THIS WEEK IN ALASKA ANCHORAGE MEN'S BASKETBALL…

Fri., Nov. 1 – 3 p.m. ADT – Alterowitz High School – Billings, Mont.
Alaska Anchorage (2-0) vs. St. Edward's (0-0)
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Sat. November 2nd – 1pm ADT – Alterowitz High School – Billings, Mont.
Alaska Anchorage vs. Texas A&M-International
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Sun, November 3rd – 1pm AST – Alterowitz High School – Billings, Mont.
Alaska Anchorage vs. University of Mary

LIVE VIDEO: youtube.com/@msubsports (all games free)
LIVE STATISTICS: msubsports.com/sidearmstats/mbball

UAA LIKELY STARTERS (2024-25 Stats)

G-Dillon Barrientos6-1, Sr. (4.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 3.5 apg, 2-5 3FG)
G-Sean Evans6-3, Sr. (17.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.0 apg, .565 FG, 5-10 3FG, 4-4 FT)
G-Tyler Burraston6-4, Jr. (17.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, .476 3FG (10-21), 3-3 FT)
F-Jesse Stines6-7, Jr. (1.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.0 apg)
C-Bishop Tosi6-6, Jr. (12.5 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.5 spg, .769 FG (10-13), 5-7 FT)

D-II TESTS IN MONTANA: After an early start to the campaign last week against an NAIA opponent, the Alaska Anchorage men's basketball team heads to three key contests at the D2CCA Tip-Off Classic in Billings, Mont…. UAA will host outside contests on Friday in the region against St. Edward's (Texas) and on Saturday against Texas A&M-International, while Sunday's game against Mary counts as an intra-region game for playoff positioning.

THE SERIES…
against TAMUI: UAA leads 1-0 (UAA 65-48, 11/26/22 in Fairbanks, AK)
vs. St. Edward's & Mary: First meetings

SCOUTING REPORT: St. Edward's has a 21-11 record and falls short of an NCAA berth with a loss in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Lone Star Conference tournament. The Hilltoppers from Austin, Texas are ranked No. 5 (out of 16) teams in the LSC preseason poll… Texas A&M International went 18-12 and tied for second in the LSC East with St. Edward's last year with a 9-5 league mark…the Dustdevils of Laredo, Texas, are picked at No. 6 in the 2024-25 preseason poll … Mary looking to bounce back from a 7-21 overall record (2-20 in league) last season…the Marauders of Bismarck, N.D., are ranked last (out of 15) in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference poll Teams selected.

EARLY OPENING DUBS: Thanks to the NCAA's “Alaska/Hawaii” exemption, the Seawolves got in the win column early, counting both wins over NAIA foe Warner Pacific at the Alaska Airlines Center…in the Jr. G opener Tyler Burraston debuted with 23 points (6-11 3FG) and Jr. F/C Bishop Tosi led the lineup with 10 points (4-6 FG) and 10 rebounds in an 80-55 triumph… Sr. G Sean Evans added 14 points (5-10 FG), Jr. F John McFadden Grabbed 9 rebounds off the bench and Jr. G/F Hasaan Herrington delivered 9 points and 4 assists, the highest of his career…in the rematch, Evans led the way with 21 points (8-13 FG, 3-6 3FG), 6 rebounds, 4 assists and no turnovers in an 88-50 blowout of the Knights … Tosi had 15 points (6-7 FG) and 9 rebounds, Burraston had 12 points (4-10 3FG) and redshirt Jr. F Malik Jackson had 9 points, 5 rebounds and a game-high 5 assists in his first game as a Seawolf.

BACK IN DANCE: UAA returned to the NCAA Tournament last season and finished seventh in the NCAA Div. II West Regional Championships in Los Angeles and a 52-49 loss to eventual region champion Cal State San Bernardino in the first round…it was the program's 17th all-time NCAA appearance and first since 2012.

TEAM NOTES: After a 22-11 record last year, UAA has posted 16,500 or more records in the last 17 seasons and has won 46 NCAA Div. Won 37 records. II-Passing…the 2023-24 Seawolves set the program's 33rd winning conference record in 42 years of league membership…last year marked the 17th 20-win season for UAA since joining the NCAA Various II program 1977-78…the 2023-24 Seawolves were top 20 in the country in scoring defense (12th, 65.4 ppg), turnover margin (14th, +4.1), assists /turnover ratio (17th, 1.48), plus 31st in assists per game (16.3) and 34th in forced turnovers per game (15.3)… UAA paced the GNAC in scoring defense , assists, TO margin and A/T ratio and was top-3 in steals (7.7). spg) and 3FG% defense (.320).

PRE-SEASON SELECTIONS: The Seawolves have already received two individual Sr. PG awards Dillon Barrientos and Jr. F Bishop Tosi were named to the Preseason All-GNAC Team this week…Barrientos started every game for last year's UAA club, which went 22-11 and reached the NCAA Tournament…the Santa Clarita, Calif., college-bound native of the Canyons transfer As a junior, he averaged 11.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists and shot 43 percent from the field…He ranked 4th in the GNAC in assists, 6th in assists A/T ratio (2.4) and 15th in 3FGs per game (1.6). .. Tosi returns for his second season at UAA after receiving a medical redshirt in 2023-24… in three games before breaking his finger, the former Bartlett High star averaged 13.0 points at .. 583 shots and 7.7 rebounds and posted 24 points and 14 rebounds in a win over Chaminade… As a JC star at Bellevue (Wash.) College, Tosi totaled 820 points and 457 rebounds in 59 games, was named All- NWAC first team honoree and led his team to back-to-back NWAC title games.

