Conference coaches picked the UAA men's basketball team as the preseason favorite and ranked the UAA women's team third in polls released this week by the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
The men garnered nine of the 11 first-place votes for a healthy lead over No. 2 Western Washington, which earned one first-place vote. Central Washington, picked to finish third, received the other first-place vote.
UAF, which placed second in the conference last year, finished fourth in the voting.
The Seawolves are coming off a 21-11 season that ended with no playoff bid. Though they lost two players from last season, they are loaded with veterans – including three who earned all-conference recognition last sesason.
Leading that group is Suki Wiggs, a play-making, shot-creating senior guard who averaged 24 points and was a third-team All-America pick. Other top returners include Corey Hammell, who averaged a double-double, and Spencer Svejcar, who averaged 11.8 points.
Additions to the squad include 6-foot-10 center Connor Devine of Wasilla, who elected to return home for his senior season after three years at Division I South Dakota State.
Devine's sister Alysha is a top returner for the UAA women, the national runnerup in last season's NCAA Division II playoffs.
She and point guard Kiki Robertson are the only returning starters from last season's 38-2 team. Sierra Afoa leads a group of battle-tested reserves, and the newcomers include Division I transfers Autummn Williams (Arkansas-Little Rock) and Shelby Cloninger (Utah State).
Voting in the women's poll was close between Western Washington, Simon Fraser and UAA. Western Washington drew six first-place votes to finish first with 112 points, Simon Fraser got one first-place vote to finish second with 105 points and UAA earned four first-place votes to finish third with 103 points.
Fans can get their first look at the UAA men for free Friday at the annual Green & Gold intrasquad scrimmage game, which tips off at 7 p.m. at the Alaska Airlines Center.
The women open their season Nov. 6 with an exhibition game against Washington State in Pullman.
GNAC men's preseason poll
1) UAA (9 first-place votes) 119 points
2) Western Washington (1) 100
3) Central Washington (1) 83
4) UAF 79
5) Seattle Pacific 73
6) Western Oregon 71
7) Montana State Billings 63
8) Saint Martin's 55
9) Northwest Nazarene 36
10) Concordia 32
11) Simon Fraser 15
GNAC women's preseason poll
1) Western Washington (6) 112
2) Simon Fraser (1) 105
3) Alaska Anchorage (4) 103
4) Montana State Billings 84
5) Seattle Pacific 79
6) Northwest Nazarene 61
7) Central Washington 58
8) Concordia 45
9) UAF 39
10) Saint Martin's 22
11) Western Oregon 18
(Points awarded on 11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.)