Great Alaska Shootout

The GCI Great Alaska Shootout (originally known as the Sea Wolf Classic) was an annual college basketball tournament in Anchorage, Alaska that featured colleges from all over the United States. The University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) hosted the tournament every Thanksgiving. Tournament games were played at the Alaska Airlines Center, a new arena on the UAA campus. Prior to the opening of the Alaska Airlines Center in September 2014, games were played at the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage. Prior to the Sullivan Arena opening in 1983, games were played at Buckner Fieldhouse. The men's tournament, held annually since 1978, included eight teams while the women's tournament, held annually since 1980, had four participants.

Great Alaska Shootout
SportMen's & women's college basketball
Founded1978
Ceased2017
No. of teams8 (men's), 4 (women's)
CountryUSA
Venue(s)Alaska Airlines Center, Anchorage, Alaska
Official websiteGreat Alaska Shootout home page

The tournament was one of the longest-running basketball tournaments, lasting for 39 years, and brought the highest level of basketball to Alaska. The Shootout was held Thanksgiving weekend.[1]

Under National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules, teams are normally limited to 28 regular-season games. However, games in "exempted events", traditionally played early in the season, are not counted against that limit. The most recent policy from the NCAA in this regard allows all teams to play in one exempted event per season. Those teams who choose to take advantage of that opportunity may play up to thirty-one games per season, including games played in those exempted events but excluding postseason tournament games. A previous version of the rule allowed for all games played outside the United States mainland to be exempt from the then-27-game limit. This version was partly responsible for the genesis of tournaments such as Great Alaska Shootout.

During each of its 40 editions, the Great Alaska Shootout men's tournament field included at least one team that qualified for the NCAA Division I Tournament later that season. The 1985 field included an event-record six teams that would go on to be invited to that season's NCAA Tournament. Five times the Great Alaska Shootout field included the defending NCAA champion, most recently in 1996, when the University of Kentucky took part in the Shootout.

History

The Great Alaska Shootout began in 1978.[1] Raycom Sports first picked up the broadcast rights to the tournament in 1979.[2]

On August 26, 2017, it was announced that the 2017 Shootout would be the last. The University of Alaska Anchorage stopped funding it as other, newer tournaments were drawing away top teams to warmer locations.[1]

Past champions, runners-up and MVPs


Men's tournament

The following table indicates the winners, runners-up and tournament most valuable players (MVPs).[3]

Year Winner Score Opponent Tournament MVP
1978 North Carolina State 72–66 Louisville Clyde Austin, NC State
1979 Kentucky 57–50 Iona Jeff Ruland, Iona
1980 North Carolina 64–58 Arkansas Scott Hastings, Arkansa
1981 Southwestern Louisiana 81–64 Marquette Steve Burtt, Iona
1982 Louisville 80–70 Vanderbilt Lancaster Gordon, Louisville
1983 North Carolina State 65–60 Arkansas Joe Kleine, Arkansas
1984 UAB 50–46 Kansas Steve Mitchell, UAB
1985 North Carolina 65–60 UNLV Brad Daugherty, North Carolina
1986 Iowa 103–80 Northeastern Roy Marble, Iowa
1987 Arizona 80–69 Syracuse Sean Elliott, Arizona
1988 Seton Hall 92–81 Kansas Chris Mills, Kentucky
1989 Michigan State 73–68 Kansas State Steve Smith, Michigan State
1990 UCLA 89–74 Virginia Don MacLean, UCLA
1991 Massachusetts 68–56 New Orleans Jim McCoy, Massachusetts
1992 New Mexico State 95–94 Illinois Sam Crawford, New Mexico State
1993 Purdue 88–73 Portland Glenn Robinson, Purdue
1994 Minnesota 79–74 BYU Townsend Orr, Minnesota
1995 Duke 88–81 Iowa Ray Allen, Connecticut
1996 Kentucky 92–65 College of Charleston Ron Mercer, Kentucky
1997 North Carolina 73–69 Purdue Antawn Jamison, North Carolina
1998 Cincinnati 77–75 Duke William Avery, Duke
1999 Kansas 84–70 Georgia Tech Drew Gooden, Kansas
2000 Syracuse 84–62 Missouri Preston Shumpert, Syracuse
2001 Marquette 72–63 Gonzaga Dwyane Wade, Marquette
2002 College of Charleston 71–69 Villanova Troy Wheless, College of Charleston
2003 Purdue 78–68 Duke Kenneth Lowe, Purdue
2004 Washington 79–76 Alabama Nate Robinson, Washington
2005 Marquette 92–89 (OT) South Carolina Steve Novak, Marquette
2006 California 78–70 Loyola Marymount Ryan Anderson, California
2007 Butler 81–71 Texas Tech Mike Green, Butler
2008 San Diego State 76–47 Hampton Kyle Spain, San Diego State
2009 Washington State 93–56 San Diego Klay Thompson, Washington State
2010 St. John's 67–58 Arizona State Justin Brownlee, St. John's
2011 Murray State 90–81 (2OT) Southern Mississippi Isaiah Canaan, Murray State
2012 Charlotte 67–59 Northeastern Pierria Henry, Charlotte
2013 Harvard 71–50 TCU Wesley Saunders, Harvard
2014 Colorado State 65–63 UC Santa Barbara Alan Williams, UC Santa Barbara
2015 Middle Tennessee 78–70 Toledo Nathan Boothe, Toledo
2016 Iona 75–73 Nevada Sam Cassell Jr, Iona
2017 Central Michigan 75–72 Cal State Bakersfield Shawn Roundtree, Central Michigan

