NAMPA, Idaho – Northwest Nazarene men's basketball seniors Andrew King and Briggs Ranstrom were named to the 2026-27 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Preseason All-Conference Team, announced by the conference Tuesday.

King and Ranstrom were two of 15 players selected to the preseason team, which featured representatives from all 10 GNAC programs. Alaska Anchorage's Sylas Williams was selected as the GNAC Preseason Player of the Year.

King enters his first season with the Nighthawks after spending the 2025-26 campaign at NCAA Division I Youngstown State. The 6'4" guard appeared in all 32 games for the Penguins last season, averaging 17.6 minutes and 2.8 points per game.

Prior to Youngstown State, King spent the 2024-25 season at Elon, where he averaged 4.7 points while starting 33 games. He began his collegiate career at Houston Christian, averaging 9.2 points per game in 17 appearances during the 2022-23 season.

"Drew is an extremely talented facilitator with a high basketball I.Q. and an exceptional feel for the game," head coach Jon Hawkins said. "He has the ability to be the general on the floor, recognizing problems before they arise and putting his teammates in positions to succeed. He is a natural connector and playmaker who understands how to bring others together and make our team better. We expect Drew to play a tremendous role in leading our team on the floor and helping us reach our goals this season."

Ranstrom returns for his third season with the Nighthawks after starting all 29 games during the 2025-26 campaign. The Eagle, Idaho native led NNU with 6.0 rebounds per game while adding 7.9 points per contest and averaging 31.7 minutes.

The forward from Eagle, Idaho recorded three double-doubles last season and scored a season-high 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting in the regular-season finale against Western Washington. He also pulled down a season-best 14 rebounds against Central Washington.

Ranstrom has started all 55 games he has played during his two seasons at NNU, averaging 8.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 0.9 blocks per game. He earned Honorable Mention All-GNAC recognition following the 2024-25 season.

"Briggs is the heart of our team," Hawkins said. "He has a unique ability to recognize what our team needs and step in to fill those gaps, often without being asked. He sets the tone every day through his leadership, toughness and willingness to give everything he has for the guys around him. As we head into the 2026-27 season, Briggs will continue to be a driving force behind our team's identity and the standard we want to uphold every day."

The preseason honors come after NNU was picked third in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll. The Nighthawks received three first-place votes and 80 points after finishing the 2025-26 season 18-11 overall and 12-6 in conference play.
 

2026-27 GNAC Men's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team

* Preseason Player of the Year