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This week...
Fri.-Sat., Nov. 17-18 -- VITAMILK TIP-OFF CLASSIC, Brougham
Pavilion, Seattle, Wa.
Fri., Nov. 17 -- Seattle
University v Alaska Anchorage, 5 p.m.; SEATTLE PACIFIC v CAL ST.
SAN BERNARDINO, 7 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 18 -- Seattle
University v Cal State San Bernardino, 5 p.m.; SEATTLE PACIFIC v
SIMON FRASER (Exhibition), 7 p.m.
Complete
2000 Schedule
Intense opener...
As a follow-up to the most intense preseason in its storied
basketball history, Seattle Pacific University will play
perhaps the most significant regular-season opening game Friday
(Nov. 17) when the 17th-ranked Falcons face No. 22 Cal State San
Bernardino in the first round of the Vitamilk Tip-Off Classic.
Seattle Pacific is coming off its most successful season ever,
winning 27 games plus conference and regional titles en route to a
Final Four appearance at the NCAA Elite Eight while the Coyotes,
the 1999 regional champion, made it to the second round of the
playoffs. Alaska Anchorage, Seattle University and Simon
Fraser--the Falcon's Saturday night (Nov. 18) opponent--complete
the tournament field. After that, the next four games will be
played on the road, beginning Nov. 24-25 at the Chuck Randall
Thanksgiving Classic in Bellingham.
Big games early...
A record Brougham Pavilion crowd of 2,782 will attest to the fact
that SPU can play with the big boys. The Falcons played a
tightly-contested game with Division I Washington before falling
in overtime, 83-81. But the outcome of the San Bernardino game
figures to have much more bearing on the rest of the season. Two
years ago, the two teams met to decide the West Region's
representative in the Elite Eight, with the Coyotes winning in
overtime, 74-67. Last season SPU won in San Bernardino, 70-64, en
route to their own trip to a regional title. However, Coach Ken
Bone (11th year) wants to avoid last year's slow, 1-2 start,
which began with an opening home loss to Lynn (Fl.).
Overhauls for both...
Bone, faced with the loss of seven seniors, including four
starters, elected to fill most of his openings with transfers,
four of them from the Division I ranks. Yet the starting lineup
for the Washington exhibition featured just one newcomer to the
program, center Eric Sandrin (Jr., 6-10, Bothell,
Wa./Shorecrest-Portland). Cal State San Bernardino must replace
four starters who graduated from a 23-6 squad.
Hub, Stone look ready...
Among Bone's holdovers are two all-Pacific West Conference
forwards, Brannon Stone (Jr., 6-9, Oak Harbor, Wa.) and
John Hubbard (Sr., 6-5, Inglewood, Ca./Grays Harbor CC).
Both were locked and loaded for the Huskies, with Hubbard scoring
a game-high 26 points and Stone adding 21 plus 11 rebounds and
three blocked shots. It was Hubbard who scored the final five
points of regulation, including a game-tying three-pointer with 28
seconds left. Together with Sandrin, who contributed 10 points
(including two sensational dunks) before fouling out in overtime,
the starting frontline accounted for 58 points. Despite the
Washington's considerable size advantage, they shot 19-42 from the
floor.
Backcourt shows savvy...
The Falcons' backcourt underwent more change than the frontline
but looked steady, even in the face of pressure by the Huskies.
Nick Johnson (Jr., 6-3, Burlington, Wa./Burlington-Edison)
scored 14 points and helped hold UW guard Michael Johnson to five
points on 2-9 shooting. Aaron Bellessa's (So., 6-2,
Federal Way, Wa./Decatur) return to the point following a two-year
mission was a modest success: five points, four rebounds, three
turnovers and two assists. Darrell Walker (Sr., 6-0,
Marysville, Wa./M'ville-Pilchuck-EWU) came off the bench for four
assists in just 13 minutes.
Already re-loading...
Seattle Pacific signed its first recruit to an early letter of
intent. Jeff Knudson averaged 16.2 points while setting season
scoring and numerous three-point shooting records for Mukilteo's
Kamiak High School. Knudson, a 6-6 forward, was selected all-Wesco
4A South as a junior.
Said Bone: "He 's a prolific
three-point shooter whose all-around game seems to only get better
and better. We're glad to get his committment so early."
Room and boards...
While the starting five scored all but five of the team's 83
points, the Falcons still got plenty of support off the bench.
Forwards Daniel Sandrin (So., 6-7, Bothell,
Wa./Bothell-Portland), Jesse Keely (So., 6-7, Fircrest,
Wa./Bellarmine-Portland) and Abe Fox (So., 6-8, Port
Townsend, Wa.) were particularly active on the boards, where SPU
finished with a 42-40 edge. In fact, both Fox and Daniel Sandrin
had four offensive rebounds and threesome collected 11 caroms in
all.
Put-backs...
