2025 North Carolina Sports Network
North Carolina Basketball Spotlight:
UNC Wilmington
By David Glenn
North Carolina Sports Network
School: UNC Wilmington
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): 16th (2025), 19th (2024), 26th (2023), 14th (2022), 19th (2021), 18th (2020)
NCAA Tournament Bids: 6 (2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2016, 2017)
Conference Titles: 6 (2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2016, 2017)
Conference 1st-Place Finishes: 9 (1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2022)
Head Coach: Takayo Siddle (38 years old, 5th season)
As A Player: Gardner-Webb (2005-09)
Record As Head Coach (through Jan. 22): 93-44 (.679) in 4+ 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
2023-24 Record: 21-10, 12-6 (3rd in 14-team CAA)
2024-25 Preseason Prediction (Coaches): 3rd in 14-team CAA
2024-25 Record (through Jan. 22): 14-5, 4-2 CAA
2024-25 Midseason Ranking (KenPom): #136 nationally (1st in CAA)
Upcoming Schedule: at Charleston (1/23), Hampton (1/25), at North Carolina A&T (1/30), Stony Brook (2/1), at Delaware (2/6), at Drexel (2/8), Charleston (2/13)
Takayo Siddle already has been part of the greatest three-year run in UNC Wilmington basketball history.
That started about 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, 38, is now in his fifth season calling the shots at UNCW, and while he hasn’t yet led the Seahawks to the NCAA Tournament (as Wainwright, Brownell and Keatts did twice each), his 2022 team tied for first place in the CAA. After a difficult, COVID-impacted head coaching debut in 2020-21, he’s had three consecutive top-three finishes (counting ties) in the league standings.
Although the Seahawks lost three starters from last season, including first-team All-CAA forward Trazarien White to the transfer portal (TCU) and third-team guard — and ace defender — Shykeim Phillips to graduation, they appear to be among the top candidates for CAA supremacy again this year.
Guard Donovan Newby, a Milwaukee transfer in his third season at UNCW, is having by far the best season of his five-year college career. He’s leading the team in scoring (16 ppg), assists (3.5 apg) and 3-point shooting (37 percent).
After beating Appalachian State, East Carolina and UNC Asheville during the nonconference schedule, the Seahawks started 4-2 in conference play, including an impressive 85-74 victory over first-place William & Mary on Jan. 20.
“Our focus is to just be great at the next thing in front of us,” Siddle said. “We just have to keep getting a little bit better each and every day. That’s our focus, because there’s a lot of basketball left.”
2024-25 UNCW Seahawks
(14-5, 4-2 CAA; through Jan. 22)
STARTERS (stats = 2024-25 numbers)
G Donovan Newby, Gr. (6-1/185) — 2022 Milwaukee transfer (starter)
33 mpg, 16 ppg, 3 rpg, 41% FG, 86% FT, 37% threes, 67/34 ATO, 2 blocks, 20 steals
G Joshua Corbin, Gr. (6-3/190) — 2024 Robert Morris transfer (2-year starter)
25 mpg, 8 ppg, 2 rpg, 34% FG, 91% FT, 33% threes, 44/16 ATO, 1 block, 7 steals
G Nolan Hodge, Jr. (6-7/190) — 2022 in-state HS signee (Northern Guilford HS)
23 mpg, 6 ppg, 4 rpg, 36% FG, 80% FT, 29% threes, 20/17 ATO, 3 blocks, 11 steals
F Sean Moore, Gr. (6-7/190) — 2024 Fairleigh Dickinson transfer (2-year starter)
22 mpg, 8 ppg, 6 rpg, 40% FG, 62% FT, 26% threes, 23/30 ATO, 4 blocks, 25 steals
