Sitting down with UNCW’s Kevin Keatts to talk Seahawk hoops

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The UNCW men’s basketball team is off to an impressive start this season under first year head coach Kevin Keatts. The Seahawks currently sport a 4-2 record in the CAA. The Seahawks have not been two games above .500 this late in the season in the CAA since 2008.

Unfortunately the team’s leading scorer, New Hanover grad Freddie Jackson, is a big question mark heading into Wednesday’s game against the College of Charleston. Jackson is nursing an ankle injury. Before heading to Charleston WWAY’s John Rendleman sat down with head coach Kevin Keatts to talk about Freddie Jackson’s ankle and the impressive start to the season in conference play for UNCW.

Transcript of Tuesday’s interview with Kevin Keatts and WWAY’s John Rendleman: (Watch interview on WWAY at 5:05pm, 6:15pm and 11:20pm on today’s news). The short version of the interview can be viewed online by clicking on the above icon.

“I’m happy for them. Our focus has been there. The kids have been improving on both ends of the floor. They continue to play hard for me.”

“I can’t talk with you today and not ask you about the turnaround. Other than working hard. What is it?”

“I just think they’ve been playing with tremendous confidence. I think everyone is playing for the seniors. Freddie Jackson has been the player of the week. He has incredible numbers so far. He’s already doubled his average from last year. Addison Spruill had a tremendous week last week. He ended up being the player of the week and Cedrick has been very steady for us, and I think they like the style of play and I think they’re buying into what I’m trying to teach them. If you play for the name of the front of the jersey, then the name on the back will get credit, eventually. I think everyone has laid it all out and they’re playing Seahawk basketball.”

“Before the season Northeastern and Hofstra were the preseason favorites to win the CAA, you beat them both on the road recently. How did that happen?”

“We just played. I know a lot of people did not like our non-conference schedule because we were away for so long, but if you look back at it I believed it really helped us.”

“Coach, I appreciate you spending some time with us today. Let’s get Freddie healed. Maybe he’ll be able to play tomorrow night vs. the College of Charleston Cougars.”

“We’ll see. It’s one of those things that it’ll definitely be a game time decision. Our trainers are working round the clock so he could possibly play. We won’t know until game time.”

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CHARLESTON, SC (UNCW)– UNCW shoots for a winning edge on its current three-game road swing when the Colonial Athletic Association men’s basketball tour rolls on Wednesday at the College of Charleston in a 7:30 tip-off at TD Arena.

The surging Seahawks (9-8, 4-2) are looking to keep pace with the upper tier in the CAA in the first of two meetings between the clubs. UNCW and CofC square off again on Feb. 11 at Trask Coliseum.

“Charleston is a very good team and a very dangerous basketball team,” exclaimed Kevin Keatts, UNCW’s first-year head coach. “It’s going to be a tough game on the road. They’re starting to play very good basketball.

“Charleston is starting to come together as a team. They have two or three guys who could end up being All-Conference, and it will be a big challenge for us.”

UNCW is coming off an important 79-75 victory at Hofstra last weekend that hiked the Seahawks’ road record to 4-7 this season. The timely win kept the Seahawks in a tie for second place in the CAA with Hofstra and James Madison, behind frontrunners Northeastern and William & Mary.

The Cougars, meanwhile, opened their CAA slate with four consecutive losses before topping Elon, 66-50, on the road last week. CofC then fell to the Huskies, 69-67, last Saturday in Boston in a tightly-contested matchup at Matthews Arena.

UNCW featured the CAA Player-of-the-Week for the second straight time on Monday when senior guard Addison Spruill landed the honor. The muscle-bound Spruill averaged 28.0 points per game and 7.0 rebounds in two contests last week, exploding for 33 points in a close loss at William & Mary before leading the Seahawks again with 23 points on Saturday.

“Addison had a tremendous week,” said Keatts. “He scored the ball for us, rebounded the ball and shot a great percentage. What’s lost is that he also had a very good week defensively. I’ve been very tough on him, but he’s become a very important piece to this puzzle we’re putting together at UNCW.”

The Cougars lead the all-time series, 10-5, and have taken seven of the last 10 meetings. The last battle between the two teams was a memorable one as UNCW outlasted CofC, 57-55 in a double overtime thriller on Feb. 22, 2014, at Trask Coliseum.

Sophomore guards Joe Chealey (12.1 ppg) and Canyon Barry (11.9 ppg) are each collecting double figures for the Cougars, who stand 3-5 at home this season. CofC is shooting 41.1 percent from the floor, 36.7 percent from long distance and 65.5 percent at the free throw line.

“Joe Chealy and Adjehi Baru are two tough players and Canyon Barry does it all for them,” added Keatts.

In the last matchup between the two clubs on Jan. 22, 2014, at TD Arena, senior guard Nori Johnson drained 7-of-8 from deep en route to a game-high 23 points to lift CofC to a 75-70 victory. Johnson scored 15 of his points in the first half for the Cougars, who held off UNCW. Cedrick Williams scored 22 points and Chris Dixon collected 21 points for the Seahawks, who shot 60 percent in the second half.

Following Wednesday’s tilt with the Cougars, the Seahawks return to the Port City to entertain Towson on Saturday at 8 p.m.

Wednesday’s game in Charleston can be heard on the Seahawk Digital Network via UNCWsports.com. Fans should click on the “Live Events” button on the top right-hand corner of the main page and follow the prompts for the free broadcast. A 15-minute pregame show kicks off the coverage followed by first-half coverage, a 15-minute halftime show, second-half action and a 15-minute post-game show.

Live-in game updates are also available on Twitter by following @UNCWmenshoops.