Last Year: 21-10; 12-6 in CAA, 3rd Place
Head Coach: Takayo Siddle (Fourth year; 79-39 at UNCW with no NCAA Tournament appearances)
Projected Starting Lineup
PG Donovan Newby – 6’1″, 185 5th-year Senior
SG Josh Corbin – 6’3″, 190 5th-year Senior
W Noah Ross – 6’7″, 210 Junior
PF Khamari McGriff – 6’9″, 210 Junior
C Harlan Obioha – 7’0″, 280 Junior
Experienced Reserves
G Elijah Jamison – 6’3″, 200 Junior
G Bo Montgomery – 6’5″, 205 5th-year
G Greedy Williams- 6’5″, 190 Senior
W Nolan Hodge – 6’7″, 190 Junior
F Sean Moore – 6’7″, 200 5th-year Senior
Freshmen
G Makel Smith – 6’0″, 175
F Matt Moore – 6’9″, 220 (Redshirt)
Makoi Mabor Marier – 6’11”, 240
The tide has been rising along the Carolina coast. In Wilmington, head coach Takayo Siddle has led his Seahawks to 72 wins over the past three seasons. Over that span there’s been a conference title, a CBI crown, and UNC Wilmington even went into Rupp Arena and beat Kentucky last year. Still, an NCAA Tournament appearance has remained just out of reach.
It’s been an offseason of change for much of the Coastal Athletic Association, and UNCW has been no exception. Siddle saw the departures of four of last season’s top six scorers this offseason…and then, later in spring, first-team All-CAA forward Trazarien White hit the transfer portal too. It would have been a coup de grâce for most mid-major teams to lose such a shining jewel from their crown. UNC Wilmington, though, has the pieces to remain a CAA contender anyway. Much of UNCW’s recent success has come about because Siddle has featured deep, versatile backcourts. The upcoming season will be no different.
Well, things may be different in one regard: this will be Siddle’s biggest perimeter group to date. Five of the players who will make up Wilmington’s perimeter rotation stand at least 6’5″, and three of them check in at 6’7″. With that sort of length to take advantage of, the Seahawks’ pressure on defense should stand out like never before.
A little guy will help to lead them, though, as fifth-year senior Donovan Newby returns for his third season at UNCW hoping to do his own version of a Shy Phillips routine. A former Milwaukee transfer, Newby has played a reliable support role thus far as a Seahawk. Newby is all about playing smart, and as a result has averaged almost 27 minutes per contest on a team that spreads the playing time around. He’s a good outside shooter who came into last year in possession of a 37.7% career rate, but for the season Newby slumped to just a 32.5% mark from the land of trey. A strong ballhandler and even better decision-maker, Newby has rarely been the default point guard but thrives as one facilitator among a group of them. If Newby can swing his rate from distance back up to his previous average and finish strong the way Phillips did last year, he’ll provide a pillar for Siddle and his staff to build around.
Two of those 6’7″ wing guys were sophomores on last year’s team. Nolan Hodge and Noah Ross each started for stretches last winter, and now both of them are hoping to stride boldly forward as much bigger contributors. Ross has started 36 games over his first two seasons, largely because of the energy he brings. A strong rebounder off the wing, Ross is particularly helpful on the offensive glass. He finished third on the team in offensive rebounds last year, and Ross doesn’t mind tussling with larger players near the basket. Offensively, Ross generally scores on cuts to the rim or spot-up triples. He’s been working on his pull-up jumper, though, to take advantage of the space created by his reputation for assertive slashes inside.
| Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks) |
| 76.5% – Team Free Throw Percentage (32nd) |
| 35.5% – Opponent 3FG Percentage (288th) |
| 8.5 – Turnovers Per Game (3rd) |
| 2.2 – Blocks Per Game (332nd) |
| +4.1 – Averaged Score Margin (93rd) |
Hodge also likes a triple, but needs to more consistently find his stroke from deep. As a sophomore he was effective when he slipped close to the basket (70.6% in close, per Bart Torvik), but so far Hodge’s rates have fallen off quickly as he ranges outside. He’s worked to add muscle to a wiry frame this summer, and if he finds his deep shot, Hodge should become a key contributor.
