Abebe Demissie’s Shootout Diary
By Abebe Demissie

Wednesday

Game day. No matter if it’s game day or not, 9:30 a.m. will always be too early for a college athlete – especially if you had practice until midnight the night before. 10 p.m. to midnight is the only time we can get together on Tuesdays without someone missing practice because of class.

Just getting to the Sullivan Arena at about 10 a.m. to go over video on the other team in one of the many locker rooms this place has. Unlike other times we’ve had to be up real early, everybody is wide-awake today. I think it’s finally setting in now that we play on national television today. I’m getting amped that my family is going to be back home in Seattle gathered around the flat screen watching the game and giving me pointers as if I can hear them

After shootaround I head back home for a quick bite to eat then to the barber shop so I look somewhat decent for the friends and family who are going to watch. I get to the gym a few hours early and hang out in the locker room watching Sportscenter.

“UAA loses their first game to Belmont”

I probably played the worst game I could play this year and it shows on my face after the game. It sucks to play like this right before Thanksgiving, so as soon as I step out of the building I try my best not to think about the game; instead, I think about tomorrow when I can eat great food until I pass out. 

Thursday

Today the Shootout is still going on but our team isn’t playing, so I get to sleep in and wake up to the Thanksgiving parade on TV.

My family isn’t in town so I Skype them to say happy Thanksgiving from three thousand miles away. My roommate, whose family is from Alaska, is nice enough to have me over for dinner today so I wont be too lonely on this great holiday.

I lay around doing homework and cleaning up the house because I know for the rest of the week I’m going to have no time to do any of that. At about 5 p.m. I go to my roommates families home to eat a fantastic Thanksgiving meal, only for it to be cut short by a team meeting we have to attend at the Sullivan Arena.

The team meets up with the coaching staff at the arena and we go over who we play tomorrow and receive scouting reports, which have every player on the other team scouted perfectly.

It’s 8 p.m. now; I’m extremely tired and I haven’t touched a basketball all day. I get in bed by 9 p.m. and fire up Netflix to put me to sleep. Time for some Family Guy.

Friday

We have an early 1 p.m. game today so shootaround is at 9 a.m. (ouch). I hate everything to do with early morning activities, but it’s a big game so my roommates and me are up and about, listening to music in the locker room and sharing our Thanksgiving stories.

We go over the team we’re playing again, watch them play on video and break down their plays and tendencies. We get a lot of shots up and by 11 a.m., we’re out of the gym and headed to get some lunch before the game.

Qdoba is the choice most of the time and today was no different. I got my usual naked bowl with queso sauce and then we were off to the gym. It was the same rituals as every game for me: headphones on my ears, Sportscenter on the TV, and laying down in the locker room.

Starting to get those same butterflies that I’ve gotten before every game I have ever played in. I don’t worry though, because they disappear right when I step foot onto the court.

“UAA tops UC Riverside”

We just beat a Division I team and it feels great. Everybody is in the locker room dancing around before coach walks in. When coach finally walks in, we calm down somewhat but only because the tournament isn’t over and we have one more game to win.

Wins always feel good, but unless we’re in the national championship, nobody on the team is satisfied. We all get dressed and watch the next game to see who we play tomorrow.

After stopping for some fast food because everybody who I live with is too tired to cook tonight, we finally get home. As usual, I turn on my favorite show and pass out. Time for some more Family Guy.

Saturday

I woke up to the same feeling: “Dang, it’s 9 a.m.” But it’s the last day of the tournament for us and we play a huge Loyola Marymount team. This team is probably the biggest and strongest team we’re going to play all year.

I get some music playing throughout the whole house to wake everybody up. Pre-game is the same as usual with scouting and a bunch of shots being put up on the court. Our game starts at 2 p.m. so at about 1 p.m., those same butterflies start to kick in. But as soon as coach calls on my name and I step on the court, those butterflies vanish.

“UAA defeats Loyola Marymount, takes 4^th place in the Shootout”

This was probably the best game we have played as a team and it came at a perfect time because that was the toughest opponent we have played all season. Now we can really celebrate the win and feel good when we step out.

A few hours after the game though, all I could think about was, “Yeeeaahh, I have a lot of Homework due.” So the student part of “student athlete” kicked in and hours after the biggest game of the year, I was sitting at my kitchen table doing homework.

 

A rundown of this year’s Shootout field
By Thomas McIntyre

WOMEN’S

University of Alaska Anchorage
Located: Anchorage, Alaska
Conference: Great Northwest Athletic Conference
Previous Season: 30-5

What to watch for: The Seawolves will mainly rely on point guard Sasha King and forward Alysa Horn. It’ll be interesting to see how they fair against steeper competition. If those two get ample room to work, the team can put up enough points to make some noise.

