After adding nine newcomers, UAA men's basketball coach Rusty Osborne unveiled on Friday who his reconstructed team will face in 2017-18 — a regular season that concludes with the school hosting the conference championships.
UAA will host the eighth annual Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's and women's championships March 1-3. It's the first time the tournament will be held in Alaska.
The UAA men start the season on the road at NAIA Antelope Valley in Lancaster, California on Nov. 4 – but won't play their next road game until Dec. 17.
The Seawolves will spend the bulk of November and December hosting an 11-game home stand, which includes the Alaska/Hawaii Challenge and GCI Great Alaska Shootout. The Alaska/Hawaii Challenge will pit UAA and UAF against Hawaii Pacific and Chaminade University.
UAA is familiar with both island schools. It played both teams in Hawaii last season and in Fairbanks during 2015.
The Seawolves host the 40th installment of the GCI Great Alaska Shootout Nov. 22-25, and three days later begin GNAC play with a Nov. 28 home game against rival UAF.
Their conference season is frontloaded with home games. The Seawolves play six home games and two road games in January and will do the exact opposite in February (two home games, six road games).
At the GNAC tournament, the top six of the 11 conference teams will compete for league titles and berths in the West Region Championships.
2017-18 UAA men's basketball schedule
(Home games in caps)
NOV. 4 – at Antelope Valley, 6 p.m. Nov. 10 – HAWAII PACIFIC, 8 p.m. Nov. 11 – CHAMINADE, 8 p.m. Nov. 17 – HOLY NAMES, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 18 – HOLY NAMES, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 22-25 – GCI GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT (UAA, Cal Poly, CSU Bakersfield, Central Michigan, College of Charleston, Idaho, Sam Houston State, Santa Clara) Nov. 28 – ALASKA FAIRBANKS*, 7 p.m. Nov. 30 – MONTANA STATE BILLINGS*, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 5 – CAL MIRAMAR 7 p.m. Dec. 6 – CAL MIRAMAR 7 p.m. Dec. 17 – at Western Oregon*, TBD. Dec 19 – at Concordia*, TBD.
Jan. 4 – SAINT MARTIN'S*, 7 p.m. Jan. 6 – SEATTLE PACIFIC*, 7 p.m. Jan. 11 – at Central Washington*, TBD. Jan. 13 – at Northwest Nazarene*, TBD. Jan.18 – SIMON FRASER*, 7 p.m. Jan. 20 – WESTERN WASHINGTON*, 7 p.m. Jan. 25 – CONCORDIA*, 5:15 p.m. Jan. 27 – WESTERN OREGON*, 5:15 p.m.
Feb. 1 – at Seattle Pacific*, TBD. Feb. 3 – at Saint Martin's*, TBD. Feb. 8 – NORTHWEST NAZARENE*, 7 p.m. Feb. 10 – CENTRAL WASHINGTON*, 7 p.m. Feb. 15 – at Western Washington*, TBD. Feb. 17 – at Simon Fraser*, TBD. Feb. 20 – at Alaska Fairbanks*, TBD. Feb. 24 – at Montana State Billings*, TBD.
Mar. 1-3 – GNAC TOURNAMENT, ALASKA AIRLINES CENTER. Mar. 9-12 – NCAA Div. II West Regional Championships, site to be determined. Mar. 20-24 – NCAA Div. II Elite Eight, Sioux Falls, S.D.