Men's Basketball Release
11/7 - NWC POLL: George Fox Edges Whitworth for 2nd in Pre-Season Coaches' Poll
Northwest Conference Men's Basketball Pre-Season Poll
NEWBERG, Ore. - Despite the loss of Northwest Conference men's basketball Player of the Year Mark Gayman to graduation, the return of four starters was enough to earn the George Fox University Bruins second place behind the unanimous favorite, the University of Puget Sound, in the 2005-06 NWC pre-season poll as voted on by the league's nine coaches.
The Bruins earned 62 points in the balloting, edging third-place Whitworth College by one vote. Puget Sound, which is gunning for its third consecutive NWC title, picked up all nine first-place votes and all 90 possible points.
Gayman, who was second in the league in scoring (18.0 ppg), first in rebounding (8.3 rpg), earned NCAA Division III All-West Region Second Team honors, and ended his GFU career eighth all-time in scoring (1,457 points), will certainly be missed by the Bruins. The cupboard is not exactly bare, however, for sixth-year head coach Mark Sundquist, the NWC Coach of the Year for leading the Bruins to an 18-7 record and second in the conference at 13-3.
Heading the cast of returning characters is 5-11 senior dynamo Aaron Schmick, an outside sharp-shooter who averaged 15.8 points a game while ranking among the league leaders in field goal percentage (.561) and assists (3.0). He was a First Team All-NWC selection as well. At the other wing, junior Phil Heu-Weller averaged 10.8 points a game and was 20th nationally in free throw percentage (.868), earning honorable mention All-Conference honors. The Bruins will also look for good senior seasons from point guard Ben Melvin (8.5 ppg, 2.9 apg) and 6-7 post Scott Szalay (8.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg).
Puget Sound will be led by First Team All-NWC honorees Zack McVey (post) and Chase Curtiss (guard), both seniors. A total of three starters and eight letterwinners return for Loggers head coach Eric Bridgeland. Like the Bruins, the Whitworth Pirates also welcome back four starters, including All-NWC forward Lance Pecht.
Willamette University and Lewis & Clark College were fourth and fifth in the poll. The Bearcats (50 points) will be led by Second Team All-NWC guard John Olinger, while the Pioneers (45 points) will look to Second Team All-NWC forward Tommy Magnuson for leadership.
Linfield College edged Whitman College for sixth in the poll with 36 points. The Wildcats were hit heavy by graduation, including All-NWC selections Blake Shelton and Chris Lewis. The Missionaries (35 points) return honorable mention honorees Kyle Born and Matt Kelly.
Pacific Lutheran University (20 points) and Pacific University (15 points) rounded out the poll in eighth and ninth places respectively. The Lutes will relay on senior wing Drew Cardwell, while the Boxers welcome back sophomore guard Brad Krichevsky.
This season the Northwest Conference returns to a conference tournament to decide the automatic (Pool A) bid to the NCAA tournament. At the conclusion of the regular season, the second-place team in the final standings will host the third-place team in a playoff. The winner will then play at the regular season champion for the NCAA bid.