UNC-Wilmington Seahawks
Record: 25-7 (14-4 Colonial Athletic Association)
Head Coach: Kevin Keatts (2nd season)
Season Recap: UNC-Wilmington snagged an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament after making a run through the CAA tournament, defeating College of Charleston and Northeastern in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, before dispatching Hofstra in the title match 80-73. The Seahawks only faced one power conference opponent this season—a Dec. 12 loss against Georgetown—and dropped tight contests to East Carolina, Radford, Northeastern and Hofstra that damaged their resume prior to Selection Sunday. Despite double-digit losses on the road at Towson and William & Mary, Keatts’ squad snagged a No. 13 seed and a date with No. 4 Duke in the first round that could prove a favorable matchup with the lack of depth on the Blue Devils’ squad.
Division II transfer and walk-on Chris Flemmings leads UNC-Wilmington into the first round in the West region with 16.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, both team-highs. Despite having no offers from Division I programs straight out of high school, he has become the best player on a team looking to author its own Cinderella story this season. If Flemmings fails to keep the Seahawks on track, Denzel Ingram will look to pick up the slack with his 12.5 points and 3.4 assists per game. When both Flemmings and Ingram are firing on all cylinders, UNC-Wilmington can be a dangerous team from mid- to long-range and push opposing backcourts to the brink.
How they make a run: The Seahawks stick to a strong small-ball mentality on both ends of the floor. Despite having C.J. Gettys in the lineup, the 7-footer sees just around 15 minutes of playing time in most games. With five players 6-foot-5 or smaller playing more half of the team’s minutes, UNC-Wilmington boasts a powerful perimeter defense—opposing teams only shoot 33.7 percent from downtown—that will keep first-round opponent Duke from scoring at its regular ease from long-range, forcing head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s squad to feed the block to graduate student Marshall Plumlee or freshman Brandon Ingram. By playing opponents that thrive from beyond the arc, the Seahawks make a run into the second week of the tournament.
How they falter: Small-ball comes back to haunt Keatts’ squad, and bigger, more opposing opponents dismantle UNC-Wilmington in the post. Even if the No. 13 seed squeaks past the Blue Devils in the first round, allowing 29 percent of opponents’ points on free throws puts the Seahawks behind the eight-ball, and bounces them before they see the Sweet Sixteen. With a potential matchup against No. 5 Baylor looming in the second round, UNC-Wilmington could face major problems with the Bears’ depth and big men.
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