Prairie View A&M University
Located: Prairie View, Texas
Conference: Southwestern Athletic Conference
Previous Season: 21-12

What to watch for: Swingman Latia Williams has been named the SWAC Preseason Player of the Year. Last season, Williams brought home the SWAC Tournament MVP trophy as the Panthers won the conference championship. Two things are for certain: she’s got game and the Panthers are tough.

Utah State University
Located: Logan, Utah
Conference: Western Athletic Conference
Previous Season: 21-10

What to watch for: The Aggies landed at number one in both the Western Athletic Conference coaches’ poll and media poll. Guard Devyn Christensen was slotted as the WAC Preseason Player of the Year. And then there’s guard Jenna Johnson, the former Wasilla High School standout who’s playing the role of defensive specialist for the Aggies.

North Dakota State University
Located: Fargo, North Dakota
Conference: The Summit League
Previous Season: 11-20

What to watch for: The Bison are a group of veterans. Nine of their twelve returning players saw time as starters in 2011. Among their lineup of vets is Hannah Linz, a heady guard who can drain the three-ball and has survived cancer — inspiring stuff.

MEN’S

University of Alaska Anchorage
Located: Anchorage, Alaska
Conference: Great Northwest Athletic Conference
Previous Season: 23-7

What to watch for: The Seawolves can succeed with a balanced attack led by guard’s Kyle Fossman and Teancum Stafford, who are both capable of hurting defenses. Efficient shooting from beyond the arc could turn the hometown team into a bracket buster.

Texas State University
Located: San Marcos, Texas
Conference: Western Athletic Conference
Previous Season: 13-17

What to watch for: The Bobcats are made up of eight newcomers, including three transfers from other Division I programs. Expect to see forward Matt Staff lead the even-keeled Texas State unit.

Oral Roberts University
Located: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Conference: Southland Conference
Previous Season: 27-7

What to watch for: Two-guard Warren Niles should have the green light all weekend long to score buckets. Niles is the offensive weapon that can lessen the blow from losing forward Dominique Morrison, who put in 20 points a night for the Golden Eagles last season. The Eagles will also get important contributions down low from center Damen Bell-Holter, a native of Ketchikan, Alaska.

Belmont University
Located: Nashville, Tennessee
Conference: Ohio Valley Conference
Previous Season: 27-8

What to watch for: The Bruins are adjusting to the loss of three key players, but they return the backcourt of Kerron Johnson and Ian Clark. When Johnson isn’t taking you off the dribble, Clark is dropping a trey in your face. Belmont has a deep rotation, applies suffocating pressure on defense, and plays with speed. People who like basketball, come watch Belmont play.

University of California Riverside
Located: Riverside, California
Conference: Big West Conference
Previous Season: 14-17

What to watch for: Former Chicago Bulls forward Bill Cartwright spent time with the Highlanders at a Nov. 10 practice, so I’m preparing to see a lot of illegal elbows in the paint. But on a serious note, the Highlanders are an extremely young team. Guard Robert Smith is the lone senior on a roster with eight freshmen. I’d peg them as unpredictable.

Northeastern University
Located: Boston, Massachusetts
Conference: Colonial Athletic Association
Previous Season: 14-17

What to watch for: The dramatic. Two last second wins over Boston University and Harvard have college basketball scribe, Ken Pomeroy, questioning if the Huskies are a team of destiny. Lock your eyes on the lanky wing Quincy Ford as he tries to keep the magic alive.

Loyola Marymount University
Located: Los Angeles, California
Conference: West Coast Conference
Previous Season: 21-13

What to watch for: When it comes to the Lions, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. They’d like to outwork opponent after opponent en route to a Shootout crown. And yes, forward Adam Drexler is the son of Clyde. If he starts channeling his pops, all bets are off.

University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Located: Charlotte, North Carolina
Conference: Atlantic 10 Conference
Previous Season: 13-17

What to watch for: The 49ers boast a second-team preseason All-Atlantic 10 player in forward Chris Braswell and a preseason Atlantic 10 All-Defensive player in guard Pierria Henry. Henry is going to be a vital piece in a tournament that’s filled with offenses dependent on high-scoring backcourts.

 

Getting to know coach Ryan McCarthy
By Keon McMillan

The Seawolf women’s basketball team ended last year nationally ranked. Led by longtime coach Tim Moser, they were nearly unstoppable with a record of 30 wins and five losses.

Between coach Moser’s departure earlier this year and the hiring and resignation of head coach Nathan Altenhofen, it’s been a rollercoaster ride for the women’s basketball program.

New head coach Ryan McCarthy, however, is up to filling big shoes.

