The University of Alaska Anchorage announced Tuesday that it has completed its fields for the 2008 Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout, scheduled for Nov. 25-29 at Anchorage’s Sullivan Arena.
On the women’s side, Cal State Northridge, Jackson State and Syracuse will join host and two-time defending champion Alaska Anchorage in the 4-team field. It will be the first Shootout trip for each visiting program.
Meanwhile, the men’s field for the 31st annual tournament will be Hampton, Louisiana Tech, Northern Illinois, Portland State, San Diego State, Seattle, Western Carolina and UAA. Aside from the host Seawolves, each men’s team will also be making its Shootout debut.
Jackson State and Syracuse will meet in the first round of the women’s tournament, along with UAA and Cal State Northridge. On the men’s side, the matchups will be Hampton-UAA and Portland State-Northern Illinois on Wednesday, followed by Seattle-Louisiana Tech and San Diego State-Western Carolina on Thursday. Game times will be announced at a later date.
“Both the men’s and women’s fields should provide competitive tournaments with interesting matchups,” said UAA athletic director Dr. Steve Cobb. “We are appreciative that each of these institutions has chosen to spend Thanksgiving week with us here in Anchorage.”
“We are in negotiations to continue television coverage of the Shootout,” Dr. Cobb added.
Here is a brief look at the 2008 Shootout fields:
WOMEN
Host and two-time defending champion Alaska Anchorage, the only Division II team in the field, is 4-0 in its last two Shootouts and 53-11 over the past two seasons. Coach Tim Moser’s squad went 30-5 in 2007-08 and qualified for the NCAA Division II Semifinals. The Seawolves will be led by All-American and two-time of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year Rebecca Kielpinski, plus several other returnees.
Cal State Northridge is coming off a rebuilding year, having gone 1-26 overall. The Big West Conference squad, led by head coach Staci Schulz, will return a pair of accomplished seniors, including one of the nation’s top shot-blockers in center Crystal Hahs.
Jackson State last season earned its first NCAA Tournament berth since 1995 by winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference postseason tourney. The Lady Tigers, coached by Denise Taylor, posted a 18-14 mark and finished runner-up in the SWAC regular-season race. JSU is located in Jackson, Miss.
Syracuse, under the direction of Big East Conference Coach of the Year Quentin Hillsman, posted the nation’s second-biggest turnaround in 2007-08, winning 13 more games than it did the previous season. The Orange, who finished 22-9 overall, return all-league guard Chandrea Jones, plus a pair of players from the Big East All-Freshman team.
MEN
Alaska Anchorage bounced back from a tough 2007 Shootout to post one of the best seasons in school history, going 29-6 and advancing to the NCAA Div. II Semifinals. Coach Rusty Osborne’s new-look 2008-09 squad will be looking to defending its Great Northwest Athletic Conference title despite returning no starters from a year ago. The Seawolves are 28-62 all-time in the Shootout.
Hampton posted a 18-12 record in 2007-08, including an 11-5 mark in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Pirates, of Hampton, Va., are led by head coach Kevin Nickelberry, who will return high-scoring guard Vincent Simpson among his top players. Hampton will be the first MEAC school to appear in either the women’s or men’s Shootout.
Louisiana Tech becomes the first squad to come north as part of the Shootout’s scheduling agreement with the Western Athletic Conference. The Bulldogs, under coach Kerry Rupp, are coming off a 6-24 record, however they return one of the top scorers in the nation in junior guard Kyle Gibson. Louisiana Tech is located in Ruston, La.
Northern Illinois hails from the always-tough Mid-American Conference, having gone 6-22 last year. Head coach Ricardo Patton’s Huskies return five letterwinners, including 2008 MAC Freshman of the Year Damion Anderson. NIU is from DeKalb, Ill.
Portland State had its finest season as a Division I program in 2007-08, going 23-10 and capturing the Big Sky Conference regular- and post-season titles before losing to eventual national champion Kansas in the NCAA Tournament. Big Sky Coach-of-the-Year Ken Bone returns the bulk of last year’s team and could be the league favorite again.
San Diego State, under the direction of Steve Fisher, should be one of the favorites in the Mountain West Conference this season. The Aztecs return three double-digit scorers, including two-time All-MWC pick Lorenzo Wade and forward Ryan Amoroso, who helped Marquette to its 2005 Shootout title before transferring to SDSU.
Seattle, a former league rival of the host Seawolves, will make its Shootout debut in 2008 as it returns to the Division I ranks for the first time since 1980. The Redhawks, coached by Joe Callero, were 18-9 a year ago in their last season as a Div. II program.
Western Carolina posted a 10-21 record in 2007-08, finishing 6-14 in the challenging Southern Conference. The Catamounts, led by head coach Larry Hunter, will return their top two leading scorers in 2008-09, including guard Brandon Giles and his 15.3 ppg. WCU is located in Cullowhee, N.C.
