THE SCHEDULE
Game #22
at Hawai'i Hilo (6-14, 4-10 PacWest)
Thursday, Feb. 9 • 9 p.m.
UHH Gymnasium • Hilo, Hawai'i
Live Stats • Video • Radio
 
Game #23
at #3 Hawai'i Pacific (21-2, 13-2 PacWest)
Saturday, Feb. 11 • 5 p.m.
Blaisdell Center • Honolulu
Live Stats • Video
 
Game #24
at BYU-Hawaii (5-16, 3-12 PacWest)
Monday, Feb. 13 • 9:30 p.m.
Cannon Activites Center • Laie, Hawai'i
Live Stats • Video • Radio
 
The Fresno Pacific men's basketball team embarks on a three-game Hawaii road trip this week. FPU faces Hawai'i Hilo on Thursday before traveling to Oahu to face Hawai'i Pacific on Saturday and BYU-Hawaii on Monday.
  
LAST TIME OUT
Spencer Krannitz scored a game-high 30 points, but the Sunbirds couldn't hold off a late charge from Dominican to fall 88-86 in PacWest action at the Special Events Center on Feb. 4. Krannitz made 13-of-21 shots, including 4-of-7 from deep, for his second 30 point game of the season and added six steals. Kavika Jimenez poured in 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Sunbirds, while Mike Crawley chipped in with 10 points and nine rebounds and T.J. Viney added 10 points and six assists. FPU held at least a share of the lead for 39:58 and didn't connect on a field goal the last 2:39 of the game. The Sunbirds finished the evening at 50 percent from the floor, including a 43 percent clip from deep.
 
PACWEST PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Mike Crawley was named the PacWest Co-Player of the Week on Jan. 9. He averaged 25.5 points and 15.5 rebounds per game, and totaled nine assists, four blocks and four steals in two games for the Sunbirds. He had 16 points, a career-high 17 rebounds, two steals and two blocks in a three-point loss to PacWest leader Dixie State. He then scored a career-high 35 points on 17-of-23 shooting and had 14 rebounds in a win over Holy Names. His 17 field goals were an FPU DII record and the most in the conference this year, highlighted by an alley-oop dunk on the Sunbirds' first possession.
 
Oliver Herting received the player of the week honor as well on Jan. 23. Herting scored a career-best 29 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Fresno Pacific over Notre Dame de Namur 80-70. He was a force in the middle throughout the night, making 11-of-14 shots and 7-of-7 from the free-throw line in only 15 minutes off the bench. Herting did most of his damage in the second half with 22 points, which included a four-minute stretch where he scored 14 straight points for FPU that included a monstrous dunk.
 
SUNBIRDS ON THE RADIO
FPU Athletics has entered into an agreement with local radio station AM 1680 The Answer to provide a broadcast home for the Sunbirds, beginning with the upcoming men's basketball season. AM 1680 The Answer (KGED) will broadcast all 13 men's basketball home games.
 
SCHEDULE NOTES
The Sunbirds opened the regular season at home with the PacWest/GNAC Challenge that featured Point Loma, Saint Martin's and Western Oregon. The Sunbirds faced Cal State East Bay, Western Washington, Alaska Fairbanks, Cal State L.A. and Stanislaus State in non-conference action.
 
The team's 20-game PacWest schedule includes home games against Point Loma, California Baptist, Dixie State and Azusa Pacific. The top six teams in the league qualify for the PacWest Tournament in Irvine, March 1-3, with the winner receiving the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Check out the full schedule.
 
PACWEST PRESEASON POLL
FPU was picked to finish 11th in the 2016-17 Pacific West Conference standings according to a poll of the league's coaches. California Baptist received 179 points and six first-place votes to top the poll. Azusa Pacific, last season's PacWest regular season champion, was second with 171 points and five first-place votes. Following the two were Dixie State and Concordia in third and fourth, respectively. The Red Storm garnered 161 points while Eagles amassed 156 points and one first-place vote. Rounding out the poll was Point Loma (140 points, one first-place vote), Chaminade (129), Hawai'i Pacific (118), BYU-Hawaii (96), Dominican (93, one first-place vote), Hawai'i Hilo (66), FPU (59), Academy of Art (45), Holy Names (32) and Notre Dame de Namur (25).
 
ROSTER NOTES
First-year head coach C.J. Haydock returns five from the 2015-16 team, including the team's second-leading scorer Spencer Krannitz (14.9 ppg, .507 FG%). T.J. Viney (6.0 PPG, 3.3 APG), Suhail Mohammadi (18.6 MPG, 3.9 PPG), Jeff Bartley (16 GP) and Oliver Herting (.687 FG%) also return for the Sunbirds.
 
The roster features nine newcomers – Mike Crawley, R.J. Horn, Sam Holmes, Kavika Jimenez, Jordan Belasco, Sam Burt, Martin Arambula, Elijah Hill and Rafail Eleftheriou.
   
