By: Evan O'Kelly, Associate Commissioner for Communications
PORTLAND, Ore. – All 10 Great Northwest Athletic Conference men’s basketball teams have games on the schedule across the next week as the early portion of the 2024-25 campaign rolls on towards the winter.
Saint Martin’s (7-0) climbed to No. 16 in the latest coaches national poll, after keeping its record unblemished through its first seven games of the year. Also unbeaten at 4-0, Western Washington received votes in the latest coaches poll and jumped up to No. 4 in the latest D2CSC regional rankings. Northwest Nazarene (3-0) is the league’s other undefeated team and will host a four-team affair in Nampa, Idaho this weekend.
| This Week's Opponents |
| GNAC Team |
Opponent(s) |
Location(s) |
| Alaska Anchorage |
Portland Bible College |
Anchorage, Alaska |
| Alaska Fairbanks |
Multnomah |
Fairbanks, Alaska |
| Central Washington |
Jessup; Westmont |
Nampa, Idaho |
| Montana State Billings |
Black Hills State; South Dakota Mines |
South Dakota |
| Northwest Nazarene |
Westmont; Jessup; College of Idaho |
Idaho |
| #16 Saint Martin’s |
Academy of Art; #17 Point Loma |
Lacey, Wash. |
| Seattle Pacific |
Linfield |
Seattle, Wash. |
| Simon Fraser |
Westminster |
Burnaby, B.C. |
| Western Oregon |
Academy of Art |
Monmouth, Ore. |
| RV Western Washington |
Westminster; Northwest; Douglas College |
Bellingham, Wash. |
VIKINGS MAKE IT 4 STRAIGHT: After winning its first two games of the season at home, including a 91-89 triumph over No. 12 Cal State Dominguez Hills, Western Washington repeated the success last week with a 76-61 win over Cal State San Marcos and an 88-82 triumph over Azusa Pacific on the road. The Vikings have been led in the early going by preseason all-conference selection
Will Wilson, who is averaging 17.8 points and 6.75 assists per game while shooting 57.1% from the floor.
Grant Kepley adds 15.8 points per game and reigning GNAC Player of the Week
Louis Grante-Halliday is at 13.8 points per game early on. WWU looks to keep the momentum rolling back at home this week, where it’ll host Westminster (Thursday, 7 p.m. PT), Northwest (Saturday, 7 p.m. PT) and Douglas College (Tuesday, 7 p.m. PT).
Read More: Vikings off to 4-0 start (WWU Recap)
Grant Kepley drives to the rim in the Vikings' win over No. 12 Cal State Dominguez Hills (Photo: Imogene Eagan).
SAINTS CONTINUE HOMESTAND: Marcus Pavilion is the place to be this weekend, as Saint Martin’s gears up to host Academy of Art (Thursday, 7 p.m. PT) and No. 17 Point Loma (Saturday, 7 p.m. PT). The Saints beat both of the PacWest Conference foes last year, topping then-No. 11 Point Loma 66-58 on Nov. 13, 2023 and winning 92-81 at Academy of Art in San Francisco on Nov. 24, 2023. The Saints rolled past a pair of opponents last week, blasting Douglas 110-36 and beating Evergreen State 92-77 at home.
Dae’Kwon Watson is the early scoring leader for SMU, pouring in 15.0 points per game while adding 5.0 rebounds and 2.9 steals.
Diego Trejo-Delgado is at 13.6 points per game, while senior
Myles Samuels leads the team with 5.5 rebounds and adds 12.5 points. Senior
Jaden Nielsen-Skinner is averaging 5.3 assists per game and has climbed to No. 8 in GNAC history with 475 assists in his career in an SMU uniform.
Dae'Kwon Watson has been a central piece in the Saints' 7-0 start to the season (Photo: Ron Smith).
