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SODEXO TIP-OFF CLASSIC
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.
• Webcast for all games: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/spu/
• LiveStats for all games: www.sidearmstats.com/spu/mbball
 
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11 –
GAME 1 -- Simon Fraser vs. Hawaii-Hilo, 3:00 p.m. PST
GAME 2 -- Humboldt State vs. Seattle Pacific, 7:00 p.m. PST
 
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12 –
GAME 3 -- Simon Fraser vs. Humboldt State, 3:00 p.m. PST
GAME 4 -- Hawaii-Hilo vs. Seattle Pacific, 7:00 p.m. PST
 
The Grant Leep Era officially begins this week as the first-year head coach leads Seattle Pacific into the start of the regular season with a home tournament. The Falcons (0-0) host the four-team Sodexo Tip-Off Classic at Brougham Pavilion on Friday, Nov. 11 and Saturday, Nov. 12. Men's basketball doubleheaders take place both days with the SPU men playing the 7 p.m. nightcap, against Humboldt State (0-0) on Friday and Hawaii-Hilo (0-0) on Saturday. Simon Fraser (0-0) plays the 3 p.m. opener both days against those same two opponents in reverse order of the Falcons. The SPU women are hosting a tournament the same days with games at 1:00 and 5:00 p.m. This is the first of three tournaments for the Falcons men, who host the Oak Harbor Freight Lines Classic Nov. 18-19 at Brougham. SPU visits Azusa, Calif. Nov. 25-26 for the Cougar Classic.
 
Ticket Talk
Season tickets for SPU men's basketball games are currently available. They are a tremendous value and assure a seat in the best location for every home game. Season tickets can be purchased at www.spufalcons.com or by calling 206-281-2393. Individual game tickets for SPU men's basketball games can be purchased at Brougham Pavilion (3414 Third Ave. W., Seattle 98119) on game day. Reserved seats for Falcon men's basketball are $9. General admission tickets are priced at $6 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizens. Groups or teams of 10 or more may qualify for special general admission rates by calling 206-281-2393 in advance.


 
Sponsored by Sodexo
Seattle Pacific is grateful to Sodexo for annually sponsoring this tournament. Sodexo USA (www.sodexoUSA.com) is the leading provider of food and facilities management in the United States. The Sodexo Foundation (www.helpstophunger.org) is an independent charitable organization that is leading the fight against hunger by supporting initiatives that focus on eliminating the root causes of hunger in the U.S.
 
Coaching Change
Grant Leep is the 12th head coach in the 73-year history of the storied Seattle Pacific program that owns the longest active playoff streak among NCAA Division II men's basketball programs. The run of 12 consecutive postseason berths stretches back to 2005. Leep succeeds Ryan Looney who compiled a 165-51 record in seven seasons at SPU before departing for Point Loma Nazarene in San Diego, Calif. Leep was an SPU assistant in each of Looney's seasons. He and his Falcons will face their former mentor in a Nov. 26 matchup with Point Loma in Azusa, Calif. Leep is a former prep All-American at Mount Vernon (Wash.) High School and standout collegian at Washington (1999-2002).
 
Next Week
SPU remains at home to host the four-team Oak Harbor Freight Lines Classic on Nov. 18 and 19 at Brougham Pavilion. The Falcons will be joined by GNAC rival Central Washington and they both play Minnesota State and Dixie State.
 
Falcons Fast Facts
Senior point guard Will Parker is the most experienced player with 14 career starts to his credit while no other Falcon has started more than four times ... SPU reached the 20-win plateau in 2015-16 (22-9) for a school-record seventh straight season and the 24th time overall in school history ... The Falcons led the nation in rebound margin last year for the second straight season, collecting 11.7 more caroms per game than opponents ... Senior center Joe Rasmussen's father Blair had a eight-year NBA career in Denver and Atlanta ... Seven of the 16 players on the roster have never before played a game in an SPU uniform, including brothers Tony and Trey Miller. Tony is a freshman from Woodinville (Wash.) High School and Trey is a transfer from Division I North Dakota State.
 
Scouting Humboldt State (21-9 in 2016, 12-8 CCAA)
> The Lumberjacks were NCAA Tournament participants last season.
 
> Humboldt was a high-scoring outfit last year, averaging 82.8 points per game.
 
> The Lumberjacks return three starters, including junior guard Malik Morgan who averaged 13.5 points and 5.0 assists in 2016.
 
> In his seventh year in charge, HSU's Steve Kinder has never coached against SPU.
 
> The Falcons own a 21-6 lead in the series with Humboldt and won the last meeting, 97-92 on Feb. 2, 2006 in Seattle. HSU was a GNAC member from 2002-06.
 
