PORTLAND, Ore. – The Great Northwest Athletic Conference announced its Preseason All-Conference Team on Wednesday afternoon, featuring Seattle Pacific's Shaw Anderson as a unanimous selection and Zack Paulsen earning honors too.
Anderson returns to the team after an exceptional 2021-22 season. He averaged 13.8 points per game while shooting 46.8 percent from the field. He pulled down 108 rebounds on the season, had 38 assists, and nabbed 17 steals. For Anderson, everything added up to GNAC Honorable Mention.
"Shaw being recognized as unanimous preseason all-conference shows the reputation he has built among the coaches in the GNAC," head coach Grant Leep said. "The work he put into his game in the spring and summer has carried over to practice this fall, and our team is counting on Shaw to prove this preseason honor throughout the season."
Paulsen had a solid year for the Falcons a season ago. He started all 26 games and played 31.7 minutes per game. Paulsen poured in 8.6 points per game and shot 48.5 percent. He pulled down 4.9 rebounds per game, blocked 11 shots, and came up with 27 steals.
"Zack's selection to the preseason all-conference team is much deserved," Leep said. "Zack's growth as a player and leader has been key to our team. Zack is one of those players that every program needs. He's tough, he's skilled, and he is a good shooter. He has developed his game a lot through the spring and summer and has set himself up for a high level of play this season."
Anderson and Paulsen make up two of just six returners for SPU this season. Kelton Samore, Syon Blackmon, Clayton Whitman and Kobe Elsner round out the familiar faces for the Falcons. Samore scored 6.1 points per game last year, while Blackmon added 4.4 points per game.
The Falcons have several transfers on this year's roster. Maui Sze and DJ Clark transferred to SPU as standouts in the Northwest Athletic Conference. Both earned All-League honors, as Sze was an All-NWAC First Team selection while Clark made Second Team. Casson Rouse joins the team after a stint at Eastern Washington. Rouse was part of the team that won the Big Sky regular season and tournament titles. The team appeared in the NCAA Tournament.
Jonas La Tour and Julian Mora join the team after decorated preps careers. Both had stellar senior seasons before becoming Falcons. La Tour was named the Class 2A State Player of the Year. Mora was named the Greater Valley Conference Player of the Year.
The GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll had the Falcons tabbed for a fifth-place finish. Saint Martin's earned the top spot in the conference with three first-place votes and 81 points. Teams with first-place votes include Northwest Nazarene (2), Montana State University Billings (3), Western Washington (2), and Western Oregon (1).
"Both Zack and Shaw are entering their fourth year in our program, but last spring was the first full spring we had to work with them due to the various health and safety protocols we've had to navigate over the past few seasons," Leep added. "That is a critical time for us as we can dive in and do player development work. They both embraced that work and used it to get better. I can speak for both of them in saying this is an honor, however, the real goal is for the success of our team and doing what we can to pursue a GNAC Championship."
The Falcons open their season with an exhibition on Nov. 1. The team hosts Lincoln at 7 p.m. The regular season starts on Nov. 11 in Azusa, Calif. as the team plays Chico State at 5 p.m.
