UAA men start at No. 8 in West Region rankings

UAA men start at No. 8 in West Region rankings

INDIANAPOLIS (Feb. 17) – With three weeks left before Selection Sunday, the Alaska Anchorage men’s basketball team finds itself squarely on the playoff bubble, owning a No. 8 ranking in Wednesday’s first official NCAA Div. II West Region poll.

The Seawolves, 15-7 against D-II competition, were joined in the poll by fellow Great Northwest Athletic Conference members Western Oregon (21-1) and Seattle Pacific (17-6), who hold down the top two spots. California Collegiate Athletic Association rivals Chico State (18-3) and UC San Diego (19-4) are Nos. 3 and 4, respectively.

UAA finds itself in competition with multiple CCAA and Pacific West Conference clubs for the final NCAA berths, with Cal Baptist (18-6), Cal Poly Pomona (17-5) and Azusa Pacific in the 5-6-7 spots. Humboldt
State (13-6) and Dixie State (13-8) are ninth and 10th.

The rankings take into account only games played through Feb. 14.

The regional rankings will be released again Feb. 24 and Mar. 2, leading to the announcement of the NCAA Tournament field on Mar. 6 at 6 p.m. AST. The top five teams in the final rankings – along with the winners of the GNAC, CCAA and Pac West tournaments – will make the NCAAs, with the top seed generally earning the right to host.

UAA has four regular-season games remaining prior to the GNAC Tournament, starting Thursday against Concordia (Ore.) at 7 p.m. at the Alaska Airlines Center. On Saturday, the Seawolves will also get a chance to improve their power ranking when they face nationally and regionally top-ranked Western Oregon in their home finale at 2 p.m. Call 907-786-1562 for tickets or visit GoSeawolves.com for more information.

NCAA Div. II West Region
Men’s Basketball Rankings – Feb. 17, 2016
Rk Team                    vs DII  vs West
1 Western Oregon          21-1    21-1

2 Seattle Pacific         17-6    17-6

3 Chico State             18-3    18-3

4 UC San Diego            19-4    18-4

5 California Baptist      18-6    16-6

6 Cal Poly Pomona         17-5    15-5

7 Azusa Pacific           16-6    15-6

8 Alaska Anchorage        15-7    14-7

9 Humboldt State          13-6    13-6

10 Dixie State             13-8    13-8
(records through Feb. 14)

 

--GOSEAWOLVES--

 

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