Seahawk hoops seeks destiny in Orlando

Calvin Shomaker | Copy Editor | @cshomaker12

THE MATCHUP: No. 12 Seahawks face No. 5 Cavaliers in Orlando

The UNC Wilmington men’s basketball team will play on TruTV at 12:40 p.m. Thursday as the Seahawks take on the Virginia Cavaliers at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

UNCW (29-5) enters the NCAA Tournament as the Colonial Athletic Association’s regular season and tournament champion for the second straight year. The Seahawks are the No. 12 seed in the East region, one seed higher than last year. UNCW returns eight players from last year’s team that led No. 4 Duke by three points at halftime before falling 93-85.

Guided by third-year head coach Kevin Keatts, a former Rick Pitino assistant at Louisville and head man at Hargrave Military Academy, the Seahawks have won seven straight after dropping three out of five conference games early last month. The only non-conference losses UNCW suffered this season were to Middle Tennessee State and Clemson.

Virginia (22-10) enters the tournament following a 71-58 loss to Notre Dame in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament and are the East’s No. 5 seed. In his eight years at Virginia, coach Tony Bennett has prided his team’s identity as a dominant defensive force. This season has been no different.

Keys to the Game

The Cavalier defense leads all NCAA Division I programs in points allowed per game at 55, but it will be put to the test against UNCW’s offense. The Seahawks average 85 points per game – good for 10th-best in the nation. UCLA, Kentucky and Oklahoma State are the only tournament teams that average more.

Virginia likes to slow the tempo of the game forcing teams to value each possession and making the opposing offense play in the half-court. In a low-scoring game of few possessions, three-point field goals could be the difference between winning and losing. UNCW ranks seventh among tournament teams in 3-pointers made per game.

The Seahawks are shooting 36 percent from beyond the arc, compared to Virginia’s 39 percent, and have taken over 300 more 3-pointers than the Cavaliers have this season. As a result, UNCW has connected from deeper 100 more times than Virginia. Only five tournament teams have made more threes this season than UNCW.

Ball control is always a difference maker, especially when playing Virginia. Backed by great guard play, UNCW and Virginia have both shown strong ball security all season.  

Virginia ranks third among tournament teams in fewest turnovers and UNCW is ninth. UNCW has a slight edge in assist-to-turnover ratio, though both teams are in the top 10. The Seahawks hold the tournament’s second-best turnover margin at 4.2 compared to Virginia’s 3.3.

Thursday’s winner will play the winner of No. 4 Florida vs. No. 13 East Tennessee State on Saturday at the Amway Center.

Players to Watch

Denzel Ingram – As UNCW’s point guard and assist leader, Ingram has shown confidence from 3-point range and is averaging 14.5 points per game in his final season as a Seahawk. When Ingram is efficient from three and in command of the UNCW transition offense, the Seahawks are a challenge to stop.

London Perrantes – As Virginia’s lone senior, Perrantes has been the catalyst for his young team all season long. Perrantes enters his fourth NCAA Tournament leading his team in points per game at 12.5 points. Look for Perrantes to take and make big shots early and late. If not, his college career could end earlier than expected.