SEATTLE – Seattle Pacific University men's basketball head coach
Keffrey Fazio announced the addition of eight Pacific Northwest natives set to join the Falcons for the 2026-27 season. The incoming class features a combination of prolific scorers, accomplished high school standouts, experienced collegiate transfers, and championship-winning talent.
The Falcons welcome five incoming first-year student-athletes in
Brandon Tagle (Kent),
Lucas Stevens (Selah),
Josiah Bowman (Federal Way),
Ryder Zanon (Portland), and
Jackson Whitaker (Renton). They've also added three collegiate transfers in
Will Landram (Gig Harbor),
Logan Stempniak (Kent), and
Malcolm Clark (Seattle).
"We're excited to welcome eight new Falcons to the program, including five high school student-athletes and three transfers," head coach
Keffrey Fazio said. "All eight are from the Pacific Northwest, which reflects an emphasis we've placed on building a roster with strong regional ties over the past several years. It's important to us that our student-athletes have opportunities for their parents, families, and friends to watch them compete. Our newcomers complement our returning players well, and we're excited to get to work together this September."
Tagle arrives following a record-setting, multi-sport career at Kentwood High School. A four-year varsity basketball player and two-year varsity football athlete, Tagle competed as a point guard and quarterback while earning four basketball letters and two football letters. He finished his basketball career with 1,733 points, the third-highest total in program history, and set school records with 449 career assists and 231 made 3-pointers. Tagle also established single-season records with 93 steals and a 93.3-percent free-throw percentage while finishing with an 89-percent career free-throw percentage. On the football field, he threw for more than 2,000 yards and 25 touchdowns. A two-time All-State and All-Area selection, Tagle earned First Team All-Conference honors as a sophomore and junior before being named league MVP as a senior. He plans to major in business administration.
Stevens joins the Falcons following a four-year varsity career at Eisenhower High School, where he earned four letters as a point guard. He averaged 18.5 points per game as a senior after averaging 18.3 points as a junior and 14.7 points as a sophomore. Stevens earned First Team All-Big 9 League honors as both a junior and senior after receiving Second Team recognition as a sophomore. He also helped lead Eisenhower to a signature victory over a West Valley team that was ranked among the top five in the state during his sophomore season. An exceptional student, Stevens graduated as the 2026 valedictorian and maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout high school. He plans to major in exercise science at SPU.
Bowman arrives from O'Dea High School, where he competed as a forward under head coach Jason Kerr. The 6-foot-6 forward earned Second Team All-Metro honors as a senior and was selected to the Washington 3A All-Star Team. Bowman scored a career-high 29 points and helped lead O'Dea to the state tournament during his prep career. He also earned recognition for Excellence in Mathematics, Second Honor Roll honors, and the O'Dea Gentlemen Award. Bowman plans to major in engineering.
Zanon adds size to the Falcons' frontcourt following his career at Southridge High School. The 6-foot-9 center earned All-League recognition and was named Third Team All-League as a senior. He led the state in field-goal percentage during his senior season and helped Southridge earn a victory over nationally ranked Rainier Beach. Zanon plans to major in business.
Whitaker joins the Falcons after an outstanding four-year varsity career at Liberty High School under head coach Omar Parker. The 6-foot-3 guard earned four varsity letters while competing at both point guard and shooting guard. He scored more than 2,000 career points and averaged 26.0 points per game as a senior. Whitaker was a three-time First Team All-KingCo selection and was chosen to represent Team Washington in its annual game against Team Oregon. He plans to major in finance at Seattle Pacific.
Landram joins the Falcons after beginning his collegiate career at the University of Washington and Saint Thomas Aquinas College. A graduate of Gig Harbor High School, he was a multi-sport athlete who earned three varsity letters in football and four in basketball. Landram competed as a quarterback on the football field and a shooting guard on the basketball court before continuing his athletic and academic career at the collegiate level. He plans to major in business at Seattle Pacific.
Stempniak comes to Seattle Pacific after beginning his collegiate career at Northwest University. The 6-foot-8 forward enjoyed a decorated career at Kentwood High School, averaging 20.0 points and 13.0 rebounds per game while shooting 39 percent from 3-point range as a senior. He earned First Team All-NPSL honors as a junior before being named NPSL MVP during his senior season. Stempniak also received First Team All-Region and First Team 4A All-State recognition and was selected as Kentwood High School Athlete of the Year. He enters SPU for his final season of collegiate eligibility and plans to major in business administration.
Clark joins the Falcons following a championship-winning season at Skagit Valley College. The 6-foot-7 forward averaged 15.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game while shooting 61.7 percent from the field. He earned First Team All-North Region honors and helped lead Skagit Valley to a school-record 30 victories and the 2026 NWAC Championship. Clark recorded 23 points, 14 rebounds, and four blocks in the championship game and was named to the All-NWAC Tournament Team. He also earned the tournament's Most Inspirational Player award. Clark plans to major in kinesiology.
The Falcons are coming off another competitive campaign in 2025-26. The team had its first key moment of the season on Nov. 29, when they beat fourth-ranked Point Loma 80-73 inside Royal Brougham Pavilion. The Falcons beat MSU Billings in their final game of the regular season to push their record to 14-12 overall. With the win, SPU advanced to the GNAC Championships for the 14
th time since the tournament began in 2011. The Falcons own the record with five GNAC Tournament Championships. They three-peated from 2013-15 and took home titles in 2019 and 2025.
The Falcons picked up several accolades during the 2025-26 season.
Trace Evans entered the season as the GNAC Preseason Player of the Year. He was joined by
Theo McMillan as the two All-Conference selections for the Falcons last season. In the classroom, the Falcons placed eight players on the GNAC All-Academic Team. The list included
Logan Kinloch, whose 3.97 cumulative GPA was the highest amongst any men's basketball player in the GNAC. The Falcons earned the GNAC Team Academic Championship with the best GPA of any men's basketball team in the conference.
The 2026 signing class adds talent and depth throughout the roster, with accomplished guards, versatile wings, experienced collegiate transfers, and a strong group of frontcourt players. Together, the seven newcomers bring a combination of scoring, leadership, size, championship experience, and academic achievement to the Seattle Pacific men's basketball program.
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