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July 20th,
2006
By Joel
Welser
Broadcast Basketball
UNC
Wilmington Seahawks
Overall Rank:
#115
Conference
Rank: #5 Colonial
2005-06:
25-8, 15-3, 1st (t)
2005-06
postseason: NCAA
 Lost in the
George Mason hoopla is the fact that
UNC Wilmington tied the
Patriots atop the Colonial Athletic Association and won the
conference tournament. But that was last year and this year
will look a lot different for the Seahawks, starting at the
top. Head coach Brad Brownell left for the browner pastures of
Wright State and Benny Moss, who spent the last six seasons as
an assistant at Charlotte, will take over.
Who’s Out:
Three
starters are gone, most notably John Goldsberry. It isn’t just
his 11.2 points and 5.2 assists that will be missed, but the
former CAA defensive player of the year leaves an air of
uncertainty on the defensive end. Beckham Wyrick and Mitch Laue
combined to average 14.5 points and 9.9 rebounds. Fellow
forward Taylor Lay, who saw action in all 33 games, has also run
out of eligibility.
Who’s In:
The Seahawks
are looking to add some depth on the perimeter with three
incoming freshmen guards. Montez Downey prepped at Oak Ridge
Military Academy last year, where the versatile 6-5 guard
averaged 21.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists. Combo guard
Darryl Felder is a solid shooter and has the quickness to get to
the rim and shooting guard Charles Baker will join the Seahawks
after a successful high school career in North Carolina. There
are minutes on the perimeter available and all three guards
should get the chance to contribute. Jeff Horowitz, a transfer
from College of Charleston, brings another big body to the
frontcourt. Horowitz, who is 6-9 and tilts the scales at 235
pounds, averaged 3.6 points and 3.6 rebounds in eight starts two
years ago for the Cougars. While it is not quite official yet,
Josh Sheets and Jonathan Malloy should be joining the Seahawks.
Sheets is a versatile wing and his long range shooting will be
enjoyed in Wilmington for four years. Malloy is a great athlete
who can play solid defense. There just might not be anywhere to
put him during this campaign.
Who to Watch:
It will be interesting to see how the backcourt reacts without
Goldsberry. Temi Soyebo should be starting at the point. He’s
quick and a good defender, but lacks a consistent jumpshot.
Junior Daniel Fountain will be vying for playing time running
the show as well. John David Gardner played just seven games
before suffering an injury last year, yet has the potential to
be a good shooting guard. Gardner, who is still awaiting a
ruling by the NCAA regarding a medical redshirt season, never
really had a chance to show his stuff last season, but he will
this year. T.J. Carter is the star of the team and may end up
starting at the three. It would be a smaller lineup than last
year, but Carter, even at 6-3, is athletic enough to perform on
the wing.
Final
Projection:
It’s never easy
to lose a coach and three starters. Despite the loss of Wyrick
and Laue, the frontcourt has experienced players in Vladimir
Kuljanin, Dejan Grkovic and former Demon Deacon, Todd Hendley.
The point guard spot and finding a third double digit scorer
behind Carter and Hendley are the main issues. However, there
are plenty of options for both of those concerns. If those
questions are answered, the Seahawks will compete with anybody
in the conference. If not, fans will look back at March 2006
with a sense of nostalgia.
Projected
Post-season Tournament:
none
Projected
Starting Five:
John David
Gardner, Freshman, Guard, 2.4 points per game
Temi Soyebo,
Senior, Guard, 3.2 points per game
T.J. Carter,
Senior, Guard, 13.6 points per game
Todd Hendley,
Junior, Forward, 10.5 points per game
Vladimir
Kuljanin, Junior, Center, 6.1 points per game
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