MBB Game 27 @UNCW, Feb 14 (Sat) 4 PM

[cactus]

Ok. Didn't expect them to win this game. UNCW is a better team but if they play D they can hang with these guys. And if they shoot well they can beat them. First time in a while I'm considering going to the CAA tourney. They have a legit shot if they finish in the top 4.


I know he's gotten a lot of accolades this year but Preston is a special player. They smacked him in the mouth to start the game - blocked a jumper, hounded him into a backcourt turnover. didn't phase him.

[dutchPride86]

I didn’t get to see the game Dutchpride and was having to watch the gamecast on my phone unfortunately.

We were down 2 at the half and it was pretty close down to the wire. What did you think of the play today? I saw you mention something about coaching…any thing that stood out to you? It’s obvious we can compete with them but curious to hear your thoughts on our play today and everything else?

Both teams competed their asses off. Trask seemed like by far toughest environment we've played in all year (including Cuse). Even though UNCW had a million more FT attempts didn't have any real complaints about the refs (Victory had his usual 4 fouls but none of the immature frustration variety). We cleaned up the rebounding issues in the 2nd half. I didn't feel like we choked away the 9 point lead. They just executed much better down the stretch and made the plays championship teams make to win a game like that.

Its tough down 3 in the closing seconds off a uncw missed FT. If you take the timeout, you open up an opportunity for opponent to foul and not let you take the tying 3. But when you're tying 3pt attempt is a DeCady wing 3 on a kick out from Edmead under the basket... pretty easy to 2nd guess and go why not call timeout and draw up a play.

At the same time, Cruz missed 3 makeable shots in the final 1:30, had a brutal foul with a late closeout on a Hodge 3 with around 4 mins left, and didnt score over the final 11 minutes. He scored 22 points, and was fantastic until those final 11 minutes, but end of the day he missed 16 shots and had 1 assist (while German didn't attempt a single shot and the 3 centers had 2 combined FG attempts)

Where the X/Os stand out for me... in crunch time our offense is iso ball Cruz or Edmead go make a play. For Uncw, after lobbing in to Wessler for what felt like every possession in the 2nd half, they twice in a row ran Hodge off the ball with Wessler setting the back screen to get Hodge two good looks from 3. He made 1, the Cruz foul on the other... 5 straight points for UNCW to retake the lead. The Christian May 3 to put uncw up for good Edmead got caught going under a screen near the top of the key early in the possession and May pulled up and made the shot.

Ultimately hats off to Uncw today. If we win final 4 games and get top 4 seed then no harm no foul today, more than proved Uncw isnt unbeatable (though i didnt think uncw was to begin with). But obviously thanks to the awful losing streak just no margin for error left.

[Wags]

Long time lurker and Seahawk fan here. Thought i'd give you some info on the finances at UNCW.

1. I have no idea how much NIL we have, but LaMothe made a social media comment that "you can get six figures" in the CAA when he transferred from A&T to UNCW. I have to assume he isn't our highest paid basketball player.

2. In the State of NC the athletic programs at public universities have to be self funded, so there is no "college money". The only employee paid with funds provided by the university is the athletic director.

3. If you've been around awhile, this is not your fathers UNCW. In 2010 our student enrollment was around 13,000. It is now around 19,000 which has a huge impact on athletic fees for students. Our goal is to get to 25,000.

4. June 2023 the NC Legislature legalized sports bettting, allocating a large amount of the betting proceeds for UNC system athletic departments, with a minimum of $300k per year for non football schools like UNCW plus a share of 20% of the revenues. Last year that amounted to an unrestricted $3.1 million distriution to UNCW that is projected to increase each year.

5. We hired a new AD who was an associate AD at UConn when he came and also had experience at LSU. His expertise is in fundraising, and with his time at UConn he had great insight into a top level basketball school. He has made significant changes and increased fundraising very quickly. UNCW is on the verge of a major upgrade to Trask colisuem as opposed to building a new facility. A large survey was sent out to alumni, donors and citizens in Wilmington and the overwhelming response was to keep Trask and upgrade.

