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UNC-Wilmington Basketball: C.J. Bryce leaving the Seahawks

By Doug Winkey

Mar 17, 2016; Providence, RI, USA; UNC Wilmington Seahawks guard C.J. Bryce (12) drives in front of Duke Blue Devils guard Luke Kennard (5) in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Dunkin Donuts Center. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 17, 2016; Providence, RI, USA; UNC Wilmington Seahawks guard C.J. Bryce (12) drives in front of Duke Blue Devils guard Luke Kennard (5) in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Dunkin Donuts Center. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Another mid-major has been dealt a huge blow this transfer season. UNCW basketball loses the services of leading scorer C.J. Bryce.

UNCW basketball has been a power for several years in the Colonial Athletic Association. That dominance could take a minor hit with the loss of First Team-All CAA guard C.J. Bryce. Several sources broke the news on May 6th. Bryce will sit out the upcoming season before seeing the court again in 2018-2019.

Several sources broke the news on May 6th. Bryce will sit out the upcoming season before seeing the court again in 2018-2019.

Bryce is easily one of the best transfers on the current market. The 6’5″, 185-pound wing led the Seahawks with 17.4 points per game on 48% shooting from the floor. He also chipped in with 5.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists. His overall production is impressive when you consider he was just a sophomore in 2016-2017. Bryce’s next program will be overjoyed to help him develop into an even more threatening player.

UNC-Wilmington will have to rebound from losing Bryce, their head coach (who went to NC State) and three others from the top five. Only Davontae Cacok and Jordan Talley remain among players to have averaged over 15 minutes per night. UNCW will certainly trend younger next year after being multiple strong veterans this past season. It will also be much harder for the Seahawks to hold off the rest of the CAA.

Bryce will have plenty of big-time programs after him. He brings a great frame and scoring ability to his next home. The only things he could probably improve are his free throw and three-point shooting, but he has plenty of time to fix those in the next two years. The young man hails from Charlotte, so I could easily see a power ACC program pursuing him hard. However, if he leaves the east coast his options are limitless.

Next: Kevin Knox commits to Kentucky

Watch this situation closely. We will see one program get a major boost with Bryce, while UNC-Wilmington has to recover and move forward without a major offensive cog. Bryce’s transfer is a major power shift for both his old and new team.