IRVINE, Calif. – Hawai'i Pacific University has been voted fifth and senior
Jonathan Janssen the Preseason Player of the Year in the 2018-19 PacWest Conference Preseason Men's Basketball Poll released today by the conference office.
The Sharks return four starters and seven lettermen from the 2017-18 season that saw them finish 15-13 overall and 10-10 in the PacWest Conference to finish eighth.
HPU received 99 points to rank fifth, just behind cross-town rival Chaminade (16-12, 11-9) in fourth with 104 points, but well ahead of Academy of Art (12-14, 11-9) with 78 points.
Point Loma (21-10, 15-5) is the favorite of the league's coaches, getting 10 of the 12 first place votes and a total of 142 points. Azusa Pacific (21-11, 15-5) is second with two first place votes and 122 points. Concordia (20-11, 12-8) is third with 118 points.
Biola (11-17, 5-15) is seventh with 70 points, with Dominican (5-22, 4-16) eighth with 53 points and Hawai'i Hilo (7-20, 6-14) ninth with 51 points. Holy Names (11-20, 7-13) was chosen 10th with 47 points, Fresno Pacific (7-21, 5-15) 11th with 36 points and Notre Dame de Namur (5-20, 4-16) 12th with 16 points.
Janssen, a 6-9 senior forward from Noosa Heads, Australia/Mountain Creek, starts his third season with the Sharks after transferring after his freshman year at Cleveland State. An All-PacWest Conference third team selection in 2017-18, Janssen is the leading returning scorer for HPU, averaging 13.6 points (15th in the PacWest) and 7.0 rebounds (seventh in the PacWest) last season. He also averaged 1.0 blocks, 1.7 assists and 0.8 steals per game as the only player to start every game for the Sharks last year. He shot 44.6 percent from the floor and 38.9 percent from the 3-point arc while averaging 1.75 treys per game.
Joining Janssen on the Preseason All-PacWest Conference Team are Azusa Pacific senior Darien McClain, Concordia senior Brian Chambers and the Point Loma trio of senior Preston Beverly, senior Josh Rodriguez and junior Daulton Hommes.
The Sharks hit the floor for the first time in 2018-19 on Friday night at the Stan Sheriff Center as they visit Mānoa to take on the University of Hawai'i in an exhibition game at 7 p.m. HPU officially opens the season on Friday, Nov. 9 in the PacWest-GNAC Challenge at McCabe Gymnasium. The Sharks meet Alaska Anchorage at noon.
+++ HPU +++
| 2018-19 PACWEST PRESEASON MEN'S BASKETBALL POLL |
|
TEAM |
POINTS |
2017-18
RECORD |
| 1. |
Point Loma (10) |
142 |
15-5 |
| 2. |
Azusa Pacific (2) |
122 |
15-5 |
| 3. |
Concordia |
118 |
12-8 |
| 4. |
Chaminade |
104 |
11-9 |
| 5. |
Hawai`i Pacific |
99 |
10-10 |
| 6. |
Academy of Art |
78 |
11-9 |
| 7. |
Biola |
70 |
5-15 |
| 8. |
Dominican |
53 |
4-16 |
| 9. |
Hawai`i Hilo |
51 |
6-14 |
| 10. |
Holy Names |
47 |
7-13 |
| 11. |
Fresno Pacific |
36 |
5-15 |
| 12. |
Notre Dame de Namur |
16 |
4-15 |
| First-place votes in parenthesis |
| 2018-19 PRESEASON ALL-PACWEST MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM |
| Name |
School |
Pos. |
Yr. |
Hometown/Previous School |
| Preston Beverly |
Point Loma |
F |
Sr. |
Wildomar, Calif. / Elsinore |
| Brian Chambers |
Concordia |
G |
Sr. |
Long Beach, Calif. / Citrus College |
| Daulton Hommes |
Point Loma |
F |
Jr. |
Lynden, Wash. / Western Washington |
| Jonathan Janssen |
Hawai'i Pacific |
F |
Sr. |
Noosa Heads, Aus. / Mountain Creek St. |
| Darien McClain |
Azusa Pacific |
G |
Sr. |
O'Fallon, Ill. / San Diego CC |
| Josh Rodriguez |
Point Loma |
F |
Sr. |
La Habra, Calif. / Sonora |
Preseason Player of the Year: Jonathan Janssen, Hawai'i Pacific