Each of the team's three true freshmen--Jordan Lee (Fr.,
6-0, University Place, Wa./Life Christian), Nate Bramlette
(Fr., 6-0, Issaquah, Wa./Skyline) and Garrett Stone (Fr.,
6-4, Oak Harbor, Wa.)--are expected to redshirt...Chris Cohen
(Fr., 6-8, Saint Helens, Or.) made his debut vs. Washington. Cohen
had been a redshirt last year...Five of the 11 players Bone used
vs. the Huskies did not play in a college game last year. In
addition to Cohen, Eric Sandrin missed the season at Portland
while recovering from knee surgery. Bellessa was on his mission
while Adrian Egger (Jr., 6-2, Kirkland, Wa./Eastside
Catholic-Olympic CC) and Walker elected to sit out the season
while transferring. Keely played just two games at Portland before
enrolling at SPU...The previous record pavilion attendance was
2,718 for the first homecoming game following the building's
expansion in 1993.
Opponent, series notes...
Under Bone, SPU has won eight of 10 openers and nine of 10 home
openers...The Falcons defeated Cal State San Bernardino, 70-64, on
the road Dec. 22. The Coyotes had beaten SPU in the 1999 West
Region final. Last year they were eliminated by Central Washington
in the semifinal round. This is only the fourth meeting between
the teams, with SPU ahead 2-1. Incidentally, the two school's
volleyball teams will meet Thursday in the first round of the NCAA
Division II Pacific Regional in Los Angeles...Simon Fraser, once a
prospective Pacific West Conference member, left the NAIA
following last season and is now affiliated with Canada West. The
Clan (5-5) have already played 10 games coming into the week, and
guard Jordan Mason is averaging 25.7 points. They are 0-3 versus
Seattle Pacific, excluding an exhibition in Seattle last
season...Alaska Anchorage is playing in Brougham for the first
time since the PacWest expanded after the 1997-98 season. The
Seawolves' home opener Nov. 22 is against Valparaiso in the Great
Alaska Shootout...Seattle U. will play SPU twice later in the
season.
Ticket information...
Reserved seating tickets for all home games are priced $7 and
$6. General admission is $5 for adults, $3 for students, youth and
senior citizens. Group rates are available by call (206) 281-2085
in advance. Ticket windows open one hour prior to tip-off.
S-P-U on the W-E-B...
You can follow Seattle Pacific via the world wide web. The
Falcons Online features weekly releases, rosters, schedules,
updated results, histories and coaching profiles for all 12
varsity sports. You're already here!
Personnel notes...
No Player Yr-Exp Hgt '99-00 stats Hometown Notes
1 Jordan Lee Fr-HS 6-0 18.0/6.0 ast (HS) University Place, Wa.
Life Christian grad likely to redshirt
3 Adrian Egger Jr-TR 6-2 16.8# (JC) Kirkland, Wa. Last played at
Olympic CC in '99
4 Abe Fox Jr-2V 6-8 1.9/1.4 reb Port Townsend, Wa. Played in 18
games, shot 63 pct.
10 Adam Harris So-1V 6-0 0.5/0.4 reb Fox Island, Wa. Gig Harbor
grad played in 15 gms
11 Aaron Bellessa* So-1V 6-2 6.0/3.3 ast+ Federal Way, Wa.
Returns after 2-year church mission
12 Garrett Stone Fr-HS 6-4 12.8/4.0 reb (HS) Oak Harbor, Wa.
Younger brother of Brannon to redshirt
15 Nate Bramlette Fr-HS 6-0 14.0/7.0 ast (HS) Issaquah, Wa.
Skyline grad likely to redshirt 20 Darrell Walker Sr-TR 6-0
4.3/1.6 ast# Marysville, Wa. Back-up point at Eastern Washington
in '99
21 Brannon Stone* Jr-2V 6-7 12.6/7.5 reb Oak Harbor, Wa.
All-conf.; led in ast (3.2), blk (2.5), stl (1.9)
22 Jesse Keely So-TR 6-7 0.0/0.0 rb (2gm) Fircrest, Wa. Bellarmine
grad trans. from Portland in Jan.
23 Nick Johnson* Jr-2V 6-3 4.2/2.9 reb Burlington, Wa. Avg. 15.6
min., shot 53 pct. as top reserve
30 Gene Woodard So-1V 6-4 1.1/1.0 reb Edmonds, Wa. Played in 16
games, avg. 5.3 min. as frosh
32 John Hubbard* Sr-1V 6-5 13.7/2.9 reb Inglewood, Ca. Only
all-conf. selection who was non-starter
34 Eric Sandrin* Jr-TR 6-10 3.9/2.2 reb# Bothell, Wa. Started 15
games at Portland ('97-98, '98-99)
40 Daniel Sandrin So-TR 6-7 1.0/0.3 reb Bothell, Wa. Played 8
games at Portland in '99-00
42 Chris Cohen Fr-RS 6-8 17.3/11.3# (HS) Saint Helens, Or.
Redshirt as true frosh in '99-00
*projected starter +1997-98 season #1998-99 season
Coach: Ken Bone (SPU '83) 11th year (208-86/.707)
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