|
Rk.
|
Team
|
Pts.
|
17-18 NWC record
|
|
1
|
Whitman
|
61 (5)
|
16-0
|
|
2
|
Whitworth
|
60 (4)
|
14-2
|
|
3
|
Linfield
|
49
|
10-6
|
|
4
|
Pacific (Ore.)
|
34
|
6-10
|
|
T-5
|
Puget Sound
|
33
|
11-5
|
|
T-5
|
George Fox
|
33
|
4-12
|
|
7
|
Willamette
|
23
|
6-10
|
|
8
|
Pacific Lutheran
|
16
|
1-15
|
|
9
|
Lewis & Clark
|
15
|
4-12
|
(Points awarded on an 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. Coaches could not vote for their own teams; numbers in parentheses indicate number of first-place votes.)
HILLSBORO, Ore. – The Whitman Blues are predicted to be the top team in the Northwest Conference for the 2018-19 season, as voted on by conference coaches. The Blues accumulated 61 points and four first-place votes in the poll.
Ranked first nationally in the D3hoops.com coaches poll, the Blues finished the 2017-18 season with a 29-2 overall record and an undefeated 16-0 NWC record. After falling to nationally 2nd-ranked Whitworth in the NWC Championship, 91-88, the Blues received an at-large bid into the NCAA Championship, where they advanced to the National Championship game in Platteville, Wis. before falling to Nebraska Wesleyan, 130-92.
The team was ranked fourth nationally in the D3hoops.com Preseason Coaches' Poll. Returning to the Whitman roster this season is All-NWC First Team, NABC All-District Second Team, and D3hoops.com All-West Region Third Team selection Joey Hewitt (Lafayette, Calif.). All-NWC Honorable Mention selections Austin Butler (Los Angeles, Calif.) and Jack Stewart (Seattle, Wash.) also return for the Blues under 2018 NWC Coach of the Year Eric Bridgeland in his 11th year as head coach.
The Whitworth Pirates, who ranked sixth nationally in the D3hoops.com Preseason Coaches' Poll, were voted into second-place in the poll, just one point behind Whitman with 61, accumulating four first-place votes. The Pirates finished the 2017-18 season with an overall record of 24-4 and a 19th-place national ranking. The team finished second in NWC standings after posting a 14-2 conference record. In a powerhouse face-off at the NWC Championship, The Pirates defeated Whitman, 91-88, to earn the automatic qualifier into the NCAA Tournament, where they fell in the first round to Claremont Mudd-Scripps, 83-82.
Kyle Roach (Marinwood, Calif.) returns to the Pirates roster for the 2018-19 season after accumulating NWC Player of the Year, NABC All-District First Team, All-West Region First Team, NABC All-America First Team, and D3hoops.com All-America First Team honors in the 2017-18 season. Also returning this season is All-NWC Second Team honoree Jared Christy (Spokane, Wash.) and All-NWC Honorable Mention selections Ben College (Portland, Ore.) and Garrett Hull (Ellensburg, Wash.).
Linfield ranks third in the poll with 49 points. The Wildcats finished the 2017-18 season with an overall record of 16-9, placing fourth in conference standings with an NWC record of 10-6. Dempsey Roggenbuck (Marin County, Calif.), who was named the NWC Freshman of the Year and D3hoops.com West Region Rookie of the Year, will return for his sophomore season with the Wildcats.
Ranking fourth in the poll is Pacific (Ore.) with 47 points. The Boxers finished the 2017-18 season tied for fifth with Willamette in NWC standings with a 6-10 conference record, finishing 12-13 overall. Davis Holly (Bend, Ore.) returns a junior for the 2018-19 season after finishing last season with 23 starts and a 12.7 points-per-game average.
Puget Sound and George Fox each tallied 33 points, tying for fifth in the poll. Finishing the 2017-18 season with an 18-8 overall record and 11-5 record against conference opponents, the Loggers ranked third in NWC standings. 2018 All-NWC First Team Jimmy Wohrer (Redwood City, Calif.) will return to the Logger roster after leading the NWC with an average of 22 points per game last season.
The Bruins finished the 2017-18 season with an overall record of 8-17 and a conference record of 4-12 to rank seventh alongside Lewis & Clark in NWC final standings. The team returns 2018 All-NWC Second Team selection Mason Green-Richards (Eugene, Ore.), who averaged 20.8 points per game – the highest on the Bruins team and the third-highest in the NWC.
The Willamette Bearcats earned 23 points in the poll to rank seventh. The Bearcats recorded 11 wins and 14 losses in the 2017-18 season, while tying for fifth in the NWC final standings at 6-10 along with Pacific (Ore.). Among the three seniors returning to the Bearcats roster is 2018 All-NWC First Team selection Jordan Jenkins (Placentia, Calif.), who led the team with 13.9 points per game last season.
Pacific Lutheran ranks eighth in the poll with 16 points. The Lutes rounded out the 2017-18 season with an overall record of 4-21, ranking ninth in NWC standings with a 1-15 conference record. The team welcomes nine freshmen for the 2018-19 season.
Rounding out the poll is Lewis & Clark, ranking ninth and acquiring 15 points. The Pioneers tied for seventh with George Fox in 2018 NWC final standings after finishing the season with a conference record of 4-12 and an overall record of 8-17. After graduating just one, the Pioneers enter the 2018-19 season a veteran team.
With the regular-season officially underway, teams will face non-conference opponents until the NWC slate begins on Tuesday, November 27th.
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