Seahawks take their talents international

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The UNCW men’s basketball team is taking its talents international. The team leaves for the Bahamas Wednesday to play in the BTC Summer Thunder 2015.

Second-year Head Coach Kevin Keats will take 14 players on a two-game, five-day trip that’s hosted by the Bahamas Basketball Association. Keats said the Seahawks have done most of their preseason practices and it’s time to put what the team has learned to the test.

“I just wanted to use this trip to gage where we are at and exactly what we need to work on going into the season,” Keats said.

Kevin Hickson, senior forward, said this is an opportunity to bond with teammates and build up team chemistry.

“We want to win a couple basketball games first of all and then obviously just really come together as a team and build memories that will last us for a life time,” Hickson said.

This is the Seahawks first foreign trip since 2011. The Seahawks are scheduled to play Friday against the Providence Storm and Saturday against the Patron Regulators.

Juniors C.J. Gettys and Jarvis Haywood will be staying back in Wilmington after not meeting team expectations in the preseason. Haywood will also not compete in games during the first semester of 2015-16.