UNCW Men's Basketball returns to Trask Coliseum on Monday, Nov. 2, with a championship banner to raise, a conference title to defend and plenty of expectations surrounding the Seahawks.
UNC Wilmington opens the 2026-27 men's basketball season against Mount Olive at 7 p.m. ET, with the game streaming live on FloCollege.
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The Seahawks enter their seventh season under head coach Takayo Siddle after finishing 27-7 overall and 15-3 in Coastal Athletic Association play last year, capturing the outright regular-season championship.
Before Monday's opener, UNCW will unveil its 2026 CAA regular-season championship banner.
UNC Wilmington Enters 2026-27 As CAA Favorite
The Seahawks aren't sneaking up on anybody this season.
After finishing 27-7 and winning the outright CAA regular-season championship, UNC Wilmington received 11 of 13 first-place votes in the conference's preseason poll. Head coach Takayo Siddle enters his seventh season with a roster built around experienced returners and six incoming transfers.
At the center of it all is 7-foot graduate student Patrick Wessler, the CAA Preseason Player of the Year. Wessler averaged 13.6 points and 9.5 rebounds last season, leading the conference with 17 double-doubles.
But Wessler won't have to carry the load alone.
Graduate guard CJ Luster II returns after missing the entire 2025-26 season with an injury. Before joining UNCW, Luster averaged nearly 17 points per game at Stony Brook in 2024-25, shooting 42.1% from three-point range.
The Seahawks also bring back Gavin Walsh, who averaged 9.5 points and 6.5 rebounds last season, along with Jahnathan Lamothe. Newcomers Xavier Brown (South Florida), Treyvon Maddox (Miami) and William Kermoury (Northeastern) give Siddle additional options in the backcourt.
Monday's opener against Mount Olive offers the first regular-season look at how those pieces fit together.
UNCW has won seven straight meetings against the Trojans, but with a championship banner going up before tipoff and the Seahawks entering the season as conference favorites, the bigger question is whether this group can turn preseason expectations into another title.
How To Watch UNCW Basketball Today
- Matchup: Mount Olive vs. UNC Wilmington
- Date: Monday, Nov. 2, 2026
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Location: Trask Coliseum, Wilmington, North Carolina
- Streaming: FloCollege and the FloSports app
UNC Wilmington vs. Mount Olive: What To Know
Monday marks the fourth consecutive season UNCW has opened against Division II Mount Olive, a program first for the Seahawks.
UNCW defeated the Trojans 106-77 last November and scored a school-record 143 points against them in the 2024 season opener.
Mount Olive was picked eighth in the 16-team Conference Carolinas preseason poll, giving the Trojans an early test against one of the CAA's expected contenders.
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