Following a topsy turvy year when the margin for error was slim at best, UNCW’s men’s basketball coach Benny Moss is looking forward to the upcoming 2007-2008 season as the Seahaks look to reclaim their perch atop the Colonial Athletic Association standings.
The Seahawks, with more CAA titles than any toehr team this decade, should be a contender again this season for two main reasons - an influx of players who will provide reater depth and, perhaps most importantly, the return of 2006 CAA Tournament MVP TJ Carter.
I learned a lot about our staff and team last year,” said Moss who is in his second year as the head coach at UNCW. “I was proud of how we competed night in and night out and gave ourselves a chance to win.”
The Seahawks wound up with a 7-22 record and tied for 11th place in the conference. It was the lowest finish for the program since UNCW joined the CAA in 1984-85. However, Moss believes hs club can regain the magic that produce CAA titles in 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2006.
“We’re expecting a big turnaround,” Moss said. “We go into every year with similar goals. We want to wint the regular season, win the tournament and go to post-season play. Those are our goals from day one. It’s more realistic this year because we have a senior captain who is healthy, plus we’ve added some quality depth.”
Without question, Carter’s return is huge for the Seahawks, who struggled to find a consistent scorer last seaon in late game situations. Coach Moss said, “As a player, TJ has the ability to win a game when it’s on the line. He can create a shot for himself or a teammate. That’s something we missed last year. A lot will fall on his shoulders, but evreyone else has to step up also.”
UNCW returns seven players from last year’s squad including three seniors besides Carter, Vladimir Kuljanin, Todd Hendley and Daniel Fountain, who must shoulder their share of the load to get the Seahawks back in the thick of things.
Kuljanin, a 6-10, 265 pound center, pace the team in scoring (13.6) and rebounding (7.1) last year while shooting 66 percent from the floor, fourth best in NCAA Division I.
With the long awaited return of Carter and a full complement of players, Moss feels like he’s hit the lottery. It’s time, he believes, for the Seahawks to cash in.
“We now have the depth that we need to survive the unexpected things,” he explained. “It’s going to take a more balanced approach this year. We have to be more consistent at both ends of the floor. We have to hold teams to around 40 percent shooting from the floor and use multiple options, inside and outside, to be more consistent. I think we’re moving in the right direction.”
After the long off season, basketball is back at Trask, and we’re all about to find out if Coach Moss is right.