Basketball at UNCW has been a matter of feast or famine. Our coaches who have done well have won multiple CAA championships and gone to the NCAA tournament multiple times. TThose coaches have been scooped up by P5 programs And the ones who haven't done that have failed misreably and been fired, one in the miidle of conference play. Win or lose, we don't keep coaches long. If Siddle goes to the NCAA tournament this year, I fully expect he will be gone. If he leaves, and we somehow finish in the top four the following season, it will be the firt time that has happened at UNCW.

As for this game and this season. This is a really even matchup, but I think we have a slight advantage for several reasons.

1. Experience. All of our players who see the court are upperclassmen and grads except one. Hofstra has relatively young roster
2. Pat Wessler. He has been an absolute stud this year and seems to revel in facing off and beating other big men. He can score and rebound and bring a lot of troughness in the paint.
3. We have an equally good three point shooting team that has really caught fire over the past four games with several guys averaging in the 40% range
4. Overall size. Our PG is 6'5" 190, May 6'5" 210, Hodge 6'7" 190, Ross 6'7" 190, Wessler 7'0" 250. Bench Durr 6'5" 195, Lamothe 6'4" 192, Mabor 6'11" 240. The particular advantage is with our guards who've been really good at taking advantage of smaller guards and your primary scorers are both smaller guards.

Both teams rebound well and shoot the three well. However, we played CofC on Monday, Elon last night and then a short turnaround against Hofstra at 4 tomorrow so it could affect our legs on the three pointers. Our achilles heel is we're an awful FT shooting team even though we go to the line alot. I fully expect this to be no more than a five point win that stays close the entire game either way,

Welcome aboard, 82hawk, and thanks for not being wary of contributing in enemy territory.

Thanks for the very interesting insight into the one CAA rival men's hoops program that I have always had great respect for since Hofstra joined the league.

[Wags]

I wanted to watch this game but if anyone who has lost a pet knows, it really takes some time. My beloved tuxedo cat Maui sadly passed on Monday morning and I haven't been the same since. I know everyone with a pet feels this way, but he was really special, a 1 of 1 cat. Miss him terribly. Even though I watched the Olympics this week (I didn't watch Thursday's game), I just couldn't bring myself to watch and enjoy today's game while feeling so sad about Maui. I'll be covering against Hampton on Thursday though.

Anyway, onto today's game...

Can't understand how one game after German saved them, going 6/13 from 3 as his teammates went 1/20 from there, they couldn't find a way to get him A SINGLE SHOT in 35 minutes?!?! How is that possible?!! Was UNCW keying on him that much after his performance at Charleston or did they just somehow forget about him offensively again? Even if keying on him, they couldn't run anything to free him up for even a single shot let alone several shots?

Tough loss because they were right there, and had that nine-point lead with 10 1/2 left, but a great trip. They absolutely accomplished what they needed to. Got a split of the two games, and in the one they lost, they sent a message that they can hang with the top team in the league. TCB in these last four games, and they will clearly be one of the top 2 or 3 teams with a legit chance to cut the nets. Picked 8th, that's not bad at all. They do need a loss from Monmouth at Towson tomorrow though, to reclaim 3rd. Sitting in 4th by percentage points right now at 8-6, with Monmouth at 7-5, and only a game ahead of Drexel and Stony Brook (each 7-6).

With UNCW getting to 70 pts, that keeps it at 14-1 allowing under 70 and now 3-9 otherwise this season. Allowing under 70 three straight days in DC would give them a great chance.

[The Shadow]

To Wags, My Dad and I wish you and your family condolences on your loss. It is always difficult losing a family member.

[Wags]

To Wags, My Dad and I wish you and your family condolences on your loss. It is always difficult losing a family member.

