The Seahawks have a big opportunity to finish 2020 strong

UNCW (4-3) at Campbell (4-2)

1 p.m. | Gore Arena, Buies Creek | ESPN+ | Listen | Game Notes

UNCW begins its final game-week of 2020 in Buies Creek, where the Seahawks will meet Campbell for the 106th all-time meeting between the programs.

The Camels come in on a two-game losing streak, while UNCW looks to build on its momentum from Friday’s big finish in a victory over Norfolk State that saw the Seahawks finish the game on an 11-2 run to earn their fourth road win of the season.

Key Players: G Jordan Whitfield (15.3 points, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals, 57.1 percent 3pFG), F Cedric Henderson (14.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.2 steals), G Gediminas Mokseckas (9.2 points, 3 rebounds, 65.5 percent FG), F Josh Lusane (8.8 points, 4.8 rebounds), G Austin McCullough (8 points, 3 rebounds, 40.7 3pFG), F Jesus Carralero (6.7 points, 3.7 assists, 3.5 rebounds), G Ricky Clemons (6.8 points).

Last Game: Campbell hung around in an ugly game before N.C. State pulled away in the second half for a 69-50 victory on Saturday in Raleigh.

Common opponent: UNCW beat St. Andrews 116-66 on Dec. 9 while Campbell topped SAU 85-51 on Nov. 30.

KenPom rankings for UNCW: No. 213 overall, No. 175 Offense, No. 274 Defense.

KenPom rankings for CU: No. 252 overall, No. 220 Offense, No. 287 Defense.

KenPom forecast: Campbell 72, UNCW 71 (48 percent chance of victory).

A Useful Tape

Whether by luck or done intentionally, this is a timely piece of scheduling for UNCW, getting Campbell just two days after the Camels took on Coach Kevin Keatts and N.C. State.

Despite a roster depleted by COVID-19, the Wolfpack was still able to force 19 turnovers and collect nine steals despite using a primary rotation of seven players in Saturday’s victory over the Camels.

NCSU is further down the road in running this uptempo, pressuring system, but expect UNCW to roll out a gameplan that looks almost identical to the one that forced Campbell point guard Jordan Whitfield into seven turnovers and led to the Camels hitting just 2 of 17 3-point attempts.

The Seahawks’ defense will have to be locked-in from the start for long, tedious possessions as the Camels run through their Princeton-style offense, which features all of the ball movement, screening and cutting that’s helped make them one of the best two-point shooting teams in the nation at 60.8 percent.

At times, UNCW has lacked attention to detail in its halfcourt defense this season and Campbell won’t need any help in getting easy looks.

On the flip side, the Camels have had a similar boom-or-bust defensive approach, allowing a high shooting percentage but forcing turnovers on 26.2 percent of possessions (15th nationally).

Campbell won’t pressure for 94 feet much, but it will look to trap when the ball goes to the wings and aggressively deny and pressure passing lanes.

Better Boggs?

As we pointed out on Saturday, Jake Boggs’ success has been a strong indicator for UNCW:

• In the three wins he’s played in, Boggs is averaging 20.6 points and 5.6 rebounds in 30.6 minutes, hitting 21 of 33 field goal attempts (8/14 3p) and 12 of 15 at the free throw line.

• In three losses, Boggs is averaging 7 points and 3 rebounds in 23.3 minutes, hitting 7 of 18 field goal attempts (3/8 3p) and 4 of 6 at the free throw line.

Since the win over UNC Asheville on Nov. 27, Boggs has alternated (excluding the Troy game, where he was injured early) strong performances and two-point outings.

Campbell doesn’t have a great defensive matchup for Boggs, with responsibilities falling on the 6-7, 235-pound Josh Lusane or the 6-6, 190-pound Cedric Henderson.

Lusane’s game is more geared toward power in the post, while Henderson has the quickness and athleticism, but gives up some height, and might be more useful in stopping Jaylen Sims.

Given the confidence Boggs showed late in the Norfolk State win, will he be able to assert himself for the second straight game?

Big Bump on the Boards

Throwing out the St. Andrews and Ole Miss games because of the levels of play, the Seahawks have made strides on the boards in a small sample size since Joe Pridgen (8 rebounds per game) became eligible.

Against a big, physical East Carolina team, UNCW hung in the rebounding battle, with the Pirates finishing with a 39-36 edge. Against a NSU team with similar height, UNCW grabbed 18 offensive boards on the way to a 42-31 advantage.

For what the Seahawks lack in typical height, they’re getting great effort on the boards from the entire roster, with Mike Okauru (6 RPG) actually leading the team in defensive rebounding rate and Jaylen Sims (5.8 RPG) second.

Pridgen and Boggs have fueled second-chance opportunities on the offensive boards, while John Bowen has made strides in rebounding on both ends of the floor.

UNCW will have trouble outrebounding teams that play several players over 6-8, but against Campbell, they’re up against a team with similar size that ranks 323rd in offensive rebounding rate and 281st in defensive rebounding rate.

Silencing Sims

Ole Miss threw everything but the kitchen sink at Sims while it just wasn’t his day at Norfolk State, where foul trouble derailed his day early in limiting to him a season-low 21 minutes.

Over the past two games, Sims has averaged eight points, four rebounds, one assist, four turnovers and 3.5 fouls while shooting 0/5 on 2-point attempts, 4/10 on 3-point attempts and 4/5 at the free throw line.

Over the first four games, Sims averaged 27 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.2 turnovers and two fouls while shooting 14/25 on 2-point attempts, 15/27 from 3-point range and 35/47 at the free throw line.

Maybe the ankle tweak that happened in the ECU game is more serious than indicated, but opponents are clearly giving Sims more attention and finding a way to keep him from replicating his early-season assault on the basket that resulted in either buckets or trips to the free throw line.

If Sims is healthy, it’s hard to imagine he’ll be held in check for a third straight game.