GNAC Basketball Poll: SPU Men to Start Hoop Season Flying Under Radar
October 30, 2003

SEATTLE (Oct. 30) –Seattle Pacific University will begin the upcoming men’s basketball season by flying under the radar, if the Great Northwest Athletic Conference preseason coaches poll is any indication.

The Falcons, who lost six seniors, including four starters, to graduation, have been picked to finish seventh in the GNAC, with a congested pack comprising the middle onf the 10-team lineup. Humboldt State, tabbed by two publications to win the NCAA Division II championship, is the unanimous favorite, followed by defending co-champion Alaska Fairbanks.

Seattle Pacific plays two preseason exhibitions before beginning its second season under coach Jeff Hironaka. It hosts Saint Leo (Fl.) in the regular season opener Nov. 21 at Brougham Pavilion. The GNAC opener is Dec. 4 at Alaska Anchorage.

SPU narrowly missed an NCAA tournament berth in 2003 with a 16-11 record. It is unaccustomed to low expectations, having been picked first or second four of the last five years. However the GNAC poll has proved far from psychic; last year Alaska Fairbanks was picked to finish in the bottom position and instead tied Humboldt at the top and went to the playoffs.

Hironaka’s team enters the season with some positive momentum, having won three of five games on a September tour of Australia. Center Jason Chivers (Jr., 6-8, Palmdale, Ca.), the lone returning starter, averaged 19.2 points and 13.4 rebounds on the tour while Jordan Lee (Jr., 6-2, University Place, Wa./Life Christian) led the team in scoring at 23.2.

Among the new additions to the team are guard Ralph Steele (Jr., 6-1, No. Birmingham, Al.), a 20-point scorer at California’s Citrus Junior College; forward Chad Williams (So., 6-8, Burlington, Wa./Whatcom CC) and redshirt Dustin Bremerman (Fr., 6-4, Yakima, Wa./Eisenhower), who was impressive on the Australia tour.

Great Northwest Coaches Poll    2002-03 Pts 
1.      Humboldt State (10)     23-6    110 
2.      Alaska Fairbanks        20-8    73 
3.      Western Oregon          15-12   72 
4.      Central Washington      16-11   64 
5.      Alaska Anchorage        13-14   61 
6.      Western Washington      16-11   51 
7.      Seattle Pacific         16-11   50 
8.      Seattle University      16-11   46 
9.      Northwest Nazarene      5-21    23 
10.     Saint Martin’s          2-26    10 
(Note: First-place votes in parenthesis.  
Points awarded on a 11-9-8-7-6-5-4--3-2-1 basis).