2026 North Carolina Sports Network
March Madness Spotlight, 10-Year Snapshot
Previously Part Of UNCW’s Glory Days,
Siddle Making His Own With Seahawks
By David Glenn
North Carolina Sports Network
(last updated March 3, 2026)
School: UNC Wilmington (UNCW)
Location: Wilmington, N.C.
NCAA DI Member Since: 1976-77
Conference: Coastal Athletic Association (CAA)
CAA Member Since: 1984-85
CAA Ranking Among 31 Leagues (KenPom): 15th (2026), 20th (2025), 19th (2024), 26th (2023), 14th (2022), 19th (2021), 18th (2020)
NCAA Tournament Bids: 7 (2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2016, 2017, 2025)
Conference Titles: 7 (2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2016, 2017, 2025)
Conference 1st-Place Finishes: 10 (1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2022, 2026)
Head Coach: Takayo Siddle (39 years old, 6th season)
As A Player: Gardner-Webb (2005-09)
Record As Head Coach (through March 2): 131-52 (.716) in 5+ seasons
Previous HC Experience: none
College AC Experience: Gardner-Webb (2010-14), UNCW (2014-17), NC State (2017-20)
Assistant Under: Kevin Keatts, Chris Holtmann, Tim Craft
2024-25 Record: 27-8, 14-4 (2nd in 14-team CAA)
2025-26 Preseason Prediction (Coaches): 2nd in 14-team CAA
2025-26 Record (through March 2): 25-5, 14-3 CAA (1st in CAA)
2025-26 Midseason Ranking (KenPom): #104 nationally (2nd in CAA)
Remaining Schedule: Elon (3/3), CAA Tournament (March 6-10, Washington, D.C.)
When he accepted the UNC Wilmington job in 2020, in the midst of the COVID pandemic, Takayo Siddle already had been part of the greatest three-year run in program history.
That started more than a decade ago, under then-head coach Kevin Keatts, with Siddle as one of the team’s assistant coaches. The Seahawks won or shared three consecutive regular-season titles in what’s now called the Coastal Athletic Association, and they made back-to-back NCAA Tournament trips after winning the CAA Tournament in 2016 and 2017.
Keatts, of course, utilized that sensational run to get the NC State job. Prior to Keatts, Kevin Eastman (Washington State in 1994), Jerry Wainwright (Richmond in 2002) and Brad Brownell (Wright State in 2006) also turned their success with the Seahawks into bigger paydays and/or higher-profile opportunities.
Meanwhile, four other modern-day UNCW head coaches — Robert McPherson (1990), Benny Moss (2010), Buzz Peterson (2014) and C.B. McGrath (2020) — were dismissed after only three or four seasons. Each finished with a losing record during his time with the Seahawks.
Siddle, 39, is now in his sixth season calling the shots at UNCW, and he’s well into the process of creating his own glory days.
Last year, he led the Seahawks to the NCAA Tournament, just as Wainwright, Brownell and Keatts had done twice each. Meanwhile, his 2022 team tied for the CAA regular-season championship, and his 2026 squad is in position to claim that crown outright, with a victory over Elon in its regular-season finale.
Last spring, UNCW signed Siddle to a contract extension through the 2029-30 season. If he stays with the Seahawks for just one more year, he’s likely to break coach Mel Gibson’s record (149 victories) as the winningest coach in program history.
In the meantime, UNCW’s current rotation includes a fascinating mix of in-state high school signees (starting guards Nolan Hodge and Noah Ross are both four-year Seahawks), a former junior college All-American (point guard Greedy Williams), several transfers from other CAA programs (Monmouth, North Carolina A&T, Towson) and a veteran Atlantic Coast Conference backup (center Patrick Wessler) who has blossomed during his initial season in Wilmington.
Looking ahead, despite its stellar 25-5 record, UNCW almost certainly will have to win the CAA Tournament to return to the Big Dance, as an at-large bid is considered highly unlikely. College of Charleston, Hofstra and William & Mary (which beat the Seahawks twice during the regular season) are the other top candidates to claim that crown, but only the Seahawks have three starting guards who already have experienced cutting down the nets in that exact environment.
