We're talking a lot about media days for the UNCW men's and women's basketball programs, and a little about the portion of practice we got to watch last Thursday.

First, we share our initial impressions on meeting newcomers + returners for a women's basketball team poised to take a leap in the second year under Coach Nicole Woods.

Next, we dive into our conversations with MBB big men Khamari McGriff and Harlan Obioha, who really illustrate just how big these Seahawks are.

Finally, we take a few of your questions!

Stay tuned over the coming weeks for full preview episodes focused on the Men, Women, and CAA Hoops as a whole.

We Talkin' (a little) 'Bout Practice, Man

The Seahawks are 2-0 and we've got a quick look back at the opening week before previews on USC Upstate and the big trip to Kansas.

We touched on:
- Donovan Newby's career-high 33 point effort
- Noah Ross changing the game with his energy
- Creating opportunities for Khamari
- Elijah Jamison making a late impact
- Established emotional, vocal leadership
- Who are we looking forward to watching evolve?

A Meeting of the Donovan Newby Fan Club

Live from Lawrence, Kan., a quick preview of the Seahawks' visit to Allen Fieldhouse and a few takeaways from Friday's win over USC Upstate.

Many thanks to AD Mike Oblinger and OneSeahawk's Brett Keeler for hanging out! 

We Are (!) in Kansas Anymore

Six games in three days, with a little turkey in between!

A look back at Kansas followed by a preview of all three visitors for the Live Oak Bank Holiday Classic, and a few questions from our loyal listeners.

The Barbary Coast Perchcast Holiday Clásico

One week after a flat performance against Colgate, the Seahawks have won three straight behind a new commitment to defense, rebounding, and physicality.

We break down the big win over ECU, analyze the adjustments UNCW made during the Live Oak Bank Holiday Classic, and break down the breakout performances from Bo Montgomery, Harlan Obioha, and the newly-healthy Nolan Hodge.


The Plunderin', Pillagin' Seahawks

UNCW won four straight heading into the exam week, and now, they'll have a chance to rest up before closing out nonconference play.

We kept it short this week, looking back at the win over Marshall, how the Seahawks' defense continues to improve, and why Greedy Williams has been so incredibly important.

Be sure to check out our second episode this week, a conversation with UNCW WBB star Ali Zelaya, a grad transfer who is juggling her grad school work in marine biology with playing D1 hoops!

A Light Exam Week Episode

We're thrilled to welcome Ali Zelaya, a graduate transfer marine biologist, artist, content creator and cat mom who happens to also play basketball for UNCW!

Ali is refreshingly honest about her journey from being a big-time recruit at UNC-Chapel Hill, falling out of love with basketball and truly finding herself during her time in college. Since arriving in Wilmington, she's rediscovered her passion for the game and is helping Coach Nicole Woods build a foundation for success, as UNCW has already exceeded its win totals for the past three seasons.

When she's not working to help ensure the future of coral reefs, Ali is usually posting hilarious stuff on Instagram and TikTok, offering a look inside her life as a D1 athlete, dancing with her cat, or sharing entirely too much info on her pregame routine.

By far, the most intelligent conversation we've ever had on the program.

Check her out online:
Instagram: @alizelaya3
TikTok: @alexandrazelayaaa



The Most Interesting Seahawk in the World - feat. Ali Zelaya

The lockdown defense that led to UNCW's four-game winning streak was strangely absent in Saturday's loss to Howard. The guys break down a disappointing road loss, where things went wrong, and how those last couple of possessions played out.

Unfortunately, the loss overshadowed one of the most productive offensive performances you'll ever see in Khamari McGriff's 34-point outing.

Also in this episode:
- Quick looks at FGCU and UNC Asheville
- The return of Noah Ross!
- The 3-point shooting woes continue
- Bo Montgomery's two-way impact
- An encouraging trend with Donovan + Khamari developing

Exam Break Hangover feat. TeacherBracket

With two months of basketball down, we welcome back Friend of the Perch Brian Mull to take a look at the CAA and how our expectations have shifted from the preseason.

Aside from the general conference discussion, we specifically touched on:
- Elon's excellent start (:50)
- Charleston continues to be Charleston (5:00)
- Towson's unexpected struggles + a bit of UNCW-Towson preview (9:50)
- Hampton as a surprise team? (16:30)
- Zach Spiker is doing an excellent job with Drexel (30:30)
- How this UNCW team has developed over the nonconference schedule (37:50)



New Year, New CAA Season feat. Brian Mull

It's time for our annual winter chat with UNCW Director of Athletics Mike Oblinger.

As always, more than enough to cover in an hour. Here's what we got to:
- Trask Coliseum renovation/replacement update
- What does the market survey say about the arena project?
- Brooks Field renovations, including the early arrival of a videoboard!
- MBB + WBB locker room refreshes 
- Sports Medicine enhancements 
- Media rights (Flo, Fox Wilmington, and beyond)
- A 3.5 semester GPA seems pretty good!

Survey Says... feat. AD Mike Oblinger

The opening weekend of CAA play got off to a disappointing start with a loss to Towson, but the Seahawks showed some progress in grinding out Saturday's win vs. Campbell.

Covering all that happened through those two games, plus a quick preview of the trip north to meet Monmouth and Hofstra, where UNCW hasn't won since 2017. 

Among the topics covered:
- Another tough loss to Towson. What happened this time?
- Harlan Obioha showed what's possible for the Seahawks in the post.
- Life after #ShyTime is going to take some time.
- Adjusting to the physicality of conference play.
- Nolan Hodge and Noah Ross had a tough Saturday, but don't expect a repeat.
- Making the clutch plays to beat Campbell.
- Khamari McGriff, playing through the pain and back with a vengeance.
- A look around the league after watching William & Mary, Charleston, 

UNCW: Home of the Big Man

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.

We Talkin' (a little) 'Bout Practice, Man

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