| GNAC Career Assists Leaders (as of Nov. 21) |
| Rank |
Player |
Assists |
School |
Career |
| 1 |
Luke Cooper |
800 |
Alaska Anchorage |
2004-08 |
| 2 |
Kevin Tyner |
600 |
Western Oregon |
2002-06 |
| 3 |
Mark White |
594 |
Humboldt State |
2000-04 |
| 4 |
David Downs |
561 |
Seattle Pacific |
2010-14 |
| 5 |
Ryan Webb |
548 |
Seattle |
2003-07 |
| 6 |
Jake Linton |
496 |
Saint Martin's |
2005-09 |
| 7 |
Michael Provenzano |
482 |
Simon Fraser |
2016-20 |
| 8 |
Jaden Nielsen-Skinner |
457 |
Saint Martin's |
2021-25 |
| 9 |
Tony Binetti |
461 |
Seattle Pacific |
2002-06 |
| 10 |
Riley Stockton |
444 |
Seattle Pacific |
2011-15 |
Read More: Watson leads the way for MBB (SMU Recap)
NIGHTHAWKS WELCOME CROSSOVER EVENT: Northwest Nazarene hopes nothing changes this week inside the friendly confines of Johnson Sports Center, the site of its first three wins of the 2024-25 campaign. NNU will play Westmont on Friday (7 p.m. MT) and Jessup on Saturday (7 p.m. PT), with Central Washington (1-2) also in town to face the same two opponents. Preseason all-GNAC pick
Ryzin Bergersen is off to a stellar start, leading the team with 16.3 points while adding 6.0 rebounds across his first three games of the year. Sophomore
Briggs Ranstrom has hauled in 8.3 rebounds while adding 9.0 points across his first three games of the season.
Yaru Harvey (14.3 ppg) and
Kye Dickson (13.3 ppg) are the Nighthawks’ other leading scorers, while the former is averaging a team-best 6.0 assists per game.
The Wildcats will be in action for the first time in a week at the NNU event, after beating Walla Walla 88-65 on Nov. 14 for their first win of the year. The preseason GNAC favorites have been led by
Cavin Holden (12.3 ppg),
Calvin Sisk (11.7 ppg) and
Maverick Sanders (10.0 ppg) across their first three games of the season.
Read More: Nighthawks improve to 3-0 w/victory over Northern State (NNU Recap)
Yuru Harvey and the Nighthawks are 3-0 on their home floor this season.
YELLOWJACKETS HEAD EAST: Reigning GNAC champion Montana State Billings (4-2) heads east this week, facing Black Hills State (Thursday, 7 p.m. MT) and South Dakota Mines (Saturday, 6 p.m. MT) in South Dakota. The ‘Jackets knocked off Westmont 79-75 and Hawaii Hilo 60-48 on Nov. 8-9, before a mid-week 89-81 defeat at the hands of crosstown rival Rocky Mountain College last time out. Reigning GNAC Player of the Year
Jalen Tot leads the squad with 13.8 points per game, while newcomer
Kael Robinson has chipped in 13.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
Brendon Johnson (11.3 ppg/6.0 rpg) and
Famous Lefthand (10.0 ppg) are the team’s other top scorers in the early going.
Read More: Yellowjackets’ late rally falls short (MSUB Recap)
GALLANT DROPS 30 FOR WOU: Western Oregon senior
Jason Gallant, a preseason all-conference selection, made early headlines with a 30-point effort in WOU’s 89-88 win over Cal State Monterey Bay on Nov. 8. It was Gallant’s second 30-point game since transferring to WOU from Colorado Christian prior to last season, as he scored a season-best 31 points on Feb. 22, 2024 last year. The Wolves (1-7) face Stanislaus State on Friday (5 p.m. PT) and Sonoma State on Saturday (7 p.m. PT) in a pair of games in Rohnert Park, Calif., this weekend.
Read More: Gallant scores 30 points to lead Wolves (WOU Recap)
Jason Gallant dropped 30 points in the Wolves' 89-88 win over CSU Monterey Bay (Photo: Eddie Bruning).
SEAWOLVES RETURN HOME: Looking to shake a five-game losing skid this weekend, Alaska Anchorage (2-5) returns to the Alaska Airlines Center to host Portland Bible College in a pair of games. The Seawolves fell 62-59 at Hawaii Pacific and 91-69 at Chaminade during their trip to Hawaii on Nov. 8-9.
Sean Evans has posted a team-best 12.6 points per game and is averaging 3.0 assists per game, while
Tyler Burraston has contributed 11.6 points per game to start the year for UAA.
Read More: Seawolf men host Arrows for weekend pair (UAA Preview)
RED LEAFS LOOK TO BUILD ON WINS: After picking up its first two wins of the season, 100-45 over Capilano and 83-58 over Langara this week, Simon Fraser (2-5) returns to NCAA Division II play at home against Westminster on Saturday (2 p.m. PT).
