THIS WEEK IN ALASKA ANCHORAGE MEN'S BASKETBALL...
 
at Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic
Jenkins Field House - Lakeland, Fla.
Saturday, Nov. 1, 1:45 pm ADT
Alaska Anchorage (0-0) at #15 Florida Southern (0-0)
Sunday, Nov. 2, 4 pm AST
Alaska Anchorage vs #4 Daemen (0-0 [Sat. vs LRU])
 
LIVE VIDEO: sunshinestateconference.tv/fscmocs
LIVE STATS: statbroadcast.com/events/statbroadcast.php?t=1&gid=sflo
 
UAA TENTATIVE STARTERS (2024-25 stats)
G—Cole Johnson, 6-2, Jr. (11.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.2 apg at Colorado Northwest CC)
G—Akok Machar, 6-7, Sr. (7.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.5 apg at Texas-Tyler)
G—Hasaan Herrington, 6-3, Sr. (9.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.5 spg, .478 FG, .790 FT)
F—Sylas Williams, 6-7, Jr. (20.6 ppg, 11.7 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.2 spg, .548 FG at Skagit Valley Coll.)
F—Bishop Tosi, 6-6, Sr. (12.0 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.5 apg, .563 FG, .700 FT)
 
READY TO ROLL: Featuring an experienced core and infused with a bundle of new talent, the Alaska Anchorage men's basketball team begins its 2025-26 season this week with a pair of challenging matchups at the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic in Lakeland, Fla. ... the Seawolves face host school and 15th-ranked Florida Southern on Saturday at 1:45 pm ADT, and 4th-ranked Daemen in the event's finale Sunday at 4 pm AST.
 
KNOW THE FOES: Florida Southern is coming off a 26-9 season and runner-up finishes in the Sunshine State Conference regular season and tournament, making the NCAA second round in 2024-25 ... picked second behind defending NCAA champ Nova Southeastern in the SSC preseason poll, the Mocs must replace their top seven scorers from a year ago ... defending East Coast Conference champ Daemen earned a 27-0 regular-season record and was ranked No. 1/2 in the national polls before suffering an upset loss in the NCAA Tournament second round ... the Wildcats, from the Buffalo area in Amherst, N.Y., have been picked unanimously to repeat in the ECC preseason poll, led by ECC preseason player-of-the-year Benjamin Bill (6-10, Jr., C, 16.8 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 2.1 bpg, .708 FG).
 
THE SERIES...
vs Florida Southern: FSC leads 1-0
Last: FSC 80-68 (11/28/90 at UAA)
 
vs Daemen: First meeting
 
LOOKING FORWARD: Coming off a 12-19 campaign that saw them finish 8th (5-13) in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings, the Seawolves have reloaded with six impact transfers and two true freshmen, along with returning starters Sr. F/C Bishop Tosi and Sr. G/F Hasaan Herrington ... UAA also returns four other letterwinners who saw significant playing time in 2024-25, while So. C Lyman Simmons is back after redshirting ... the Seawolves have been picked sixth of 10 teams in the GNAC preseason coaches' poll.
 
TEAM NOTES: UAA held top-10 NCAA Div. II national ranks in assist/turnover ratio (6th, 1.64), scoring defense (8th, 64.1) and assists per game (10th, 18.0) last season ... the 2024-25 Seawolves led the GNAC in scoring defense, TO margin (+3.06), A/T ratio (1.64) and assists per game ... UAA has earned .500-or-better records in 16 of the past 18 seasons, and 37 winning records in 47 seasons of NCAA Div. II existence ... the Seawolves have claimed winning conference records in 33 of 43 years belonging to a league ... UAA has 17 20-win seasons since becoming an NCAA Div. II program in 1977-78.
 
THE DISH ON BISH: Sr. F/C Bishop Tosi returns for his third year in Green & Gold as the Seawolves' representative on the Preseason All-GNAC Team ... after taking an injury redshirt campaign in 2023-24, the former Bellevue (Wash.) College transfer was an honorable mention All-GNAC performer with 12.6 ppg on .563 FG (5th GNAC), 5.9 rpg (12th GNAC) and 2.5 apg ... Tosi also finished 2nd in GNAC in offensive rebounding by a fraction with 2.8 per game … the local Bartlett High product was only Seawolf to start all 31 games, scoring double figures 21 times (20-plus on three occasions) and forging four double-doubles.
 
HIGH-FLYIN' HASAAN: Sr. G/F Hasaan Herrington has blossomed into one of the GNAC's most well-rounded players over his first two seasons at UAA, averaging 9.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.7 apg and 1.5 spg (13th GNAC), while shooting .478 FG and .790 FT (8th GNAC) as a junior ... the former East Anchorage HS star scored double figures in a career-best six consecutive games Jan. 2-23, and on Feb. 1 provided 17 points, 8 rebounds and the game-winning layup against Simon Fraser ... as a sophomore, Herrington contributed in every game for a 22-11 team that made the NCAA Tournament, earning the Seawolves' Best Defensive Player award that year.
 
