mid-major players in senior forward Devontae Cacok. The 6-7 standout made headlines as a sophomore when he led the NCAA in field-goal percentage at 79 percent, and last season he was arguably the best rebounder in the country. His senior campaign has not disappointed, as the Georgia native is averaging 15.9 points and 12.3 boards per outing and should become UNCW's all-time leading rebounder early next year.
Cacok leads four Seahawks who average in double figures, including sophomore sharpshooter Ty Gadsden (56 percent from 3) and FAU transfer Jeantal Cylla (13.6 ppg). But perhaps the most important Seahawk other than Cacok has been freshman point guard Kai Toews. The 6-2 newcomer from Japan has started from day one and enters Wednesday night with three consecutive double-digit assist performances, including a season-high 14 in the win over Eastern Illinois. Through eight games against D-I competition, Toews ranks sixth nationally in assist rate.
UNCW struggled to a sixth-place finish in the CAA in McGrath's first season at the helm. And while this year's Seahawks were picked to finish fifth in the league in the preseason, the gap to the top of the league is not a huge one. It's not a stretch to say that with some defensive improvement and the continued standout play of Cacok, UNCW will be a tough out at the North Charleston Coliseum come March.
UNCW (UNCWSports.com)
Location: Wilmington, N.C.
Rankings: No. 202 KenPom, NR AP
Record: 4-5
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): Carolina leads 3-0 (Carolina 84, UNCW 51, Dec. 31, 2013, Chapel Hill)
Wednesday marks just the second true road game of the season for second-year head coach C.B. McGrath and the UNCW Seahawks and the first since a 97-93 overtime loss at Campbell in the season opener. The UNCW schedule has been littered with in-state foes over the season's first month - in addition to the Camels, McGrath's team has faced UNCG (82-61 loss), Gardner-Webb (81-72 loss), ECU (95-86 win) and Davidson (91-85 loss).Â
Wednesday also stands as the first meeting between McGrath and Roy Williams, who coached McGrath at Kansas and mentored him in Chapel Hill for 14 seasons from 2003-17. While the occasion figures to be a warm homecoming for McGrath and UNCW assistant (and 2005 national champion) Jackie Manuel, the Seahawks will be more focused on shoring up what has been one of the more porous defenses in college basketball.
In each of UNCW's five losses, the Seahawks have allowed more than a point per possession, including a 1.30 PPP effort against Davidson on Saturday. Chief among the defensive issues has been an inability to force turnovers - UNCW ranks 315th nationally in defensive turnover percentage and 330th in steal percentage according to KenPom.
The Seahawks are led by one of the nation's top mid-major players in senior forward Devontae Cacok. The 6-7 standout made headlines as a sophomore when he led the NCAA in field-goal percentage at 79 percent, and last season he was arguably the best rebounder in the country. His senior campaign has not disappointed, as the Georgia native is averaging 15.9 points and 12.3 boards per outing and should become UNCW's all-time leading rebounder early next year.
Cacok leads four Seahawks who average in double figures, including sophomore sharpshooter Ty Gadsden (56 percent from 3) and FAU transfer Jeantal Cylla (13.6 ppg). But perhaps the most important Seahawk other than Cacok has been freshman point guard Kai Toews. The 6-2 newcomer from Japan has started from day one and enters Wednesday night with three consecutive double-digit assist performances, including a season-high 14 in the win over Eastern Illinois. Through eight games against D-I competition, Toews ranks sixth nationally in assist rate.
UNCW struggled to a sixth-place finish in the CAA in McGrath's first season at the helm. And while this year's Seahawks were picked to finish fifth in the league in the preseason, the gap to the top of the league is not a huge one. It's not a stretch to say that with some defensive improvement and the continued standout play of Cacok, UNCW will be a tough out at the North Charleston Coliseum come March.
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