BILLINGS, MT – In a poll of Pacific West Conference men’s basketball coaches, the University of Hawaii-Hilo was selected as the favorite to win the PacWest title in 2003-2004. The Vulcans received two first place votes and 42 of a possible 50 points from opposing coaches.

Indicative of the unpredictable PacWest Conference, three different teams received two first place votes apiece, including defending champion BYU-Hawaii and MSU-Billings. In addition to its two first place votes, Hawaii-Hilo received two second place votes and one third place vote.

League coaches ranked the top five teams in the league not including their own teams. Ten points were awarded for a first place vote, eight points for second place, six points for third place, four points for fourth place, and two points for fifth place.

Only four points separated MSU-Billings, BYU-Hawaii and Chaminade for second, third and fourth places respectively. The Yellowjackets’ 32 points narrowly edged the Seasiders’ 30 while the Silverswords finished with 28. Hawaii Pacific finished fifth in the voting with 22 points, and Western New Mexico received 10 points.

The Vulcans finished 18-10 overall and 10-5 in the PacWest last season, qualifying as the No. 6 seed in the NCAA West Regional Tournament. They lost to Humboldt State 102-81 in the opening round. BYU-Hawaii was 19-4 overall and 13-2 in the PacWest, gaining the region’s top seed. The Seasiders were upset by eighth-seeded Cal State-Bakersfield, 50-41, in the opening round of the NCAA West Regional.

Hawaii-Hilo’s Ryan Abrahams, a 6-foot-3 senior guard from Los Angeles, was almost a unanimous choice as the top returning player in the conference. Abrahams was the first player named on four of five opposing coaches’ ballots and second on the fifth ballot. He averaged 16.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game en route to first team All-PacWest honors in 2002-2003. He is the only returning player from last year’s all-conference first team.

Roy Stigall, a 6-1 senior guard from Chaminade, was also named on all five ballots. One coach named him as the league’s top returning player and two other coaches had him listed second on their ballots. Stigall averaged 12.1 points and 4.3 assists for the Silverswords last year, earning second-team All-PacWest honors. Rounding out the top five vote-getters were Cameron Munoz of MSU-Billings, Shawn Opunui of BYU-Hawaii, and Marvin Noble of Hawaii Pacific.

Other players receiving at least one vote were Dave Carse (MSU-Billings), Aaron Abrams (Hawaii Pacific), Austin Smylie (BYU-Hawaii), Skip Esene (Hawaii-Hilo), Buddy Windy Boy (MSU-Billings) Matt Enriquez (Western New Mexico), Justin Hassell (MSU-Billings), and Jerett Skrifvars (MSU-Billings).

The 2003-2004 NCAA basketball season starts November 15, with the first PacWest teams in action starting November 17. Complete schedules for each PacWest school can be found at www.gopacwest.org.