UAA Men open Alaska Airlines Center era with pair vs. Concordia, Nov. 7-8
THIS WEEK IN SEAWOLF BASKETBALL...
Friday, Nov. 7 & Saturday, Nov. 8 – 7 pm AST
Alaska Airlines Center – Anchorage, AK
Concordia [Ore.] (1-0) at Alaska Anchorage (0-0)
ON TV: GCI broadcasts all UAA regular-season home games live statewide (check local listings for channel number), except for the Anchorage and Mat-Su viewing areas. In Anchorage and Mat-Su, this week’s tape-delayed broadcasts will air on GCI Ch. 1 at Noon on Saturday and Sunday.
ON RADIO: FM-93.7 KAFC
ONLINE: Find links to Live Stats and free Live Video at GoSeawolves.com.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Get periodic game updates by following the @UAAMBB Twitter feed or like UAA’s main Facebook page (Alaska Anchorage Seawolves).
TICKETS: $10 regular / $8 for UAA staff/faculty/alumni or military, youth (3-18) and seniors (60+) ... single-game tickets for the entire 2014-15 season can be purchased online at GoSeawolves.com or AlaskaAirlinesCenter.com starting Nov. 7 at 10 a.m.
SPECIAL PROMOTIONS: None.
WHAT LIES AHEAD: The Seawolves make their regular-season debut in the new Alaska Airlines Center this weekend when they host future Great Northwest Athletic Conference opponent Concordia (Ore.) in a pair of 7 p.m. starts ... the visitors from Portland are ranked No. 25 in the NAIA Div. II preseason poll and return six seniors from a team that finished 20-13 in 2013-14 ... the Cavaliers are entering their final year of membership in the Cascade Collegiate Conference before moving to the GNAC in 2015-16 ... CU plays against local rival Multnomah on Wednesday before heading north.
THE SERIES vs. CONCORDIA: UAA does not keep official records prior to NCAA Div. II membership in 1977-78, but the teams did meet four times as NAIA opponents in the 1975-76 season, with the Seawolves holding a 3-1 edge.
UAA PROBABLE STARTERS (2013-14 stats & notes)
G—Brian McGill, 6-2, Jr. (15.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 5.9 apg, .480 3FG, .833 FT)
G—Travis Thompson, 6-1, Sr. (21.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.2 apg, .421 3FG, .892 FT)
G—Derrick Fain, 6-4, Sr. (12.2 ppg, .382 3FG, .855 FT at The Master’s)
F—Sjur Berg, 6-7, Fr. (Norway U-18 National Tm/Santa Margarita [CA] HS)
C—Kalidou Diouf, 6-9, Fr. (2013-14 redshirt/Urspring [Germany] Bball Acad.)
BRIEF SEASON PREVIEW: One year after using an undersized lineup to forge a 17-13 record and break copious three-point records, UAA returns to a more traditional look as it aims for a playoff return in 2014-15 ... leading the charge will be the experienced and heralded backcourt of Sr. G Travis Thompson – a Div. II Bulletin ‘Super 16’ Preseason All-American – and Jr. PG Brian McGill, who captured Second Team All-GNAC honors in his debut season at UAA ... Sr. G Boomer Blossom (2.4 ppg, 27-to-1 asst.-turnover ratio) is the only other returning veteran in the backcourt, but Osborne’s staff added plenty more firepower with transfers Derrick Fain, Kevin Bowman and Dom Hunter ... Fain, the leading scorer for NAIA The Master’s College last season, comes to UAA for his final collegiate campaign with the reputation as a dangerous shooter and penetrator, while So. G/F Travis Parrish will provide versatility on the wing ... Parrish is returning to the court for the first time since high school, having spent the last two years as a member of Utah State’s successful Div. I football program ... the only players with experience in the frontcourt are returning Sr. F Brad Mears (4.4 ppg) and Jr. F Christian Leckband (4.5 ppg), but they will be complemented by the addition of four players who stand 6-7 or taller — Kalidou Diouf, Nicho Burgard, Sjur Berg and Brian Pearson.