VET CHECK: In addition to their preseason all-league picks, the Seawolves have three other letterwinners returning in 2023-24, including So. F/C Sloan Lentferwho recorded 22 starts…a former Alaska 3A Player of the Year, Lentfer averaged 4.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg and hit .518 FG while posting 18 points (8-13 FG). a home OT win over Simon Fraser…the second-generation Seawolf finished strong, averaging 7.9 ppg on .581 (36-62) shooting, 4.6 rpg and 1.5 in the last 10 contests Acts … Jr. G/F Hasaan Herrington is back after playing in all 33 games last year… the former Texas Tyler transfer and East Anchorage High star posted 4.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg and 1.1 apg in a road win over Simon Fraser with a season-high 10 points. .. Sr. F Luke Devine adds another solid hand off the bench after hitting .500 FG in his 36 career games… So. C Lyman Simmons (2.2 ppg, 1.7 rpg, .524 FG) will redshirt this year.

REDSHIRTS READY: Including Bishop Tosithe Seawolves have four players coming off redshirt campaigns in 2023-24… Jr. F Malik Jackson was a First Team All-NWAC selection at Peninsula (Wash.) College before joining the Seawolves, averaging 12.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and shooting .390 3FG as Peninsula 25 in his sophomore season -4 lost…former Alaska Prep stars Parker Kroon And Jaylin Scott will look to crack the rotation after redshirting as true freshmen…Kroon was a second-team AABC All-State player as a senior at Wasilla, averaging 19.1 ppg, while Scott Ninilchik was in his last two games a combined record of 50-5 seasons and a 2A state title as a senior.

NEW CREW: Seven brand new additions have joined the Seawolf roster this year, including a Div. II transfer, five JC transfers and one true freshman… Sr. G Sean Evans comes north for his final season after starting 74 of 79 career contests at Nebraska-Kearney… Evans recorded his top season as a sophomore in 2022-23 with 14.2 ppg (13th in MIAA), 3.8 rpg, 1.9 apg and MIAA top 10 shooting numbers of .489/.438/.810… Jr. G Tyler Burraston won NABC NWAC All-America honors in both seasons at Green River (Wash.) CC, helping the Gators to a combined 50-12 record and their first NWAC title in program history in 2023-24… Burraston was 18, Leads the GRCC in points per game at 1, leads the nation among all JC players with 148 treys, and ranks second nationally with 1,171 points per possession… So. G Zach Ibbetson spent two seasons at Santiago Canyon (Calif.) College, earning All-Orange Empire Conference honorable mention as a freshman in 2022-23 (10.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg, .404 3FG) and redshirting in 2023-24… Jr. F Jesse Stines was a First Team All-Orange Empire Conference player last year and his team's MVP with 13.9 ppg, 7.7 rpg and 1.3 bpg… the LA native had six double-doubles, breaking the single-game record of Irvine Valley College 21 rebounds… another big man from Southern California, Jr. F John McFaddenprovides more strength in depth… the 6-8, 220-pounder led the OEC with 9.1 rpg in the 2023-24 season with more than a board per game, along with 15.6 ppg… Jr G Alex Argandar will be inactive to begin the season due to injury…Argandar played two seasons at College of the Sequoias (Calif.), helping his team to a 27-6 record and a league co-title as a junior…former Dimond High star Luke Johnstona 6-2 guard, is the team's only true freshman and gives the Seawolves seven Alaskans on the roster… Johnston was a two-time 4A All-State selection and led the Lynx to top-four finishes in its state tournament last two seasons.

TRUST IN RUSTY: In his 20th season (21st year) as head coach Rusty Osborne (351-213) has led the Seawolves to six NCAA Tournament bids, including promotion to the 2008 NCAA Div. II semifinals and 16 records of .500 or better in the past 17 seasons…the longest-tenured coach in the Program history and in the GNAC, he became the first UAA coach in any sport to reach 300 career wins when the Seawolves defeated Hawaii Pacific on November 13, 2021… Osborne won the 2008 GNAC and NABC West District Coach of the Year awards after he was the second coach to lead UAA to three consecutive NCAA berths (2006-08), and in 2011-12 his Seawolves posted a record of 24-10, tying the second-most wins in program history; Osborne's 2007-08 club holds that record with a 29-6 record. Before taking the head job in 2004-05, the Texas native previously served as a UAA assistant coach for 13 seasons (1991-2004), including 11 years as a top assistant … the Seawolves have won over 60 percent of their games with Osborne on the team, securing four conference titles and eight trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament … Osborne is supported by an assistant head coach Ryan Orton (10th season/11th year) and Ryan Engebretsen (4th season/5th year).

2024-25 Seawolf Individual Awards
DILLON BARRIENTOS

Preseason All-GNAC Team
BISHOP TOSI

Preseason All-GNAC Team