LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Biola basketball is back. The 30-game men's season tips off October 31 when Chase Gymnasium plays home to the season-opener between Biola and Fresno Pacific.
 
The team is coming off an up-and-down season last year. The good included a five-game winning streak and a huge win over Vanguard, the eventual NAIA champions. However, the team failed to consistently play well, including a string of horribly slow starts, and lost in the first round of the Golden State Athletic Conference tournament to finish with an underwhelming 16-15 record for the second consecutive season.
 
There is good reason to believe in an improved Eagles team this year. The team returns its dynamic backcourt in senior Pierre Zook, 14.1 ppg, and sophomore Dakari Archer, 14.1 ppg. Both players were new last year, so now, with one season together under their belts, a more impressive season could be in order.
 
The team also returns its 7-foot post player, senior Mike Kurtz. Kurtz has finished top-five in the nation in blocks per game in both seasons with the Eagles. He is currently tied with Emilio Kovacic atop the Eagles' all-time record book in blocks per game with 2.5. He is also third on the all-time list in total blocks (156), despite only playing two seasons with the Eagles so far. However, with NAIA All-American Andre Murillo graduated and playing in Germany, Kurtz will have to keep up his shot swatting ways, while picking up more rebounding and offensive responsibilities.
 
Kurtz and Zook have been named the captains for this season.  
 
The program also went out and added seven freshmen, highlighted by Renaissance Academy's Steve Herve and Australia-native Josh Throns, to bolster its core returners and prepare for the next iteration of Eagles basketball. Herve should slot in as a natural partner in the post with Kurtz and give Biola another big shot blocker.
 
"I like our team. I like the attitude of our team, and I think we have good talent and leadership on the roster," said Head Coach Dr. Dave Holmquist. "It is an enjoyable team to coach and an enjoyable team to play on. I think we have the potential for a good season."
 
Biola needs to be the team its coach envisions, as the GSAC is in one of its most talented stretches in recent memory. Last season, the conference had the national champs in Vanguard, the No. 15 Hope International squad and No. 23 Arizona Christian.
 
The conference likely would have had more ranked teams if it was not so deep in talent that the teams beat up on each other's records. Four teams, including Biola, finished 6-8 in conference, while every team, outside of San Diego Christian, won over 15 games total.
 
"When we get into conference, I imagine Vanguard will be favored. They will be tough as they return a lot of talent and have a good recruiting class", said Holmquist. "Concordia and Westmont are always good and Arizona Christian has had a lot of talent over the past few years. It seems like everyone is good nowadays."
 
Biola does not start its conference slate until Jan. 10, but it does have some early season tests. In just the second game of the season, the Eagles travel to La Sierra for a rematch of a matchup that last season produced a season-high number of fouls in any GSAC participant's game. Biola is also participating in a preseason tournament hosted by Hope International, where it will face Bellevue, which, according to Holmquist, is always a strong program.
 
The team meets GSAC newcomers William Jessup in each team's first GSAC game on Dec. 6. But then, due to a scheduling oddity, Biola waits until Jan. 10 to move completely into the GSAC schedule.
 
Every contest in GSAC looks to be a great one, but the best of the best include matchups with Vanguard at "The PIT" Jan. 17 and as the final Biola home game on Feb. 21. Also, on Jan. 20 Westmont comes to Biola for the first time since bouncing the Eagles from the 2013-14 GSAC tournament, and a Feb. 17 matchup with Concordia inside Chase Gymnasium, which was, arguably, the best GSAC contest from last season, as it went to double-overtime before Biola eventually got the win.