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John Crouch

Men's Basketball Joe Browning

Seahawks Head To Orlando For NCAA Tilt With UVA

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WILMINGTON, North Carolina – With an unusual early-March snow as a backdrop, the two-time Colonial Athletic Association champion UNCW men's basketball team learned Sunday its opponent in the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship will be Atlantic Coast Conference member Virginia on Thursday in Orlando, Fla.
 
The Seahawks, 29-5, captured their second consecutive CAA championship last weekend in Charleston following successive CAA Tournament victories over Delaware, William & Mary and Charleston. UNCW and U.Va. will tangle in a first-round pairing at 12:40 p.m. at the Amway Center.
 
UNCW will be the No. 12 seed for the first time in six NCAA Tournament appearances after battling Duke in last year's tournament as a No. 13 seed. Coach Kevin Keatts and his club bring a seven-game winning streak to Florida.
 
"This is a special day for us," said Keatts, who owns a sparkling 72-27 record in three seasons with the Seahawks. "We don't take it for granted. Anytime you have a chance to be one of the 68 teams, it's a big day. I'm proud of the guys for the year that they've had.
 
"Winning 29 games and winning 15 games in a great conference like the CAA is a great accomplishment."
 
Virginia, which enters the tournament with a 22-10 record, will be playing in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive season. The Cavaliers finished in a tie for fifth in the ACC and advanced to the league's quarterfinals before falling to Notre Dame, 71-58. Senior guard London Perrantes paces the Cavaliers by averaging 12.5 points per game while posting 122 assists in 32 games.
 
Coach Tony Bennett has compiled a 187-82 record in eight seasons at U.Va.
 
The Seahawks stand 2-39 lifetime against ACC teams and 0-3 vs. the Cavaliers. Virginia won the last pairing between the two clubs, 69-67, on Jan. 18, 2010, at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville.
 
"We get a chance to play against a very good, well-coached team," added Keatts, a native of Lynchburg, Va. "I grew up about an hour and 15 minutes from Charlottesville, and I've followed the ACC all of my life. I've had the opportunity to follow Tony Bennett and the success that he's had.
 
"They have an unbelievable defensive team. It's a tough draw for us, but our guys will be excited about the opportunity."

UNCW owns a 1-5 record in the NCAA Tournament, playing in Nashville (2000 and 2003), Sacramento (2002), Greensboro (2006) and Providence (2016).

The Seahawks' win in the NCAA Tournament came on March 14, 2002, when 13th-seeded UNCW, led by all-time great Brett Blizzard, stunned No. 4-seeded Southern California, 93-89, in overtime at Arco Arena.
Tale of the Tape
23207
UNCW
22237
Virginia
Wilmington, N.C. Location Charlottesville, Va.
15,740 Enrollment 23,883
29-5 Record 22-10
15-3 CAA Conference Record 11-7 ACC
Kevin Keatts Coach Tony Bennett
72-27 (3rd season) Record 187-82 (8th season)
C.J. Bryce (17.6 ppg) Scoring Leader London Perrantes (12.5 ppg)
Devontae Cacok (9.6 rpg) Rebounding Leader Isaiah Wilkins (6.2 rpg)
Denzel Ingram (185) Assists Leader London Perrantes (122)



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Players Mentioned

C.J. Bryce

#12 C.J. Bryce

G
6' 5"
Sophomore
Devontae Cacok

#15 Devontae Cacok

F
6' 7"
Sophomore
Denzel Ingram

#10 Denzel Ingram

G
6' 0"
Redshirt Senior

Players Mentioned

C.J. Bryce

#12 C.J. Bryce

6' 5"
Sophomore
G
Devontae Cacok

#15 Devontae Cacok

6' 7"
Sophomore
F
Denzel Ingram

#10 Denzel Ingram

6' 0"
Redshirt Senior
G