SAINTS UPSET SEALIONS: The first big upset of the season came on Monday night in San Diego, when the Saints put themselves on the map with their win over Point Loma. Kyle Greeley led the way with 20 points and nine rebounds, while Tyke Thompson added 16 points and six boards and Myles Samuels just missed a double-double off the bench with 12 points and nine rebounds.

Read More: Greeley Grinds Down Sea Lions As Saints Start 3-0 (SMU Recap)

While the Saints were the first team left out of the NABC top-25 preseason poll, Monday’s result should be enough to crack the GNAC preseason favorite into the list of nationally ranked teams when the next poll is released on Nov. 20. SMU received a more favorable ranking from the D2CSC sportswriters poll, which slotted them No. 9 in Division II in its initial release Monday.

JOHNSON LEADS VIKINGS TO EARLY SUCCESS: Kai Johnson has helped Western Washington get off to a 4-2 start to the season, and is the NCAA leader in points (125) through the first six games of 2023-24. The reigning GNAC Player of the Week averaged 24.5 points in WWU’s wins over Cal State Dominguez Hills (81-58) and Cal Poly Humboldt (95-69) on his way to MVP honors at the West Region Crossover. WWU will look to shake off Tuesday’s 83-67 loss to Hawaii Pacific, as they square off against Concordia Irvine on Friday at 5 p.m. and Azusa Pacific on Saturday at 5 p.m. at the PacWest/GNAC Challenge in Seattle.

Read More: Hot Shooting Continues Solid Start To Season (WWU Recap)

MYERS LOGS DIVISION II’S FIRST TRIPLE-DOUBLE: The first triple-double of the 2023-24 NCAA Division II season belongs to Western Oregon’s Qiant Myers, who achieved the rare feat with 14 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds in WOU’s 79-66 win over Multnomah on Tuesday night. It was just the seventh triple-double in GNAC history and the first by a conference player since Central Washington’s Gamaun Boykin had one on Dec. 14, 2019 also against Multnomah. Three of the GNAC’s seven triple-doubles belong to Wolves, as Myers joined former GNAC Player of the Year Tanner Omlid (Feb. 4, 2017 vs. Seattle Pacific) and Robert Day (Dec. 16, 2003 vs. MSU Billings) in the distinguished category.

Western Oregon (1-2) will look to build off its first win of the year against Stanislaus State on Friday at 5 p.m. and Sonoma State on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Read More: Myers’ Triple-Double Paces Wolves Past Multnomah (WOU Recap)

UNDEFEATED SEAWOLVES KICK OFF HOMESTAND: Alaska Anchorage (4-0) has started the season on a four-game winning streak and will kick off a four-game homestand at the Alaska Airlines Center on Friday night. UAA is set to play UC Merced on back-to-back nights this week, before hosting Adams State on consecutive nights over Thanksgiving weekend. The Seawolves took care of business at the GNAC/PacWest Crossover in Fairbanks last week, knocking off Chaminade 77-72 and Hawaii Pacific 65-50. Tournament MVP Tyson Gilbert continued his strong stat to the 2023-24 season, and ranks second in the conference with 19.3 points per game.

Read More: Men Start Homestand With Pair Vs. Bobcats (UAA Preview)

FALCONS, WILDCATS TO HOST TOURNEYS: Seattle Pacific (2-3) is set to host the PacWest/GNAC Challenge at Brougham Pavilion this weekend with the Vikings being the other conference team to square off against regional opponents. Coming off a split at the CCAA Crossover last week, the Falcons will make their home debut on Friday against Azusa Pacific at 7:15 p.m. and Saturday against Concordia Irvine at 7:15 p.m. GNAC Preseason Player of the Year Shaw Anderson has put up 17.8 points per game, while sophomore Trace Evans ranks fourth in the GNAC with 8.6 rebounds per game.

Read More: Falcons Host PacWest/GNAC Challenge This Weekend (SPU Preview)

In Ellensburg, Central Washington (1-1) will host the CWU Tournament with Northwest Nazarene (1-0) making the trip from Nampa. CWU will take on Cal State LA on Friday at 7 p.m. and Westminster on Saturday at 7 p.m. in its first regular-season games at newly renovated Nicholson Pavilion. NNU will face the same two opponents, after opening its season with an 83-68 triumph over Walla Walla on Nov. 11 at home.

Read More: Wildcats Set To Host CWU Tournament (CWU Preview)

Aaron Murphy – Northwest Nazarene

Gabriel Murphy – Northwest Nazarene

The Murphy brothers figure to account for a hefty amount of the conference’s rebounds this season, as evidenced by their combined 21 boards in the Nighthawks’ season-opening win over Walla Walla. Gabriel, a senior, garnered preseason all-conference recognition after ranking second in the conference in 2022-23 with 8.2 rebounds per game. Aaron, a sophomore, was not far behind in his debut collegiate season as he hauled in 5.0 rebounds per game to rank 16th in the conference. It was Aaron who led the team on Tuesday with 11 rebounds, as the duo hinted at a productive season in the paint in Nampa.

Read More: Nighthawks Soar To Season-Opening Victory Over Wolves (NNU Recap)

The NABC Division II rankings are released every Monday throughout the 2023-24 season. The D2CSC regional rankings are released on Mondays, with the national rankings following on Tuesdays.

Saint Martin’s represented the GNAC in the NABC preseason rankings and was the first team listed among others receiving votes outside of the top-25. SMU was slated the top team in the west region and No. 9 nationally by the D2CSC, which consists of a panel of Division II sports information directors.

The 2023-24 GNAC Men’s Basketball Championships will be held March at Nicholson Pavilion on the campus of Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Wash. The top-six teams in the final GNAC regular-season standings will advance to the single-elimination tournament. The winner of the event will earn the conference’s automatic berth into the NCAA West Region Championships.