In 2023-24, the Point Loma Sea Lions tied for the Pacific West Conference regular season title with Academy of Art, but only Azusa Pacific went to the NCAA tournament, with the Sea Lions and Urban Knights missing out on at-large selections.

This year, Point Loma hopes to leave nothing to chance. Their season moto is “Leave No Doubt”.  

The conference’s coaches left no doubt as to who they think the league favorite is in 2024-25. Point Loma received all 14 first place votes for a perfect poll score of 196, 30 poll points ahead of defending co-champ Academy of Art (166). Biola is third (150) with Azusa Pacific and Hawai`i Hilo tying for fourth with 139 points.

It’s not difficult to see how the Sea Lions are the easy pick for the top spot. Second-year coach Justin Downer has five starters back, and that doesn’t include the 2023-24 PacWest Freshman of the Year Tyce Paulsen. It also doesn’t include one of the top players in the conference, Luke Haupt, who missed all of last year with an injury but was a First Team All-PacWest pick and Second Team All-West Region selection in 2022-23 as a sophomore.

That starting five does include Zackary Paulsen, a First Team All-PacWest and All-Tournament nod last winter. It also includes All-PacWest Second Team honorees Wynton Brown and Coby Barnes, the PacWest Newcomer of the Year. Additionally, Jake Lifgren and Luke Smith saw starting time last year. Lifgren was averaging 18 points a game before his season ended after 14 games with an injury.

Academy of Art went 21-9 last year under the PacWest Coach of the Year, Scott Waterman. The Urban Knights have seven returnees and three starters back from that squad, including Third Team All-PacWest selection Rodney Munson, along with Isaiah Williams and Treylon Payne. Waterman lost a huge piece to graduation in Latrell Williams, the PacWest Player and Defender of the Year, along with First Team pick Jamal Fuller. ART U will try and fill those gaps with five transfers.

Biola is in the mix again behind the Dean of Coaches in the PacWest (and most any other place), Dave Holmquist (45^th season, 1022-398). The Eagles have four returning starters and 11 players back, including Nathan Medina (Jr., Guard, All-PacWest First Team), and Daniel Esparza (Sr., Guard, All-PacWest Second Team). The cupboard is full for Biola, who in addition to the 11 returnees also have All-Cascade Conference selection Davian Brown (Lewis-Clark State) on the transferred list and Brendan Mora, an All-SCIAC selection at Pomona-Pitzer.

Azusa Pacific and Hawai`i Hilo share the fourth spot with 139 poll points. The Cougars had a run for the ages last winter, coming into the PacWest tournament as the No. 6 seed before winning three straight games for the conference title and NCAA berth. At the West Regional, they provided fans with two more upsets before finally falling in the title game. Head coach Peter Bond has one starter back in Ethan Speaker (PacWest All-Tournament team), but lost five veterans off that Cinderella team. The Vulcans, who were 19-12 last year and 12-8 in the PacWest, return five players including 2022-23 PacWest Defensive Player of the Year Nadjrick Peat. Last year, head coach Kaniola Aiona’s team reached the PacWest tournament semifinals. He lost five off that squad but has added Division I transfers Jessiya Villa (Hawai`i) and Thatcher Stone (William & Mary).

In the sixth slot is Hawai`i Pacific (134), who finished third in the conference last year under first-year coach Jessie Nakanishi. The Sharks have 11 players back from that team, including Maj Dusanic, a Third Team All-PacWest honoree. Joshua Niusulu started last year for HPU, as did Charlie Weber. Nakanishi has three transfers, including All-NACC selection Joshua West of Division III Dominican IL.

Dominican (7^th, 83) and Concordia (8^th, 81) are in a near dead heat in the middle of the pack. Both teams have some shoes to fill, with the Penguins leaning on one starter and nine total returnees. Head coach Justin Argenal (4^th year) also has a pair of Division I transfers and one D-II get---Thomas Oosterbroek (Portland), Jordan Archie (CSUMB), and Jorge Ochoa (USC Upstate). The Golden Eagles and head coach Ken Ammann (23^rd season, 514-221) will lean on seven transfers after graduating six players. Ammann does have three starters back in Connor Gleason (G, Sr., 8.8 ppg), Jackson Turner (F, Jr., 9.7 ppg), and Charlie Dalton (F, Soph, 8.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg).
 
Chaminade (75) is just behind the Penguins and Golden Eagles. The Silverswords have just three returning players, so head coach Eric Bovaird (14^th season, 184-165) went heavy in the transfer portal, signing seven. Westmont (68) is in the tenth slot after going 8-12 in their first-ever PacWest season under head coach Landon Boucher (4 seasons, 53-46). Three starters are back including Adrian McIntyre, brother of graduated First Team All-PacWest pick Anthony McIntyre.

PacWest newcomer Menlo and Fresno Pacific tied for the 11^th rung (60 poll points each). Menlo, who went 19-9 last season under Brendan Rooney (5^th year, 52-32), has a powerful one-two punch in Landon Seaman and Riley Robinson. Seaman was the GSAC Player of the Year and a NAIA All-American, while Robinson was the GSAC Freshman of the Year. Fresno Pacific, directed by ninth-year leader CJ Haydock, has four returning starters, ten returnees and four transfers. One of those newcomers is Seth Brown, who was a First Team All-NE10 Conference selection at Adelphi (Division II).
 
Next are two more PacWest newcomers in Vanguard (48) and Jessup (46). Vanguard has a new gym to play in for eight returnees and five transfers. Head coach Rhett Holiday (14^th season, 222-184) has one Division I signee and three D-II in that mix. Jessup, who went 18-12 last year under first-year coach Mark Darnall and qualified for the NAIA national tournament, has ten returning players.
 
The 2024-25 season begins tomorrow (Nov. 1) when Hawai`i Hilo goes across the border to take on Simon Fraser, Western Oregon and St. Martin’s. Point Loma will be Florida to tackle Fort Lewis and Florida Southern, Nov. 2-3. The rest of the conference will tip off play on Friday, Nov. 8.