By: Evan O'Kelly, Associate Commissioner for Communications
PORTLAND, Ore. – Kickoff weekend of the 2024-25 Great Northwest Athletic Conference men’s basketball season has arrived, as the first set of conference contests begins on Thursday.
The 18-game race to the 2025 GNAC Men’s Basketball Championships gets underway this week, before teams return to non-conference play in the weeks leading up to the holiday break. After a teaser of conference play, the GNAC schedule resumes in full force on Jan. 2 following the mandatory NCAA break.
| This Week's GNAC Men's Basketball Schedule |
| Home Team |
Thursday, December 5 |
Saturday, December 7 |
| Alaska Anchorage |
RV Saint Martin's (7:30 p.m. AK) |
Western Oregon (5:15 p.m. AK) |
| Alaska Fairbanks |
Western Oregon (5:15 p.m. AK) |
RV Saint Martin's (3:15 p.m. AK) |
| Central Washington |
Simon Fraser (7:30 p.m. PT) |
Western Washington (4 p.m. PT) |
| Northwest Nazarene |
Western Washington (7 p.m. MT) |
Simon Fraser (2 p.m. MT) |
| Seattle Pacific |
BYE |
Montana State Billings (2 p.m. PT) |
NIELSEN-SKINNER BREAKS SMU ASSISTS RECORD: A 9-2 start to the campaign for Saint Martin’s has been highlighted by the play of senior point guard
Jaden Nielsen-Skinner, who last week broke the school record for assists. The Salem, Ore., native passed Jake Linton, who totaled 496 assists during a career that spanned from 2005-09. Entering this week’s conference contests, Nielsen-Skinner is No. 6 in GNAC history with 506 assists in his four seasons at SMU.
The Saints are coming off a 76-71 triumph over Regis on the road last week and will play at Alaska Anchorage (5-6) on Thursday night (7:30 p.m. AK) and Alaska Fairbanks (4-3) on Saturday afternoon (3:15 p.m. AK).
Dae’Kwon Watson leads the team with 14.5 points per game while
Diego Trejo-Delgado is scoring at a clip of 13.3 points per game and
Myles Samuels adds 11.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Nielsen-Skinner is tied for the GNAC lead with 5.7 assists per game and ranks second in the conference with an assist-turnover ratio of 3.3.
Read More: MBB splits games in Colorado (SMU Recap)
Jaden Nielsen-Skinner broke the SMU school record for assists, and enters the week sixth in GNAC history with 506 (Photo: Ron Smith).
| GNAC Career Assists Leaders (as of Dec. 4) |
| 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 |
Jaden Nielsen-Skinner |
506 |
Saint Martin's |
2021-25 |
| 7 |
Jake Linton |
496 |
Saint Martin's |
2005-09 |
| 8 |
Michael Provenzano |
482 |
Simon Fraser |
2016-20 |
| 9 |
Tony Binetti |
461 |
Seattle Pacific |
2002-06 |
| 10 |
Riley Stockton |
444 |
Seattle Pacific |
2011-15 |
WILDCATS UPSET SEA LIONS: One of the biggest wins by a GNAC team this season took place last week, as Central Washington (4-3) knocked off No. 13 Point Loma 69-68 on the road. The victory nudged the Wildcats’ record north of .500, as they prepare to host Simon Fraser (4-6) on Thursday (7:30 p.m. PT) and Western Washington (6-1) on Saturday (4 p.m. PT).
Reigning GNAC Player of the Week
Garrett Anderson leads the team with 13.0 points per game and 6.1 rebounds per game as his CWU career has gotten off to a strong start. Three other Wildcats are scoring in double figures, with
Jordan Clark (12.4 ppg),
Cavin Holden (11.7 ppg) and
Maverick Sanders (10.3 ppg) shouldering the bulk of the scoring for the Wildcats.
Read More: Wildcats kick off GNAC action (CWU Preview)
Eli Williams and the Wildcats took down No. 13 Point Loma 69-68 on the road last week.
VIKINGS BEGIN GNAC SLATE WITH MOMENTUM: Western Washington is off to a 6-1 start to its campaign as it faces Northwest Nazarene (4-1) on Thursday (7 p.m. MT) and Central Washington Saturday in a pair of road games to kick off GNAC play. WWU’s top moment thus far was a 91-89 triumph over No. 12 Cal State Dominguez Hils on Nov. 8, and the Vikings’ only defeat this season was a narrow 66-63 loss to Westminster on Nov. 21.
Will Wilson leads the team with 16.1 points per game and is tied with Nielsen-Skinner for the league lead with 5.7 assists per game.
Louis Grante-Halliday (14.4 ppg),
Grant Kepley (14.7 ppg) and
Trevor White (13.0 ppg) are the Vikings’ other top scorers, while
Dajon Lott is averaging a team-best 5.1 rebounds per game. WWU has been remarkably efficient scoring this season, shooting a GNAC-best 52.1% which ranks the team eighth in Division II basketball.