Luke Howard garnered all-tournament recognition at the West Region Crossover in Bellingham and leads the team with 16.6 points per game.
Irish Coquia has chipped in a team-best 4.7 assists per game while adding 13.0 points.
Tate Christiansen (11.4 ppg) and
Lenz Dupont (11.0 ppg) are also double-figure scorers for SFU.
FALCONS FRESH OFF W: Seattle Pacific (1-5) is also coming off its first win of the season as it knocked off Cal State San Marcos 76-71 last Saturday. The Falcons host NCAA Division III Linfield on Saturday (6:30 p.m. PT) in their lone game this week.
Owen Moriarty has propelled the SPU offense thus far, averaging 15.4 points per game. Montana transfer
Jaxon Nap leads the team with 7.4 rebounds per game while adding 7.8 points, and
Trace Evans is in double figures with 11.0 points per game.
Read More: Falcons take down Cougars for 2024-25’s first win (SPU Recap)
NANOOKS BEGIN HOME STAND: Prepping for six straight home contests, Alaska Fairbanks (0-3) will host Multnomah on back-to-back nights with tipoff set for 7 p.m. (AK) on Friday and Saturday at the Patty Center. The Nanooks opened their regular season in Hawaii, falling to Chaminade 104-96 in overtime and 91-84 in a rematch, and competing well in an 80-67 loss to Hawaii Pacific.
Isaiah Saams-Hoy leads the squad with 17.7 points per game and is shooting 57.5% (23-for-40) in his first three games of the year.
Elyon Zevenbergen (13.0 rpg) and
Jalai O’Keith (12.7 rpg) have commanded the glass in the early going, combining for three double-doubles across the first three games of the season.
Read More: Nanooks fall in second game against Chaminade (UAF Recap)
Chris Lee puts up a shot in the Nanooks' game at Hawaii Pacific last week.
Garrett Levesque – Western Washington
A transfer from University of Texas El Paso, Levesque has immediately slotted into the Vikings’ lineup and had a profound impact. Coming off the bench in the first four games of the season, Levesque is averaging a team-best 5.5 rebounds while adding 6.0 points and 1.0 blocks in 23.3 minutes per game. He contributed significantly to the team’s 76-61 win over Cal State San Marcos last week, tying for the team lead with eight rebounds. He also holds a shooting percentage of 58.8 this season, connecting at an efficient clip of 10-for-17 from the field thus far. After being limited to just 12 games and 4.0 minutes per game at the Division I level last year, look for Levesque to continue thriving in his newfound role with the Vikings.
Garrett Levesque (13) leads the Vikings with 5.5 rebounds across the first four games of the season (Photo: Imogene Eagan).
| GNAC In The National & Regional Rankings |
National top-25 rankings are released weekly by both the National Association of Basketball Coaches (coach poll) and the D2 College Sports Communicators (media poll). The D2CSC also releases weekly regional top-10 rankings. Additional ranking information, including RPI projections, can be found in real time via
Inkblot Sports online here. The official NCAA regional rankings, which will eventually determine the eight-team field for the 2025 NCAA West Region Championships, will be released towards the end of the season beginning in February, 2025.
| D2CSC West Region Rankings |
| Poll |
Team 1 |
Team 2 |
Team 3 |
Team 4 |
Team 5 |
| Week 1 (11/4) |
4. CWU |
6. MSUB |
10. SMU |
RV NNU |
RV WWU |
| Week 2 (11/11) |
3. SMU |
4. MSUB |
T6. WWU |
RV CWU |
RV NNU |
| Week 3 (11/18) |
2. SMU |
4. WWU |
6. MSUB |
10. NNU |
|
| Date |
Player of the Week |
School |
| 11/4 |
Myles Samuels |
Saint Martin's |
| 11/11 |
Will Wilson |
Western Washington |
| 11/18 |
Louis Grante-Halliday |
Western Washington |
Louis Grante-Halliday – Western Washington University
First-career player of the week
Grante-Halliday helped lead his team to a pair of big west region road victories last week, as the Vikings topped Cal State San Marcos 76-61 and Azusa Pacific 88-82 to improve to 4-0 on the season. The sophomore from London, England averaged 20.0 points, 3.0 steals, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists, while committing just one turnover in 68 total minutes on the floor. Grante-Halliday connected on 13 of 22 field goal tries (59.1%) and went a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line on the weekend. Posting a breakout performance against Azusa Pacific, Grante-Halliday made 9 of 14 field goals for a season-high 23 points. Through his first four games of the season, he is averaging 13.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists.