SUNBIRD NOTES
FPU is currently tied for 10th in the league standings (4-6), as the top six move on to the PacWest tourney…The Sunbirds had their first winning streak of the season after downing Chaminade and NDNU in back-to-back games…FPU played its first overtime game of the season on Jan. 14…in the 112-108 double overtime win against Chaminade, the two teams set a record for most combined points in PacWest history…the 112 points scored was the most for FPU since Nov. 18, 2014…FPU made a season best 13 threes in the win over CUH…the Sunbirds snapped a six-game skid with their 85-84 win over Holy Names (1/5)…FPU's win against Academy of Art (12/1) snapped a five-game losing streak earlier this season…the 0-5 start to the year marked the longest drought to start a season since joining the NCAA Division II…senior point guard T.J. Viney is the only player to start all 21 games this season…Viney scored a career-best 19 points in the setback to Concordia (12/7)…Mike Crawley has recorded five double-doubles this season…Crawley scored a career-best 35 points in the win over HNU, making a program record (Division II era) 17 field goals….Crawley pulled down a career best 17 rebounds in a setback to Dixie State (1/3)…Spencer Krannitz is leading the team in scoring (14.4 ppg)…Krannitz scored a career-best 31 points against Western Washington (11/26) and had 30 against Dominican (2/4)…Oliver Herting scored a career-best 29 points, in only 15 minutes, to give FPU a 80-70 win over NDNU on Jan. 20…head coach C.J. Haydock earned his first career victory on Dec. 1 with a 81-77 defeat of ART U.
 
HEAD COACH C.J. HAYDOCK
C.J. Haydock became the head men's basketball coach in April 2016 after serving as the program's lead assistant and recruiting coordinator during the 2015-16 season, following a highly-successful 11 years of coaching in the high school ranks. As an assistant, Haydock played an integral part in all aspects of running the program, working as the Sunbirds' recruiting coordinator and developing FPU's guards. He helped guide the program to its first winning record since 2012-13, a five-win improvement from the previous season. Haydock came to FPU after coaching locally at Immanuel High School where he led the Eagles to back-to-back Valley championships and a ranking as high as #1 in the state in 2014-15. Haydock, the 2015 Fresno Bee High School Coach of the Year, became the head coach at Immanuel in 2011, inheriting a program that had gone 4-23 the previous year. In four seasons with the Eagles he posted an overall record of 70-47, including a 30-3 mark in 2014-15, going undefeated against Central Section opponents across all divisions and reaching the Division IV state quarterfinals.
 
ABOUT THE VULCANS
Hawai'i Hilo is currently 6-14 overall and 4-10 in league action. The Vulcans most recently fell to Point Loma 87-73 in San Diego on Feb. 4 and have lost six straight. UHH ranks fifth in scoring offense (77.5 ppg) in the league. Parker Farris leads the league in minutes per game is averages a team-best 22.0 points per night. Brian Ishola adds 14.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game for the Vulcans.
 
CONFERENCE SERIES HISTORY
The Sunbirds and Vulcans will be meeting for the seventh time in conference play, with each team sharing a 3-3 record. Each team won on its home court last season.
 
ABOUT THE SHARKS
Hawai'i Pacific is currently ranked #3 in the nation and sits at 21-2 overall and 13-2 in league play. Most recently, HPU fell to Azusa Pacific 92-82 on Feb. 6. The Sharks rank atop the conference in several statistical categories: assist-to-turnover ratio (1.15), assists per game (16.1), field-goal percentage (50.0), scoring defense (67.3), scoring offense (88.5), rebounding margin (10.7) and steals per game (8.5). Chauncey Orr leads the way with a 18.3 scoring average, while adding 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. Connor Looney adds 16.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per night.
 
SERIES HISTORY
The two teams will be meeting for the 13th time, with HPU holding a 7-5 all-time series advantage. The Sharks have won the last five meetings, including an 88-63 victory on Jan. 11 in Fresno.
 
ABOUT THE SEASIDERS
BYU-Hawaii currently holds a 5-16 overall record and 3-12 in the PacWest. The Seasiders have lost four straight, most recently to Concordia 117-91. BYU-H will face Hawai'i Hilo on Saturday prior to Monday's game. The Seasiders are averaging 76 points per night, led by Tanner Nelson's 18.3 scoring average. Shad Watson adds 13.8 points per night.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Monday's game will be the last ever meeting between the two teams, as BYU-H is in its last season of sponsoring intercollegiate athletics. BYU-Hawaii holds a 9-2 all-time series advantage. The two teams split the season series a year ago, with each team earning a win on the road.
 
SHOP FPU
The Fresno Pacific Department of Athletics is proud to announce the opening of a Team Store that can be accessed on ShopFPU.com. Fans and students can now purchase apparel for all 14 athletic teams, along with numerous other items, throughout of the 2016-17 season.
 
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