After opening the season in scintillating form with explosive home victories over Appalachian State and Troy, the UNCW men’s basketball team has fallen into a massive slump which has seen the Seahawks drop to last in the CAA standings. The Seahawks (3-12) have lost nine straight contests, including three vital conference match-ups.

The last victory for the Seahawks came in late November when they defeated North Carolina Central 79-64 at the South Padre Island Invitational. The win evened the club’s record at 3-3; however, December proved to be a difficult month for the young and injury riddled squad.

The Seahawks dropped back-to-back home matches against East Carolina and CAA foe Georgia State to kick-start the rough month. 2008 concluded with the Seahawks riding a seven-game losing streak after just falling short in a heartbreaker against Richmond.

The New Year has treated the Seahawks equally harsh as the first contest of 2009 was the largest setback for the club in recent memory. The Seahawks traveled to conference rival George Mason and were handed a 41-point drubbing by the Patriots. The 101-60 score marked the fifth time the Seahawks have allowed more than 100 points.

“We got it handed to us tonight… there’s no other way to put it,” third-year coach Benny Moss said. UNCW has since traveled to Virginia Commonwealth, losing 88-59 to the defending CAA champs.

The biggest obstacle the Seahawks face is on the defensive end. UNCW is currently allowing 91.1 points per game, one of the worst marks in the nation. After losing virtually its entire frontcourt, the undersized Seahawks find themselves stretched on the glass and in the half court defense as they often employ four guards on the court at once. With no true center, 6-foot-7-inch sophomore Dominique Lacy, a natural forward, is forced to drop into the low post.

On the positive end, newcomers Jerel Stephenson and Kevon Moore have impressed and are showing glimpses of what the future could be like for the Seahawks. Stephenson, a 6-foot-5-inch freshman from Augusta, Ga. collected CAA Rookie-of-the-Week honors after posting career highs in back-to-back games. For the week, Stephenson averaged 19.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. Stephenson came to the Seahawks as a guard but has been forced to play in the post due to the squad’s lack of depth. Fellow freshman, Moore, is also beginning to find his stride after a 17-point outing at VCU.

“Our young guys are starting to gain confidence on the college level,” Moss said. “Jerel and Kevon are showing what we could be in the future.”

With the Seahawks’ sky-high offensive ability, a midseason turnaround isn’t impossible; however, the pressure must be turned up defensively or the rest of the season will see many similar results.