PORTLAND, Ore. (Oct. 15) – The Alaska Anchorage men’s basketball team has been picked to finish fourth in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference’s preseason men’s basketball coaches’ poll, released Thursday by the league office.
The Seawolves – coming off their 10th straight winning campaign – garnered 92 points in voting by the league’s 11 head coaches, trailing only Western Washington (114), defending regular-season champ Western Oregon (106) and defending GNAC Tournament champ Seattle Pacific (100).
UAA went 16-13 a year ago and tied for third in the league with a 12-6 mark. The Seawolves return two starters from that club – two-time All-GNAC honoree Brian McGill (13.8 ppg, 5.3 apg, .419 3FG) and junior forward Travis Parrish (2.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg, .557 FG). McGill is a 6-2 point guard who was an honorable mention All-GNAC pick as a junior and a second-team selection as a sophomore. UAA gets back three additional letterwinners with 6-6 senior forward Christian Leckband (7.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg, .384 3FG), 6-7 sophomore forward Sjur Berg (4.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg, .586 FG) and 6-8 sophomore post Brian Pearson (1.4 ppg, 1.1 rpg).
Twelfth-year head coach Rusty Osborne and his staff also welcome two returning redshirts, seven transfers and one true freshman. Among the impact transfers are 6-4 junior guard Sekou ‘Suki’ Wiggs – former starter at Div. I Idaho – along with 6-4 junior wing Spencer Svejcar (Laramie County [Wyo.] CC), 6-1 junior guard Diante Mitchell (Western Nebraska CC) and 6-6 junior forward Corey Hammell (Santa Rosa [Calif.] JC).
The Seawolves begin their season Oct. 30 against Upper Iowa in the CCA Tip-Off Classic in Anaheim, Calif. UAA’s home season gets under way Nov. 6-7 with a home series against Lincoln Christian at the Alaska Airlines Center.
Visit GoSeawolves.com or call 907-786-1562 for ticket information.
2015-16 GNAC Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll
Rk Team (1st-place votes) 2014-15 Records (Pl.) Pts
1. Western Washington (5) 20-11/11-7 (t-5th) 114
2. Western Oregon (4) 23-7/15-3 (1st) 106
3. Seattle Pacific (2) 24-8/13-5 (2nd) 100
4. Alaska Anchorage 16-13/12-6 (t-3rd) 92
5. Central Washington 17-9/12-6 (t-3rd) 80
6. Alaska Fairbanks 7-19/4-14 (8th) 63
7. Saint Martin's 6-22/3-15 (t-9th) 41
Montana State Billings 5-23/3-15 (t-9th) 41
9. Northwest Nazarene 14-16/11-7 (t-5th) 37
10. Concordia, Ore. 25-7 1st Yr in GNAC 32
11. Simon Fraser 11-15/6-12 (7th) 20
Votes awarded on 11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis
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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