Women’s Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout History
Year Champion Runner-up Score Most Outstanding Player
1980 Iowa Alaska Anchorage 73-52 Cindy Haugejordge (Iowa)1981 San Diego State Houston 50-41 Diena Pels (San Diego State)1982 Minnesota Indiana 70-66 Laura Coenen (Minnesota)1983 Old Dominion Wichita State 76-53 Lorri Bauman (Drake)1984 Texas UNLV 82-60 Annette Smith (Texas)1985 Louisiana Tech Penn State 88-69 Dawn Royster (North Carolina)
1986 Northeast Louisiana Southern Cal 70-68 Lisa Ingram (Northeast Louisiana)
1987 New Orleans Memphis State 84-61 Kunshinge Sorrell (Mississippi State)
1988 South Carolina UNLV 98-97 OT Martha Parker (South Carolina)
1989 Stephen F. Austin Old Dominion 96-81 Connie Cole (Stephen F. Austin)
1990 Alaska Anchorage South Alabama 88-87 Diane Dobrich (Alaska Anchorage)
1991 Northern Illinois Louisville 63-60 Lisa Foss (Northern Illinois)
1992 Penn State Mo.-Kansas City 83-62 Susan Robinson (Penn State)
1993 Hawaii Southern Methodist RR* Valerie Agee (Hawaii)
1994 (Jan.) Rhode Island Northeast Louisiana RR* Dayna Smith (Rhode Island)
1994 (Dec.) Clemson UCLA 79-62 Tara Saunooke (Clemson)
1995 South Carolina Arizona State 83-71 Shannon Johnson (South Carolina)
1996 Georgia Oregon 72-55 Tracy Henderson (Georgia)
1997 Tennessee Wisconsin 87-66 Chamique Holdsclaw (Tennessee)
1998 No Tournament
1999 Kansas Louisville 78-68 Lynn Pride (Kansas)
2000 Ohio State Rhode Island 95-60 Jamie Lewis (Ohio State)
2001 Iowa Gonzaga 90-73 Lindsey Meder (Iowa)
2002 Nevada Indiana 68-56 Laura Ingham (Nevada)
2003 Alaska Anchorage Clemson 61-58 Kamie Jo Massey (Alaska Anchorage)
2004 Stanford Louisiana-Lafayette 67-47 Candice Wiggins (Stanford)
2005 Central Connecticut Arizona 69-65 OT Gabriella Guegbelet, (Central Connecticut St.)
2006 Alaska Anchorage UC Riverside 72-67 Rebecca Kielpinski (Alaska Anchorage)
2007 Alaska Anchorage Santa Clara 52-50 Rebecca Kielpinski (Alaska Anchorage)
*RR = 4-team round robin format
Men’s Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout History
Year Champion Runner-up Score Most Outstanding Player
1978 North Carolina State Louisville 72-66 Clyde Austin (N.C. State)
1979 Kentucky Iona 57-50 Jeff Ruland (Iona)
1980 North Carolina Arkansas 64-58 Scott Hastings (Arkansas)
1981 Southwestern Louisiana Marquette 81-64 Steve Burtt (Iona)
1982 Louisville Vanderbilt 80-70 Lancaster Gordon (Louisville)
1983 North Carolina State Arkansas 65-60 Joe Kleine (Arkansas)
1984 Alabama-Birmingham Kansas 50-46 Steve Mitchell (Alabama-Birmingham)
1985 North Carolina UNLV 65-60 Brad Daugherty (North Carolina)
1986 Iowa Northeastern 103-80 Roy Marble (Iowa)
1987 Arizona Syracuse 80-69 Sean Elliott (Arizona)
1988 Seton Hall Kansas 92-81 Chris Mills (Kentucky)
1989 Michigan State Kansas State 73-68 Steve Smith (Michigan State)
1990 UCLA Virginia 89-74 Don MacLean (UCLA)
1991 Massachusetts New Orleans 68-56 Jim McCoy (Massachusetts)
1992 New Mexico State Illinois 95-94 Sam Crawford (New Mexico State)
1993 Purdue Portland 88-73 Glenn Robinson (Purdue)
1994 Minnesota Brigham Young 79-74 Townsend Orr (Minnesota)
1995 Duke Iowa 88-81 Ray Allen (Connecticut)
1996 Kentucky College of Charleston 92-65 Ron Mercer (Kentucky)
1997 North Carolina Purdue 73-69 Antawn Jamison (North Carolina)
1998 Cincinnati Duke 77-75 William Avery (Duke)
1999 Kansas Georgia Tech 84-70 Drew Gooden (Kansas)
2000 Syracuse Missouri 84-62 Preston Shumpert (Syracuse)
2001 Marquette Gonzaga 72-63 Dwyane Wade (Marquette)
2002 College of Charleston Villanova 71-69 Troy Wheless (College of Charleston)
2003 Purdue Duke 78-68 Kenneth Lowe (Purdue)
2004 Washington Alabama 79-76 Nate Robinson (Washington)
2005 Marquette South Carolina 92-89 OT Steve Novak (Marquette)
2006 California Loyola Marymount 78-70 Ryan Anderson (California)
2007 Butler Texas Tech 81-71 Mike Green (Butler)
