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THURSDAY, MARCH 4 --
(#9) Seattle Pacific at Alaska Fairbanks, 8:30 p.m. PST (7:30 AST)
Patty Center (2,000) • Fairbanks, Ak.

SATURDAY, MARCH 6 --
(#9) Seattle Pacific at Alaska Anchorage, 8:30 p.m. PST (7:30 AST)
Wells Fargo Sports Complex (1,250) • Anchorage, Ak.

With the Great Northwest Athletic Conference title and playoff berth already clinched, the ninth-ranked Seattle Pacific men (22-3, 13-1 GNAC) play for positioning and precedent this week as they embark on a journey to Alaska. The Falcons visit Alaska Fairbanks (7-16, 2-12) on Thursday, Mar. 4 for an 8:30 p.m. Pacific Time (7:30 p.m. Alaska Time) contest at the Patty Center. SPU won the last five meetings against the Nanooks. The Falcons close out the regular season on Saturday, Mar. 6 at Alaska Anchorage (16-9, 7-7). Tip-off is 8:30 p.m. PST (7:30 p.m. AST) at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex. SPU won the last two meetings against the Seawolves, but lost its last two games at Anchorage.

Playing for Position
Seattle Pacific is listed No. 1 in the West Region men's basketball rankings produced by the NCAA selection committee. If the Falcons retain that position they will host the West Regional (the first three rounds of the NCAA Tournament) on March 12, 13 and 15 at Brougham Pavilion. The only two previous times the Falcons served as NCAA Tournament hosts, in 2000 and 2006, they parlayed the homecourt advantage into Elite Eight berths and placed third nationally both seasons. SPU has a 14-1 record this season on campus at Brougham, and won 31 of their last 35 home games.

Playing for Precedent
No team has won the GNAC title by more than one game in the final standings. The Falcons have already clinched the league crown and own a three-game lead in the loss column. They can become the most decisive champion in the nine-year history of the conference with a win in either of their last two regular-season games. SPU captured the GNAC championship for the third time in five years. It was SPU's fourth title since the GNAC was formed in 2001-02. The Falcons, whose only other outright championship came in 2006, shared the league crown in 2002 and 2007.

Live Coverage
Both SPU games this week in Alaska can be viewed live via webcats at: www.PennAtlantic.com  LiveStats are available for both games, Thursday at: www.sidearmstats.com/uaf/mbball and Saturday at: www.GoSeawolves.com

Player of the Week
Senior Rob Diederichs, who distributed a Great Northwest Athletic Conference-record 19 assists Thursday to help ninth-ranked Seattle Pacific clinch the league championship, received the GNAC Athlete of the Week award Monday. The 6-foot-8 wing player compiled 30 assists, 18 rebounds and three steals last week while turning the ball over just three times. Diederichs attempted just five shots, making four, and was perfect (4 of 4) from the foul line. His 19-assist, 10-rebound, six-point performance keyed SPU's 100-92 home with over Central Washington (Feb. 25). He shattered the school's single-game record of 14 assists and surpassed the GNAC standard of 18 that was set in 2008 by Alaska Anchorage's Luke Cooper. At Saint Martin's (Feb. 27), Diederichs recorded his fifth double-digit assist game of the season with 11 in an 89-76 victory. A product of Shorewood High School in Shoreline, Wash., Diederichs has averaged 10.2 assists in his last six games to raise his season average to a conference-leading 6.4 per contest. His 159 assists are the eighth highest single-season total in SPU history.

SPU in the NCAAs
Seattle Pacific has secured its sixth straight playoff appearance and will participate in its 21st NCAA Tournament since joining the Division II ranks in 1962. The Falcons, competing in the postseason for the 14th time in the last 17 seasons, have a 24-20 all-time record in the NCAA playoffs. They advanced to the national semifinals in 2000 and again in 2006. Last year, SPU opened the playoffs in Bellingham, Wash. with an 82-77 win over host Western Washington before losing 80-72 to eventual national runner-up Cal Poly Pomona in the second round. The Falcons won at least one game in 16 of its 20 previous NCAA playoff appearances.

Ticket Talk
If SPU is selected to host the West Regional, games will be played on March 12, 13 and 15 at Brougham Pavilion (3414 Third Ave. W., Seattle 98119). Tickets can be purchased in advance next week at the SPU Athletic Office or by calling 206-281-2085. Reserved seats are $12. General admission tickets are $8 for adults and $3 for students.

Scouting Alaska Fairbanks (7-16, 2-12 GNAC)
> The Nanooks feature high-scoring senior Emmanuel Jenkins, whose 17.3-point average is the third-highest figure in the GNAC.

> UAF is playing well recently, winning 95-83 at Western Oregon on Feb. 20 before losing a hard-fought 81-78 decision at Alaska Anchorage on Feb. 24.

> The Falcons lead the all-time series 47-14 and won the last five meetings.

> First-year SPU coach Ryan Looney has a 1-0 record against Alaska Fairbanks.

