How to watch UNCW basketball this week at Oklahoma, UConn
The UNCW basketball team hits the road this week for a pair of road games that will further bring into focus the Seahawks' chances at another strong season.
On Tuesday, UNCW plays at Oklahoma (8 p.m., ESPN+) before travelling to UConn on Friday (8:30 p.m., Fox Sports 2).
Before leaving on the trip, the Seahawks got their first win of the season Friday night at Trask Coliseum, blowing past Division II Allen University, 104-55. Here's what you need to know heading into this week's games:
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Oklahoma game is winnable for UNCW ...
The Sooners have not had a great start to the season, losing their opener to Sam Houston State and barely fending off Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Game 2.
Oklahoma has a great 1-2 punch in center Tanner Groves (he of Eastern Washington NCAA tournament fame in 2021) and 6-foot-6, 232-pound wing Jalen Hill, who had 22 points and seven rebounds in the win vs. UAPB. Point guard Grant Sherfield, a transfer from Nevada, also could be a key part for the Sooners.
What you won't see is a team towering over the Seahawks, like so many Power 5 teams have in the past. Beyond the 6-10 Groves and his 6-9 brother Jacob, the Sooners haven't played another player taller (or bigger) than Hill. UNCW's bigger, longer, lineup will match up favorably.
... But UConn will be a tougher call
The Huskies were upset in the first round of the NCAA tournament a year ago by New Mexico State, but Danny Hurley's rebuild in Storrs is on the right track. UConn was just outside the top 25 in the preseason polls and did nothing in Week 1 to question that, blasting NCAA Division I newcomer Stonehill and Boston University.
The Huskies are led by Big East preseason player of the year Adama Sanogo, an old-school traditional center at 6-foot-9, 245 pounds, who can rebound and defend the middle with the best in the country.
The Huskies are also long, and big, with a host of players over 6-6 that have played significant minutes so far this season. They also have a familiar face to some UNCW fans, as former East Carolina guard Tristen Newton is now a Husky and has started their first two games.
UNCW vs. Allen
The Seahawks quickly dominated last Friday night vs. Allen on its way to a 104-55 win. No player had more than 20 minutes of court time (Trazarien White had 20) and UNCW finished with 27 assists on 43 field goals, its most in a game since November 2019 vs. Emory & Henry (34).
The Seahawks also went 8-for-15 on 3-point field goals in the first half of that game. The long-distance field-goal shooting will be key for this week and beyond.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: UNCW basketball Power 5 roadtrip at Oklahoma, Connecticut on TV