TEAM NOTES: UAA is aiming for the program’s 10th straight winning season and the program’s 32nd in 38 years … the Seawolves have also earned a plus-.500 league record for 26 of 32 years of conference membership … UAA broke 25 school records and 16 GNAC records last season, boosted by epic three-point barrages against Western Oregon and Northland International ... UAA led NCAA Div. II with just 8.5 turnovers per game and a 2.1-1 assist-turnover ratio in 2013-14, and were also No. 2 nationally in FT% (.796) and 3FGs per game (13.0), No. 4 in 3FG% (.413) , No. 5 in assists per game (17.9), No. 19 in scoring (85.7 ppg) and No. 26 in turnover margin (26th, +3.4) … in the GNAC stats, the Seawolves led in 3FGs per game, assists and asst-TO ratio, and ranked 2nd in FT%, scoring offense, 3FG% and turnover margin.
TERRIFIC THOMPSON: Sr. G Travis Thompson was a unanimous selection for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Preseason Player of the Year in voting by the league’s head coaches last month ... a First Team All-GNAC pick last year and a Second Teamer in 2011-12, he has also been tabbed a Div. II Bulletin ‘Super 16’ Preseason All-American this fall ... the former Dimond High star led UAA with 21.3 points per game, .892 free-throw shooting and 1.2 steals per game in 2013-14, finishing among the GNAC leaders in scoring (2nd), FT% (2nd), 3FGs made per game (2nd, 3.6), 3FG% (7th, .421), assist-turnover ratio (8th, 2.1), assists per game (11th, 3.2) and steals (13th); in the in NCAA Div. II national stats he was 6th in 3FGs/gm, 19th in FT%, 25th in scoring and 36th in 3FG% … with 109 3FGs, he broke the old UAA and GNAC season marks (along with teammate Kyle Fossman, who had 113) … Thompson’s scoring average ranked 6th on UAA’s single-season list, along with ranks of 8th in points (640), 2nd in 3FGs made and 3FGs made/gm, 3rd in FT%, 7th in FTs made (141) and 12th in minutes per game (34.7) … he scored double figures in 28 of 30 games, including six 30-plus outings and 17 times with at least 20 points … Thompson was named Most Outstanding Player of AT&T Jamboree in helping UAA to home sweep of Regis and Holy Names, and was voted to the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout All-Tournament Team after averaging 17.3 ppg against Div. I competition … he was also tabbed GNAC Player of the Week (Jan. 20-26) for performances in roads wins over Western Oregon and Saint Martin’s … entering his senior season, Thompson holds UAA career ranks of 10th in scoring (1,197 pts), 12th in assists (245), 4th in 3FGs made (216), 8th in FTs made (235) and 4th in FT% (.870).
McGILL THE THRILL: Jr. PG Brian McGill made a huge impact in his first year of eligibility last season after transferring from Western Oregon, garnering All-GNAC Second Team honors ... this season the Clackamas, Ore., native is a Preseason All-GNAC selection … McGill ranked No. 2 in the league last year with 5.9 apg, along with other GNAC ranks of 11th in scoring (15.6 ppg), 5th in asst-TO ratio (2.4), and 7th in minutes (33.7 mpg) and FT% (.835) … on UAA’s single-season lists, he finished 7th in both assists (177) and assists per game, 10th in FTs made (137) and 18th in FT% … McGill was named the GNAC Player of the Week following his 29-point, 10-assist performance in UAA’s league-opening victory over UAF, becoming just the fifth player in 14 years to tally at least 25 points and 10 assists in a GNAC game … nationally, McGill ranked 20th in assists and 49th in A/T ratio.
