IRVINE, Calif. – Hawai'i Pacific University was chosen to finish 10th in the conference by the league's head coaches in the annual PacWest Men's Basketball Poll released on Wednesday.
The conference also released the six-member Preseason All-PacWest Team, but no HPU player was selected to the squad.
The Sharks, who finished 7-20 overall and 4-18 tied for 10th in PacWest in 2018-19, received 45 points to rank 10th.
Concordia Irvine (23-11, 18-4) was voted as the top team, receiving eight first place votes and 137 points. Azusa Pacific (20-11, 16-6) was tabbed second with three first place votes and 131 points, while Chaminade (23-8, 16-6) received a first place vote and 121 points for third.
Defending champion Point Loma (31-5, 20-2) was voted fourth with 113 points, with Biola (15-13, 11-11) is fifth with 88 points and Fresno Pacific (12-15, 9-13) sixth with 72 points. Academy of Art (11-17, 11-11) received 64 points in seventh, just ahead of Hawai'i Hilo (12-14, 10-12) in eighth with 63 points.
Holy Names (12-16, 11-11) got 50 points for ninth, followed by HPU in 10th, Dominican (Calif.) (8-20, 4-18) 11th with 39 points and Notre Dame de Namur (2-26, 2-20) 12th with 13 points.
Azusa Pacific senior forward Selom Mawugbe was chosen as the Preseason PacWest Player of the Year and heads up the Preseason All-PacWest Team. Making up the rest of the team are Chaminade junior guard Tyler Cartaino, Biola junior guard Michael Bagatourian, Fresno Pacific junior forward Aamondae Coleman, Concordia Irvine senior forward Robert McCoy and Point Loma senior forward Sterling Somers.
The Sharks open the 2019-20 season in the GNAC/PacWest Challenge in Anchorage, Alaska on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 6:30 p.m. HST (7:30 p.m. AST) against host Alaska Anchorage.
+++ HPU +++
| 2019-20 PACWEST PRESEASON MEN'S BASKETBALL POLL |
| |
TEAM |
POINTS |
2018-19 PACWEST
RECORD |
| 1. |
Concordia (8) |
137 |
18-4 |
| 2. |
Azusa Pacific (3) |
131 |
16-6 |
| 3. |
Chaminade (1) |
121 |
16-6 |
| 4. |
Point Loma |
113 |
20-2 |
| 5. |
Biola |
88 |
11-11 |
| 6. |
Fresno Pacific |
72 |
9-13 |
| 7. |
Academy of Art |
64 |
11-11 |
| 8. |
Hawai`i Hilo |
63 |
10-12 |
| 9. |
Holy Names |
50 |
11-11 |
| 10. |
Hawai`i Pacific |
45 |
4-18 |
| 11. |
Dominican |
39 |
4-18 |
| 12. |
Notre Dame de Namur |
13 |
2-20 |
| First-place votes in parenthesis |
| 2019-20 PRESEASON ALL-PACWEST MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM |
| Name |
School |
Pos. |
Yr. |
Hometown/Previous School |
| Michael Bagatourian |
Biola |
G |
Jr. |
Irvine, Calif./Crean Lutheran |
| Tyler Cartaino |
Chaminade |
G |
Sr. |
Newbury Park, Calif./Newbury |
| Aamondae Coleman |
Fresno Pacific |
F |
Jr. |
Las Vegas/Desert Oasis |
| Selom Mawugbe |
Azusa Pacific |
F |
Sr. |
Canyon County, Calif./Canyon |
| Robert McCoy |
Concordia |
F |
Sr. |
Chicago/Portland State |
| Sterling Somers |
Point Loma |
F |
Sr. |
Lynden, Wash./Lynden |
Preseason Player of the Year: Selome Mawugbe, Azusa Pacific
