By Commissioner Bob Hogue
March Madness makes it triumphant return to the PacWest in just a few weeks – and this time we’re headed to the islands! The 2023 PacWest Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships will be played at Chaminade University in Honolulu, Hawai`i this year, Thursday through Saturday, March 2-4. The top six women’s teams and top six men’s teams will battle it our for the tournament title and the conference’s automatic berth in the NCAA Division II regional championships. Each week until all the spots are settled, we’ll keep you updated on the races in each field. You can also expect to get ticket information, game times, and much more, so stay tuned to the conference website and social media outlets for more information. Here’s your first look at the 2023 PacWest women's basketball race on the Road to Honolulu.
The PacWest men’s basketball race has been dominated by nationally-ranked Point Loma this conference season. The Sea Lions (16-0) have an unblemished conference mark and could clinch the number one seed in their next game with another victory, meaning a bye in the first round of the tournament
The fight is on for the coveted second spot in the tournament field, with four teams in a tight race for that next position. Hawai`i Hilo (10-4) and Azusa Pacific (10-4) are tied for that spot currently – Hilo just finished a tough trip through Northern California, while APU came back in the second half to hold off Chaminade Monday night to even up the standings. Academy of Art (9-5), fresh off a big win over the Vulcans on Sunday, is only one game behind and hopes to make a run to defend the tournament title it won in 2022. Next up is Biola (8-5), with the Eagles sitting just a half game behind the Urban Knights. This battle for the two through five seeds will be fun to watch all throughout the month of February.
Another big fight is going on for the sixth spot, with Dominican (7-8) currently holding down that position after a big win over visiting HPU on Sunday. The Penguins are trying to hold off Chaminade (5-10), who is hoping to get hot again and make the tournament field on its own home court. There will be lots of scoreboard watching in these final weeks of the regular season.
The other teams are still mathematically alive, but just barely – Hawai`i Pacific (3-9), Concordia (3-9), Fresno Pacific (2-10), and Holy Names (2-11). All hope to make a late run to get into field in the race to Honolulu.