University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
UNC Wilmington
GAME PREVIEW: Bulldogs to Host Seahawks in Home Opener
11.10.2023 | Men's Basketball
GAME DETAILS:
- UNC Asheville (0-1) vs. UNC Wilmington (1-0)
- Saturday, November 11
- Time: 2:00 p.m. EST
- Kimmel Arena; Asheville, N.C.
- Live Stats: https://uncabulldogs.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
- Radio: Bulldog Radio Network (ESPN Asheville 92.9 FM, 880 AM); (Brian Hall, play-by-play; Mike Gore, color analyst) | espnavl.com
- TV: ESPN+ (Matt Stradley, play-by-play; John Williams, color analyst)
- History: UNCW leads 6-1 in the Division I era (Full History)
- Last Meeting: UNCW, 76-68, on 11/27/20
- First 400 fans to the game will receive a 2022-23 Big South Champions Pennant
- Students will receive a ticket to win a TV. The winner of the TV will be announced at halftime of the women's game on Sunday, Nov. 12
LAST TIME OUT:
Asheville suffered a 99-74 loss to Michigan on Tuesday (Nov. 7), in their season opener. Despite picking up three fouls early in the first half and his fourth foul in the opening minutes of the second half, Drew Pember led the team with 19 points, connecting for three triples, going 8-for-10 at the free throw line, and scoring 15 of his points in the second half. Joining Pember in double figures on Tuesday were Josh Banks with 18 and Evan Johnson with 12.
Four turnovers in the first 3:45 of play found the Bulldogs in early trouble, as the Wolverines quickly jumped out to a nine-point lead (15-6). Asheville brought the score back within five before a 3-pointer from Dug McDaniel, followed by a layup from Nkamhoua, allowed Michigan to earn a double-digit lead with nearly 10 minutes remaining in the opening frame and did not let up as they held its lead at double-figures for the remainder of the game.
SCOUTING THE SEAHAWKS:
UNC Wilmington comes into Saturday's game after defeating Mount Olive 105-66 on Monday (Nov. 6). Saturday's contest will be the first game for the Seahawks against a Division I team this season. Last season, UNC Wilmington went 24-10 and upset the No. 1 seed Hofstra in the Colonial Athletic Association before falling to No. 2 Charleston in the tournament finals.
Leading the charge for UNCW is Trazarien White who scored 23 points in the Seahawks' season opener and was honored by the CAA as a first-team preseason All-CAA selection. He returns this season as UNCW's top-scorer, as he averaged 14.2 points per game as a sophomore. Other strong returners for the Seahawks this season includes Shykeim Phillips (8.4 ppg), Donovan Newby (8.1) and Maleeck Harden-Hayes (9.9 ppg), who was voted to the CAA preseason honorable mention team.
PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
Both programs are ranked in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25, with the Seahawks checking at seventh on the list and UNC Asheville at 17th.
Asheville is predicted to finish first once again this season, according to the Big South Conference preseason poll that was released on Tuesday, Oct. 17. The Bulldogs received 16 first-place votes and 166 points to earn the top spot in the league. This is the sixth time the Bulldogs have been picked as the preseason favorites, with the previous times including 1989-90, 1997-98, 2002-03, 2011-12 and 2017-18.
Pember's successful 2022-23 campaign has continued to garner him recognition entering the new season, as he was named for the second consecutive year the Big South Preseason Player of the Year. This is the sixth time Asheville has had a player earn this recognition, with Pember being the fifth Bulldog to do so and the only one to win it twice. Pember is the first Big South student-athlete to be voted Preseason Player of the Year back-to-back seasons since Chris Clemons (Campbell) from 2017-19.
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has announced Pember as one of 20 players named to the watch list for the 2024 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award. Named after Class of 2010 Hall of Famer and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Karl Malone, the annual honor, in its tenth year, recognizes the top power forwards in Division I men's college basketball. A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates.
Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, in each of the three rounds beginning Friday, October 27. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2024 Karl Malone Award will be narrowed to 10, and then in late February, to just five. In March, the five finalists will be presented to Malone and the Hall of Fame's selection committee, where a winner will be selected.
BULLDOG GAMEDAY REMINDERS
- Doors will open one hour prior to tip-off
- UNC Asheville has implemented a Clear Bag Policy for athletics events. CLICK HERE to read the policy.
- To avoid waiting in line at the box office, fans are able to purchase tickets through their phones and show their ticket on their screens to be scanned upon entering the arena. To purchase tickets, CLICK HERE.