F Khamari McGriff*, r-Jr. (6-9/210) — 2021 signee (Rickards HS in Tallahassee)
19 mpg, 11 ppg, 4 rpg, 69% FG, 69% FT, 67% threes, 11/16 ATO, 21 blocks, 7 steals
KEY RESERVES (stats = 2024-25 numbers)
G Noah Ross*, Jr. (6-7/210) — 2022 HS signee (Trinity Academy in Raleigh)
22 mpg, 9 ppg, 6 rpg, 51% FG, 69% FT, 24% threes, 20/17 ATO, 1 block, 6 steals
G Bo Montgomery, Gr. (6-5/205) — 2024 Holy Cross transfer (3-year starter)
21 mpg, 8 ppg, 4 rpg, 40% FG, 75% FT, 32% threes, 37/17 ATO, 5 blocks, 14 steals
F Harlan Obioha, Jr. (7-0/280) — 2024 Niagara transfer (starter)
19 mpg, 9 ppg, 6 rpg, 62% FG, 58% FT, 0% threes, 16/33 ATO, 23 blocks, 12 steals
G Greedy Williams, Jr. (6-5/190) — 2024 Chipola JC transfer (NJCAA All-American)
18 mpg, 4 ppg, 2 rpg, 39% FG, 77% FT, 20% threes, 35/13 ATO, 0 blocks, 12 steals
Departures from 2023-24: F Nick Farrar (Sr./transfer/Guilford), G Maleeck Harden-Hayes* (Ss./Portugal), F Ahmard Harvey (r-Sr.), G KJ Jenkins (r-Sr./Austria), G Shykeim Phillips* (r-Sr./Serbia), G Shemar Rathan-Mayes (Sr./transfer/Mercyhurst), F Eric Van Der Heijden (Jr./transfer/Campbell), F Trazarien White* (Jr./transfer/TCU)
*—2023-24 starter (started at least 50% of the Seahawks’ games last season)
UNCW Seahawks
10-Year Snapshot
Season: Overall, League (Place), Postseason
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)
2014-15: 18-14, 12-6 CAA (t-1st*), CIT 1st round (Kevin Keatts)
*—conference champion (regular-season and/or tournament)
NOTE: In the coming weeks and months, please visit the North Carolina Sports Network’s 2024-25 profiles and 10-year snapshots for all 19 Division One men’s basketball programs in North Carolina and all 18 Atlantic Coast Conference programs. The items below will become “live links” as new articles are posted.
Appalachian State Mountaineers, Sun Belt Conference
Boston College Eagles, Atlantic Coast Conference
California Golden Bears, Atlantic Coast Conference
Campbell Camels, Coastal Athletic Association
Charlotte 49ers, American Athletic Conference
Clemson Tigers, Atlantic Coast Conference
Davidson Wildcats, Atlantic-10 Conference
Duke Blue Devils, Atlantic Coast Conference
East Carolina Pirates, American Athletic Conference
Elon Phoenix, Coastal Athletic Association
Florida State Seminoles, Atlantic Coast Conference
Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs, Big South Conference
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Atlantic Coast Conference
High Point Panthers, Big South Conference
Louisville Cardinals, Atlantic Coast Conference
Miami Hurricanes, Atlantic Coast Conference
North Carolina Tar Heels, Atlantic Coast Conference
North Carolina A&T Aggies, Coastal Athletic Association
North Carolina Central Eagles, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
North Carolina State Wolfpack, Atlantic Coast Conference
Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Atlantic Coast Conference
Pitt Panthers, Atlantic Coast Conference
Queens Royals, Atlantic Sun Conference
SMU Mustangs, Atlantic Coast Conference
Stanford Cardinal, Atlantic Coast Conference
Syracuse Orange, Atlantic Coast Conference
UNC Asheville Bulldogs, Big South Conference
UNC Greensboro Spartans, Southern Conference
UNC Wilmington Seahawks, Coastal Athletic Association
Virginia Cavaliers, Atlantic Coast Conference
Virginia Tech Hokies, Atlantic Coast Conference
Wake Forest, Atlantic Coast Conference