ANCHORAGE - The University of Alaska Anchorage announced Friday that it has completed its fields for the 2009 Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout, scheduled for Nov. 24-28 at Anchorage's Sullivan Arena.

On the women's side, host and three-time defending champion Alaska Anchorage will be joined in the 4-team field by Cincinnati, Coastal Carolina and Western Carolina. It will be the first Shootout trip for each visiting program.

Meanwhile, the men's field for the 32nd annual tournament will be Alaska Anchorage, Houston, Nicholls State, Oklahoma, San Diego and Washington State. With six teams instead of the traditional eight, the men's Shootout will undergo a format change for the first time ever, instituting Olympic-style pool play for 2009.

"We are thrilled with this year's lineup," said UAA athletic director Dr. Steve Cobb. "In a perfect world, we would still have eight men's teams, but with the realities of today's college basketball climate, scheduling has become as difficult as recruiting. That said, we should have some of the best basketball in the country being played right here in Anchorage, as usual, on Thanksgiving week."

Here is a brief look at the 2009 Shootout fields:

WOMEN
Three-time defending champion Alaska Anchorage, the only Division II team in the field, is 6-0 in its last three Shootouts and 84-15 over the past two seasons. Coach Tim Moser's squad went 31-4 in 2008-09 and qualified for the NCAA Division II Semifinals for the second straight year. The Seawolves return seven letterwinners, including the senior backcourt duo of Tamar Gruwell and Kiki Taylor, as they aim for more Division I upsets.

Cincinnati went 14-17 last season playing in the rugged Big East Conference. The Bearcats are sure to be a new-look team in 2009-10, however, as former Connecticut assistant Jamelle Elliott takes over the head-coaching reigns.

Coastal Carolina, of the Big South Conference, should be the most veteran squad in this year's Shootout, having lost no seniors from its 16-14 team of a year ago. The Conway, S.C., program is led by Alan LeForce, who brings over 50 years of college coaching experience to the Chanticleers bench.

Western Carolina, of the Southern Conference, is coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance and its third straight winning season with a 21-12 mark in 2008-09. The Lady Catamounts, from Cullowhee, N.C., are piloted by new head coach Karen Middleton, who inherits nine returning letterwinners.

MEN
Led by sixth-year head coach Rusty Osborne, host Alaska Anchorage is shooting for its 30th all-time Shootout victory in 2009. The Seawolves will feature versatile guards Kevin White and Brandon Walker among their five returnees, while adding another group of talented recruits.

A first-time Shootout visitor, Houston went 21-12 overall and finished fourth in Conference USA in 2008-09 to earn its second straight 20-win season. The Cougars also captured their fourth postseason bid in five years under veteran coach Tom Penders, who owns over 600 career victories.

Nicholls State is coming off a 20-11 campaign in which it tied for second place in the Southland Conference. The Colonels, of Thibodaux, La., are led by head coach J.P. Piper, and will field a squad that loses only two seniors from a year ago. NSU finished eighth at the Shootout in 1980.

Oklahoma - which placed third in the Shootout in 1983 and 2004 - posted a 30-6 record, reached as high as No. 2 in the country, and came within a win of the Final 4 last season. With the departure of consensus national player-of-the-year Blake Griffin and two other starters, coach Jeff Capel will count on one of the nation's most exciting players, 2008-09 Big 12 Newcomer-of-the-Year Willie Warren, a lightning-quick point guard.

Ravaged by injuries last season, San Diego finished 16-16 under second-year head coach Bill Grier. The Toreros got good news this summer, however, when they learned that leading scorer Brandon Johnson will receive a fifth year of eligibility from the NCAA. With USD making its first appearance, the Shootout will be hosting its seventh school from the eight-team West Coast Conference.

Washington State, of the powerful Pacific-10 Conference, went 17-16 in 2008-09, and this campaign will mark the beginning of a new era as Ken Bone takes the coaching reins in Pullman. The Cougars visited Anchorage in 1981 for their only Shootout appearance.

2009 Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout Schedule
Sullivan Arena - Anchorage, Alaska
November 24-28

Women's Tournament - Nov. 24-25
Tuesday's Games (first round)
6 pm - Coastal Carolina vs Alaska Anchorage
8 pm - Cincinnati vs Western Carolina
Wednesday's Games
2:30 pm - CCU/UAA loser vs UC/WCU loser (3rd pl.)
5 pm - CCU/UAA winner vs UC/WCU winner (champ.)

Men's Tournament - Nov. 25-28
Wednesday's Games
7:30 pm - Washington State vs Alaska Anchorage (Pool A)
9:45 pm - Oklahoma vs San Diego (Pool B)
Thursday's Games
5 pm - Nicholls State vs Alaska Anchorage (Pool A)
7:30 pm - Houston vs Oklahoma (Pool B)
Friday's Games
5 pm - Nicholls State vs Washington State (Pool A)
7:30 pm - Houston vs San Diego (Pool B)
Saturday's Games
2 pm - Pool A #3 vs Pool B #3 (5th place)
4:30 pm - Pool A #2 vs Pool B #2 (3rd place)
7 pm - Pool A #1 vs Pool B #1 (championship)

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 (SDSU)
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 (N. Carolina)
1986  Northeast Louisiana   Southern Cal     70-68     Lisa Ingram (NE La.)
1987  New Orleans           Memphis State    84-61     Kunshinge Sorrell (Miss. State)
1988  South Carolina        UNLV             98-97 OT  Martha Parker (USC)
1989  Stephen F. Austin     Old Dominion     96-81     Connie Cole (SFA)
1990  Alaska Anchorage      South Alabama    88-87     Diane Dobrich (UAA)
1991  Northern Illinois     Louisville       63-60     Lisa Foss (NIU)
1992  Penn State            Mo.-Kansas City  83-62     Susan Robinson (PSU)
1993  Hawaii                SMU              RR**      Valerie Agee (Hawaii)
1994* Rhode Island          NE Louisiana     RR**      Dayna Smith (URI)
1994* Clemson               UCLA             79-62     Tara Saunooke (Clemson)
1995  South Carolina        Arizona State    83-71     Shannon Johnson (USC)
1996  Georgia               Oregon           72-55     Tracy Henderson (UGa)
1997  Tennessee             Wisconsin        87-66     Chamique Holdsclaw (UT)
1998  No Tournament
1999  Kansas                Louisville       78-68     Lynn Pride (Kansas)
2000  Ohio State            Rhode Island     95-60     Jamie Lewis (OSU)
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 (UAA)
2004  Stanford              La.-Lafayette    67-47     Candice Wiggins (Stanford)
2005  Cent. Connecticut St. Arizona          69-65 OT  Gabriella Guegbelet, (CCSU)
2006  Alaska Anchorage      UC Riverside     72-67     Rebecca Kielpinski (UAA)
2007  Alaska Anchorage      Santa Clara      52-50     Rebecca Kielpinski (UAA)
2008  Alaska Anchorage      Syracuse         58-57     Rebecca Kielpinski (UAA)
* = 1994 tourney's played in Jan. & Dec. respectively
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                Coll. 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)
2008  San Diego State         Hampton              76-47     Kyle Spain (San Diego State)