SOLID SIX: The Seawolves return six other players with experience in a UAA uniform, led by a trio of Southern Californians in Sr. F Jesse Stines, Sr. F John McFadden and Jr. G Zach Ibbetson ... Stines played in 30 of 31 games as a junior, including 13 starting assignments ... the La Mirada native averaged 4.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg and 1.0 apg, while leading the team with 0.8 bpg ... fellow post player and San Juan Capistrano native McFadden is back after seeing action in 23 contests, posting 2.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg and 1.2 apg ... a transfer from Santiago Canyon (Calif.) College, Norco native Ibbetson started nine of 31 games as a sophomore, scoring double figures four times and averaging 5.6 ppg and 1.1 apg ... the tallest player on the team, 6-10 So. C Lyman Simmons gives UAA impressive depth in the post, returning from a redshirt season in 2024-25 ... as a true freshman, Simmons saw action in 25 games for a Seawolf team that went 22-11 and made the NCAA Tournament ... a pair of local sophomore guards, Parker Kroon (Wasilla HS) and Luke Johnston (Dimond HS) will also look to increase their production off the bench.
 
TIP-TOP TRANSFERS: UAA's half-dozen transfers are comprised of four from the junior college ranks, one from a fellow NCAA Div. II program and one from an NAIA program ... Sr. G Akok 'Cookie' Machar comes north for his final collegiate season after averaging 7.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg and 1.5 apg at Texas-Tyler a year ago, scoring double figures 10 times ... born in South Sudan and raised in Australia, Machar played his first two seasons at JC program Eastern Arizona, where he was an all-league performer ... the reigning NWAC Player of the Year, Jr. F Sylas Williams comes north after posting 20.6 ppg and 11.7 rpg for a Skagit Valley (Wash.) College squad that went 28-2 last year ... Williams recorded his numbers in just 29 minutes per game as a junior, shooting .548 FG and tallying 30-plus points four times ... Jr. G Cole Johnson and Jr. G Elijah Mobley join the fold following prolific JC careers as well ... Johnson started all 58 games over two years at Colorado Northwestern CC, posting 13.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.2 apg and 1.2 spg, while shooting .386 3FG ... the Utah native scored double figures in all but two games a freshman, earning All-Scenic West honors ... a Chicago native and Northern California prep product, Mobley racked up 1,022 points in 60 career games at Las Positas (Calif.) College, earning First Team Coast-North honors both seasons ... Mobley was his league's second-leading scorer as a sophomore with 19.3 ppg ... the only player with NCAA Div. I experience, Jr. G Jeremiah Coleman should be back to full health after an injury-shortened sophomore season at Hillsborough (Fla.) CC ... originally from the Denver area, Coleman played in 25 games as true freshman at South Dakota ... another local prep star returns home in Sr. G Jaren Miller ... a former Grace Christian HS star, Miller averaged 11.1 ppg as a sophomore at Central Wyoming CC and 5.1 ppg on .375 3FG as a junior at NAIA program Avila.
 
FRESH & FAMILIAR: UAA's two incoming true freshmen are both familiar faces to local fans, with Marek Hajdukovich and Muhammed Sabally coming on board ... the son of Seawolf Hall of Famer Jim Hajdukovich and brother of former women's standout Jahnna, Marek was a two-time first-team all-state performer at Dimond High, topping 1,000 points in his four varsity seasons despite an injury-riddled senior campaign ... meanwhile, Sabally comes from just next door at East High, where he was the 2024-25 Alaska Gatorade Player of the Year, AABC 4A Player of the Year and a three-time first-team all-state performer, leading the T-birds to three straight state titles.
 
TRUST IN RUSTY: Entering his 21st season (22nd year) at the helm, head coach Rusty Osborne (361-234) has led the Seawolves to six NCAA Tournament bids, including advancement to the 2008 NCAA Div. II Semifinals, and 16 records of .500-or-better in the last 18 seasons … the longest tenured coach in program history and in the GNAC, he became the first UAA coach in any sport to reach 300 career victories when the Seawolves beat Hawaii Pacific on Nov. 13, 2021 … Osborne captured GNAC and NABC West District coach-of-the-year awards in 2008 after becoming the second coach to lead UAA to three consecutive NCAA berths (2006-08), and in 2011-12 his Seawolves posted a 24-10 record to equal the 2nd-most victories in program history; Osborne's 2007-08 club holds that record with a 29-6 mark … before taking over the head job in 2004-05, the Texas native previously served 13 seasons (1991-04) as a UAA assistant, including 11 years as the top assistant … the Seawolves have won over 60 percent of their games with Osborne on the staff, claiming four conference titles and eight trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament ... Osborne is assisted by Ashton Pomrehn (1st season) and Ryan Engebretsen (5th season/6th year).
 
2024-25 Seawolf Individual Honors
(returning players only)
ZACH IBBETSON
CSC Academic All-District Team
JESSE STINES
CSC Academic All-District Team
BISHOP TOSI
Honorable Mention All-GNAC
CSC Academic All-District Team
GNAC Player of the Week, Dec. 2-8
Preseason All-GNAC Team