Wednesday, October 27, 2021
ROLLA, Mo. – The unanimous pick to win the GNAC this season, Seattle Pacific is the conference’s lone representative on the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II Preseason Rankings.
The Falcons enter the season ranked No. 21 after not earning a ranking during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season. Seattle Pacific is one of two West Region teams to make the top 25. Point Loma enters the season at No. 24.
Seattle Pacific was a solid all-around team in 2019-20, averaging 79.5 points per game while leading the GNAC in field goal percentage (.497) and ranking second in Division II in free-throw shooting (.807) behind Western Oregon. The Falcons allowed just 70.4 points per game and outscored opponents by an average of 9.1 points per contest. Seattle Pacific put together a 13-game schedule in 2021, which included 10 home games, and went 10-3.
All five starters from that 2019-20 team return with almost all having seasoned themselves further last year. Senior guard and GNAC Preseason Player of the Year Divant’e Moffitt was fourth in the GNAC in scoring two years ago, averaging 17.1 points per game, and averaged 17.6 points per game in 2021. He was a First Team All-GNAC and D2CCA All-West Region selection in 2020.
Senior guard and preseason all-conference selection Harry Cavell was the conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2020 and averaged 16.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in 2021. Sophomore forward Shaw Anderson, the 2020 GNAC Freshman of the Year, also earned preseason all-conference honors. Anderson sat out the 2021 season. He averaged 12.8 points per game and was among the conference leaders in free-throw shooting (.810) and three-point shooting (.563).
The Falcons’ returning lineup also includes sophomore guard Zach Paulsen, senior forward Medhi El Mardi and senior guard Sharif Khan, all of whom averaged at least seven points per game in 2021.
Northwest Missouri State, winner of three of the last four NCAA Division II championships, received all but one first-place vote and enters the season ranked No. 1. The Falcons will face the Bearcats in their second game of the season at the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic on November 7 in St. Joseph, Missouri. The Falcons will open the tournament against Alabama Huntsville, ranked No. 20, on November 6.
Among other West Region teams to receive votes are Chico State (24), Cal Poly Pomona (21), Hawaii Hilo (9) and Cal State San Bernardino (4).