Thanks to you and your Dad, Shadow. I appreciate it. Yeah, they are definitely family, especially when you've had them a while. I had Maui for about 14-15 years. It's never long enough.

[ZMAN3]

I've had a cat almost 65 years - when one passes it's very tough however you replace it with another and it eases the pain big time. Fortunately not like losing a human - can't replace them.
Many have pointed out the rediculous offense we run in the 2nd half of games. That was a winnable game - not satisfied with a split - a little ball movement gets the W. When UNCW got down the refs put them back in the game calling anything and everything!

[82hawk]

Pretty much what I expected tonight down to our awful FT shooting. If we could have hit even a slightly less embarassing percent, we might have had a more confortable win. Watching every team in the conference, these are the two most complete teams i've seen. One of our most important players, Gavin Walsh, went our with an injury after our 2nd CAA game and hasn't returned. He's 6'8" and was a top 10 rebounder in the NCAA last season for Binghamton. He is our only big man that can cover outside shooters, hit three's and also drive the basket. When we play W&M, we have to put Ross, our 6'7" in guard/forward in because our back up big that played tonight got absolutely burned the one time Siddle put him in. If he comes back for the tournament, he would be the man defending your 6'9" guy we couldn't stop. If he doesn't return, we need to avoid the Tribe and hope they get knocked out because they are a terrible matchup for us with him out. If we can avoid them, I fully expect UNCW and Hofstra to advance until we have to play each other.

[82hawk]

On another note. I was in DC when UNCW played Hofstra for the CAA title and the Hofstra fans were my favorite people there besides my fellow UNCW fans. Super knowledgeable about the game and the matchup, and just fun to hang out with. UNCW fans have an equal level of respect for your program and expect you'll be a contender every year.

[cactus]

Where the X/Os stand out for me... in crunch time our offense is iso ball Cruz or Edmead go make a play.

This is a big concern for me. Offense too often looks like last year's team when they need a basket.

[Wags]

I've had a cat almost 65 years - when one passes it's very tough however you replace it with another and it eases the pain big time. Fortunately not like losing a human - can't replace them.

Obviously, it's always worse with the people we're close to, but I never consider human or pet replaceable. They're all unique, I think, all painful in different ways, and circumstances at the time can make it easier or worse, too. In this case, it would've been a lot easier to accept had it happened 2-3, maybe 4-5 years from now, as I hoped or expected. It's a shock at this time even though Maui was certainly no kitten anymore. I've been through it before, it's just been a while. I lost a "failed foster" (Reeses, named for her Reese's peanutbuttercup coloring) the same year Maui was born, in 2011. Reeses had cancer, and I was supposed to have her for weeks or months, but had her for two years. That hurt, and like you said, Maui eased the pain a lot (as did Mushi, my other cat who I still have now). Feels like a double loss because it broke up the team. It was always the two of them since I got Mushi about nine years ago. This will be tougher than losing Reeses because unlike having Reeses for two years, I had Maui for about 14-15. I suppose I'll rescue another cat and I'll find Mushi (a former stray from my apartment complex) another brother at some point, but I need to give it probably a lot more time first.

Many have pointed out the rediculous offense we run in the 2nd half of games. That was a winnable game - not satisfied with a split - a little ball movement gets the W. When UNCW got down the refs put them back in the game calling anything and everything!

The view certainly changes when you're up nine with 10 1/2 left and you let is slip away. So, I get not being satisfied, but big picture, as long as they get a top-three seed, I'm really happy with the split on the trip and sending the message to UNCW that they can hang with them on their floor. Even had they won in Wilmington, they probably still weren't catching UNCW for the top seed. And if you get 2 or 3, it shouldn't matter too much. I think beating Charleston once and knowing they could beat UNCW if they play them again on a neutral floor, provided they get win these last four and go to DC hot, maybe with at least a 3 seed, will be enough to put them legitimately in the mix for cutting the nets. After those five straight losses to fall to 4-5 in the league, that's not bad at all.