WWU Head Coach Tony Dominguez: “Louis has really grown as a player and leader. He has worked at being a valuable asset in all facets of the game, and is willing to do whatever is needed for the team’s success. He has worked to be a leader and has a tireless work ethic.”
Also Nominated: Cavin Holden, Central Washington; Jalen Tot, Montana State Billings; Ryzin Bergersen, Northwest Nazarene; Dae’Kwon Watson, Saint Martin’s; Owen Moriarty, Seattle Pacific; Luke Howard, Simon Fraser.
The 2025 GNAC Men’s and Women's Basketball Championships will be held March 6-8 at Marcus Pavilion on the campus of Saint Martin's University in
Lacey, Wash. The top six teams in the GNAC standings at the end of the regular season will advance to the GNAC Championships (tiebreakers will be applied as necessary). The top two seeds earn byes to the semifinal round. The quarterfinal round will match the Nos. 3 and 6 seeds in one game and the Nos. 4 and 5 seeds in the other game. Quarterfinal winners will advance to Friday's semifinals. Semifinal winners will meet on Saturday for the championship. The winners of the GNAC Championships will automatically qualify for their respective NCAA Division II Championships events.
| 2024-25 All-Tournament Selections |
D2CCA Tipoff Classic at the Trailhead
Nov. 1-3 at Billings, Mont. (Montana State Billings, Host)
Alaska Anchorage: Tyler Burraston
MSU Billings: Famous Lefthand; Kael Robinson
D2CCA Canadian Tipoff Classic
Nov. 1-3 at Langley, B.C. (Simon Fraser, Host)
Saint Martin’s: Myles Samuels; Jaden Nielsen-Skinner; Jayshawn Moore
West Region Crossover
Nov. 8-9 at Bellingham, Wash. (Western Washington, Host)
Simon Fraser: Luke Howard
Western Washington: Will Wilson (MVP); Grant Kepley; Trevor White
| 2024-25 GNAC Men's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team |
| Preseason Player of the Year: Jalen Tot, Montana State Billings |
| Name |
School |
Position |
Height |
Year |
Hometown |
Previous School |
| Dillon Barrientos |
Alaska Anchorage |
Guard |
6-1 |
Senior |
Santa Clarita, CA |
College of the Canyons |
| Bishop Tosi |
Alaska Anchorage |
Forward |
6-6 |
Junior |
Anchorage, AK |
Bellevue College |
| Jordan Clark |
Central Washington |
Guard |
6-2 |
Sophomore |
Renton, WA |
Seattle Christian |
| Maverick Sanders |
Central Washington |
Forward |
6-6 |
Sophomore |
Spokane, WA |
Mt. Spokane |
| Famous Lefthand |
Montana State Billings |
Guard |
6-3 |
Senior |
Crow Agency, MT |
United Tribes Tech. Coll. |
| Jalen Tot |
Montana State Billings |
Guard |
6-0 |
Senior |
Dallas, TX |
Dawson CC |
| Ryzin Bergersen |
Northwest Nazarene |
Guard |
6-4 |
Senior |
Boise, ID |
Borah |
| Aaron Murphy |
Northwest Nazarene |
Forward |
6-7 |
Senior |
Tracy, CA |
Modesto Christian |
| Jaden Nielsen-Skinner |
Saint Martin's |
Guard |
5-10 |
Senior |
Salem, OR |
Portland State |
| Myles Samuels |
Saint Martin's |
Guard |
6-5 |
Junior |
West Palm Beach, FL |
Northeast Oklahoma A&M |
| Owen Moriarty |
Seattle Pacific |
Guard |
6-2 |
Junior |
Seattle, WA |
O'Dea |
| Jaxon Nap |
Seattle Pacific |
Guard |
6-7 |
Junior |
Newcastle, WA |
Montana |
| Jason Gallant |
Western Oregon |
Guard |
6-4 |
Senior |
Simi Valley, CA |
Colorado Christian |
| Tijan Saine |
Western Washington |
Guard |
5-11 |
Sophomore |
Everett, WA |
Mariner |
| Will Wilson |
Western Washington |
Guard |
6-4 |
Senior |
Lorton, VA |
Mt. Hood CC |