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Furman Lady Paladins Invited to 2005 Great Alaska Shootout
April 5, 2005
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -
The University of Alaska Anchorage announced Tuesday announced the
men's and women's teams for the 2005 version of the Carrs/Safeway
Great Alaska Shootout. The 28th annual college basketball extravaganza
is scheduled for Nov. 22-26 at Sullivan Arena.
The men's squads comprising the 2005 field are Alaska Anchorage,
Eastern Washington, Marquette, Monmouth, Oral Roberts, South Carolina,
Southern California, plus one team to be announced.
The 4-team women's field is full, with Alaska Anchorage hosting
Arizona, Central Connecticut and Furman.
Here is a team-by-team look at the 2005 Shootout fields:
MEN
Eastern Washington will make its Shootout debut under second-year head
coach Mike Burns. The Eagles finished 8-20 in 2004-05, after capturing
the Big Sky Conference title the previous season.
Marquette, which has reached the title game in both its previous
Shootout appearances, is back to defend its crown from 2001. Coach Tom
Crean's Golden Eagles, who are jumping to the powerful Big East
Conference in 2005-06, are hoping to bounce back from an injury-
riddled year that saw them finish 19-12 and reach the postseason NIT.
Monmouth makes its first trip to Anchorage in 2005, as the New Jersey
school tries to gain on its momentum from last season's Northeast
Conference regular-season title. The Hawks, who went 16-13 in 2004-05,
will be the first-ever NEC team to make an appearance in the men's
Shootout.
Oral Roberts, also making its Shootout debut, was the Mid-Continent
Conference regular-season champ in 2004-05 and came just two points
shy of an NCAA berth. The Tulsa, Okla., school is coming off a 25-8
season in which it made the postseason NIT and produced an AP
honorable mention All-American in sophomore forward Caleb Green.
South Carolina, which recently captured the championship of the
postseason NIT, returns to Anchorage with an experienced club under
head coach Dave Odom. The Gamecocks, of the Southeastern Conference,
are making their second Shootout appearance, and should be poised to
make a run at the 2006 NCAA Tournament.
Southern California will return to the Shootout for the first time
since 1983, led by accomplished head coach Tim Floyd. The Trojans, of
the Pacific-10 Conference, are coming off a rough 12-17 campaign, but
should be much improved in 2005-06.
The only team to compete in every Shootout, host Alaska Anchorage
tries for its annual upset again in 2005. The Seawolves have won at
least one game in 18 of the last 20 tournaments, and head coach Rusty
Osborne's squad should be revamped and ready to surprise another
Division I giant next year.
An eighth team will be announced when the field is completed, pending
an April ruling on the NCAA's "2-and-4" legislation.
WOMEN
Arizona, coming off its third straight 20-win season, makes its first
appearance in the women's Shootout in 2005. The Wildcats, who went 20-
12 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament this year,
feature former East Anchorage High star Natalie Jones in their
starting backcourt.
Central Connecticut State, another Shootout newcomer, is coming off a
9-19 record in 2004-05. The Blue Devils play in the Northeast
Conference and are coached by Yvette Harris.
Furman, of Greenville, S.C., went 18-10 last season and finished third
in the tough Southern Conference. The Lady Paladins, led by head coach
Sam Dixon, are also making their first trip to Anchorage.
Alaska Anchorage, which has won its own tournament twice (1990 and
2003), will aim to make more history in 2005. The Seawolves are led by
third-year head coach Jody Hensen.
Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout History
Men
Year Champion Runner-up Most Outstanding Player
1978 North Carolina State Louisville Clyde Austin (N.C.
State)
1979 Kentucky Iona Jeff Ruland (Iona)
1980 North Carolina Arkansas Scott Hastings (Arkansas)
1981 Southwestern Louisiana Marquette Steve Burtt (Iona)
1982 Louisville Vanderbilt Lancaster Gordon (Louisville)
1983 North Carolina State Arkansas Joe Kleine (Arkansas)
1984 Alabama-Birmingham Kansas Steve Mitchell (Alabama-
Birmingham)
1985 North Carolina UNLV Brad Daugherty (North Carolina)
1986 Iowa Northeastern Roy Marble (Iowa)
1987 Arizona Syracuse Sean Elliott (Arizona)
1988 Seton Hall Kansas Chris Mills (Kentucky)
1989 Michigan State Kansas State Steve Smith (Michigan State)
1990 UCLA Virginia Don MacLean (UCLA)
1991 Massachusetts New Orleans Jim McCoy (Massachusetts)
1992 New Mexico State Illinois Sam Crawford (New
Mexico State)
1993 Purdue Portland Glenn Robinson (Purdue)
1994 Minnesota Brigham Young Townsend Orr (Minnesota)
1995 Duke Iowa Ray Allen (Connecticut)
1996 Kentucky College of Charleston Ron Mercer (Kentucky)
1997 North Carolina Purdue Antawn Jamison (North Carolina)
1998 Cincinnati Duke William Avery (Duke)
1999 Kansas Georgia Tech Drew Gooden (Kansas)
2000 Syracuse Missouri Preston Shumpert (Syracuse)
2001 Marquette Gonzaga Dwyane Wade (Marquette)
2002 College of Charleston Villanova Troy Wheless (College
of Charleston)
2003 Purdue Duke Kenneth Lowe (Purdue)
2004 Washington Alabama Nate Robinson (Washington)
Women
Year Champion Runner-up Most Outstanding Player
1980 Iowa Alaska Anchorage Cindy Haugejordge (Iowa)
1981 San Diego State Houston Diena Pels (San Diego State)
1982 Minnesota Indiana Laura Coenen (Minnesota)
1983 Old Dominion Wichita State Lorri Bauman (Drake)
1984 Texas UNLV Annette Smith (Texas)
1985 Louisiana Tech Penn State Dawn Royster (North Carolina)
1986 Northeast Louisiana Southern Cal Lisa Ingram (Northeast
Louisiana)
1987 New Orleans Memphis State Kunshinge Sorrell (Mississippi
State)
1988 South Carolina UNLV Martha Parker (South Carolina)
1989 Stephen F. Austin Old Dominion Connie Cole (Stephen
F. Austin)
1990 Alaska Anchorage South Alabama Diane Dobrich (Alaska
Anchorage)
1991 Northern Illinois Louisville Lisa Foss (Northern
Illinois)
1992 Penn State Missouri-Kansas City Susan Robinson (Penn
State)
1993 Hawaii Southern Methodist Valerie Agee (Hawaii)
1994 (Jan.) Rhode Island Northeast Louisiana Dayna Smith
(Rhode Island)
1994 (Dec.) Clemson UCLA Tara Saunooke (Clemson)
1995 South Carolina Arizona State Shannon Johnson (South
Carolina)
1996 Georgia Oregon Tracy Henderson (Georgia)
1997 Tennessee Wisconsin Chamique Holdsclaw (Tennessee)
1999 Kansas Louisville Lynn Pride (Kansas)
2000 Ohio State Rhode Island Jamie Lewis (Ohio State)
2001 Iowa Gonzaga Lindsey Meder (Iowa)
2002 Nevada Indiana Laura Ingham (Nevada)
2003 Alaska Anchorage Clemson Kamie Jo Massey (Alaska
Anchorage)
2004 Stanford Louisiana-Lafayette Candice Wiggins
(Stanford)