Women's tournament

The following table indicates the winners, runners up and tournament MVPs.[4]

Year Winner Score Opponent Tournament MVP
1980 Iowa 73–52 Alaska Anchorage Cindy Haugejorde, Iowa
1981 San Diego State 50–41 Houston Diena Pels, San Diego State
1982 Minnesota 70–66 Indiana Laura Coenen, Minnesota
1983 Old Dominion 76–53 Wichita State Lorri Bauman, Drake
1984 Texas 82–60 UNLV Annette Smith, Texas
1985 Louisiana Tech 88–69 Penn State Dawn Royster, North Carolina
1986 Northeast Louisiana 70–68 USC Lisa Ingram, Northeast Louisiana
1987 New Orleans 84–61 Memphis State Kunshinge Sorrell, Mississippi State
1988 South Carolina 98–97 (OT) UNLV Martha Parker, South Carolina
1989 Stephen F. Austin 96–81 Old Dominion Connie Cole, Stephen F. Austin
1990 Alaska Anchorage 88–87 South Alabama Diane Dobrich, Alaska Anchorage
1991 Northern Illinois 63–60 Louisville Lisa Foss, Northern Illinois
1992 Penn State 83–62 Missouri-Kansas City Susan Robinson, Penn State
1993 Hawai'i N/A1 SMU Valerie Agee, Hawai'i
19942 Rhode Island N/A1 Northeast Louisiana Dayna Smith, Rhode Island
19942 Clemson 79–62 UCLA Tara Saunooke, Clemson
1995 South Carolina 83–71 Arizona State Shannon Johnson, South Carolina
1996 Georgia 72–55 Oregon Tracy Henderson, Georgia
1997 Tennessee 87–66 Wisconsin Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee
1998 No tournament
1999 Kansas 78–68 Louisville Lynn Pride, Kansas
2000 Ohio State 95–60 Rhode Island Jaime Lewis, Ohio State
2001 Iowa 90–73 Gonzaga Lindsey Meder, Iowa
2002 Nevada 68–56 Indiana Laura Ingham, Nevada
2003 Alaska Anchorage 61–58 Clemson Kamie Jo Massey, Alaska Anchorage
2004 Stanford 67–47 Louisiana-Lafayette Candice Wiggins, Stanford
2005 Central Connecticut State 69–65 (OT) Arizona Gabriella Guegbelet, Central Connecticut State
2006 Alaska Anchorage 78–70 UC Riverside Rebecca Kielpinski, Alaska Anchorage
2007 Alaska Anchorage 52–50 Santa Clara Rebecca Kielpinski, Alaska Anchorage
2008 Alaska Anchorage 58–57 Syracuse Rebecca Kielpinski, Alaska Anchorage
2009 Alaska Anchorage 49–48 Cincinnati Nicci Miller, Alaska Anchorage
2010 Kent State 53–47 Alaska Anchorage Jamilah Humes, Kent State
2011 Miami 92–72 South Florida Shenise Johnson, Miami
2012 Utah State 67–57 Alaska Anchorage Devyn Christensen, Utah State
2013 Georgetown 92–78 Alaska Anchorage Andrea White, Georgetown
2014 Long Beach State 69–60 Alaska Anchorage Megan Mullings, Alaska Anchorage
2015 Western Kentucky 62–58 Alaska Anchorage Kendall Noble, Western Kentucky
2016 USC 67–54 Portland Kristen Simon, USC
2017 Alaska Anchorage 59–53 Tulsa Shelby Cloninger, Alaska Anchorage

1Tournament was played in a round robin format.
2The tournament was moved to earlier in the season beginning in the 1994-95 season; hence the first 1994 tournament corresponds to the 1993-94 season and the second tournament to the 1994-95 season.

References
  1. "Great Alaska Shootout will end after 2017". espn.com. Associated Press (AP). August 24, 2017. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
  2. "Raycom A Year Older And A Radio Division Larger". Chicago Tribune. July 18, 1989. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
  3. "Year-by-Year Results". Retrieved August 28, 2017.
  4. "Women's Year-by-Year Results". Retrieved August 28, 2017.
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