October 26,
2007
Jacket Men Tabbed Ninth in GNAC
Click HERE for complete GNAC preview
BILLINGS, Mont. – Alaska Anchorage has been
picked as the preseason men’s basketball favorite by coaches in
the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Montana State
Billings, in its first year in the 10-team league, has been
picked to finish ninth.
The Yellowjackets were 6-21 last season
when they were a member of the Heartland Conference. The
Yellowjackets return just three players from that squad and will
not have an upper classman on the roster. MSUB will be the
youngest team in the GNAC with seven freshmen and four
sophomores.
Along with Alaska Anchorage, Seattle
Pacific and Seattle University are expected to contend for the
GNAC crown. Just 20 points separated the top three teams in the
poll. Alaska Anchorage has qualified for the NCAA Tournament in
three of the last four seasons. Seattle Pacific and Seattle
were conference co-champions in 2006-2007.
The Yellowjackets open the season Nov. 2 at
Disney’s West Coast Tip Off Classic in Anaheim. They will face
perennial powers Metro State, Cal State San Bernardino, and
Kentucky Wesleyan. All three games will be audio streamed at
www.msubillings.edu/athletics. MSUB’s home opener will be Dec.
17 when the Jackets host Rocky Mountain College.
2007-08 GNAC Coaches Poll
1. Alaska Anchorage (7) 19-9, 10-6
104
2. Seattle Pacific (1) 18-10, 11-5
87
3. Seattle (2) 20-9,
11-5 84
4. Western Washington 11-15, 5-11 62
Central Washington 15-12, 10-6 62
6. Saint Martin’s 10-17,
7-9 52
7. Northwest Nazarene 10-17, 5-11 40
8. Western Oregon 10-17, 5-11 35
9. Montana State Billings 6-21,
4-8* 18
10. Alaska Fairbanks 17-13, 8-8
16
(Note:
First-place votes in parenthesis. Points awarded on
11-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. MSUB record in Heartland
Conference). |
