SEATTLE – Seattle University men's basketball tips off the 2024-25 season on Wednesday, Nov. 6, traveling across the state of Washington to face the Eagles of Eastern Washington. Tip off from Reese Court in Cheney, Wash., is scheduled for 6 p.m. The game will air live on ESPN+.
FOLLOW THE REDHAWKS
- Wednesday, November 6, 2025 at 6:00 PM PT
- Seattle U (0-0) at Eastern Washington (0-1)
- Reese Court, Cheney, Wash.
- Live Stats
- Watch on ESPN+
- Game Notes
SEASON OPENERS
Seattle University will be seeking its sixth consecutive season-opening win when the 2024-25 campaign begins Wednesday at Eastern Washington. This is the fifth time in the last eight seasons that Seattle U has opened the season on the road.
- 2023-24: Behind a combined 33 points from Cameron Tyson and John Christofilis, the Redhawks secured their fifth consecutive season opening win with a 71-60 final over Prairie View A&M in the Redhawk Center.
- 2022-23: Cameron Tyson poured in a career-high 35 points as the Redhawks downed UC San Diego, 85-71, in La Jolla, Calif.
- 2021-22: Cameron Tyson drained a three at the buzzer to lift Seattle U to a 69-66 win over Alcorn State in the Redhawk Center.
- 2020-21: The Redhawks toppled Portland, 84-72, in Portland.
- 2019-20: The Redhawks cruised to a convincing 98-64 win over Pacific Lutheran in the Redhawk Center.
QUICK HITS
- Seattle U returns seven players from a 2023-24 squad that went 23-14 overall on its way to winning the 2024 Ro College Basketball Invitational in Daytona Beach, Fla. The Redhawks, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, won four games in five days to clinch the first postseason championship in program history.
- The Redhawks are riding three consecutive seasons of 20 wins or more, achieving the feat for the first time since 1957-59. Along with the 23-win campaign last year, the Redhawks went 20-12 overall in 2022-23 and 23-9 in 2021-22.
- The Redhawks' 2022 Western Athletic Conference regular season title was the first DI conference title for the program and just the second overall conference title (Seattle U won the 2006-07 DII Great Northwest Athletic Conference crown).
ABOUT THE SERIES VS EASTERN WASHINGTON
- Seattle U is 11-16 all-time against the Eagles, dating back to the 1945-46 season.
- In the Redhawks' modern-day Division I era, the teams are -8 in a very back-and-forth series.
- The teams have not met in nearly exactly five years. The last meeting came on Nov. 9, 2019 in Seattle with the Eagles claiming a 74-66 win.
- Previous to that, the Redhawks had won two straight and three of the last five.
- Seattle U won the first meeting in its return to DI, 63-59, in overtime at EWU during the 2008-09 season. The teams would go on to split a home-and-home series the next two years, each winning on their home courts. Seattle U won the lone meeting in 2011-12 and EWU won four straight before the Redhawks prevailed for a 58-52 win at KeyArena on Nov. 23, 2015. Both meetings in 2016-17 were thrilling double overtime contests, each that went the way of the Eagles.
PRESEASON HONORS
Redshirt junior guard John Christofilis was named to the five-member Preseason All-Western Athletic Conference Team, as voted on by the league's 11 head coaches. Christofilis returns for his second season with the Redhawks following a breakout year in 2023-24. The Seattle native averaged 12.7 points and 2.3 rebounds per game a season ago. He led Seattle U in scoring seven times and scored in double figures 17 total times. After scoring 18 points to go with five rebounds and two steals in his Redhawk debut, Christofilis missed the next nine games due to a hand injury. In his fourth game back, he poured in a career-high 32 points on 13-of-22 FGs. Christofilis finished the season with 64 threes, hitting at a team-high 39.8% clip.
WAC PRESEASON POLLS
Seattle University was selected third in the 2024-25 Western Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. The Redhawks are coming off a 2023-24 season that saw them finish 23-14 overall, including 11-9 in WAC play, and culminate with the College Basketball Invitational Championship. The 23-win season was the third consecutive year the Redhawks hit or surpassed the 20-win marker, the first such streak since 1957-59. Seattle U's third place pick came with one first-place vote and 46 total points. Reigning WAC Tournament champion Grand Canyon earned eight first-place votes and 64 points to be named the preseason favorite. UT Arlington earned 49 points to edge the Redhawks for second place.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
- The Redhawk roster features five players from the state of Washington, including three who call the city of Seattle home. The list includes returners John Christofilis (O'Dea HS/Creighton), Malek Gomma (Ingraham HS/Elite Prep), and Niko Fotopoulos (Bishop Blanchete HS/St. Thomas More School). New to the squad from the state of Washington are junior Maleek Arington (Auburn, WA/Auburn HS/Idaho State) and Ray Adams (Olympia, WA/North Thurston HS).
- Seattle U's coaching staff features numerous local ties as assistant coaches Grant Leep, D'Marques Tyson and Steven Shpreyregin all hail from the state of Washington.
INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR
While five players hail from the state of Washington, the Redhawks are also wll represented from around the globe. In addition to 10 players from three different states in the USA, the Redhawks roster also includes two players from China, one from Japan, one from England, one from Canada and one from Australia.
SEATTLE STORYLINES
- 2024-25 marks the Redhawks' final year competing in the Western Athletic Conference after Seattle University was accepted into the West Coast Conference beginning July 1, 2025.
- Seattle U is among the top nine DI programs in the country with three or more international true freshmen on their roster. The Redhawks' trio includes Houran Dan (China), Yuto Kawashima (Japan) and Eric Zheng (China). Buffalo leads all programs with six and Florida International has five. Seven other programs, including Seattle U, tie for third with three each.
- In the DI ranks this season, Seattle U's Houran Dan and Eric Zheng are two of just five players who hail from China. In addition, Yuto Kawashima is among just seven players to hail from Japan.
- Kobe Williamson became the program's all-time leading shot blocker on Dec. 9, 2023 and enters this season with 147 career blocks.
- The Redhawks played five game overtime games in 2023-24. They are 2-4 all-time in OT under Head Coach Chris Victor.
WHAT'S IN A NUMBER
Three Redhawks will don a new number across their chest this season. Senior Vasja Pandža traded in No. 1 for No. 7, sophomore Malek Gomma swapped out No. 24 for No. 8 and senior Kobe Williamson traded in No. 33 for No. 96.
GET YOUR TICKETS
Single-game tickets and season packages are available for purchase, including a limited number of full 14-game packages. Season ticket holders receive exclusive access to special offers and always receive the best value. All ticket options may be purchased online at goseattleu.com/tix or over the phone at 206-398-GOSU.
UP NEXT
Seattle U returns home to host the first of 14 home games during the 2024-25 season. The Redhawks take on Liberty University out of Conference USA on Saturday, Nov. 9. The game will cap Seattle University's Homecoming Week when it tips off from the Redhawk Center at 5 p.m.
Donate Today
Fans interested in making a gift to Seattle University Athletics can do so by clicking here. Your gift directly impacts all Redhawk student athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in the community. Thank you for supporting Seattle University Athletics!
Follow Along With the Action
Stay connected with Seattle U men's basketball and get all the latest team updates by downloading the GoSeattleU mobile app available now for free in the App Store or Google Play.