That said, yeah, a little ball movement probably gets the win... maybe on a couple shots from Plotnikov, the way he won the Syracuse game on a great find from Davis. Again, how in the world, UNCW denying GP or not, can they not get GP a SINGLE shot in 35 min of play for him after what he did at Charleston less than 48 hours earlier? Another example of what I've been saying for the past three years, how they inexplicably forget about GP and don't involve him in the offense sometimes. Especially with ball handlers and passers like Edmead and Davis, they should've been able to drive, collapse the D, and spray it out to the corners or on the wings to GP for a few 3s... or for at least ONE FGA!

[Wags]

Wonder what Speedy's honest thoughts were when asked what the difference was down the stretch, and he was about to answer and then decided against that, it seemed, because he may not have wanted to call anyone out in particular. It's fine that he didn't want to say, just wondering what his thoughts were.

Two things he did say though: He said, "We'll see them again" and "I would say so" in agreeing that those were the two best teams in the CAA at this point. The rest of the regular season and D.C. will ultimately tell us that, but certainly, you could very reasonably make that argument right now.

[ZMAN3]

Sorry but I'm not all about DC - That's a crapshoot I don't expect to win. I root and invest my time and energy in each and every game to pull out W's and I'm not happy blowing winnable games with poor execution, poor coaching. Need to win these games to gain the confidence needed in DC. No moral victories - and he stinks!

[triplec2195]

Wonder what Speedy's honest thoughts were when asked what the difference was down the stretch, and he was about to answer and then decided against that, it seemed, because he may not have wanted to call anyone out in particular. It's fine that he didn't want to say, just wondering what his thoughts were.

Two things he did say though: He said, "We'll see them again" and "I would say so" in agreeing that those were the two best teams in the CAA at this point. The rest of the regular season and D.C. will ultimately tell us that, but certainly, you could very reasonably make that argument right now.

I actually thought when Gorchov asked that question and like u said he was going to answer it then said to Stephen next question my feeling was that he was going to say something about the officiating. I didn’t see the game so have no point of reference re the refs!

[Wags]

Wonder what Speedy's honest thoughts were when asked what the difference was down the stretch, and he was about to answer and then decided against that, it seemed, because he may not have wanted to call anyone out in particular. It's fine that he didn't want to say, just wondering what his thoughts were.

Two things he did say though: He said, "We'll see them again" and "I would say so" in agreeing that those were the two best teams in the CAA at this point. The rest of the regular season and D.C. will ultimately tell us that, but certainly, you could very reasonably make that argument right now.

I actually thought when Gorchov asked that question and like u said he was going to answer it then said to Stephen next question my feeling was that he was going to say something about the officiating. I didn’t see the game so have no point of reference re the refs!

It was actually Stephen who read it well and spared him by asking, "Next question?" and Speedy agreeing, "Yeah."

Now that you mention it, maybe it wasn't a thought about a player or more players in particular, but about the refs, and he was struggling to find a way to say that without actually saying it, and Stephen wisely thought it was best to move on. That's the good chemistry of those two guys knowing each other very well for many years.

[HUSID74]

Where the X/Os stand out for me... in crunch time our offense is iso ball Cruz or Edmead go make a play.

This is a big concern for me. Offense too often looks like last year's team when they need a basket.

You're up in a close game in a hostile environment you want the ball in your best players' hands, Speedy and Edmead...Speedy did go to the ISO game a bit early but can you blame him. Plotnikov had the ball in his hands but he couldn't create and he was guarded closely, probably after UNCW saw what he did in Charleton.

[Wags]

Sorry but I'm not all about DC - That's a crapshoot I don't expect to win. I root and invest my time and energy in each and every game to pull out W's and I'm not happy blowing winnable games with poor execution, poor coaching. Need to win these games to gain the confidence needed in DC. No moral victories - and he stinks!

