PORTLAND, Ore. – Preparation for reaching the home stretch of Great Northwest Athletic Conference play in a favorable position began long before the 2025-26 season even tipped off for the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves.
 
A tough-as-nails schedule has helped the battle-tested UAA men's basketball team to a 14-6 overall record including a mark of 6-3 in conference action which has the team tied for second place in the GNAC standings. The Seawolves are fresh off a pair of home wins last week, topping Seattle Pacific and Montana State Billings to claim Athletic Solutions GNAC Team of the Week honors.
 
According to inkblotsports.com, UAA has the highest strength of schedule in the NCAA Division II West Region (.579) and the third-highest RPI (.582). Between kicking off the season with a pair of tough losses against a pair of nationally ranked teams in Florida and defeating west region foes Hawaii Pacific, Chaminade and Cal Poly Humbold during the non-conference portion of their schedule, the Seawolves have gotten a taste of top tier competition all season long. And those metrics – which play an important role in determining the eight-team NCAA regional championship field at the end of the regular season – don't factor in preseason scrimmages UAA had against regional powers Point Loma and Cal Poly Pomona.
 
"We put our schedule together to help us get to this point," said UAA head coach Rusty Osborne, who is in his 35th year at UAA and 22nd as head coach. "We took a couple lumps in Florida early in the year, dealt with some injuries and learned our lessons. The strength of our schedule helps us metrically, and we are using that experience against those quality teams. Hopefully we can continue to put it into play over our next nine games."
 
The Seawolves had to win two very different kinds of games last week. On Thursday against Seattle Pacific (9-7, 4-5 GNAC), UAA controlled the pace in a 54-50, hard-fought triumph. On Saturday against Montana State Billings (16-6, 5-4), it was a hot start and a 46-32 halftime advantage that led to an 84-70 victory in the higher scoring affair. "We were playing two really good teams in Seattle Pacific and Montana State Billings," Osborne said. "The challenge when you play those two is you're playing two different styles. SPU has a little more controlled pace and is inside-out oriented, and you have to do certain things to limit what they're going to do. Our guys did a really good job with that and following the game plan. The Billings game was the opposite. They're going to speed you up, get you out and play in space, and they are good on the offensive glass. We concentrated on those areas, along with ball security and trying to eliminate their second shots. Our guys have bought into the way we need to play."
 
Senior Hasaan Herrington had another standout performance last week, something he has grown accustomed to producing throughout his third year in the program. He led the team with 16 points and three steals in the win over the Falcons, before pouring in 24 points on 8-for-12 shooting and just missing a double-double with nine assists against the Yellowjackets. Standing among the GNAC's elite players, Herrington ranks fourth in Division II basketball with an assist-turnover ratio of 3.57, while averaging 4.6 assists per game to go along with 11.5 points per game. "He is all in, and he is dedicated to this program," said Osborne. "He has been asked to play four different positions in his career, has been asked to start and to come off the bench, and not one time has he ever hesitated to do what we have asked of him. He has remained loyal, and he is reaping the fruits of all that right now. He has steadied our team at the point guard position, and he hasn't really played there in the past. He is one of the most efficient players in the country, his shot has improved and his leadership is off the charts. He's having a player-of-the-year type performance this year."
 
Fellow senior Bishop Tosi has been healthy for all 20 contests this winter and ranks third on the team with 10.5 points per game while shooting 53.3% from the floor. He made 5 of 6 shots on his way to 16 points in the win over MSUB, while adding five boards and three assists and going 6-for-8 from the free-throw line. "Just like Hasaan, Bishop has been loyal since he got here," Osborne said. "Those guys are our two leaders who have been in the program for three years and they really buy into what we are all about. Bishop is a good athlete and a really good competitor. He is mild mannered off the floor, but very intense on the floor. He fought through a few injuries early and is starting to become very consistent for us night in and night out."
 
New to the squad this year is Skagit Valley College transfer Sylas Williams, who is leading the team both in scoring at 12.9 points per game and rebounding at 7.2 boards per game. Williams overcame an early-season injury to work his way back into the starting lineup, where he has been a fixture for the majority of the campaign. His talents were on full display on Saturday night, when he posted a game-high 28 points and completed his sixth double-double of the year with 10 rebounds in the win over the Yellowjackets. "Whenever you're new (to a team) and miss time at the beginning of the year with an injury, sometimes it takes a bit to get back," Osborne said. "Sylas is a very good shooter, and as he gets comfortable he is going to continue to see those percentages rise. He is an elite rebounder on both the offensive and defensive ends, and he is just scratching the surface of what he's going to give us."
 
Another transfer making an immediate impact is Akok Machar, who has started all 20 games in his first season after arriving from fellow NCAA Division II UT Tyler. Machar ranks fourth on the team with 9.7 points per game while adding 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists. His eight boards in Thursday's gritty win over the Falcons matched his season high. "He is a different type of player than we have had at the 3 position," Osborne said. "He gives us a long, 6-foot-7 wing who is a good shooter that can create his own shot when necessary. He is very versatile and can guard smaller and bigger guys. He is very consistent and he did a lot of things that impacted the win against Billings."
 
Also playing an important role in Thursday's win was guard Cole Johnson, who tied his season best with eight assists. Johnson joins Tosi and Machar as the other Seawolf to have started every game this season and is averaging 5.7 points while ranking second on the squad with 2.8 assists per game. "Cole has changed positions a few times this year, but he has settled into that 2 guard role along with Elijah (Mobley)," Osborne said. "He is a very good shooter and now that he is playing that shooting guard position each game he has been playing more comfortably. He had a really good game against Seattle Pacific, and I can see him breaking out here anytime as he continues to get more minutes."
 
The winningest coach since the GNAC was formed in 2001-02, Osborne holds a league record of 216-154 (.584) across his 21 seasons in charge, and overall his Seawolves have gone 375-237 (.612) under his leadership. Since assuming head coaching duties in 2004-05, Osborne has taken UAA to seven NCAA West Region Championships which is tied for the most by any men's basketball coach in conference history.
 
The Seawolves are two seasons removed from reaching the GNAC Championships title contest and their last appearance in the NCAA West Region Championships. With nine league games in the books and nine left on the schedule, UAA's experience competing against top opponents and within its leadership show the signs of a team strongly in pursuit towards securing a top-six spot in the standings for a berth in the conference tournament. Internally however, Osborne's unit is focused on replicating last week's success in a pair of big road games this week against Western Washington (9-11, 3-6) on Thursday at 6 p.m. (Alaska) in Bellingham, Wash., and Simon Fraser (5-14, 2-7) on Saturday at 6 p.m. (Alaska) in Burnaby, B.C. "We have to follow the process and cannot get ahead of ourselves," said Osborne. "What we have to focus on now is a Viking team fighting to get into the conference tournament at their place. I expect to see the best versions of Western Washington and Simon Fraser, and we are going to have to prepare for that."
 
GNAC Team of the Week presented by Athletic Solutions
Athletic Solutions was introduced as an official partner of the GNAC on Dec. 8, 2025 and sponsors the GNAC Team of the Week award. Athletic Solutions is a national leader in NIL fan engagement and e-commerce technology, collaborating with colleges and universities to bring NIL Locker Rooms to life. Its platform simplifies NIL opportunities, providing student-athletes with the tools and exposure needed to thrive in the evolving landscape of college athletics.