There will be lots of new guys in prominent roles, too, and they bring a wealth of experience. Last season, the Seahawks ranked third nationally by coughing up just 8.6 turnovers per game. Each perimeter transfer has been a prominent ballhandler at their previous stops, and whatever their other individual talents, Siddle has another bunch who know how to keep the ball moving without giving away possessions.
The keenest shooter of the bunch is Josh Corbin, who comes from Robert Morris having hit 180 triples over the past two years. A deep threat first and foremost, Corbin ranked second and then third, respectively, in the Horizon League with all of those three-balls. He may even remind Seahawk fans of someone they had last year, because the similarity has already been noted by their coach.
“Joshua is very similar to KJ Jenkins,” Siddle analyzed upon Corbin’s signing, comparing him to Jenkins, the team’s top shooter last year. “He is one of the elite shooters in mid-major basketball. In a lot of ways, he was a must have type of player for our program.” He’s such a shooter that last winter, Corbin attempted 75.7% of his field goals from the land of trey, and yet his performance also constituted the most versatility he’d ever shown before as a scorer.
“Joshua is very similar to KJ Jenkins…he is one of the elite shooters in mid-major basketball.”
– Takayo Siddle
Coming into last fall, 82.1% of his career attempts had come from deep, and Corbin had only gone to the free throw line 42 times in 87 games. By starting to put it on the deck a bit more often and cutting in close to surprise defenders who largely expected him to drift outside, Corbin has added some variety to his repertoire. Corbin finished eighth nationally by producing 1.15 points per shot on pull-up attempts last year, per Synergy Sports. Such displays have also allowed Corbin’s passing talents to shine, and his tremendously reliable foul shooting is a weapon (87.2% career) which becomes much more dangerous late in games. The potential is there for Corbin to truly emerge as a lead guard who carries a significant scoring burden while keeping the offense flowing for his teammates.
Siddle is also expecting big things from a North Carolina native who’s come home from up north. For his first two seasons, Elijah Jamison was a Milwaukee Panther – just like Newby. Now that he’s headed back south with two years’ worth of postseason experience, the multi-talented Jamison may be primed to break out. He’s not a high-volume outside shooter like Corbin, but Jamison has a good jumper that he’s worked on diligently following a prolonged slump from deep last year. The Panthers featured a true star in BJ Freeman, who saw a huge share of the ball and shots while he was on the floor, but Jamison developed nicely as a facilitator and decision-maker. During Milwaukee’s run to the Horizon League’s tournament title game in March, Jamison handed out 14 assists against just three turnovers in three games, and he sank 10/11 free throws. Creative off the bounce and physical around the rim, Jamison has shown the tools to become a real force offensively.
Sean Moore and Bo Montgomery bring good size, smarts, and four years’ worth of experience each. More of a wing forward, Moore was an All-Northeast Conference performer last year after leading the league in rebounding for Fairleigh Dickinson. The 6’7″ veteran is particularly terrific on the offensive glass despite his rangy frame. He piled up 153 offensive rebounds across his two years at FDU, and Moore added 28 putback stabs last winter, per Hoop-Math. His energy and willingness to battle shows up on the defensive end, too, and Moore will be able to function as a small-ball 4 when he’s not causing mayhem off the wing. He can shoot the ball, but Moore’s jumper is rather streaky and he does his best offensive work in the lane. By focusing on what he does well, which is a lot, Moore should be on the floor often for UNCW.
| Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on |
| @ Kansas – November 19 |
| N Sam Houston State – November 29 |
| vs UNC Asheville – December 21 |
| N Appalachian State – November 30 |
| vs Florida Gulf Coast – December 18 |
A smooth passer and more perimeter-oriented, Montgomery was a solid four-year contributor at Holy Cross before joining the Seahawks. A good defender and willing rebounder, Montgomery projects as a quality rotational piece for Siddle – especially if he keeps improving from the outside. He shot a career-high 39.7% from downtown last winter, and if he can keep up that pace, the Seahawk coaching staff will find a way to feature Montgomery.