Scouting Alaska Anchorage (16-9, 7-7 GNAC)
> UAA boasts the GNAC's stingiest defense, yielding just 63.7 points per game while the Falcons produce 80.2 points per game to rank second offensively.

> The Seawolves lead the all-time series 30-24. SPU won the last two meetings, including an 80-71 home decision on Jan. 28 powered by Chris Banchero's 33 points. The Falcons won 68-66 on Feb. 19, 2009 in Seattle on a last-second, 35-foot banker by Casey Reed, who is now a graduate assistant on the UAA staff.

> The SPU men lost in their last two visits to Anchorage.

> In his first season at SPU, Ryan Looney has a 1-0 record against the Seawolves.

Simply the Best
Seattle Pacific is the nation's best shooting team, shooting 51.9 percent from the field (700 of 1348). The Falcons finished the 2009 campaign as the nation's second-best shooting squad at 51.8 percent. They shot at or above 50 percent 16 times this year, topped by a 66-percent effort against Carroll College on Dec. 4. The Falcons won all 14 games when they surpassed the 50-percent plateau. The SPU men are undefeated in 20 games when their field goal percentage is superior to opponents. Five players are shooting better than 50 percent for the Falcons. Rafael Moreira leads the team, shooting at a 60.2-percent clip. Also above 50 percent for SPU are Ryan Sweet (56.3%), Jake Anderson (56.3%), Chris Banchero (53.8%) and Adam Wardell (51.4%).

1,000-Point Club
On Feb. 20, senior Brandon Larrieu became the 29th 1,000-point scorer in SPU history. He was joined the next game, on Feb. 25, by No. 30 junior Chris Banchero. Larrieu currently ranks No. 24 among all-time SPU scorers with 1,032 points and Banchero has 1,024 point to rank 25th. Loren Anderson is the all-time school scoring leader with 1.948 points from 1955-58.

Notable
Ryan Looney is the first coach to win a conference title in his inaugural season at SPU ... The Falcons have reached the 22-win plateau for the ninth time in school history. The SPU record of 27 victories was set in 2000 ... SPU's 6-foot-9 senior post Rafael Moreira missed the last 10 games and is out for the season with a knee injury.

Ranking Report
Seattle Pacific remained No. 9 in this week's (Mar. 2) NCAA Division II men's basketball rankings compiled by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). The Falcons were included for the first time in two years with a No. 24 listing in the initial regular-season rankings on Nov. 24 after being overlooked in the preseason poll. SPU has been ranked ever since, rising as high as No. 6 on Dec. 15.

Brilliant Banchero
Junior Chris Banchero posted double-figure points in all but two games this season. He led all SPU scorers 16 times and reached the 20-point plateau on 14 occasions. Banchero poured in 33 points against Alaska Anchorage (Jan. 28) and then tallied a career-high 34 against Central Washington (Feb. 25). A two-time GNAC Player of the Week, Banchero is averaging 19.6 points per game, a figure that ranks No. 2 in the conference. He twice hit game-winning shots; Jan. 14 at Western Oregon and Feb. 20 at Montana State Billings.

Downs Heats Up
Junior Jeff Downs heated up from long range recently after spending extra time shooting in the gym. He had a 20-point outburst against Alaska Fairbanks (Jan. 30), tying his game best for treys by hitting 6 of 10 behind the arc. Downs shot 29 of 51 from 3-point range (57%) during the last 10 games he played. He made 5 of 20 treys (25%) during the previous five outings. Downs leads SPU with 46 treys this season.

Five-Year Run
The Falcons registered a 104-43 record over the previous five 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 and 19-10 last season. The 104 combined wins are the second-highest five-year total in school history, topped only by a 113-win run from 1998 to 2002. The Falcons have competed in five straight NCAA Tournaments (2005-09), advancing to the national semifinals in 2006.

2009 Review
First-year SPU coach Ryan Looney inherited a team that posted a 19-10 record in 2009 and advanced to the second round of the playoffs. The Falcons placed third in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference with an 11-5 record. They were the league's last surviving team in the postseason after eliminating champion Western Washington in the first round. SPU advanced to the regional semifinal before losing 80-72 to eventual national runner-up Cal Poly Pomona. Just one letterman, senior forward Casey Reed, and coach Jeff Hironaka departed from last year's team. Four starters return, including second-team All-GNAC pick Chris Banchero along with honorable mention selections Brandon Larrieu and Rafael Moreira.

Looney's Ledger
Ryan Looney, who led Eastern Oregon University to the quarterfinals of the 2009 NAIA Division II Tournament, was hired May 26, 2009 as the coach at Seattle Pacific. He won his opening nine games on the SPU sidelines, the first coach to win more than his first three for the Falcons. Looney, 34, has a 117-58 (.669) career record and won his 100th game on Dec. 4 against Carroll College. He is the first coach to direct SPU into the playoffs in his inaugural season. Looney 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.