SEATTLE – Seattle Pacific University men's basketball head coach announced the team's 2025-26 schedule on Wednesday morning, featuring a nonconference tournament at home and a competitive Great Northwest Athletic Conference schedule that culminates at the GNAC Championships in Bellingham, Wash., March 5-7.
"We have a great group of young men who are working hard," Fazio said. "We're excited about the potential of the season. We look forward to the opportunity to represent our university, family, and friends."
SPU's season officially starts on Nov. 14. They'll travel to Pomona, Calif., to play RV Cal Poly Pomona at 5:30 p.m. and Chico State at 5:30 p.m. the next day.
The Falcons have a three-game home stand Nov. 21-29. The team's home opener is on Nov. 21 against Evergreen State at 7:00 p.m. SPU hosts a four-team tournament featuring Vanguard, #7 Point Loma, and #18 Central Washington. The Falcons play the Lions on Nov. 28 at 2:00 p.m., followed by a meeting with the Sea Lions at 4:15 p.m. the next day.
SPU gets a small taste of GNAC play on Dec. 6 at Montana State University Billings. The game starts at 1 p.m. Then it's a rare Saturday/Sunday slate for the Falcons. They play at Cal State East Bay on Dec. 13 at 4:00 p.m., followed by a game against San Francisco State at 2:00 p.m. on Dec. 14. The final game before the holiday break is against Douglas College on Dec. 19 at 6:00 p.m.
GNAC play resumes on New Year's Day when the Falcons host Saint Martin's at 4:00 p.m. SPU welcomes Western Oregon on Jan. 3 at 4:15 p.m. January home games wrap up against #18 Central Washington on Jan. 15 at 7:30 p.m. and RV Northwest Nazarene at 2:00 p.m. on Jan. 17.
The Falcons have five home games in February. They start with a match-up against Simon Fraser on Feb. 5 at 5:15 p.m. Western Washington visits Seattle on Feb. 7 at 4:15 p.m. Alaska Fairbanks plays SPU on Feb. 19 at 5:15 p.m. Then the Falcons host Alaska Anchorage on Feb. 21 at 4:15 p.m. The regular season wraps up with a senior day celebration on Feb. 28 at 2:00 p.m. when the Yellowjackets come to town.
The top six teams in the GNAC qualify for the GNAC Championships, March 5-7. Western Washington University is the host site for this year's tournament.
The GNAC announced its Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll on Oct. 16, with Seattle Pacific University 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.
Trace Evans was named the GNAC's Preseason Player of the Year on Oct. 23. 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.
Grant Coleman and
Nikias Schoenerstedt return for their senior seasons. Coleman was responsible for one of the biggest moments of the 2024-25 season for the Falcons. He splashed home a game-winning 3-pointer at Western Washington on Feb. 8, 2025. The shot extended SPU's winning streak to six games, while ending a seven-game winning streak for the Vikings.
Schoenerstedt appeared in 27 games and made eight starts for the Falcons. He scored a season-high six points at Saint Martin's on Jan. 2, 2025, and grabbed a season-high five rebounds against Linfield on Nov. 23, 2024.
Julian Mora and
Logan Kinloch return as redshirt juniors. Mora showcased some heroics during the GNAC Championships last season. He scored 15 points off the bench in the semifinals, followed by an 11-point outbreak in the championship game. Mora was deadly from 3-point range, finishing the weekend 6-for-9 from deep.
Kinloch's moment came on the defensive play that led to Coleman's game-winner against the Vikings. Kinloch blocked a shot by the Vikings to earn a possession for the Falcons. To that point, it was the only blocked shot of his career. Kinloch scored a season-high 12 points against Douglas College in Dec. 21, 2024.
The Falcons welcomed seven newcomers to the roster over the summer as part of the 2025-26 signing class.
Connor Drinkwine and familiar Falcon
Theo McMillan return as transfers to SPU. Drinkewine averaged 18.4 points per game at Skagit Valley College last season. He broke the single-season 3-point record at SVC. McMillan spent last season at Clark College, and averaged 17.8 points per game, 6.4 rebounds per game, and 6.2 assists per game.
Brant Heppner, Logan Rianey,
Sebastian Arius,
Nirvaan Misra, and
Yoav Ziklik join the Falcons for their first season of collegiate basketball. Heppner was a dual-sport athlete at Lynden High School. Heppner was a two-time First Team All-League selection and was the league's Most Valuable Player as a senior. Heppner was a part of three state championship-winning teams and was on the state tournament's All-Tournament team twice. Heppner also played football in high school. And was First Team All-League in football twice. He was a part of two state championship football teams.
Arius had a standout career at Auburn Mountainview High School. He averaged 18 points per game, nine rebounds, three assists, and three steals per game as a senior. Arius was named the NPSL Most Valuable Player. He collected Second Team Honors once. Arius earned Tacoma News Tribune Second Team All-Area, was on the WIBCA All-State team, and earned the Academic CTE Award.
"I think our fans will enjoy watching these guys play ball together," Fazio said. "The GNAC is always tough. We will use our nonconference schedule to hopefully get off on the right foot and build for league play."
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