PORTLAND, Ore. –Seattle Pacific University's
Trace Evans has been named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Preseason Player of the Year, the conference announced Thursday afternoon.
"Trace is a special player with size and skill and has certainly shone in this conference throughout his career," head coach
Keffrey Fazio said. "It's no surprise to our staff and his teammates that he has been recognized with this honor. Trace has the ability to dominate the game in the low post as well as stretch the floor, showcasing his skill and playmaking abilities. I am very proud of him, and we all look forward to what he and our team can accomplish this year."
Evans returns to the Falcons as a graduate senior this season. He averaged 10.9 points per game, shot 61.1 percent from the field, and had 4.9 rebounds per game for SPU during the 2024-25 season. The big man from down under returns with the most points per game and rebounds per game on the team from a season ago.
Evans ranked second in the GNAC last season in field goal percentage. He had 83 more attempts than the conference leader. Evans ranked 20th in the conference in rebounds per game a season ago.
Evans' time at SPU has been decorated with accolades. He was named Second Team All-GNAC and earned GNAC All-Academic honors and College Sports Communicators Academic All-District last season.
The GNAC announced its Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll on Oct. 16, with the Falcons slotted for a seventh-place finish by the league's coaches. It's the same spot they were picked to finish last year, before a magical march through the GNAC Championships saw the Falcons earn their conference-record fifth GNAC title. SPU made its 30th appearance in the NCAA Tournament last season.
The Falcons open their season with an exhibition against the Seattle Mountaineers on Nov. 5 at 7:00 p.m. The games count when the Falcons head to Pomona, Calif., for the Bronco Classic on Nov. 14-15. Their first official home game is Nov. 21 at 7:00 p.m. when the Falcons host Evergreen State inside Royal Brougham Pavilion.
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