MONMOUTH, Oregon --- The Western Oregon men's basketball team begins GNAC play this week as the Wolves travel to take on Central Washington on Thursday and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON HEADING INTO THIS WEEK | 2022-23 STATISTICS
The Wolves haven't played since falling to Western New Mexico 64-58 in Phoenix on Nov. 22 with Cameron Benzel leading WOU with 19 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks and two steals. 

WOU has four players averaging double figures with Cameron Cranston leading the way with 15.0 points to go along with 4.6 assists, 2.8 assists and 1.0 blocks per game. John Morrill-Keeler is averaging 13.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and is shooting 72.7 percent from the field (tops in the GNAC), Benzel is averaging 12.0 points and leads the team at 6.6 rebounds (fifth in the GNAC) and 1.6 blocks per game (third in the conference) and Yosani Clay is averaging 12.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. Qiant Myers leads the team and GNAC in assists per game (6.0) while adding 5.4 points and 1.6 steals per contest.

THE WOLVES' OPPONENTS THIS WEEK ... CENTRAL WASHINGTON STATS | NORTHWEST NAZARENE STATS
Central Washington has dropped three straight after losing 69-67 to Midwestern State on Friday and 89-79 to Azusa Pacific on Saturday at the NNU Thanksgiving Classic. While 1-5, the Wildcats' lone win came against No. 13 Cal State San Marcos 69-60 on Nov. 17.

Camron McNeil leads CWU in scoring at 15.2 points per game while shooting 57.1 percent from 3-point range (16-for-28). Matt Poquette is also averaging double figures at 11.3 points while leading the team in rebounding at 7.2 per game.

Northwest Nazarene - picked second in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll - has also dropped three in a row after falling to Azusa Pacific 65-64 on Friday and 78-57 to Midwestern State on Saturday - both games at home.

Tru Allen leads the team in scoring at 17.7 points per game and also has a team-best 2.7 steals per game. Six-foot-9 Gabriel Murphy is averaging 10.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.

WOU's RECENT HISTORY VERSUS CWU, NNU
The Wolves had won nine in row and 12 of the previous 13 meetings against Central Washington before dropping both contests to the Wildcats last season - 90-67 on Jan. 22 on the road and 65-64 on March 4 in the semifinals of the GNAC Championships. Since the 2000-01 season, the Wolves are 20-22 against CWU.

Against NNU, WOU has dropped four straight contests - last winning Feb. 21, 2019 at home 81-66. The last win in Nampa came Feb. 15, 2018, a 70-67 victory. Since the 2000-01 season, the Wolves own the same record against the Nighthawks as against CWU - 20-22.
  PERFECT SHOOTING ON BACK-TO-BACK DAYS FOR WOU FORWARDS BENZEL AND MORRILL-KEELER
It's unusual to have one player score 19 or more points while not missing a shot from the field or free-throw line, but to have it happen on back-to-back days is an impressive feat the Western Oregon men's basketball team did Nov. 18-19 at the Ron Logsdon Basketball Challenge in Rohnert Park, California.

On Nov. 18, Cameron Benzel went 8-for-8 from the field and 3-for-3 from the free-throw line to finish with 19 points in a win over Stanislaus State. The next night in a win over Sonoma State, John Morrill-Keeler went 7-for-7 from the field and 6-for-6 from the free-throw line for 20 points. It wasn't quite a record, however, as Yuri Whyms during the 2001-02 season went 11-for-11 from the field in a contest against Saint Martin's.

CRANSTON PICKED AS PRESEASON GNAC PLAYER OF THE YEAR, WOLVES TABBED TO FINISH EIGHTH
Western Oregon's Cameron Cranston was named the GNAC Men's Basketball Preseason Player of the Year as the 6-foot-6 senior is coming off a season where he averaged 18.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.3 blocks while shooting 43.2 percent from 3-point range and 79.3 percent from the free throw line. Cranston earned All-GNAC Second Team honors in 2021-22. The rest of the All-GNAC Preseason Team can be found here.

As a team, WOU was voted eighth in the GNAC Preseason Men's Basketball Poll. The Wolves and their 48 points - which did include one first-place vote - were in a pack of three teams within five points of each other with No. 6 Alaska Anchorage (53 points) and No. 7 Central Washington (52). Saint Martin's was picked to win the conference with 81 points and three first-place votes - though five teams overall garnered first-place votes in No. 2 Northwest Nazarene (78 points, two first-place votes), Montana State Billings (69 points, three first-place votes) and Western Washington (66 points, one first-place vote). WOU is coming off of a 9-18 2021-22 campaign, going 6-10 in GNAC play to finish ninth - but the Wolves did make a run to the GNAC Championship semifinals.

MEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLL
1. Saint Martin's (3), 81 pts.
2. Northwest Nazarene (2), 78 pts.
3. Montana St. Billings (3), 69 pts.
4. Western Washington (1), 66 pts.
5. Seattle Pacific, 60 pts.
6. Alaska Anchorage, 53 pts.
7. Central Washington, 52 pts.
8. Western Oregon (1), 48 pts.
9. Simon Fraser, 23 pts.
10. Alaska, 20 pts.