Can UNCW slip past Georgetown in order to remain undefeated?

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — UNCW is in elite company. Only a handful of college basketball teams sport an undefeated record. The Seahawks will put their perfect record on the line on Saturday against Georgetown. “I feel like we should beat them,” UNCW freshman Trey Grundy told WWAY on Thursday. “I am going into the game with the mindset that we’re the top dog and we need to beat them. There’s no real surprise if we do beat them. That’s what my mindset is.”

“It’s been a really good early start for us,” Kevin Keatts said on Thursday. “When you say 5-0 we don’t take it for granted. Our guys have done a great job. We were able to go into Thanksgiving break undefeated. The biggest thing is we’re turning people over. I am able to play a lot of guys because our press is working and it’s been good for us early. I think more than anything that excites us is the opportunity. You know you don’t have a chance to play against a program like Georgetown all time time.”

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WILMINGTON, NC (UNCW) — With a 10-day hiatus for final exams in the rear view mirror, UNCW journeys to the nation’s capital early Saturday to battle national power Georgetown in the inaugural men’s hoops meeting between the two teams at the Verizon Center.

The Seahawks, 5-0, return to the hardwood after staying perfect on the season with a 93-73 rout of NCAA Division II Coker on Wednesday, Dec. 2. Now second-year head coach Kevin Keatts carries his club to the 18,000-seat Verizon Center for a stiff test against the Big East Conference juggernaut Hoyas.

“We’re excited about the opportunity,” said Keatts, UNCW’s second-year head coach. “I’ve known about Georgetown all my life. It’s a great program with great tradition. John Thompson III goes a great job and our guys are just excited about the opportunity to play on a big stage.

“Georgetown is a very good team. They have D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera and L.J. Peak on the outside and Bradley Hayes inside. It’s going to be a big task for us, and I certainly hope our guys are up for it.”

With the veteran Smith-Rivera leading the way, the Hoyas have won four in row to hike their record to 5-3 overall, including 4-1 at home. A 6-3, 215-pound senior from Indianapolis, Smith-Rivera leads the Hoyas with 14.6 points and 4.0 assists per game.

Thompson III, son of legendary Georgetown coach John Thompson, has penciled in the same starting lineup in all eight contests. In addition to Smith-Rivera, the Hoyas feature guard L.J. Peak (6-5, 215, Soph.), forwards Isaac Copeland (6-9, 220, Soph.) and Marcus Derrickson (6-7, 250, Freshman) and post player Bradley Hayes (7-0, 275, Senior).

Georgetown’s four-game winning streak includes a 79-72 upset of No. 14 Syracuse last Saturday in Washington. Hayes poured in a career-high 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds to anchor four players in double figures in front of 18,231 at the Verizon Center.

The Hoyas followed the Syracuse victory up with a 74-47 thumping of Brown on Monday to give Thompson’s club four wins in its last five outings.

Georgetown was picked to finish second in the Big East for the second straight season. The Hoyas finished 22-11 last season and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament behind Smith-Rivera, an All-Big East First-Team selection. Peak and Copeland also made the Big East All-Rookie Team.

UNCW, meanwhile, is off to its best start since 1994-95 after registering three double digit victories in five appearances this season. Sparked by redshirt senior Craig Ponder and a cache of talented newcomers, the Seahawks open a stretch of five straight games away from Trask Coliseum before the Christmas break.

“We’re pleased about getting off to a great start and being 5-0,” Keatts continued, “but we don’t mention it because we have to move on from here.”

Ponder, a crafty 6-1, 185-pound playmaker, is enjoying an outstanding year and leads the team in scoring (15.2 ppg), minutes (125) and assists (3.1 apg). Junior guard Chris Flemmings ranks second on the club at 14.2 ppg and junior guard Denzel Ingram is chipping in 10.8 ppg. Overall, six Seahawks are collecting at least eight points each outing.

The Seahawks have ranked first in the NCAA Division I ranks in turnover margin all season, forcing 22.4 turnovers per game while committing 12.4 miscues for a +10.0 margin. Three of UNCW’s opponents have committed at least 20 turnovers against the Seahawks.

While the Seahawks are playing the Hoyas for the first time and making their first appearance at the Verizon Center, the team stands 3-5 against the Big East Conference, facing five of the league’s 10 schools

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Following the trip to Washington, the Seahawks return to North Carolina to battle longtime rival East Carolina on Wednesday at Minges Coliseum in Greenville.

Keatts said: “We’re just taking it one game at a time. If you lose focus and start talking about two or three games down the road, you’ll suffer. We haven’t talked about all of the road games – just about the next opponent up and this week it’s Georgetown.”

All of UNCW’s games are carried live on the Seahawk Digital Network. Fans can visit UNCWsports.com, click the Live Events button, and select the game for a free audio feed of the contest. Seahawk basketball may also be heard over the radio airwaves on The Beach 94.1 FM/WLSG 1340 AM in Wilmington and New Hanover County and Freedom 97.1 FM/WSME 1120 AM in Jacksonville and Onslow County in 2015-16.

Season tickets are still available by visiting the UNCW Athletics Ticket Office in Trask Coliseum, calling 1-800-808-UNCW or clicking on the Tickets button via UNCWSports.com. Tickets start as low as $99, with 5 and 8-game mini-plans available.

For additional information on the UNCW men’s basketball team, like the program’s Facebook page at @UNCWAthletics and follow the Seahawks on Twitter via @UNCWMensHoops.