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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29 –
Seattle Pacific at Alaska Anchorage, 8:00 p.m. PST (7 pm AST)
Alaska Airlines Center / Anchorage, Ak.
 
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31 –
Seattle Pacific at Alaska Fairbanks, 4:00 p.m. PST (3 pm AST)
Patty Center / Fairbanks, Ak.
 
• Webcast & LiveStats for both games: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/spu/
 
The Seattle Pacific men continue a unique four-game men's basketball road stretch to conclude the 2016 calendar year. The Falcons drew a split of two games in Hawaii before the holidays with weather in the high 70s. After Christmas, they embark on a two-game trip to Alaska with weather that could fall below zero. SPU will experience a drop in temperature, but the degree of difficulty will rise against two quality opponents. The Falcons (5-5, 1-1 GNAC) face an Alaska Anchorage team (7-3, 1-1) that won five of its last six outings, on Thursday, Dec. 29 at 8 p.m. Pacific Time (7 p.m. Alaska Time). On Saturday, Dec. 31 SPU visits Alaska Fairbanks (6-5, 1-1) for a 4 p.m. PST game (3 p.m. AST). The Falcons swept both games on the Alaska road trip in each of the last four years after failing to do so for 10 straight years. Last season the Alaska schools visited Seattle and swept two games. UAA won 61-59 on Dec. 31 and Fairbanks won 79-75 on Jan. 2.
 
Terrific Trio
Three players account for 59 percent of SPU's point production this season (484 of 820). Sophomore Coleman Wooten scores at a 17.0-point clip to lead the team, freshman Tony Miller averages 16.5 points and senior Joe Rasmussen chips in 14.9.
 


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. Leep is a former prep All-American at Mount Vernon (Wash.) High School and standout collegian at Washington (1999-2002).
 
Ailing Falcons
A slew of injuries have depleted the SPU roster. Sophomore Gabe Colosimo and junior Sam Simpson are sidelined for the season. Sophomore Nathan Streufert missed the first eight games before returning for the last two. Sophmore transfer Trey Miller (North Dakota State) has not yet played due to injury and his return date is uncertain. That leaves 12 available players (Harry Cavell is redshirting). Seven of those players average 16 or more minutes and the remaining four less than 7.0.
 
Falcons Fast Facts
SPU sophomore Coleman Wooten leads the GNAC and ranks No. 24 nationally in double-doubles with five ... The Falcons projected starting lineup (Wooten-Miller-Rasmussen-Parker-Betu) combined to start just 19 career games prior to this season led by Will Parker's 14 ... SPU led the nation in rebound margin last year for the second year in a row, collecting 11.7 more caroms per game than opponents ... Senior Joe Rasmussen's father Blair had an eight-year NBA career in Denver and Atlanta ... Seven of the 16 players on the roster had 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 Alaska Anchorage (7-3, 1-1 GNAC)
> The Seawolves won five of their last six games, including their last two.
 
> UAA features senior guard Sekou Wiggs, a transfer from Idaho who ranks second among GNAC scorers at 24.1 points per game. He is a graduate of Seattle's O'Dea High School.
 
> Anchorage forward Corey Hammell leads the GNAC with a 10.9-rebound average.
 
> The Seawolves hold a slim 36-34 edge in the all-time series despite losing eight of the last nine meetings. The teams split last year's encounters with UAA winning 61-59 on Dec. 31 in Seattle and the Falcons claiming victory in the rematch, 74-71, on Jan. 30 in Anchorage.
 
> The SPU men were victorious in their last four visits to Anchorage, following a seven-game losing skid at the Seawolves' homecourt. The Falcons won 85-79 on Dec. 1, 2012, 88-76 on Feb. 6, 2014, 73-72 in overtime on Feb. 14, 2015 and 74-71 in the last meeting on Jan. 30, 2016.
 
Scouting Alaska Fairbanks (6-5, 1-1 GNAC)
> The Nanooks won four of their last five games and are in a nine-way tie for second place in the GNAC standings, along with SPU and UAA, with a 1-1 record.
 
> Fairbanks features a trio of double-figure scorers led by the 14.2-point average of senior guard Brandon Davis.
 
> Mick Durham is in his sixth year as head coach at UAF. The former Montana State coach has a 1-9 record against SPU.
 
> The Falcons lead the all-time series 58-16 and won 16 of the last 18 encounters. Fairbanks won last season's first meeting 79-75 on Jan. 2 in Seattle before losing the rematch 79-69 on Jan. 28 in Seattle.

 

Last Action
The Falcons split two games in Hawaii. Coleman Wooten put SPU ahead by two on a pair of free throws with 6.9 seconds left, but Chaminade hit a last-second 3-pointer to win 87-86 on Dec. 14. Wooten and freshman Gavin Long each finished with 22 points. SPU responded two nights later with a 72-66 victory at Hawaii-Hilo fueled by freshman Tony Miller's 21-point, 12-rebound double-double.
 
Super Soph
Sophomore forward Coleman Wooten has a GNAC-leading five double-doubles and is averaging 17.0 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. He hauled in 10 or more rebounds in five games with a career-high 16 on Nov. 18 versus Minnesota State. Wooten compiled a career-best 26 points in the Nov. 11 season opener vs. Humboldt State. He was named the MVP of the Sodexo Tip-Off Classic (Nov. 11 & 12).
 
2017 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 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 Review
The Falcons forged a 22-9 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. Gillies 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 a 5-5 record. Leep 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. He still owns the Huskies 3-point accuracy records for a season (52.7% in 2002) and career (42.9%). Leep's 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.
 
Upcoming Action
The Falcons start the 2017 calendar year at home, hosting defending GNAC champion Western Oreogn on Jan. 5. That game tips off at 7:30 p.m. in Brougham Pavilion where the SPU men clash with Concordia (Ore.) on Jan 7.  at 7 p.m.