NWC POLL: Bruins Hope to Surprise After Being Picked 9th in NWC Pre-Season Coaches' Poll
SPOKANE, Wash. - After recruiting some increased height and size for his lineup, George Fox University coach Mark Sundquist expects the Bruins to confound the predictions and finish higher than the 9th-place finish they are tabbed for in the 2003-04 pre-season Northwest Conference men's basketball poll as voted on by the league's nine coaches.
Whitworth College, the 2002-03 conference champion, is forecast to repeat its title after picking up 5 first-place votes and 81 total points to finish ahead of the University of Puget Sound in the poll. The Pirates only return two starters from last season, but one of those is 2003 NWC Player of the Year and three-time first team All-NWC forward Bryan Depew. Last season's title was the Pirates' first since 1998, and 2003 NWC Coach of the Year Jim Hayford's first at Whitworth.
Puget Sound picked up 3 first-place votes and 69 points in the poll. The Loggers anticipate making a big jump up the standings from last season's 6th-place tie with the return of all five starters, including Second Team All-NWC guard Matt Glynn.
Lewis & Clark College, which finished 3rd in the conference last season, is 3rd in the poll with 56 points and the final first-place vote. Senior All-NWC guard Danny Winchester returns, as well as 2002 First Team All-NWC forward John Mietus, who studied abroad last season.
Pacific University surprised many last season by finishing 5th in the NWC with an 8-8 record after getting picked to finish 8th. The Boxers finished 4th in this season's poll with 54 points. Three starters, including honorable mention All-NWC guard Erin Gram, return.
Linfield College finished 5th in the poll with 45 points. The Wildcats hope for a full season of health from guard O.J. Gully, who was a Second Team All-NWC selection last season despite battling persistent injuries.
Willamette University, last season's runner-up, finished 6th in the poll with 43 points. The Bearcats must replace a pair of First Team All-NWC honorees (Marques Johnson and Ryan Hepp), but will get help from senior wing Miles Sandgathe, a Second Team All-NWC pick in 2003.
Pacific Lutheran University (31) was 7th in the poll, followed by Whitman College (23) 8th and George Fox (12) 9th.
The Bruins have three returning starters, led by Honorable Mention All-Conference wing Mark Gayman, who averaged 15.7 points, 7th in the league, and 7.1 rebounds, 6th in the league. Also back are starting wings Bryan Wadlow (8.6 ppg) and Brett Yeager (6.7 ppg), as well as sharp-shooting guard Aaron Schmick, who is expected to move into the starting lineup after averaging 10.0 ppg off the bench. The Bruins have five new faces, including 6-7 juco transfer Scott Szalay, who should help immensely with the Bruins' rebounding game, a lack of size being a problem that has plagued the team for the last few years.
This season, for the first time, the Northwest Conference will not use a conference tournament to decide the automatic (Pool A) bid to the NCAA tournament. That bid will go to the conference champion and winner of the regular season.