By UNCW basketball is back in action.
The Seahawks opened their 76th season in program history with a decisive 101-65 win over Mount Olive at Trask Coliseum on Monday, Nov. 2.
For the fourth straight year, the matchup with the Division II North Carolina program served as UNCW's springboard into a new season.
And expectations are high once again.
After five consecutive 20-win seasons, UNCW was voted the preseason favorite to claim the Coastal Athletic Association title. The Seahawks are also looking to return to the NCAA Tournament after advancing two rounds deep into the NIT last season.
But this season brings a fresh start, and UNCW fans have plenty of new faces to get familiar with.
Monday offered a first look at many of those players, as the Seahawks gave a large portion of their nine newcomers playing time in the blowout victory.
Here are four things we learned about UNCW basketball from the Seahawks' season-opening win.
UNCW basketball’s Patrick Wessler ready for another leap?
There's no questioning which Seahawk will command the most attention this winter.
Voted CAA Preseason Player of the Year, 7-foot center Patrick Wessler enters the season as the league's top returning scorer (13.6 ppg) and rebounder (9.95 rpg).
The big man certainly lived up to those expectations Monday night, even while wearing a face mask.
Finishing with a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double, Wessler picked up right where he left off last season.
UNCW coach Takayo Siddle has tabbed Wessler as a pivotal piece of the Seahawks' success this winter, noting that the graduate student has also embraced a larger leadership role.
Welcome back, CJ Luster
Among the six returning players on UNCW’s roster this winter, graduate guard CJ Luster’s return is as welcome as any.
The 6-foot-3 Texan didn’t see a minute of action last season after an injury derailed his year before it could even begin.
But Monday showed just how much the Seahawks missed him.
The former Northeastern standout poured in 21 points on a 6-of-13 night from beyond the arc in his first official game in 605 days.
Luster’s journey from JUCO basketball to the Port City included a stop at Northeastern for his junior season, where he averaged 16.8 points per game and caught the attention of Siddle, who added Luster to the roster last offseason.
UNCW basketball’s Siddle could become winningest coach in program history
Entering his seventh season in Wilmington, UNCW coach Takayo Siddle has a chance to become the winningest coach in Seahawks history this winter.
With a record that now stands at 134-54 (.713), the 40-year-old is just 15 wins away from tying Mel Gibson’s program record of 149 victories.
For his efforts, Siddle has earned multiple contract extensions, including one after last winter’s CAA regular-season championship. His latest deal brings his annual compensation to at least $1 million.
Siddle is even closer to moving into second place, needing just three more wins to surpass Jerry Wainwright’s 136-103 record.
The Seahawks coach needed just 154 games to surpass the century mark in wins. Gibson, meanwhile, accumulated his 149 victories over 273 games, a mark Siddle could surpass in far fewer games.
UNCW basketball’s nine newcomers could make big splash
Perhaps the biggest question surrounding UNCW this season is how much of an impact its newcomers will have.
The Seahawks added three true freshmen, two redshirt freshmen and four upperclassmen, including graduate student Xavier Brown and fifth-year player Tyler Nelson.
Of those nine newcomers, redshirt freshman guard Treyvon Maddox made the biggest splash Monday, scoring 11 points.
UNCW will play 17 more regular-season home games at Trask Coliseum, including nine CAA contests. League action begins
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: 4 things we learned from UNCW's big season-opening win over Mount Olive
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/4-things-learned-uncws-big-021936120.html