McCarthy was born in Anchorage at Providence Hospital, but lived in Chugiak until he was about twelve years old.

“I grew up watching the Seawolves play and going to the Shootout,” McCarthy said. “I learned how to ice skate right here at the UAA ice rink and shot hoops on the courts here as well.”

McCarthy played basketball at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho from 2002-2006, followed by a professional career overseas in Germany.

“I really enjoyed it,” he said. “As a little kid it was something I always dreamed of.”

Playing basketball in Germany influenced McCarthy’s decision to go into coaching. He said it gave him the “coaching bug.”

McCarthy described why the fans should be excited about the women’s team under his watch.

“Our players are really going to work hard,” he said. “We’re going to defend, and we’re going to push the pace of the game.”

McCarthy looks to lead the new team with a fast-paced style of basketball that is fun to watch. The players will look to create as many turnovers as possible, and he ensures that they’ll score plenty of points.

This year’s team does have a smaller roster and less returning players, but these are things coach McCarthy looks at as advantages.

“Coach Moser did a good job of creating a national powerhouse,” he said. “To me, this is an opportunity to build it back to where it was and put my own signature on it.”

Considering the talent level in the GNAC conference, McCarthy feels that any of the top six or seven teams can beat each other on any given night. “Our players, I believe, night in and night out have a chance to win,” he said.

Senior guard Sasha King and senior forward Alysa Horn are two of the top returnees for the team this year.

“They’ve got a lot of minutes, they’ve won a lot of games, and they’ve got a lot of hardware next to their names,” McCarthy said.

The new look Seawolves have a great chance to show the changes McCarthy has made as they face a competitive field of teams in this year’s Shootout.

 

Remembering the 2007 Great Alaska Shootout
By Thomas McIntyre

Saying a Shootout is “slept on” seems odd, but the 2007 Great Alaska Shootout is slept on.

Mention the Shootout around any hoops fan born before 1990, then buckle up.

You’re about to get broken off with memories about how old Preston Shumpert looked in college and what a thrill it was to see Cincinnati stun Duke in ’98.

What you won’t be presented with is an analytical breakdown of why the 2007 installment of the Shootout is grossly underappreciated — unless you’re talking to me.

In retrospect, the ‘07 Shootout was a tweener.

We were in a transitional phase from bringing up juggernauts to bringing up lesser-known — but still exciting — schools.

There were no Duke or North Carolina programs in the field.

Instead, there was Gonzaga University, based out of Spokane, Washington and Butler University, based out of Indianapolis, Indiana.

The lack of marquee names has haunted the ’07 session for years now.

There also wasn’t a single moment or game that defined the tournament.

But the product as a whole delivered.

I’m not suggesting we forget the year Iowa State forward Marcus Fizer lit this city on fire. I just think the Fizer diehards need to get over it and let us talk about the ’07 Shootout before the memories fade away, like Fizer’s game.

Enough Fizer bashing (no such thing).

It’s time to run through the reasons this particular Shootout deserves more love.

For starters: Deron Washington, the Virginia Tech wing who carved out a solid collegiate career by doing spectacular things.

He was there, leaping around and trying crazy stuff that made all the high school coaches in the building cringe.

How about that Michigan team? Manny Harris as a freshman; DeShawn Sims as a decent power forward; Ekpe Udoh in what appeared to be his first time ever playing the sport.

Udoh would get picked sixth overall in the NBA draft only a few years later. Basketball.

Can’t leave out Courtney Lee.

The Western Kentucky shooting guard filled it up all weekend and finished with the most points in the tournament.

We also got a good look at the now legendary Ty Rogers.

He’s the guy who hit a long three to upset Drake in that year’s NCAAs, but you already knew that.

Don’t forget Bobby Knight was in town.

I actually locked eyes with him once while he was walking onto the floor. It was like staring into the eyes of one of those animatronic characters at Disneyland, whatever that means.

Gonzaga. All 120 pounds of Austin Daye; superstar Matt Bouldin; slam-dunk artist Micah Downs; the ferocious Jeremy Pargo; enforcer David Pendergraft. Everything about the Zags was interesting that year.

Lastly, 2007 was the start of the Brad Stevens era at Butler. We witnessed the prodigy coach his first tournament as the Bulldogs’ head coach. Everybody in the arena knew Stevens would go on to lead Butler to multiple championship games after watching him game plan his way through the ’07 Shootout.

On a pound-for-pound scale, I think the ’07 Shootout can hang with those earlier installments we marvel about every November.

It’s unrealistic to hold those stacked lineups from years back as the standard in 2012. The game has changed.

We saw the shift happening in 2007, yet the stories were there and the basketball was fun.

The shift has become more drastic in the last couple years. But again: The stories are still there and the basketball is still fun.