SEATTLE -- Before the spring signing period even began, Seattle Pacific got its biggest basketball commitment.

Andy Poling, a 6-foot-11, 230-pound post player who competed last season as a red-shirt freshman at Gonzaga, has transferred to Seattle Pacific where he is currently attending spring quarter classes. Poling has three seasons of eligibility for the NCAA Division II Falcons and can play immediately in the 2010-11 men's basketball campaign.

“We think Andy can be a really special player in our conference,” said Coach Ryan Looney, whose first SPU squad finished with a 22-6 record and won the 2010 Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship. “Last year, if we had some trouble at the end of the season it was because we had a lack of size. So, to add Andy to our roster is going to be a huge addition for us.”

Poling played six games for Gonzaga before announcing in early January his desire to transfer. He hit 4 of 5 shots from the field, averaging 1.8 points and 1.8 rebounds in 23 minutes for the Bulldogs.

In his final Gonzaga game, Poling registered four points and four rebounds during a nine-minute stint against Eastern Washington on Dec. 28.

“I'm excited about coming to Seattle Pacific. I think it's going to be a really good fit for me and the team,” Poling said. “I really like the coaching staff and the location in Seattle is great. SPU has a good tradition as one of top Division II programs and it's a really good school too.”

Poling prepped at Westview High School in Portland, Ore. where he was a three-time All-Metro League selection. He averaged 17.5 points per game as a senior, helping the Wildcats to the second round of the Oregon Class 6A Tournament.

Poling was rated one of the top-20 prep centers in the nation by scouting services.

What can SPU fans expect from Poling next season?

“I'm a low-block player, a back-to-the-basket scorer who can step out and shoot a little bit,” he describes. “I like to hustle and make smart plays.”

Looney concurs with Poling's self scouting report.

“We feel like he'll be a really nice fit for our system on offense because he can play around the hoop, but he can also step out and function on the perimeter. Andy is extremely big, but he is very skilled too.

“He'll be a great fit with the returning players that we have on our team. His personality seems to fit in well with the mix of people that we have. We have some very good players returning, so we don't need to ask too much of Andy right away. He will have three years to develop within our system and within our program.”

The SPU men made their sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and ended the season with a No. 18 final ranking. Looney was voted the GNAC Coach of the Year and junior Chris Banchero was the league's Player of the Year.

Four of the Falcons' top-six scorers return, including three starters.

Poling joins a pair of newcomers who will join the SPU program next season. Current high school seniors David Downs and Ryan Todd inked letters of intent during the November early signing period to play for the Falcons.

Downs is a 6-2 perimeter player from Bellevue Christian High School who was ranked the No. 5 guard in the state of Washington by NorthwestHoops.com. The No. 6 guard on that list was Todd, a 6-3 player from Jackson High School in Mill Creek, Wash.

The late signing session begins Wednesday and SPU is expected to sign two or three more student-athletes during that month-long period.