Seahawks Look to Stay Hot at Stony Brook
UNCW rides a five-game winning streak into Saturday’s matchup
UNCW (14-5, 5-2) at Stony Brook (10-10, 3-4)
4 p.m. | CBS Sports Network | Listen | Live Stats
The Seahawks will look to keep the good vibes rolling on Saturday afternoon, taking their five-game winning streak to Long Island, where they’ll meet CAA newcomer Stony Brook.
UNCW comes in playing some of its best basketball of the season, while the Seawolves are riding high after a big win over Monmouth on Thursday night.
Though the record might not reflect it, Stony Brook has been on the verge of a breakthrough for several weeks, losing second-half leads vs. Delaware, Hofstra and Charleston, while falling in overtime at Towson.
Here’s what to watch for in a matchup that might be a little more interesting than it seems from the outside.
KenPom rankings for UNCW: No. 105 overall; No. 69 offense, No. 161 defense.
KenPom rankings for Stony Brook: No. 218 overall; No. 208 offense, No. 238 defense.
KenPom forecast: UNCW 75, Stony Brook 71 (65 percent chance of victory)
Meet the Seawolves
Notable Wins: Jan. 25 vs. Monmouth (72-65), Dec. 9 vs. Bryant (86-75); Dec. 13 vs. Norfolk State (84-78).
Notable Losses: Jan. 6 vs. Charleston (93-87); Jan. 11 at Towson (73-64, OT); Jan. 22 vs. Hofstra (80-74);
Personnel: G Tyler Stephenson-Moore (14.4 points, 38.8% 3FG); G Aaron Clarke (12.4 points, 2.1 assists); C Keenan Fitzmorris (10.2 points, 4.2 rebounds); G Andre Snoddy (6.1 points, 6.7 rebounds); G Dean Noll (9.8 points); F Chris Maidoh (8 points, 6.2 rebounds); G Jared Frey (7.3 points, 2.2 assists, 39.7% 3FG).
When Last we Met: UNCW 76, Stony Brook 69 (Feb. 23, 2023)
The Seahawks took both matchups last season behind fantastic individual efforts, as Maleeck Harden-Hayes dropped 31 points at Stony Brook, while Jamarii Thomas had a career-high 26 points in the win at Trask.
The Seawolves are still building up their program after coming into the CAA in 2022, but they already have a solid home arena, and based on their recent success in the America East, it seems they’re willing to invest and support hoops.
Stephenson-Moore is the engine that makes them go, and Fitzmorris is an old-school 7-footer that has the ability to knock down jumpers.
Bring the Juice
UNCW coach Takayo Siddle got the energy and force that he wanted from his team on Thursday night — in front of a crowd of 802, no less — and the Seahawks played their most dominant 40 minutes of the season.
About 40 hours later, it’s time to do it again: on the road, against an opponent UNCW has no real history with, in an arena that will likely be on the quiet side.
None of that stuff matters to great teams. It’s all about executing their gameplan and playing to their own standard rather than allowing the score to dictate the level of intensity.
For the Seahawks, that means coming out active on defense, getting deflections and being crisp in ball screen defense and rotations. That’ll help get the offense moving, where the Seahawks will again be looking to dictate the pace against a team that would rather slow things down and slug it out in a rock fight.
Stony Brook has proved time and again this season it’s capable of knocking off teams at the top of the league — it just hasn’t finished one off yet. Their luck is going to change soon, and if UNCW can punch first, push the pace and zap their confidence early, the better the chance at a stress-free finish.
To the Paint, To the Wall
In the most basic distillation of UNCW’s offense, what the Seahawks are trying to do isn’t complicated: create mismatches and space for versatile guards to attack the paint, which will either results in a high-percentage shot or, in the event of a collapsing defense, a pass to an open shooter on the perimeter.
That wasn’t going to plan over the first two games of the CAA schedule, but lately, the Seahawks have been exceptional.
During the current win streak, UNCW is averaging 16.8 at-rim field goal attempts + 8.6 in the paint, as opposed to 12.5 at-rim looks and 7.5 in the paint during the two losses.
It might not seem like much, but adding 5.5 high-quality shots is a major boost for your offense, then you add in the likelihood of generating more free throws when you’re playing in the paint, as the Hawks are shooting 22.2 per over the past five games.
UNCW averaged 23 points in the paint over the two CAA loss, and since then, have averaged 30.4 paint points — that includes season-best (against D1 opponents) 42 points against Delaware.
Now, will that paint dominance continue today? The Seawolves have a bit more size than most CAA teams, but it hasn’t exactly translated into rim protection.
Stony Brook will look to pack the lane and dare UNCW to win over the top in the hopes the Seahawks will fall in love from beyond and keep hoisting them.
Chances are, the Seahawks will get some great looks tonight, as the Seawolves are allowing opponents to shoot 36.8 percent from beyond the arc (328th nationally.)
The key, as always, is staying on the attack on for paint touches and let the rhythm threes flow from there, with an emphasis on passing up the good shots for the great ones.
The Big Man Rotation
Who plays, and how much?
Great question, because there’s a case for all four of the guys UNCW has used in five spot this season.
Khamari McGriff is definitely going to be a big part of the gameplan, as he has taken his game to another level over the past two weeks thanks to his continually-improving defense while taking full advantage of his offensive chances.
Check out his on/off numbers from CBB Analytics, with the UNCW defensive rating improving by 21 points with him in the lineup, and an already-great offense getting even better.
Harvey has been the first big man off the bench, and it’s likely the Seahawks will continue ramping up his minutes as they look to prepare him for a bigger role in February.
Based on the matchup, against a less-mobile center in Fitzmorris, it might be a chance for Nick Farrar and/or Eric Van Der Heijden to get in the lineup and attack from the perimeter.
Both players have been outside the rotation for the past few weeks — which speaks more to UNCW’s depth than it does their abilities — but we’ve seen that Siddle is willing to stick with someone playing well off the bench.
Farrar is such a unique, skilled scorer, there will be a game where the Seahawks need him to come in and get buckets. Hopefully, it’s today.
(Farrar is probably the one guy people ask about most regarding minutes. Fans absolutely love to watch him play, and so do I!)
Today’s CAA Matchups
William & Mary at Northeastern, 12 p.m. (Flo)
Towson at Delaware, 2 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)
Hofstra at Monmouth, 2 p.m. (Flo)
Charleston at Campbell, 2 p.m. (Flo)
N.C. A&T at Drexel, 2 p.m. (Flo)
Elon at Hampton, 2 p.m. (Flo)