ANCHORAGE - 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. Click here for a complete bracket, including game times.
“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 SCHEDULE
Tuesday, November 25
Game 1 - Cal State Northridge vs Alaska Anchorage 6 pm
Game 2 - Jackson State vs Syracuse 8 pm
Wednesday, November 26
Game 3 - Consolation Game 2:30 pm
Game 4 - Championship Game 5 pm
MEN'S SCHEDULE
Wednesday, November 26
Game 1 - Hampton vs Alaska Anchorage 7:30 pm
Game 2 - Portland State vs Northern Illinois 9:45 pm
Thursday, November 27
Game 3 - Seattle vs Louisiana Tech 5 pm
Game 4 - San Diego State vs Western Carolina 7:30 pm
Friday, November 28
Game 5 - Loser Game 1 vs Loser Game 2 Noon
Game 6 - Loser Game 3 vs Loser Game 4 2 pm
Game 7 - Winner Game 1 vs Winner Game 2 5:30 pm
Game 8 - Winner Game 3 vs Winner Game 4 8 pm
Saturday, November 29
Game 9 - 7th/8th Place Game Noon
Game 10 - 4th/6th Place Game 2 pm
Game 11 - 3rd/5th Place Game 5:30 pm
Game 12 - Championship Game 8 pm
