Training camp is over and it's almost time to set up the tailgates, so naturally, we're talking hoops on this lovely August evening!

With the CAA dropping the full schedule for the 2025-26 season, we've now got a full picture of the road to DC and UNCW's unprecedented 20-game home schedule. The Seahawks will have to find their footing on the road in January, but things set up nicely for Trask to be rocking in February.

With 60 days until the first exhibition game, a few thoughts on the roster, too!

Back on Schedule

The UNCW Seahawks play basketball this week!

It's just an exhibition game, but it'll be a fun one against a solid, uptempo High Point program that is also looking to build on an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. 

Chopped Unc Bill Jones and TeacherBracket join to discuss what we've heard about preseason practice and what we're most interested to watch on Saturday afternoon in Trask. Also, some thoughts on lineup combos and the value of these games.

Preseason Speculation and Conjecture is Fun!

Uncle Bill provides a quick rundown of what happened in today's exhibition, which saw High Point escape Trask Coliseum with a 99-98 overtime victory. 

Perch Postgame: UNCW falls to High Point

With college hoops preview season in full swing, we're excited to welcome Hofstra senior Dylan Brett! 

Dylan, a play-by-play announcer and aspiring journalist, put together a 77-page CAA preview that contains more than 30,000 words on every player, coach, and storyline in the league. 

Along with his sharing his detailed analysis on UNCW and several other teams around the conference, he also explained the process of putting together such a massive project while trying to balance his final year of college and radio work. 

Great conversation with a really talented young fella who is headed for big things! 

Catch him talking CAA hoops all season long on Twitter at @dylanbrxtt. You'll find the preview pinned on his profile, or directly at:

https://x.com/DylanBrxtt/status/1980257693643276637



He Wrote the Book on the CAA feat. Dylan Brett

We're grateful for the opportunity to talk with one of the all-time great Seahawks, Craig Ponder!

Now an assistant coach at UNCW, Ponder played a pivotal role in rebuilding the program under Coach Kevin Keatts, ultimately closing his career with a CAA championship in 2016 before pushing Duke to the wire in the NCAA Tournament. 

Since returning to Wilmington as a coach in 2020, Ponder has been on the sideline for the winningest period in UNCW basketball history, and last March, became the first Seahawk to win a title as a player and a member of the coaching staff.

A Career Worth Pondering feat. Craig Ponder

It feels like forever ago the Seahawks tipped off the 2025-26 season with a win over Mount Olive!

Uncle Bill and TeacherBracket are here to break down the season-opening win, including a huge night for Big Pat Wessler, Madison Durr's attacking speed, Nolan Hodge's confidence, and what was up with that second half.

Then, a look ahead to a great mid-major matchup with Kent State on Monday night. The Golden Flashes play fast and come into this one averaging 103.5 points through two games while allowing 99.5. The Seahawks are likely to try to slow things down and dictate the pace.

Finally, a look around #CAAhoops, where several teams let big opportunities slip away against mid-major peers and Towson looked great in a battle with Houston.

Can Score, Kent Defend?

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; Charles Dickens wrote that about UNCW's performance at Kent State, supposedly. 

Uncle Bill and Brant are on this mic this week for a nuanced discussion of the Seahawks' loss in Ohio on Monday night, which saw UNCW fall behind by 22 points before getting things in gear and fighting back. 

After a no-good, very bad start, there was A LOT to like about what we saw from the mildly shorthanded Seahawks, including strong outings from Pat Wessler and Nolan Hodge, Greedy Williams' asserting himself at a critical point, and the Hawks' fortitude to fight back against a REALLY good opponent.

Then, a look ahead to Saturday night's matchup with an uptempo squad from USC Upstate, led by Karmani Gregory and Carmelo Adkins. Will this one be a little easier, or similar to last year's battle in Spartanburg?

20 Minutes Good > 15 Minutes Bad?

After the loss at Kent State, the Seahawks returned home with a gritty, culture win over USC Upstate!

Uncle Bill and Brant discuss the winning plays from Christian May and Gavin Walsh in particular, as well as points on leadership, Madison Durr's unreal ability to get to the free throw line, and Patrick Wessler finding consistency in his new role.

With ECU coming to town on Tuesday night, we Jordan Riley's importance for the Pirates, as well as Gio Emejuru's dominant post play. How big of a role will foul trouble play in this one, and will the Hawks need to go small? 

Upstate Downed; Potentially Plundering?

The vibes are high after a 2-0 week that saw the Seahawks largely dominate wins over ECU and Radford. 

This team's personality is starting to show, and damn, do we love it. They're connected in a way we haven't seen recently, and that is becoming very clear with ball movement and defensive communication. 

In all, we touch on Gavin Walsh getting comfortable in his role, Christian May finding a rhythm as a two-way player, Makoi's major leap forward, and a character-building win on the road over the Highlanders.

Plus, a look ahead to the six games at Trask Coliseum this week as Navy, Southeast Louisiana, and Gardner-Webb come to town. We close it out with a look around the CAA, where Towson got a couple of much-needed wins for the league.

Happy Live Oaksgiving

Sometimes smart, sometimes silly —  always Seahawks.

Perchcast is a weekly show focused on the people and stories of UNCW athletics with a strong emphasis toward men's basketball. We aim to go deeper than the headlines and tweets, and use interviews, analytics and occasionally the eye-test to connect fans with the Seahawks.

Can Score, Kent Defend?

Perchcast

Related tracks