The experienced MEAC power will look to slow things down

UNCW (3-3) at Norfolk State (3-2)

4 p.m. | Echols Hall, Norfolk | Watch ($10)  | Listen | Game Notes | NSU Notes

Coming off a loss against its toughest nonconference opponent of the season at Ole Miss, UNCW travels to the Tidewater to meet Norfolk State for the first of two winnable games in four days.

With five days since the 78-58 loss to the Rebels, the Seahawks have had plenty of time to focus on both improving themselves and getting ready for a guard-heavy Spartans lineup.

NSU is among the most experienced teams in then nation, and thanks to a 26-6 record in MEAC play over the past two seasons, will offer a good measuring-stick matchup against a group used to playing meaningful games in February and March.

Key Players: G Devante Carter (17 points, 7 rebounds, 4.2 assists), G Daryl Anderson (11 points, 3.2 rebounds, 14/21 3-pointers), F J.J. Matthews (9.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1 block), G Kyonze Chavis (7.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists), G Kashaun Hicks (7.3 points, 3 rebounds, 6/15 3-pointers).

Last Game: NSU shot 34 percent from the field and committed 15 turnovers as UNCG rolled to a 64-47 victory on Dec. 13 at the Greensboro Coliseum.

KenPom rankings for UNCW: No. 224 overall, No. 208 Offense, No. 255 Defense.

KenPom rankings for NSU: No. 238 overall, No. 300 Offense, No. 168 Defense.

KenPom forecast: NSU 68, UNCW 67 (44 percent chance of victory)

Learning from Last Weekend

UNCW learned a tough lesson at Ole Miss, where the Rebels were able to slow the game down to their preferred tempo, forcing the Seahawks into the kind of halfcourt game they’re not built to play.

The offense was struggled to generate anything inside the perimeter in the first half, forcing shots late in the clocks and committing uncharacteristic turnovers as Ole Miss generated one extra chance after another on the boards.

Things eventually changed, as good stretches in the second half saw defensive pressure lead to easy buckets, and easy buckets allowing the Seahawks to deploy the pressure they need to speed up the game.

Most importantly, UNCW coach Takayo Siddle saw his team take the kind of step on the road that will pay off later.

“I thought we came back and we took a step forward with our program because we fought really, really hard,” he said.

The Seahawks won’t see a team that plays harder or more defensively sound the rest of the way, and there are certainly lessons they can take from that film — both in watching themselves and the Rebels, who rank 13th nationally in defensive efficiency and fourth in turnover rate.

NSU, which leans heavily on its defense, will look to slow the game to a similar pace and force UNCW into long halfcourt possessions.

Minutes Available, Apply Within

Siddle has made it abundantly clear that minutes will be distributed to big men in a merit-based system.

Joe Pridgen has been the most consistent in the group of bigs (a relative term in this system, of course), averaging 10.7 points and 7.3 rebounds in three appearances.

Jake Boggs has been brilliant as an inside-out threat in three games and struggled in two games where he looked passive on the offensive end, while John Bowen and Imajae Dodd have both had ups and downs in fluctuating roles.

Ian Steere is still working his way back but obviously had all of the physical tools during his minutes against St. Andrews.

All that’s to say, that going up against an opponent without much size, Siddle is begging someone to step up on Friday, going as far as naming Dodd as a guy he thinks could be primed for a breakout.

“He’s buying into what we’re doing, he’s practicing harder, he’s starting to limit his mistakes,” he said. “I’m really focused in on him this week. I need him to have a good week because I think he could be a difference-maker in this game.”

Calling For Backup

Keep putting up numbers like Jaylen Sims (24.2 points) and word eventually gets out.

He learned that lesson the hard way last weekend as Ole Miss barely let the junior guard up for air, trailing him with big, physical defenders and throwing multiple bodies in his path every time he got a look at the basket.

Sims still managed 13 point on 6/19 shooting from the field, but it was a blueprint of what other opponents will look to do the rest of the way in telling other Seahawks to beat them.

Help is on the way from Shykeim Phillips in a few weeks, but quietly, Ty Gadsden is putting together an excellent season, averaging 16.2 points, 2.6 assists, 1.6 steals and just 1.2 turnovers.

Gadsden has knocked down at least three 3-pointers in each of the past three games (11/24 over that stretch) while totaling nine assists, four turnovers and four steals.

Mike Okauru is finding an offensive rhythm over the past three games, averaging 13 points and 3.2 rebounds, hitting 15 of 29 attempts from the field, including 6 of 11 from beyond the arc.

As opponents begin drawing up a gameplan to stop Sims, can Gadsden or Okauru take advantage, or will it be Jamahri Harvey, who has shown plenty of offensive potential despite tough luck shooting the ball.

Defensive Evolution

Although UNCW is still limited in what it can do defensively without Phillips and Ja’Juan Carr, the Seahawks are gradually stepping up the amount of pressure they’re rolling out.

There was some success with fullcourt pressure in forcing 18 turnovers vs. East Carolina, followed by two games where it’s tough to draw many conclusions because of the level of competition vs. St. Andrews (25 turnovers) and Ole Miss (16 turnovers).

With six games down and some continuity developing with the rotation, this should paint a pretty clear picture of where UNCW’s defense stands with two weeks until CAA play begins.

Overall, it’s been boom-or-bust, as the Seahawks have forced turnovers and turned them into easy points with the press, but struggled to dig in and get stops in halfcourt situations.

That’s part of the trade-off in this system, and ultimately, its success depends on when the speedy rewards outweigh the risks of sacrificing size.

Siddle has been encouraged by what he’s seen lately, and on Friday, we’ll see how things are progressing.

“Our traps are getting a little tighter, our rotations on the back line are getting better,” he said. “We have to continue to work on that because that’s going to be our calling-card.”

Want a preview of Norfolk State? Friend of the Perch Brian Mull called their game vs. Old Dominion earlier this season: