MEN’S SHOOTOUT HISTORY he Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout reaction of the visiting coaches, who praised T GoSeawolves.com began as a dream of Bob Rachal, who coached the hospitality, the officiating and most of all, the University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves the level of competition. during the 1977-78 season. Rachal, who died Even as the first Sea Wolf Classic ended, of cancer in 1985, wanted to put a fledgling plans were being made for hosting the sec- UAA basketball program on the map and do ond tournament, pending a review of the it in style. With a personality reminiscent of a three-day event by UAA officials. In the end, 19th century riverboat gambler, he parlayed they declared that the Classic was a success an NCAA rule that said games outside the and should continue. contiguous 48 states didn’t count against And in 1979 it did. Only it wasn’t the your normal allotment of 28, plus the lure of Sea Wolf Classic anymore. It was now called Alaska itself, into a winning hand. the Great Alaska Shootout – a name report- The big gamble was whether the UAA edly coined by television commentator Billy and the community could attract big-name Packer during regional television broadcasts schools to the new tournament, in Alaska of the initial tourney. Kentucky, led by guard of all places. The gamble paid off. Coaches Kyle Macy, defeated Jeff Ruland-led Iona for jumped at the chance to squeeze in three the 1979 title. “free” games against top-flight competition, Regardless of the name, this holiday not to mention the recruiting possibilities a event was now well on its way to acceptance trip to Alaska afforded. both at home and among the nation’s top 5Lamar’s B.B. Davis (right) and Alaska hoops teams. Soon it was called “the best The first Sea Wolf Classic was played Anchorage’s Bo Jackson square off for the open- in November of 1978 in the 4,000-seat ing tip of the first Shootout game, Nov. 24, 1978, kept secret in basketball.” But the secret is Buckner Field House at Fort Richardson near as UAA’s Tony Turner looks on. out, and UAA’s sports program, the state of Anchorage. Each two-game session drew a Alaska and major college basketball are all disappointing average of only 2,500 people, The inaugural event received national the better for it. until fans filled the gym to capacity on press attention and portions of the tourna- In 1983, the Shootout moved from its Sunday night to see the Wolfpack from North ment were televised live to regional markets original confines at Buckner into a newly con- Carolina State defeat Louisville to win the of the teams involved – a first for the state structed municipal sports facility in midtown tournament’s first championship. of Alaska. Most important, however, was the Anchorage, the Sullivan Arena. Named for SHOOTOUT CHAMPIONS YEAR CHAMPION SCORE RUNNER-UP OUTSTANDING PLAYER 1978 North Carolina State 72-66 Louisville Clyde Austin (North Carolina State) 1979 Kentucky 57-50 Iona Jeff Ruland (Iona) 1980 North Carolina 64-58 Arkansas Scott Hastings (Arkansas) 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 Alabama-Birmingham 50-46 Kansas Steve Mitchell (Alabama-Birmingham) 1985 North Carolina 65-60 UNLV Brad Daugherty (North Carolina) 1986 Iowa 103-80 Northeastern Roy Marble (Iowa) Brad Daugherty 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 Brigham Young Townsend Orr (Minnesota) 1995 Duke 88-81 Iowa Ray Allen (Connecticut) Glenn Robinson 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 76-76 Alabama Nate Robinson (Washington) Drew Gooden 2005 Marquette 92-89 (ot) South Carolina Steve Novak (Marquette) 2006 California 78-70 Loyola Marymount Ryan Anderson (California) 2007 Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout 4433 MEN’S SHOOTOUT HISTORY former Anchorage mayor George Sullivan, it was part of Anchorage’s Project 80s, in which GoSeawolves.com oil wealth was turned into a series of major public building projects. The $30 million facil- ity gave the Shootout twice the number of seats and a classy new home. In the early 1990s the Shootout faced an obstacle that couldn’t be solved through local help alone. The NCAA passed legislation to push the start of the basketball season back to December 1, threatening the existence of the Thanksgiving tournament. But then-coach Harry Larrabee and former athletic director Ron Petro went to work, crisscrossing the country to gain support for an exemption for the Shootout. Fortunately for Anchorage basketball fans, their efforts were not in vain and the Great Alaska Shootout was granted the exemption it needed to continue as the premier in-season basketball tournament in the nation. In 1994 the event became the Carrs Great Alaska Shootout when Carr Gottstein Food, Inc., became the title sponsor of the event. With the purchase of Carrs by Safeway 5With collegiate hoops in 1999, the event is known today as the legends such as Syracuse’s Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout. Rony Seikaly (above left) All told, 26 NCAA champions have taken and Derrick Coleman (above right), Arizona’s Sean Elliott part in the Shootout. The defending national (above right) and Michigan’s champion has take part in the tournament Glen Rice (left), the 1987 five times, most recently Kentucky in 1996. Shootout featured one of North Carolina State was the first, starting the most star-studded and the defense of its 1983 title in Anchorage. power-packed lineups in the Two years later, Villanova played in the 1985 tourney’s fabled history. Led Shootout after winning a national title ear- by Elliott, Steve Kerr and Tom Tolbert, the Wildcats lier that spring. Louisville (1986) and Kansas topped Sherman Douglas (1988) have also played in the Shootout and the Orangemen 80-69 after winning national titles – not bad timing in that year’s title matchup. for contracts that are often issued years in advance. In recent years the Shootout has served as a springboard to success for Final Four teams as well. The entire 2003 Final Four field fea- tured teams who had made Shootout appear- ances since 1999 – Kansas (1999 champion), Syracuse (2000 champion), Marquette (2001 champion) and Texas (2001, 5th place). Indiana made the 2002 NCAA Final after placing third at the Shootout, while Duke, the 1998 Shootout runner-up team featuring Of the 68 NCAA champions through another staffed the event. Televised from its Anchorage’s own Trajan Langdon, began its 2007, only seven – Wisconsin, Holy Cross, inception on a regional basis, the Shootout run to the 1999 Final Four here in Anchorage. CCNY, LaSalle, San Francisco, Loyola (Ill.) went live nationwide via the ESPN cable In 1997-98 North Carolina began its trek and Texas-El Paso (formerly Texas Western) television network beginning in 1985 – a to the Final Four at the Shootout as did – have not played in the Shootout at one time mutually beneficial relationship that contin- Kentucky in 1996-97 and Duke in 2003-04. or another. The streak of consecutive NCAA ues today. In fact, it is safe to say that the The 2004 Shootout saw one of the champions that have played in the Shootout tournament has generated more exposure for strongest fields ever, producing five NCAA reached 41 straight with Florida’s win last Alaska than any other single venture in the Tournament teams – Alabama, Minnesota, March. state’s history. Oklahoma, Utah and Washington. Both From the beginning, the Shootout has Indeed, the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Oklahoma and Utah went on to win their attracted the attention of the nation’s sports Shootout is no secret anymore, but rather an leagues, while Washington earned a No. 1 press. Nearly every major daily newspaper event eagerly awaited annually by millions of seed for March Madness. and sports magazine has at one time or basketball fans. 2007 Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout 4455 MEN’S SHOOTOUT NOTES GoSeawolves.com Duke’s run to the 2004 NCAA Tournament semifinals made it 12 teams that have played in the Shootout and advanced to the Final 4 that same season: YEAR TEAM SHOOTOUT FINISH NCAA FINISH 2003-04 Duke Runner-up Semifinals 2001-02 Indiana Third Runner-up 1998-99 Duke Runner-up Runner-up 1997-98 North Carolina Champion Semifinals 1996-97 Kentucky Champion Runner-up 1994-95 Oklahoma State Sixth Semifinals 1988-89 Seton Hall Champion Runner-up 1987-88 Arizona Champion Semifinals 1982-83 Louisville Champion Semifinals 1981-82 Georgetown Sixth Runner-up 1980-81 North Carolina Champion Runner-up 1980-81 Louisiana State Third Fourth 4 Five schools have begun defense of their NCAA title at the Shootout – North Carolina State (1983), Villanova (1985), Louisville (1986), Kansas (1988) and Kentucky (1996).