Scouting Hawaii-Hilo (9-15 in 2016, 9-11 PacWest )
> Two starters return from the Hilo squad that finished last season strong with wins in four of its last five games. Senior guard Parker Farris is the top returning scorer after averaging 16.0 points in 2016.
 
> The Vulcans roster includes four products of high schools in Washington state -- Ryley Callaghan (South Kitsap, Port Orchard), Darius Johnson-Wilson (Curtis, Tacoma), Jared Roffler (Mark Morris, Longview) and Eric Wattree III (South Kitsap).
 
> SPU owns a 10-6 series lead, including an 86-73 win last year on Nov. 21 in Seattle.
 
> The Vulcans are coached for the fourth year by former Central Washington assistant GE Coleman, who lost his only two meetings against the Falcons as a head coach.

 

Exhibition Recap
Freshman Tony Miller led five double-figure scorers with 18 points for SPU, which completed its men's basketball exhibition slate Saturday (Nov. 5) with a 96-65 win over Lewis & Clark at Brougham Pavilion. Miller completed a double-double with 10 rebounds, one week after a 28-point, 9-rebeound performance in a 102-82 loss at Brigham Young (Oct. 29). Center Joe Rasmussen averaged 14.0 points in the two exhibitions while forward Coleman Wooten rebounded at a 7.0 clip.
 
2016 Season Preview
You will need a roster to follow these Falcons. Along with a new coaching staff, helmed by former assistant Grant Leep, seven players will wear SPU maroon for the first time. The Falcons have some rebuilding to do, as all five primary starters were seniors from the 2015-16 squad that posted a 22-9 record. Five players return with some starting experience, but only one was in the opening lineup for more than four games last season. Leep must deal with the departure of five of the team's top-six scorers as 6-foot-8 senior center Joe Rasmussen is the top returning point producer with 6.1 per game in 2016. Also returning is senior point guard Will Parker who averaged 4.5 points and 1.5 assists while drawing 14 starts. Senior shooting guard Oliver-Paul Betu looks to have a more significant impact one year after transferring from UC Davis. Increased contributions are anticipated as forwards Sam Simpson and Coleman Wooten see increased playing time. A talented trio of local freshmen, in Sharif Khan (Bellevue HS) Gavin Long (Wenatchee HS) and Tony Miller (Woodinville HS), bolster a lineup that also features North Dakota State sophomore transfer Trey Miller.
 
Exhibition History
SPU has a 21-17 all-time record in exhibition games, including a 96-65 home win over Lewis & Clark in the last one, on Nov. 5, 2016. The Falcons lost 102-82 at Brigham Young on Oct.29. Four of the Falcons' exhibition victories came against NCAA Division I foes, but they lost the last six matchups. Prior to those six setbacks, SPU won three straight road exhibitions against Division I opponents, highlighted by a shocking 69-68 upset of 16th-ranked Arizona on Oct. 27, 2011 in Tucson. The previous season, the Falcons swept two tune-up games, winning 87-82 at Eastern Washington (Nov. 2, 2010) and 84-81 at Nevada (Nov. 6, 2010). Seattle Pacific defeated Division I foe Murray State 76-68 in 2006.
 
2015 Season Review
The Falcons forged a 22-9 overall record last year in the seventh, and final, season under Coach Ryan Looney. They advanced to the GNAC Tournament semifinals before falling 58-57 against eventual champion Western Oregon. SPU participated in the NCAA playoffs for the 12th consecutive year, but suffered a 77-66 opening-round setback versus Azusa Pacific. The season featured lengthy winning streaks of nine and eight games. Senior forward Mitch Penner garnered first-team All-GNAC honors after topping the team with an 18.6-point average. Gilliex Dierickx (11.4 ppg) earned second-team recognition and Bryce Leavitt (4.3 apg) was an honorable mention pick.

 

Coach Leep
Grant Leep, 36, assumes control of the SPU program in his first head coaching assignment after seven seasons as an assistant on the Falcons staff. He has strong basketball ties throughout the Northwest as an All-America player at Mount Vernon (Wash.) High School before lettering four years at the University of Washington. Leep still owns the Huskies 3-point accuracy records for a season (52.7% in 2002) and career (42.9%). His coaching resumé includes stops at Eastern Washington and a pair of community colleges. The Falcons compiled a 165-51 (.764) record during Leep's time as an assistant coach. Two teams (2012, 2013) advanced to the West Regional championship game of the NCAA Division II Tournament. SPU twice won conference regular-season championships, in 2010 and 2014, and captured the GNAC Tournament title three consecutive years, from 2013-15.
 
Postseason Pursuit
SPU is seeking its 13th straight NCAA Tournament berth. The Falcons have been postseason participants every year since 2005, the longest consecutive playoff streak in school history. The stretch of 12 straight postseason berths is the longest current streak among Division II men's basketball teams. The Falcons advanced to the national semifinals in both 2000 and 2006, placing third both times.