Read More: Vikings blow past Douglas College 119-65 (WWU Recap)
Dajon Lott and the Vikings are off to a 6-1 start to their season (Photo: Jonah Bloom).
NIGHTHAWKS SET TO HOST: Northwest Nazarene will begin its conference schedule at home, with the Vikings coming to town Thursday night and Simon Fraser arriving for a Saturday afternoon tipoff (2 p.m. MT) at Johnson Sports Center. NNU’s only loss this season was an 84-82 setback in overtime against Westmont on Nov. 22.
Kye Dickson leads the team with 15.2 points per game and 7.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 51.0% from the floor. Preseason all-conference selection
Ryzin Bergersen is chipping in 13.8 points and 5.4 boards per game, while
Yaru Harvey leads the team with 4.8 assists per game to go along with 12.2 points.
Read More: Nighthawks bounce back w/victory over Jessup (NNU Recap)
NNU 7-footer Zane Foster had a season-high nine rebounds last week against Westmont (Photo: Josh Burkholder).
AT 7-2, REIGNING CHAMPS READY FOR TITLE DEFENSE: After picking up its first-ever GNAC regular-season title in 2023-24, Montana State Billings hasn’t missed a beat with a 7-2 start to the campaign. The Yellowjackets will begin their title defense on the heels of three straight victories, as they travel to the Emerald City for a Saturday afternoon (2 p.m. PT) affair against Seattle Pacific (2-6). Reigning GNAC Player of the Year
Jalen Tot has looked as good as ever this fall, ranking fourth in the league with 17.2 points per game and fourth with 2.1 steals per game. MSUB newcomer
Kael Robinson leads the squad with 6.3 rebounds per game while adding 12.9 points, and
Famous Lefthand is also in double figures with 10.4 points per game.
Read More: Yellowjackets see off challenge from Providence (MSUB Recap)
MSUB's Hanniel Ouattara rips down a dunk in the Yellowjackets' home game against Rocky Mountain College on Nov. 13 at Alterowitz Gym (Shi Robison Photography).
NANOOKS POST BIG NUMBERS AMID WINNING STREAK: Four straight victories over the last two weeks have the Alaska Nanooks in good spirits as they prepare for their first two GNAC games of the season. Western Oregon is in town on Thursday evening (5:15 p.m. AK) before the Saints visit the Patty Center on Saturday afternoon (3:15 p.m. AK). Alaska beat up Northwest Indian 104-68 and 96-79 in a pair of home wins last week, that featured big individual performances. The Nanooks have five players averaging double digits in scoring including three of the top-10 scorers in the GNAC thus far.
Chris Lee leads the conference with 19.4 points per game,
Isaiah Saams-Hoy is second at 18.4 points per game and
Jalai O’Keith is eighth at 15.4 points per game.
Read More: O’Keith posts 33 points in 4th straight win (UAF Recap)
SEAWOLVES LOOK TO BUILD OFF GRITTY WIN: Alaska Anchorage (5-6) gutted out a 74-73 win over Newberry last time out, atoning for a 62-55 loss to the same opponent the night before. The Seawolves remain at the Alaska Airlines Center this week, facing Saint Martin’s on Thursday (7:30 p.m. AK) and Western Oregon on Saturday (5:15 p.m. AK).
Tyler Burraston leads a trio of double-figure scorers for the Seawolves, averaging 12.1 points per game.
Sean Evans is right behind at 12.0 points, while
Bishop Tosi is chipping in 10.6 points and shooting 59.2% from the field. Tosi is also the team’s leading rebounder at 5.4 boards per game.
Read More: Men host GNAC openers (UAA Preview)
Sean Evans and the Seawolves are coming off a gutsy, 74-73 win over Newberry last time out (Photo: Stephanie Burgoon).
RED LEAFS TURN A CORNER: After losing its first five games of the season, Simon Fraser has bounced back by winning four of its last five contests ahead of its GNAC openers. The biggest triumph during the stretch was a 99-94, double-overtime win over Westminster on Nov. 23. Last week SFU beat Westmont 78-73 and fell to Academy of Art 88-73 on the road in California. The Red Leafs open their conference slate at Central Washington on Thursday (7:30 p.m. PT) and at Northwest Nazarene on Saturday (2 p.m. MT).
Luke Howard leads the team and ranks fifth in the conference with 17.1 points per game, and is also the squad’s top rebounder with 5.8 boards per game.
Irish Coquia meanwhile is second on the team with 14.1 points per game and ranks third in the conference with 5.0 assists per game.
Lenz Dupont (12.2 ppg) and
Tate Christiansen (10.6 ppg) are SFU’s other double-digit scorers.