“Our championship DNA kicked in,” Siddle said after a recent victory over Monmouth. “We started getting clean stops, quality offensive possessions. We made 28 of our 35 free throws. We held them to 40 percent shooting. We only turned the ball over eight times. Those were huge keys for us, so I’m extremely proud of the guys.
“Now we gotta be great at the next thing.”
(25-5, 14-3 CAA; through March 2)
STARTERS
PG Greedy Williams*, Sr. (6-5/190) — 2024 Chipola JC transfer (NJCAA A-A)
30 mpg, 9 ppg, 3 rpg, 44% FG, 78% FT, 36% threes, 121/48 ATO, 27 steals, 3 blocks
G Nolan Hodge, Sr. (6-7/190) — 2022 HS signee; Greensboro (N.C.) Northern Guilford
32 mpg, 15 ppg, 5 rpg, 41% FG, 76% FT, 40% threes, 45/29 ATO, 20 steals, 16 blocks
G Noah Ross, Sr. (6-7/210) — 2022 HS signee; Raleigh (N.C.) Trinity Academy
29 mpg, 9 ppg, 5 rpg, 44% FG, 68% FT, 26% threes, 55/23 ATO, 24 steals, 7 blocks
F Christian May, Sr. (6-5/210) —2025 Towson transfer (2-year starter)
30 mpg, 10 ppg, 5 rpg, 42% FG, 63% FT, 36% threes, 42/43 ATO, 20 steals, 11 blocks
C Patrick Wessler, r-Jr. (7-0/250) — 2025 Virginia Tech transfer (backup)
26 mpg, 14 ppg, 9 rpg, 60% FG, 60% FT, 0 threes, 34/42 ATO, 19 steals, 31 blocks
KEY RESERVES
F Gavin Walsh, Jr. (6-8/225) — 2025 Binghamton transfer (starter)
26 mpg, 10 ppg, 7 rpg, 43% FG, 46% FT, 33% threes, 15/13 ATO, 16 steals (INJURED)
G Madison Durr, Sr. (6-5/195) — 2025 Monmouth transfer (starter)
22 mpg, 10 ppg, 3 rpg, 37% FG, 75% FT, 31% threes, 70/37 ATO, 16 steals, 1 block
G Jahnathan Lamothe, Jr. (6-4/192) — 2025 North Carolina A&T transfer (starter)
15 mpg, 6 ppg, 2 rpg, 42% FG, 53% FT, 46% threes, 11/7 ATO, 7 steals, 0 blocks
F Makoi Mabor Makoi, So. (6-11/240) — 2024 HS signee; Gastonia (N.C.) Gaston Christian
9 mpg, 1 ppg, 2 rpg, 49% FG, 75% FT, 0 threes, 5/18 ATO, 2 steals, 3 blocks
Departures from 2024-25: G Josh Corbin (senior), G Elijah Jamison (transfer/Norfolk State), F Khamari McGriff (transfer/Kansas State), G Bo Montgomery* (senior/Czechia), G Sean Moore* (senior/Georgia), G Donovan Newby* (senior/Georgia), C Harlan Obioha* (transfer/West Virginia).
*—2024-25 starter (started at least 50% of the Seahawks’ games last season)
10-Year Snapshot
Season: Overall, League (Place), Postseason
2024-25: 27-8, 14-4 CAA (2nd*), NCAA 1st round (Takayo Siddle)
2023-24: 21-10, 12-6 CAA (3rd), no postseason (Takayo Siddle)
2022-23: 24-10, 12-6 CAA (3rd), no postseason (Takayo Siddle)
2021-22: 27-9, 15-3* CAA (t-1st), CBI champion (Takayo Siddle)
2020-21: 7-10, 1-6 CAA (10th), no postseason (Takayo Siddle)
2019-20: 10-22, 5-13 CAA (9th), no postseason (C.B. McGrath)
2018-19: 10-23, 5-13 CAA (10th), no postseason (C.B. McGrath)
2017-18: 11-21, 7-11 CAA (6th), no postseason (C.B. McGrath)
2016-17: 29-6, 15-3* CAA (1st*), NCAA 1st round (Kevin Keatts)
2015-16: 25-8, 14-4* CAA (t-1st*), NCAA 1st round (Kevin Keatts)
*—conference champion (regular-season and/or tournament)
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