UAA men picked 4th, approach new season

2009-10 Alaska Anchorage Men’s Basketball Season Preview

With only three returning letterwinners who bring a combined four years of Division II college experience, it might be easy to nay-say the Alaska Anchorage men’s basketball team’s chances in 2009-10.

 

Of course, that wouldn’t take into account the high-level talent of those returners, or the impressive resumes of the nine Seawolf newcomers, or the proven winning system of head coach Rusty Osborne.

As such, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference coaches paid a bit of respect to the Seawolves by picking them to finish fourth in the nine-team league in their annual preseason poll. UAA received 53 points in the balloting, slightly behind 3^rd-place Central Washington (59) and co-favorites Seattle Pacific (76) and Western Washington (72).

 

“It’s a new team, and we’ll need to gel quickly,” said Osborne, who is 93-57 in his first five seasons at the helm. “Obviously our most experience is in the backcourt, and I’m comfortable that those veterans can ease the newcomers into our system. We are inexperienced in the frontcourt, though, and it’s up to our coaching staff to get them ready to battle at a championship level.”

 

Already battle-tested in the Seawolf lineup, junior guards Kevin White and Brandon Walker are the proven commodities after making a combined 47 starts in 2008-09.

White, one of four Australians on the team, is the only player remaining from UAA’s 2008 Final Four squad. The 6-4 combo guard had a breakout season as a sophomore last year, averaging 8.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and shooting .435 (60-138) from three-point range.

Walker brings more of a traditional shooting-guard mentality, looking to slash to the basket or spot up for the three, where he shot .423 (40-104) in his first year after transferring from Div. I Loyola Marymount. Despite his position, the California native is UAA’s leading returning scorer (11.4 ppg) and rebounder (5.7 rpg).

 

Kevin White’s brother, Steve, is the third letterwinner back from last season, having averaged 2.3 points (.511 FG) and 1.3 assists in 27 appearances as a true freshman. At 6-0, Steve is more of a pure point guard than his older brother.

UAA also returns one redshirt, and an important one at that. Junior forward Casey Robinson was the Seawolves’ leading scorer (15.0 ppg) after three games last season, but his campaign was cut short in early November by a knee injury. A deadly three-point and free-throw shooter, Robinson was the second-leading scorer at the 2008 NJCAA national tournament, playing for Eastern Wyoming College.

“We have three letterwinners back, but I really think of it as four,” Osborne said about Robinson, a 6-6 forward.

Five players join the Seawolf backcourt for the first time, including junior-college transfers Donnie Lao and Drew Robinson – both Utah natives and former Scenic West Athletic Conference rivals.

A natural point guard who can play either backcourt position, Lao brings good size at 6-3, 180 pounds. He averaged 10.8 points and 3.7 assists as a sophomore at Snow College last year, earning All-SWAC second-team honors.

Drew Robinson, meanwhile, comes to UAA from Salt Lake CC, where he averaged 7.3 points, 2.9 assists and shot 84 percent from the free-throw line for the NJCAA national champions. After a redshirt season at Div. I Southern Utah in 2004-05 and a two-year LDS mission in the Phillipines, he also adds maturity to the lineup at age 24.

Three true freshman hope to crack the guard rotation, led by 6-1, 200-pound Bryce Arnott, who played for his native Australia at the FIBA 2009 Under-19 World Championship in New Zealand this summer. An extremely strong ball-handler, Osborne is high on Arnott’s international experience and raves about the youngster’s court awareness.

Former Alaska prep stars Jesse Blandford (Nome) and Ryan Rock (Point Hope) will look to make a splash as well.

In the frontcourt, the Seawolves appear to be slightly short on depth, but may be able to offset that with superior talent.

At the small forward position, Casey Robinson is joined by JC transfer Nick Pacitti, who brings similar size at 6-6, 225 pounds. After picking up basketball in his early 20s, the L.A. native averaged 13 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists as a sophomore at L.A. Trade Tech JC in 2008-09. A versatile and athletic presence, Pacitti will turn 25 the day before the season begins.

 

At 6-9, 265 pounds, center Malcolm Campbell possesses both girth and unlimited, raw talent to the court. The transfer from Div. I Hartford was part of a nationally ranked prep squad at traditional L.A. power Fairfax High School, averaging 11.0 points and 9.0 rebounds for his school’s 2007 CIF Southern Division state-title squad.

The tallest Seawolf this year will be 6-10, 235-pound Liam Gibcus, another Aussie. Osborne is excited about having Gibcus for the next four years, citing both his competitiveness and his knack for understanding the game.

Forward Aaron Stevens join the Seawolves as a transfer from Highline (Wash.) CC, where he averaged 4.5 points and 4.0 rebounds as a freshman for the NWAAC West Division champs. The 6-8, 200-pounder will be a familiar face to Alaska hoops fans after starring for South Anchorage’s 2008 state title team.

 

The Seawolves begin the campaign Nov. 11 with a road contest against NAIA American Sports University in San Bernardino, before making their home debut Nov. 25-28 in the 32^nd annual Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout. After just four more home non-conference tilts (Western New Mexico, Chaminade, and Trinity International twice), UAA will start the 16-game GNAC gauntlet Jan. 9 when it hosts Montana State Billings.

 

--GoSeawolves.com--

 

Nate Sagan
Sports Information Director

University of Alaska Anchorage
3211 Providence Dr. / Anchorage, AK 99508
(907) 786-1295 / Fax: (907) 563-4565
GoSeawolves.com