Matthys Van Bylandt has reached double figures in scoring in three of his last four games for the Red Leafs (Gordon Kalisch/FastTrackSports Photography).
FALCONS HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS: Seattle Pacific (2-6) kicks off a four-game home stand on Saturday as it challenges the reigning conference champion Yellowjackets at 2 p.m. (PT). SPU has three more games at Brougham Pavilion prior to the holiday break and won’t be on the road again until a Jan. 2 affair an hour down I5 at Saint Martin’s. The Falcons lost to No. 13 Point Loma 82-68 and fell 90-67 to Vanguard in a pair of games in San Diego last week.
Owen Moriarty leads the squad and ranks sixth in the league with 16.6 points per game, while
Trace Evans is contributing 13.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in the early going. University of Montana transfer
Jaxon Nap leads the team and ranks third in the conference with 7.1 rebounds per game.
Read More: Moriarty reaches milestone in loss (SPU Recap)
Montana transfer Jaxon Nap is averaging a team-leading 7.1 rebounds per game for the Falcons (Photo: Rio Giancarlo).
WOLVES WIN IN OT: Western Oregon (2-7) will have the recent memory of a 90-83 overtime win against Academy of Art on its mind as it flies to the Last Frontier to open its conference slate this week. The Wolves play at Alaska Fairbanks Thursday (7:15 p.m. AK) and at Alaska Anchorage on Saturday (7:15 p.m. AK). Second-year standout
Jason Gallant leads the team and ranks third in the GNAC with 18.0 points per game, and
Anjay Cortez is also in double figures with 12.1 points per game.
Zach Moore paces the squad with 5.6 rebounds per game, and Brady Grier adds 5.1 boards per game.
Read More: WOU men begin GNAC action Thursday (WOU Preview)
Western Oregon freshman Braydon Olson of Chehalis, Wash., has seen minutes in five games off the bench in his debut collegiate season (Photo: Eddie Bruning).
Jalai O’Keith – University of Alaska Fairbanks
O’Keith upped his season scoring average to 15.4 points per game thanks to a season-best 33 points in the most recent outing, as he connected on 7 of 11 threes in the game against Northwest Indian. The 6-foot-6 guard has had a dominant start to his Nanook career, and is the GNAC leader in rebounding at 9.6 boards per game. O’Keith has already posted three double-doubles this season, including a 15-point, 15-rebound effort in the season opener against Chaminade on Nov. 8. The transfer from East Los Angeles College has reached double digits in points in all but one game this season, shooting 48.1% overall, 42.9% from the arc and 88.9% from the free throw line.
| 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.
| NABC National Top-25 Poll |
| Poll |
Team 1 |
Team 2 |
| Preseason (10/30) |
15. CWU |
RV MSUB |
| Week 1 (11/18) |
16. SMU |
RV WWU |
| Week 2 (11/26) |
17. SMU |
RV WWU |
| Week 3 (12/3) |
RV SMU |
|
| D2CSC National Top-25 Poll |
| Poll |
Team 1 |
Team 2 |
| Week 1 (11/11) |
16. SMU |
RV MSUB |
| Week 2 (11/18) |
12. SMU |
RV WWU |
| Week 3 (11/25) |
15. SMU |
RV WWU |
| Week 4 (12/3) |
T25. SMU |
|
| 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 |
|
| Week 4 (11/25) |
3. SMU |
6. WWU |
T7. MSUB |
9. NNU |
|
| Week 5 (12/2) |
4. SMU |
T6. WWU |
8. MSUB |
10. CWU |
RV 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 |
| 11/25 |
Irish Coquia |
Simon Fraser |
| 12/2 |
Garrett Anderson |
Central Washington |
Garrett Anderson – Central Washington University
First-career player of the week.
Anderson helped lead the Wildcats to a 69-68 upset win over No. 13 Point Loma last week, highlighting a stellar all-around performance across his two games played. The junior from Phoenix, Ariz., averaged 18.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in last week’s contests. Anderson kicked off his big week with his first double-double of the year, scoring 20 points and adding a season-high 11 rebounds in an 85-76 loss to Vanguard. He followed that with 17 points, seven rebounds and three assists in the upset of the nationally ranked Sea Lions. In 62 minutes on the floor last week, Anderson committed just two turnovers while shooting 46.2% (12-for-26) overall and making 10 of 12 free throws (83.3%).
CWU Head Coach Brandon Rinta: “Garrett was in a great rhythm this weekend finding multiple ways to score the basketball. He also had one of the most impressive rebounding weekends I have ever seen from a guard.”
Also Nominated: Sean Evans, Alaska Anchorage; Jalai O’Keith, Alaska Fairbanks; Jalen Tot, Montana State Billings; Myles Samuels, Saint Martin’s; Owen Moriarty, Seattle Pacific; Lenz Dupont, Simon Fraser; Will Wilson, Western Washington.
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 |