GNAC Release

PORTLAND, Ore. – On Tuesday, The Great Northwest Athletic Conference unveiled their 2018-19 Preseason Men's Basketball Coaches Poll, which tabbed the Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team to finish ninth at the conclusion of the upcoming season.

The Nanooks, who are coming off an 11-15 overall mark from the 2017-18 season, earned 37 points to place ninth in the 11-team league. The rank in this year's Preseason Coaches Poll drops Alaska back two spots from their seventh-place ranking in the 2017-18 Preseason Poll.

After finishing last season tied for seventh in the GNAC with a 9-11 conference record, the Nanooks return eight players from last season and four starters in senior guard Alex Baham, senior guard Tre Eisenhut, junior forward Michael Kluting and senior forward Joe Lendway. Most recently, Baham was selected to the Preseason All-GNAC Men's Basketball Team after being one of the top three-point shooters in the conference last season.

The Nooks will look to make a splash this season under first-year head coach Greg Sparling and first-year associate head coach Jesse Brown. Alaska also welcomes a handful of newcomers including junior guard Quinn Daugharty, senior guard Isiah Easaw, junior guard Tymoryae Glover, junior guard Alex Martin, junior guard Jaqua Morrow, junior guard Aushanti Potts-Woods, sophomore forward Darren Silas and junior guard Spencer Sweet.

Only two teams earned first-place votes in the 2018-19 Preseason Coaches Poll but it was Saint Martin's who earned nine first-place votes to tally 118 points, becoming the preseason favorite. Seattle Pacific placed second with 105 points, while Western Oregon earned two first-place point to rank third with 94 points. Western Washington (83 points) and Alaska Anchorage (76 points) rounded-out the top-five, followed by Montana State Billings (68 points), Northwest Nazarene (55 points), Central Washington (40 points), Alaska (37 points), Concordia (31 points) and Simon Fraser (19 points).

Points are awarded on an 11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis, with each head coach submitting a vote.

The Alaska Nanooks unofficially open the 2018-19 season on Monday, Nov. 5 by taking on Antelope Valley in exhibition action at the Alaska Airlines Court at the Patty Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 7pm AKT.

For more information on the Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team, follow @NanooksMBB on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks page on Facebook.