GNAC Preseason Poll

[Anchorage]

1. St Martins (3 first place votes)
2. NNU (2)
3. MSU-Billings (3)
4. WWU (1)
5. SPU
6. UAA
7. CWU
8. WOU (1)
9. SFU
10. UAF

Thoughts?

[tsull]

Traditional powers SPU, UAA, WWU are surprisingly low. Surprised MSU-B is so high. I haven't checked St. Martin's roster, I know NNU has an excellent nucleus of players back.

[northernGNAChoopfan]

Looks like the coaches don't really have a consensus on too much with first place votes being split between 5 teams, and those teams coming in as low as 8th place...

[gratefuldad]

Seattle Pacific will win the GNAC this year. I have no evidence or rationale to back this statement up, other than I think they have a good coach in Grant Leep. They usually have good players too. My gut tells me that Rusty will have UAA back in the hunt again this year as well.

[Anchorage]

Got to watch UAA in a pair of games this weekend. Matched up with an NAIA school from Midway Kentucky that had some pretty good guards but not much inside. Talent wise they probably were a high D3/very low level D2. Midway could shoot the ball.

I think UAA has some pretty good talent. At times they turned the defense up and were extremely active defensively. Offense was rough at times, it’s early season so that’s expected, but I think the talent is there. They have good guards, they can shoot it, Wyche is a really good distributor. The team isn’t big but the energy and athleticism they showed it didn’t feel like they were small. They are a more athletic and quick team than the last few years.

The puzzling Sawyer Storms turned out to be pretty decent, 7 assists one night and 21 points the next. We will see how he does against bigger D2 teams but it was a nice debut for him. He’s a rotation piece. Rusty knew something.

The one thing I like about this UAA team is they are deep with proven D2 talent. So even if the new starters struggle they have guys like Lachlan Viney, Voitech Ruzek, Caleb Larsen, AJ Garrity or Tyson Gilbert who can come in and be aggressive and change the complexion of the game if they aren’t starting. That’s a nice bonus.

I feel like the stars of this team will be Wyche and forward Jaedon Bradley. When UAA needs a bucket created? The ball will be looking for those two or possibly Tyson Gilbert to create it.

I think they will be a pretty good GNAC team and a tough matchup for any D2team. It may take a little bit with so many new faces and every starter from last year gone but the talent is there if the mesh well together and Rusty’s system.