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GCU THANKSGIVING CLASSIC
Antelope Gymnasium • Phoenix, Ariz.
( LiveStats for both games: www.sidearmstats.com/gcu/mbball/index.htm )

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26 --
Seattle Pacific vs. Fort Lewis, 1:15 p.m. PST (2:15 pm MST)

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27 --
Seattle Pacific at Grand Canyon, 6:15 p.m. PST (7:15 p.m. MST)
( Webcast for Saturday's game: www.b2livetv.com/partner_members.asp?id=78 )

The Seattle Pacific men's basketball team (1-1) embarks on its first road trip of the regular season, visiting Phoenix, Ariz. this weekend for the GCU Thanksgiving Classic. The Falcons, ranked No. 10 last week, play Fort Lewis College (2-0) of Durango, Colo. in the first round on Friday, Nov. 26. Tip-off is 1:15 p.m. Pacific Time (2:15 p.m. Mountain) at Antelope Gymnasium where SPU clashes with host Grand Canyon (2-1) on Saturday, Nov. 27 at 6:15 p.m. PST (7:15 p.m. MST). The Falcons won both previous meetings with Fort Lewis, but trails 11-5 in the all-time series with GCU.

Live Game Coverage
LiveStats are available for both of this week's road games at: www.sidearmstats.com/gcu/mbball/index.htm A free webcast will be available for Saturday's game against Grand Canyon and can be accessed at:
www.b2livetv.com/partner_members.asp?id=78

Recent Recap
The SPU men drew a split of their season-opening home games during the Sodexo Tip-Off Classic. They started fast with a 102-62 triumph over Cal State East Bay (Nov. 19) that marked their widest margin of victory since a 90-34 win over Montana State Billings in 2008. Chris Banchero led six double-figure scorers with 17 points and the Falcons hit 61 percent of their shots (38 of 62). One night later, Banchero again had 17 points but SPU was limited to 37-percent shooting (21 of 57) in a 68-61 loss to Dixie State.



Brilliant Banchero
Senior point guard Chris Banchero was brilliant during the exhibition season, averaging 33.7 points in three outings. He tallied 38 points in a win at Eastern Washington (Nov. 2) and keyed an SPU win at Nevada with 33 points (Nov. 6). Banchero was named the 2010 GNAC and West Region Player of the Year. He posted double-figure points in all but three games last season. Banchero led every SPU scorer 18 times and reached the 20-point plateau on 16 occasions. He poured in a career-high 34 points against Central Washington (Feb. 25). Banchero averaged 19.6 points to rank No. 2 in the conference. He led all GNAC scorers during league games with 21.1 points per game.

Notable
The Falcons erupted for 102 points in their season opener against Cal State East Bay, the seventh straight season they registered a 100-point performance in a game ... Five players made their debuts last weekend in an SPU uniform: Riley Carel, Jeff Dorman, David Downs, Andy Poling and Modou Niang ... Transfers Andy Poling (6-11, Gonzaga) and Modou Niang (6-10, Utah State) are the tallest tandem in Falcons history ... Four of SPU's top-six scorers are back and returning players accounted for 58 percent of last-year's points ... The SPU men were ranked No. 7 nationally among NCAA Division II teams in The Sporting News preseason poll and No. 10 in the preseason NABC coaches poll ... Senior point guard Chris Banchero was a first-team preseason All-America pick by TSN. He was the 2010 Great Northwest Athletic Conference and West Region Player of the Year.

Scouting Fort Lewis (2-0)
> The Skyhawks started the season with wins over Eastern New Mexico (88-82) and GNAC member Northwest Nazarene (80-54), both at home in Durango, Colo.

> Bob Hofman is in his 15th season as coach at Fort Lewis, which was picked to win the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

> The Skyhawks feature 6-foot-2 senior guard DeAndre Lansdowne, a preseason honors candidate who averaged 21.7 points and 6.1 rebounds last season.

> The Falcons were victorious in both previous meetings with Fort Lewis. They won 78-58 on Dec. 30, 1999 and 94-58 on Nov. 24, 1995, both in Seattle.

> Second-year SPU coach Ryan Looney has never coach against the Skyhawks.

Scouting Grand Canyon (2-1)
> The Antelopes defeated eighth-ranked St. Cloud State 71-65 at home in their last outing. Their lone loss was a 72-48 setback at NCAA Division I Utah.

> Second-year GCU coach Russ Pennell was the interim head coach at Arizona in 2008-09 and directed the Wildcats to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

> Grand Canyon leads the series 11-5 and won the most recent meeting 69-68 on Jan. 2, 2010 in Phoenix to earn a season split. SPU won 70-57 on Dec. 19 in Seattle.

> Second-year SPU coach Ryan Looney has a 1-1 record against the Antelopes.

Exhibition Recap
Senior Chris Banchero reached the 30-point plateau in all three games, leading SPU to a 3-0 exhibition record. The Falcons registered a pair of victories over NCAA Division I opponents. They won 87-82 at Eastern Washington (Nov. 2) led by Banchero's 38 points and nine assists. He led SPU to an 84-81 win with 33 points at Nevada (Nov. 6). Banchero scored 30 and Andy Poling added 20 points and 16 rebounds in an 88-76 home win over Northwest University (Nov. 9).