I completely get that, but if you're saying it's about gaining the confidence needed to win in DC, then it really IS ultimately ALL about DC. If they DO cut the nets in DC, losing vs. winning yesterday obviously means absolutely nothing.

We can debate whether a win yesterday was needed for gaining that level of confidence. I can definitely see why you say it was needed, but I think winning in Charleston and playing UNCW that close on their floor, if they then close with four straight wins from here, they'll have all the confidence they need to legitimately contend for a title. If you want to say there's no way they should've lost the next five after starting 4-0, I'm with you there. But they were also not fully healthy (not an excuse, just a fact) and that's all in the rearview mirror now.

The difference is this was a very close loss, not a comfortable win for UNCW. I think sometimes moral victories do help. I don't think it would've helped had UNCW controlled the whole game and won by 15, but this was a very close game the whole way on UNCW's on floor, in the toughest environment in the CAA for an opposing conference rival, which suggests it could be a different outcome on a neutral floor.

We have to be real here. Asking them to go to DC winning their last nine with a trip to Charleston and UNCW mixed in was asking a lot. To get 8 of 9, with the only loss being a very close on the top seed's floor, is about as good as we can expect, and it's light years from that five-game losing streak - provided they get the job done in these last four, of course.

[Wags]

Where the X/Os stand out for me... in crunch time our offense is iso ball Cruz or Edmead go make a play.

This is a big concern for me. Offense too often looks like last year's team when they need a basket.

You're up in a close game in a hostile environment you want the ball in your best players' hands, Speedy and Edmead...Speedy did go to the ISO game a bit early but can you blame him. Plotnikov had the ball in his hands but he couldn't create and he was guarded closely, probably after UNCW saw what he did in Charleton.

There was nothing they could have done with Edmead and Davis being the playmakers and passers they are to collapse the D and kick to a far more open Plotnikov though? Not once? Not to get him even ONE shot in 35 minutes? I don't care how much UNCW did their homework on GP in Charleston and how committed they were to stopping that. You HAVE to be able to do once, and really, a few times.

[dutchPride86]

Wonder what Speedy's honest thoughts were when asked what the difference was down the stretch, and he was about to answer and then decided against that, it seemed, because he may not have wanted to call anyone out in particular. It's fine that he didn't want to say, just wondering what his thoughts were.

Two things he did say though: He said, "We'll see them again" and "I would say so" in agreeing that those were the two best teams in the CAA at this point. The rest of the regular season and D.C. will ultimately tell us that, but certainly, you could very reasonably make that argument right now.

I actually thought when Gorchov asked that question and like u said he was going to answer it then said to Stephen next question my feeling was that he was going to say something about the officiating. I didn’t see the game so have no point of reference re the refs!

It was actually Stephen who read it well and spared him by asking, "Next question?" and Speedy agreeing, "Yeah."

Now that you mention it, maybe it wasn't a thought about a player or more players in particular, but about the refs, and he was struggling to find a way to say that without actually saying it, and Stephen wisely thought it was best to move on. That's the good chemistry of those two guys knowing each other very well for many years.

Wags sorry for your loss.

To me Speedy was thinking about 1 of 2 things there... the refs (which would have been a weak excuse imo, the officiating was not the difference in the final 5 mins), or he was actually gonna say something along the lines of well Cruz missed shots we expect him to make, but thought better of it.

Also if Speedy is gonna say publicly that Hofstras one of the top 2 teams in the CAA... better back it up and win all 4 of these games comfortably to close out the regular season. We've all seen too many times over the years Hofstra takes a late Feb game off and gets picked off by an inferior team.

[Pbdutch]

Yea speedy should not be saying anything like that. Speedy hasn’t gotten us to the dance and he hasn’t gotten us into a championship game yet (I don’t recall) but even then we didn’t win to get to the tourney so wouldn’t matter anyways.

Until you dominate a league you have no right to say that. Sorry