Both Drexel and UNC Wilmington aim to avoid an 0-2 hole to being what should be a wildly competitive Colonial Athletic Association season when they meet Monday in Philadelphia.

Who: UNC Wilmington Seahawks at Drexel Dragons

When: Monday, Dec. 30, 7p.m. ET

Where: Daskalakis Athletic Center    

Watch: LIVE on FloHoops

The Dragons dropped their CAA opener to one of the preseason conference favorites, College of Charleston. Drexel fell behind by 11 points at halftime and never quite recovered. 

UNC Wilmington added to an ongoing losing streak with its loss at Delaware. Like Drexel against Charleston, the Seahawks fell behind early and could not rally. 

After those disappointing starts, the first half on Monday could tell the story for which side bounces back. 

UNC Wilmington Seahawks At A Glance

The Seahawks come into Drexel, trying to end what’s been a trying month on a positive note. UNCW has dropped six straight games dating back to Nov. 29, and lost point guard Kai Toews last week. Toews chose to return to his native Japan to begin pursuing his professional basketball career. 

With some roster changes and the ongoing losing skid, getting to .500 in the first set of conference games would go a long way to reversing UNCW’s fortunes. 

Names To Know

Jaylen Sims has enjoyed a strong start for the Seahawks. He’s averaging team-highs of 14.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Marten Linssen is UNCW’s other double-figure scorer, averaging 10.4 points per game. 

Shykeim Phillips, Jay Estime and Mike Okauru add between 7.3 and 8.8 points per game. 

Offense

One of the pressing questions ahead of UNCW heading into the 2019-20 campaign was how it would replace Davontae Cacok. His absence is perhaps most evident in the Seahawks’ struggles to score on the interior. 

UNCW ranks No. 322 in the nation in 2-point field-goal shooting. Individually, Linssen’s averaging has hovered in the upper 60s, ranking him among the most efficient players in the country. Otherwise, the Seahawks’ lack of size has been evident in that facet of the offense. 

The loss of Toews presents another quandary for the offense. Toews excelled a year ago at facilitating. Although his assist numbers were down this season, he still led the team with more than four per game. 

Defense

Defending effectively has been a challenge for UNCW. KenPom.com metrics ranks the Seahawks No. 311 in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency. 

UNCW needs to create more turnover opportunities, one element of its defense where it has had the most difficulty. The Seahawks have steals on just 6.9 percent of defensive possessions. 

Coincidentally, Drexel ranks near the bottom of all Div. I for offensive possessions that result in steals. Opportunities have been there against the Dragons; UNCW needs to find a way to similarly capitalize. 

Drexel Dragons At A Glance

Zach Spiker has no shortage of potential on his Drexel roster. Although standout Zach Walton is a senior, a number of key Dragons contributors are underclassmen. 

That includes four freshmen and sophomores. The 2019-20 Dragons may be on the outside looking of a top-heavy CAA race -- especially if they open conference play with two home losses -- but Drexel has the pieces to build to a run in 2020-21.  

Names To Know

James Butler has been outstanding for Drexel this season, averaging a double-double with 12.8 points and 11.6 rebounds. Butler’s presence on the interior is especially noteworthy Monday, given the difficulty UNCW has had with inside play. 

Three Dragons average north of 12 points per game. The other two alongside Butler are Zach Walton and Camren Wynter. In addition to his scoring pop, Wynter’s one of the finest distributors in the CAA. 

He comes into Monday’s contest averaging 5.7 assists per game.  

Offense

A basketball cliche refers to the 3-pointer as the great equalizer. In Drexel’s case, its 3-point shooting has the potential to make the Dragons dangerous against any opponent. 

Drexel is hitting 36.3 percent from long range as a team, with Mate Okros and Sam Green in particular hitting at blistering paces. Okros connects at almost 44 percent, and Green’s been good on over 46 percent of his attempts. 

The challenge for Drexel thus far is establishing a consistent enough interior scoring attack. Butler is a threat, but overall, the Dragons lack the same efficiency from inside the arc that they have beyond it. That’s allowed defenses to play passing lanes more aggressive and generate an abundance of steals.  

Defense

The weaknesses Drexel strives to improve on offense are mirrored on defense, only inversed. The Dragons defend 3-pointers well, allowing opponents to hit on just 30.9 percent of their attempts. However, they struggle to defend inside the arc. 

Meanwhile, creating turnovers vexes Drexel. Matey Juric ranks in the top 30 among all Div. I players for steal percentage, but overall, the Dragons force turnovers on 17.6 percent of all defensive possessions. That ranks No. 277 in the nation.