Start ‘em up. Diving into the deep end right away, the Seattle Pacific University men’s basketball season will begin with a couple intra-region games, including a bout with one of the strongest programs in the West at this weekend’s Sodexho Tip-Off Classic. Coming off a 20-9 season with three starters back in the lineup, the Falcons host Cal State Monterey Bay in a first round game Friday night (Nov. 18), then meet Cal State San Bernardino in the nightcap of the two-day, eight-game men’s and women’s tournament Saturday night (Nov. 19). Northwest Nazarene will play in the 3 p.m. men’s game each day. Six of the next seven SPU games will be on the road, beginning Nov. 25 against Cal State Dominguez Hills in Los Angeles.

School of hard knocks. While some coaches schedule creampuffs to start padding the win totals early in the season, Jeff Hironaka is intent upon testing his squad by fire. Each of the first five games feature opposition from the West Region of NCAA Division II, meaning that the outcomes will factor heavily in the postseason selection process. During an eight-day span in mid-December, SPU will face Nevada and two nationally-ranked Div. II teams–all on the road. A year ago, the Falcons got the nod for an at-large berth based both on their strong record but also their strength of schedule.

Good to be Brougham. One of the reasons Hironaka was able to take a team to the NCAA tournament last year was a 12-1 record at Brougham Pavilion. With 15 games on the road this season it’s imperative that the Falcons extend that degree of dominance. Last year they won all four of their non-conference home dates and with Cal State San Bernardino expected to be among the top teams in the CCAA, Saturday’s result could figure heavily in the power rankings come next March.

Tough enough. Seattle Pacific players should have some thick skin following a demanding preseason which concluded last weekend with a pair of Div. I road games. The Falcons were particularly effective in the first halves of their losses to BYU (86-72) and New Mexico (71-53). They trailed only 35-33 at halftime in Provo, Ut., and were within 8 points of the Lobos gong into the final four minutes. With a high game of 22 points versus BYU, Dustin Bremerman (Jr., 6-4, Yakima, Wa./Eisenhower) averaged 16.3 points in three exhibitions, including a 102-79 home win over Another Level Blue Angels.

Big enough. It appears that the Falcons will once again stand tall inside. Although they lost an all-region center in Jason Chivers, redshirt Robbie Will (So., 6-10, Seattle, Wa./O’Dea-Bellevue CC) could also become a force, and sooner rather than later. At BYU, Will scored 19 points (7-11 FGs) and hauled down nine rebounds, and he added seven and six, respectively, at Albuquerque. Mike Bushmaker (Sr., 6-7, Yakima, Wa./Eisenhower), who will rotate into the post, hit boards hard and averaged 5.0 rebounds in the preseason while starting forward Chad Williams (Sr., 6-8, Burlington, Wa./Burlington-Whatcom CC) scored 8.7 points.

In good hands. Entrusted with handling the ball and creating some balance on offense is point guard Tony Binetti (Sr., 6-1, Enumclaw, Wa.). Coming off a solid season in which he averaged 13.4 points, 4.4 assists and hit 48 percent of his three-pointers, Binetti is an inviting option in the halfcourt but is being asked to look first for Bremerman and Will. Binetti and backup point man Jared Moultrie (Jr., 6-2, West Point, Ut./Clearfield-Salt Lake CC) stood up to the pressure on the road last week, committing just eight combined turnovers.

Strange but true. One of the most perplexing trends of the exhibition campaign was that the Falcons belied their strengths and perceived weakness. Hironaka is confident that the outside shooting woes (20-85 on three-pointers) will not follow them back home. SPU did manage to battle on the boards, finishing only a minus-five. The bench, also considered an attribute, showed sparks intermittently. Jeff Knudson (Sr., 6-7, Mukilteo, Wa./Kamiak) scored 11 points in 15 minutes at New Mexico.

Put-backs. Hironaka stuck with the same starting five throughout the preseason: Drew Matzen (Jr., 6-4, Bothell, Wa./Lynnwood), Bremerman, Binetti, Will and Williams...Brian Lynch (Jr., 6-1, Missoula, Mt./Great Falls), a transfer from Montana who is expected to become a big contributor in the backcourt, scored 13 points in exhibition play, shooting just 2-13 from the field last week...Freshmen Erik Bright, Rob Diederichs and Adam Wardell did not see action in the preseason and will likely redshirt...SPU will play as many games in Nevada as at home prior to the start of GNAC play Dec. 31. The only other non-conference home game is Dec. 3 versus Hawaii Pacific. The Falcons visit Reno Dec. 13 and Las Vegas for the High Desert Classic Dec. 17-18, including a matchup with No. 24 Pittsburg State (Ks.). The last contest before Christmas is Dec. 21 at No. 15 Cal Poly Pomona...Great Northwest Athletic Conference coaches pegged SPU for fourth place in the preseason poll. Western Washington was the unanimous favorite, followed by Northwest Nazarene and Alaska Anchorage...Only one opponent out-scored SPU during the second half in the last 20 games last season, with the Falcons averaging 8.8 points more than opponents over that span. In eight of the nine losses, they trailed by at least five at the break, with the average margin 12.4 points.

Coaching Staff. In his first season Jeff Hironaka won more games (16) than all but one other first-year SPU coach, and he took a team to the NCAA tournament in only his third year–faster than any predecessor. His record entering this season is 50-33. A former aide at Idaho State and The Master’s, Hironaka became Ken Bone’s top assistant in 1991 and from there the Falcons won 236 of 253 games, claimed five conference championships and qualified for eight NCAA tournaments, including a Final Four in 2000. Hironaka is the second Japanese-American head coach of a four-year collegiate program. Brock Veltri is in his second season as the chief assistant.

Tickets, please. Reserved tickets for all SPU home games are priced $7 and $6. General admission is $5 with youth, students and senior citizens $3 with proper identification. Groups can qualify for discounts by calling (206) 281-2085 in advance.

Missing links. For the latest and best information on Seattle Pacific University athletics, stay where you're at -- on The Falcons Online. For updated standings and statistics, see the Great Northwest Athletic Conference web site.