KOTZEBUE, Alaska - The Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team kicks off its 2026-27 season in Kotzebue this weekend for their Blue/Gold scrimmage. The 'Nooks will hold clinics throughout the day on Saturday at Kotzebue Middle-High School before playing at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 17
Blue/Gold | 7:30 p.m.
Kotzebue Middle-High School | Kotzebue, Alaska

Schedule for Saturday
The Nanooks will hold clinics Saturday morning and afternoon before their 7:30 p.m. game. From 9-10 a.m., they will hold a clinic for grades K-2, and from 10 a.m.-12 p.m., they will hold a clinic for grades 3-5. Following an hour-long break, the 'Nooks will hold clinics for grades 6-8 from 1-3 p.m., and for grades 9-12 from 3-5 p.m.

From 5:30-6:30 p.m., the Eskimo Express will take on the Nome girls team, followed by a game between the Express and Nome boys from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Finally, the Nanooks will take the court at 7:30 p.m. for their Blue/Gold scrimmage.

Looking Back
The Nanooks are coming off a season that saw them go 15-14 and 9-9 in GNAC play, enough to secure their second straight trip to the GNAC Championships as the sixth seed. After finding themselves sitting at a 6-8 conference record and on the outside of the championship spots, the 'Nooks ended the regular season winning three of four, including a 101-97 overtime thriller at Montana State Billings where guard Tyriq Luke went off for 38 points. Alaska took care of business in the opening round of the conference championships, defeating third-seeded Northwest Nazarene 87-75, but fell in double overtime to No. 2 Alaska Anchorage 87-86 in the conference semifinals.

#NookNotes

• The Nanooks return eight players from last season: senior guard Tariq Weiser, sophomore guard Finn Gregg, senior guard/forward Joel Amaro, senior guard Tyriq Luke, redshirt freshman guard Jett McCullough, sophomore guard Marcus Stockhausen, senior guard/forward Davis Crilly and redshirt freshman forward Deng Deng.
• There are seven new faces suiting up for the Blue and Gold this season: Leyton Nield, a 6-4 junior transfer from Mt. Hood Community College; Javares Reid, a 6-9 junior transfer from Lower Columbia College; Jagger Francom, a 6-8 redshirt freshman transfer from Trevecca Nazarene University; Nick Clark, a 6-3 redshirt sophomore transfer from Salt Lake Community College; Ethen Stoddard, a 6-8 sophomore transfer from Utah State Eastern; James Bodily, a 6-4 senior transfer from Eastern Oregon University; and Kellen Jedlicka, a 6-5 sophomore transfer from Lewis-Clark State College.
• Head coach Frank Ostanik returns for another year leading the Nanooks men's basketball program. He is joined by two newcomers: assistant coaches Jamayne Potts and Terrell Peter. Potts arrives in Fairbanks with nearly two decades of coaching experience spanning the collegiate, high school, and club levels, including six seasons as a collegiate head coach at Warner Pacific University in Portland, Ore. Peter, a former 'Nook who played on the men's basketball team in 2023-24, comes back to Fairbanks following two successful seasons as a graduate assistant coach at Washington State University, where he played an integral role in the Cougars' day-to-day operations, scouting, player development, and recruiting. Also returning for another season on the coaching staff are assistant coaches Matt Wilken and Matt Martino. Finally, former Nanook Jackson Krug stays in Fairbanks as a graduate assistant after two seasons playing for the Blue and Gold.

Preseason Poll
The Nanooks were tabbed to finish sixth in the GNAC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll, the conference announced on Thursday, Oct. 15. The 'Nooks are coming off back-to-back sixth-place finishes heading into the season, and were picked to make the GNAC Championships once again. Saint Martin's were chosen to repeat as GNAC Champions, while Central Washington, Northwest Nazarene, Alaska Anchorage and Montana State Billings rounded out the top five. Western Washington was selected seventh, and Seattle Pacific, Western Oregon and Simon Fraser were picked 8-10.

What's Next
The 'Nooks return to Fairbanks next week, welcoming back former 'Nooks to the Alaska Airlines Gymnasium for their Alumni Game. Tip-off is at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, and admission is free to the public.

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