2010 Preview
The Seattle Pacific men return three starters from last year's team that posted a 22-6 record and made its sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Heading the list of returnees is senior point guard Chris Banchero (Seattle, Wash./O'Dea HS), the reigning GNAC and West Region Player of the Year. Banchero averaged 19.6 points and 2.9 assists while converting 52 percent of his shots from the field. A pair of front-line starters are back; senior Ryan Sweet (Port Orchard, Wash./South Kitsap HS) and junior Jake Anderson (Burlington, Wash./Burlington-Edison HS). Sweet tallied 10.3 points and a team-high 7.8 rebounds per game in 2010. Anderson averaged 6.7 points and 4.9 rebounds. The Falcons front line will be bolstered by the addition of two towering transfers from Division I schools. SPU added 6-foot-11 sophomore Andy Poling (Portland, Ore.) from Gonzaga and 6-10 junior Modou Niang (Richard Toll, Senegal) from Utah State.

Defending Champions
SPU captured the 2010 Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship, it's third in the last five years and the fourth since the GNAC was formed in 2001-02. The Falcons, whose only other outright championship came in 2006, shared the 2002 and 2007 league crowns.

Six-Year Run
The Falcons registered a 126-49 record over the last six seasons, more victories than any Great Northwest Athletic Conference team during that span. SPU compiled a 20-9 record in 2005, 26-6 in 2006, 18-10 in 2007, 21-8 in 2008, 19-10 in 2009 and 22-6 last season. The 126 combined wins are the second-highest six-year total in school history, topped only by a 131-win run from 1997 to 2002. The Falcons competed in six straight NCAA Division II Tournaments (2005-10), advancing to the national semifinals in 2006.

GNAC Poll
Seattle Pacific was picked to repeat as Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's basketball champion in the preseason coaches poll. The Falcons collected eight of 10 first-place votes and got a pair of seconds en route to a 98-point total. SPU returns three starters from last season's team that captured the GNAC crown with a 13-3 record. Projected to place second by the GNAC coaches, Central Washington received one first-place vote and 88 points. Montana State Billings was selected third (72 points) followed by Alaska Anchorage (71), which picked up the remaining first-place vote. Western Washington holds down the No. 5 spot (64) followed by Northwest Nazarene (48), Saint Martin's (39), Western Oregon (31), Alaska Fairbanks (29) and first-year conference competitor Simon Fraser (10). SPU, which is the poll favorite for the second year in a row, will be gunning for its fifth GNAC title including its fourth in the past six years.

Magnificent Marksmen
The Falcons combined to shoot 50.8 percent from the field last season, the fourth-best figure among NCAA Division II teams. They finished the 2009 campaign as the nation's second-best shooting squad at 51.8 percent. SPU shot at or above 50 percent 17 times last year, topped by a 66-percent effort against Carroll College (Dec. 4). They won 14 of 15 games when eclipsing the 50% plateau. The SPU men were undefeated in 20 games when their field goal shooting was superior to opponents.

Looney's Ledger
Ryan Looney led Seattle Pacific to a 22-6 record in 2010 and became the first coach to direct the Falcons to a conference championship in his inaugural season. Looney, who led his alma mater Eastern Oregon University to the quarterfinals of the 2009 NAIA Division II Tournament, was hired May 26, 2009 as the coach at SPU. He won his opening nine games on the SPU sidelines, the first coach to win more than his first three for the Falcons. Looney, 35, has a 118-62 (.656) career record and was voted the 2010 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. He compiled a 95-55 record in five seasons with Eastern Oregon and directed EOU to back-to-back NAIA Tournament appearances in 2008 and 2009.

2010 Review
Coach Ryan Looney directed SPU to a 22-6 record, its sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and a No. 18 final ranking during his first season. He was named the 2010 GNAC Coach of the Year and Chris Banchero was the conference and West Region Player of the Year. The Falcons posted a first-place mark of 13-3 in league play. They lost 76-72 to BYU-Hawaii in the first round of the playoffs in Bellingham, Wash. One of SPU's signature victories was a 78-72 home win on Dec. 5 over that same BYU-Hawaii squad that was ranked No. 1 at the time. The Falcons will look to replace two starters, All-GNAC honorable mention guard Brandon Larrieu and forward Rob Diederichs, who set a new conference single-game record with 19 assists on Feb. 25.

Ticket Talk
Season tickets for SPU basketball games are available and are a great value, assuring a seat in the best location for every home game. Call 206-281-2085 for ticket information. Individual game tickets can be purchased at Brougham Pavilion (3414 Third Ave. W., Seattle 98119) on game day. Ticket windows open one hour before tip-off. Reserved seats are $8 for center court locations and $7 for other sideline areas. General admission tickets are priced at $6 for adults and $3 for students & senior citizens. Groups or teams of 10 or more may qualify for special GA rates by calling (206) 281-2085 at least 72 hours in advance. SPU students and staff are admitted free with i.d.