One-on-one with UNCW Coach Buzz Peterson to discuss the 2011-12 season

UNCW Coach Buzz Peterson isn’t accustomed to losing.  In his first season at UNCW in 2010-11 his Seahawks squad started quickly at 8-5, but faded at the end of the year, finishing 13-18.  Last year, was only the third time a Peterson coached team finished with a losing record in his 13-year coaching career.

As a player at North Carolina where he teamed with Michael Jordan, James Worthy and Sam Perkins he had a four year run that resulted in a record of 115-22 with four ACC Championships and a 1982 National Championship.

The 1986 graduate of UNC with a B.A. in Geography has put his degree to work over the last decade.  Since leaving his highly successful first head coaching position at Appalachian State (79-39) in 2000, UNCW was Peterson’s fifth stop in 10 years.

Now, he appears to have found a home at the Wilmington, NC school, and he hopes to take the program back to where it once was and beyond.

“Last year we laid the ground work of our foundation,” Peterson explained.

Without making excuses for his squad’s collapse at the end of his initial season at UNCW, Peterson said he played the hand he was dealt, and despite the Seahawks final record, he achieved what he needed to build a consistent winner.

“We didn’t have a great deal of depth last year and we wore down toward the end.  Without a deep bench I couldn’t install and run some of the things I like to do.”

One of those things Peterson likes to do is what his former head coach at North Carolina and mentor, Dean Smith, made a living off of, a half-court trapping defense.

“We didn’t trap very much last year because of the lack of depth.  Trapping takes energy.  You can wear-down your opponent and create havoc, but it takes a deep bench.  This year we have that depth.”

Peterson will lean on two players primarily as his team leaders.  Although both are underclassmen, they will lead the Seahawks in different ways.

Junior F Keith Rendleman should lead the Seahawks in scoring this season. Rendleman was selected to the Second Team Preseason CAA All-Conference Team.

Junior F Keith Rendleman (Preseason 2^nd Team All-Conference) will be the Seahawks main offensive threat.  After a slow start in 2010-11 under Perterson, Rendleman finished last season in double-digits scoring 15 of the Seahawks final 19 games.

“Keith is our quiet leader who performs with a business-like approach.  Sort of lead by example style of play.”

Whereas Rendleman leads by his play, sophomore G Dontae Morales is the team’s coach on the court.

“He’s our vocal leader.  I’m counting on his leadership to help our talented young guys.”

Talented young guys indeed!  In Peterson’s first full year of recruiting he landed talent and size, outside the norm of a mid-major program.

Some of the freshmen you may hear from this season include; G Adam Smith (6’1”) who was a 2^nd team Parade All-American and averaged 26.2 ppg for Fayette County HS in Jonesboro, GA.  Local product G Freddie Jackson (6’4”) is from right down the road where he averaged 17 ppg for New Hanover HS in Wilmington, NC.  A third guard as part of Peterson’s incoming freshmen class is another Georgia product in KK Simmons (6’4”).  Simmons averaged 21.8 ppg at Wheeler HS in Marietta, GA and was considered for the McDonald’s HS All-American Team.

Peterson received an infusion of size by extending his recruiting base to the north.  The additions of three freshmen forwards may not add much scoring, but will provide much needed help down in the box.  The three recruits are Dylan Sherwood (6’10”) from Sutherland HS in Pittsford, NY and Nate Anderson (6’10”) from Teays Valley HS in Ashville, OH and Cedrick Williams (6’9”) from Siegel HS in Murfreesboro, TN.

Picked to finish 10^th in the CAA this year, don’t be surprised if UNCW raises a few eyebrows by season’s end.  And according to Peterson, he expects his team to improve.

“If we can get some immediate help on a consistent basis from our young guys, there is no reason why we shouldn’t be back in the top third tier of the CAA.”