It’s possible that Siddle has struck gold in the middle with the addition of Niagara transfer Harlan Obioha. A two-sport star out of Hoxie, KS, Obioha had Division I offers on the gridiron but chose the hardwood. After deciding upon hoops, Obioha landed with the Purple Eagles midway through their 2021-22 campaign, and redshirted the remainder of the season. He didn’t do a great deal as a developing freshman, either, but Obioha began to put it together last winter.
“Harlan is one of the most physically imposing young men that we’ve recruited in my tenure,” Siddle enthused after signing his new big man. “He can score in a variety of ways, and he rebounds the ball at a high level.” Obioha ranked second in the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference in rebounding while taking major strides as a scorer, and has the type of wide, powerful frame to become a dominant force. As evidence, Obioha’s 27.3% defensive rebounding rate last year was tied for 15th nationally, per Bart Torvik.
It’s not just his stature which makes Obioha such a promising big. He can pass, has good form at the charity stripe, and Obioha is a quality athlete. His athleticism isn’t the high-flying type; rather, Obioha has quick, nimble feet, very good body control for a young pivot, and the close-quarters power to make decisive moves inside. He is also developing great footwork, and Obioha uses the rim effectively to create space for himself down low, stepping under it for reverse lay-in’s even when closely guarded deep in the paint. With more patience and polish – he’s looked impressive in summer practices – Obioha is poised to become one of the CAA’s best big men, and will level the playing field inside for Wilmington against high majors.
Back to make his own increased impact is Khamari McGriff, who became valuable as a rim protector and high-effort rebounder last winter. He’s a springy, long-armed deterrent to opponents when they drive near the rim, and McGriff sent back a team-high 23 shots in his first season as a starter. Though he’s not terribly refined offensively, McGriff is energetic setting screens and tough to box out inside. With a repeat of his sensational 84.1% field goal rate near the rim, he will be an excellent option to finish a well-thrown pass into the post. He piled up 45 offensive boards despite playing less than 17 minutes per game, and McGriff converted 87.5% of his putback stabs in close, per Bart Torvik. He’ll provide a contrast to Obioha in the paint, and if summer practices are an indication, McGriff’s improvements during the offseason will be heard loudly around the rim this year.
Wilmington barely got to see what freshman Matthew Moore can do last year, as he made just two appearances. This year, the hooe is that Moore will also have his say up front. The Chicago product brings more legit size up front, and Moore has shown great instincts for crashing the boards in fall camp. Joshua ‘Greedy’ Williams is also coming aboard as a junior college transfer, but he’s got Division I experience. He started 18 games for Northwestern State as a freshman, and Williams showed real defensive skills and the ability to manufacture shots for his teammates off the bounce. If the improvements he made as a shooter in JuCo continue, Williams can carve out a role of his own. Makoi Mabor Marier is a 6’11” freshman who is already ready to block shots and finish lobs. Whether he backs up Obioha or takes a redshirt, Marier is one to keep an eye on in years to come.
The Seahawks will have another opportunity to play giant slayer this year when they play at Kansas. The more relevant non-league games to their overall success will be tilts against squads like Sam Houston State, UNC Asheville, and Appalachian State as Siddle looks to incorporate his new pieces before conference play.
Wilmington has had tantalizing tastes of success the past few years. There are enough new guys in key spots that it’s tough to know whether this new group will be up to the challenge of toppling a deep core like Towson brings back, but the Seahawks are going to have a chance. They’ll need to keep on shooting a great rate at the foul line in close games and tighten things up defensively to do so. After three years of rising near to a breakthrough, UNCW hopes to fly higher than ever this winter.
Leave a Reply