MORE PLAYER NOTES: Jr. F Christian Leckband was the Seawolves’ 6th-leading scorer at 4.5 ppg, seeing action in all 30 games in 2013-14 … Leckband enters his third season at No. 21 on UAA’s career 3FG% list at .385 … Sr. G Boomer Blossom saw an increased role as last season progressed, having his playing time nearly double from 8.9 to 14.9 minutes per game over the last eight regular-season contests … the Soldotna High product was a big reason why UAA led the nation in assist-turnover ratio, sporting an incredible 27-to-1 ratio (in 253 total minutes; his only turnover came Dec. 7 against UAF) … Blossom was voted the team’s Best Defensive Player by his peers … Sr. F Brad Mears led UAA with a .487 FG% in 2013-14, logging 17 starts and playing in all 30 contests … the Snow (Utah) College transfer scored double figures four times and grabbed 5-plus rebounds on nine occasions ... Sr. G Derrick Fain averaged a team-high 24.5 ppg in UAA’s two exhibition games, shooting 61 percent from the field and dishing nine assists with just one turnover ... Fain is completing his collegiate career at UAA after transferring from NAIA program The Master’s in Southern California, where he played the last two seasons.
THE OSBORNE FILE: Eleventh-year head coach Rusty Osborne (192-106) has led the Seawolves to nine straight winning seasons, five NCAA Tournaments and a trip to the 2008 NCAA D-II Semifinals in his tenure at the helm … with UAA’s victory over Saint Martin’s on Jan. 25, 2014, he also became the winningest coach in program history, surpassing former mentor Charlie Bruns … Osborne captured his first career GNAC and NABC West District coach-of-the-year awards in 2008 after becoming the second coach to lead UAA to three consecutive NCAA berths (2006-08), and in 2011-12 his Seawolves posted a 24-10 record to equal the 2nd-most victories in program history; Osborne’s 2007-08 club holds that record with a 29-6 mark … before taking over the head job in 2004-05, the Texas native previously served 13 seasons (1991-04) as a UAA assistant, including 11 years as the top assistant … the Seawolves have won over 60 percent of their games with Osborne on the staff, claiming four conference titles and eight trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament. Osborne is assisted by Cameron Turner (4th season) and graduate assistant Tim Mollerstrom (3rd season).
SEAWOLVES TABBED 2ND: The Seawolves were picked to finish second in the 2014 Great Northwest Athletic Conference preseason coaches’ poll, released Oct. 14. Here is a look at the poll:
2014-15 Great Northwest Athletic Conference
Preseason Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Poll
Rk Team (1st-place votes) 2013-14 Records Pts
1. Western Washington (7) 20-8 (13-5, 2nd) 78
2. Alaska Anchorage (1) 17-13 (10-8, 4th-T) 69
3. Seattle Pacific (2) 26-6 (15-3, 1st) 68
4. Western Oregon 18-12 (10-8, 4th-T) 60
5. Montana State Billings 12-15 (8-10, 6th-T) 41
6. Central Washington 12-14 (8-10, 6th-T) 39
7. Alaska Fairbanks 18-10 (12-6, 3rd) 38
8. Northwest Nazarene 7-19 (5-13, 9th) 21
9. Simon Fraser 10-16 (3-15, 10th) 18
Saint Martin’s 9-17 (6-12, 8th) 18
(Note: Each coach ranked other nine teams. First-place votes in parentheses. Points awarded on 9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.).
2013-14 SEAWOLF INDIVIDUAL HONORS
(returning players only)
Boomer Blossom
Best Defensive Player (team award), 4/12
Brian McGill
AT&T Jamboree All-Tournament Team, 11/16
GNAC Player of the Week, 12/2-8
Second Team All-GNAC, 3/3
Travis Thompson
Preseason All-GNAC Team
AT&T Jamboree Player of the Game vs Regis, 11/16
AT&T Jamboree Most Outstanding Player, 11/16
Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout All-Tourney Team, 11/30
GNAC Red Lion co-Player of the Week, 1/20-26
GNAC All-Academic Team, 2/27
First Team All-GNAC, 3/3
Second Team NABC All-West Region, 3/19
Team MVP, 4/12
Nate Sagan
Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations
University of Alaska Anchorage
3211 Providence Dr.
Anchorage, AK 99508
(907) 786-1295 / nate@uaa.alaska.edu
GoSeawolves.com
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