LONG BEACH, Calif. – The Chaminade University men's basketball team was picked ninth in the Pacific West Conference Preseason Coaches Poll released Thursday.
The Silverswords received 75 points, six behind Concordia University Irvine, which is predicted to finish eighth.
Point Loma was selected by the conference coaches to win its fourth consecutive PacWest title by receiving all 14 first-place votes. Academy of Art, which shared the regular season crown with the Sea Lions last year, was picked second with 166 points. Biola was third followed by the University of Hawai'i Hilo and Azusa Pacific, who were tied for fourth. Hawai'i Pacific University was chosen as sixth.
The top six eligible teams at the end of the season will qualify for the PacWest Championships which will be held during the first weekend of March at the Conlon Center on the Dominican University of California campus in San Rafael, California.
The Silverswords feature 12 newcomers to this year's team with three returnees.
Eric Bovaird begins his 14th year as the 'Swords head coach. Already the longest tenured coach in program history, Bovaird currently has 184 career wins and needs just 16 to become just the second coach in team history to reach 200. Hall of Famer Merv Lopes has 238.
The 'Swords will have their lone exhibition game this Saturday against the University of Hawai'i at the Kamehameha-Maui campus and open the regular season on Friday, Nov. 8 in the first day of the PacWest/GNAC Challenge at the HPU campus against the University of Alaska. Their first home game is Saturday, Nov. 9 against the University of Alaska Anchorage in the second day of the Challenge.
2024-25 PacWest Men's Basketball Preseason Poll
| Pl. |
Team |
Pts. |
| 1. |
Point Loma |
196 (14) |
| 2. |
Academy of Art |
166 |
| 3. |
Biola |
150 |
| T4. |
Hawai'i Hilo |
139 |
| T4. |
Azusa Pacific |
139 |
| 6. |
Hawai'i Pacific |
134 |
| 7. |
Dominican |
83 |
| 8. |
Concordia |
81 |
| 9. |
CHAMINADE |
75 |
| 10. |
Westmont |
68 |
| T11. |
Menlo |
60 |
| T11. |
Fresno Pacific |
60 |
| 13. |
Vanguard |
48 |
| 14. |
Jessup |
46 |
