WILMINGTON, North Carolina - UNCW's two-time defending Colonial Athletic Association men's basketball champions officially launch the
C.B. McGrath Era on Saturday when NCAA Division III N.C. Wesleyan visits Trask Coliseum for a 7 p.m. tip-off.
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The Seahawks, 29-6 last season and a combined 54-14 over the last two years, tackle the first of three straight North Carolina opponents to open the new campaign. Following Saturday's much-anticipated debut, the Seahawks visit Atlantic-10 opponent Davidson on Tuesday before returning home to entertain familiar foe Campbell next Saturday.
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"The first game is finally here…it's been a long time coming," said McGrath. "The guys have been very coachable. I hope the team's excited - I'm sure they are. They're ready to play against someone else and have it count. This is the first stepping stone toward the rest of the season.
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"We're just preparing to get better every day. We're preparing to play our best and making sure we know what we want to execute in our game plan. We want to make sure we know what we need to do to be successful."
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McGrath took over the program in early April after 14 seasons on the bench with North Carolina Hall of Fame Coach Roy Williams. He has quickly retooled the roster with freshmen and transfers and plans to keep the up-tempo style the Seahawks have parlayed to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances.
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The new skipper has two veterans – both All-CAA preseason picks - to build around. Junior forward
Devontae Cacok set an NCAA record by shooting 80 percent from the floor one year ago and averaged 12.3 points and 9.8 rebounds. The Riverdale, Ga., product was a Preseason First-Team All-CAA selection.
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Senior playmaker
Jordon Talley already has three rings on his fingers and is looking to add a fourth to his collection. The Richmond, Va., native averaged 7.6 points and 2.6 assists in 2016-17 and played a key role down the stretch as the Seahawks finished 15-3 during the regular season in the CAA and ran the table in the CAA Tournament.
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The Seahawks, who played two closed scrimmages and participated in last Sunday's Disaster Relief Benefit to complete the preseason, will be shorthanded Saturday with junior guard
JaQuel Richmond and sophomore forward Matt Elmore sidelined with injuries. That leaves McGrath and his staff with 11 healthy players on the bench during a week that's featured limited practice time.
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"What we got out of our last closed scrimmage and Sunday's game in Chapel Hill was invaluable," said McGrath. "The guys did a nice job, played unselfish, and we got shots where we wanted to get shots. We have worked this week to shore up the fine lines and details, so we can come out and play the best we can play. "
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N.C. Wesleyan is making its first appearance in Wilmington for a regular season game since 1973. The Battling Bishops compete in the USA South Conference and ended last season with a 13-12 record under 24-year head coach John Thompson.
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Saturday will be the ninth pairing between the two teams. UNCW has won all eight matchups in the series. The game will be N.C. Wesleyan's first appearance in Trask Coliseum for a regular season game.
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The Seahawks have a quick turnaround to start the new campaign. After Saturday's debut, McGrath's club departs late Monday for a matchup with Bob McKillop's Wildcats at Belk Arena on Tuesday.
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"It hasn't set in yet," McGrath reflected on his debut. "You can't script what's going to happen. You can't predict what kind of feelings you're going to have. I assume I'll have a lot of emotions since it's my first head coaching job at the Division I level. It's going to be pretty exciting."
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Season tickets are still available and may be purchased online at UNCWsports.com or daily in the Athletics Ticket Office in Trask Coliseum.
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