University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Bulldogs Part of Prestigious Great Alaska Shootout Field
04.03.2015 | Men's Basketball
ANCHORAGE, AK – The UNC Asheville men's basketball team has made its Thanksgiving plans as the team will participate in the 2015 GCI Great Alaska Shootout, with the University of Alaska Anchorage announcing the tournament field on Friday afternoon.
The oldest continuously running in-season college basketball tournament in the nation, the Shootout is set for November 24-28 at the Alaska Airlines Center.
The Bulldogs will be one of seven visiting men's teams joining UAA in the 38th edition of the college basketball showcase, and they are one of six teams who will be making their Shootout debut in 2015.
“We are excited to be part of the 2015 Great Alaska Shootout and have a chance to compete against quality programs from across the country,” Bulldog head coach Nick McDevitt said. “The tournament has a tremendous history and we look forward to having a great experience on and off the court.”
In addition to Asheville and the host Seawolves, the field also features Drexel, Loyola (Ill.), Middle Tennessee, San Diego, San Jose State and Toledo. Including NCAA Division II member-UAA, four of the eight programs posted winning records this season, while San Diego and UNC Asheville were each just one game under .500.
“We think the 2015 GCI Great Alaska Shootout field has the potential to be a who's-who among the rising mid-major programs in college basketball,” said UAA Athletic Director Keith Hackett.
The Bulldogs finished the 2014-15 season with a 15-16 record overall and a trip to the quarterfinals of the Big South Tournament last month. The top four scorers from last season, led by Andrew Rowsey's 19.2 points per game average, all return as Asheville loses just three seniors to graduation.
Loyola won 24 games last season and captured the College Basketball Invitational championship. With the Ramblers' impending trip north, the Shootout will soon have hosted all but six of the programs to earn the NCAA Div. I national title; Loyola was the 1963 NCAA champion.
Toledo is coming off its second straight 20-win season despite facing one of the nation's toughest non-league schedules in 2014-15, while Middle Tennessee won 19 games and earned a trip to the CIT postseason tournament.
Despite coming off just an 11-win season, Drexel returns the bulk of its squad in the coming year, while San Diego returns to the Shootout for the first time since finishing runner-up in 2009. Of the Toreros' 16 losses last season, seven were to eventual NCAA Tournament qualifiers.
Pairings and the complete Shootout schedule will be announced later this summer. Here is a quick look at each team in the 2015 GCI Great Alaska Shootout field:
Alaska Anchorage
Nickname: Seawolves
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Website: GoSeawolves.com
Conference: Great Northwest Athletic (GNAC)
2014-54 Overall/Conf. Record (Place): 16-13/12-6 (t-3rd)
2015 Postseason: None
Head Coach: Rusty Osborne, 11 seasons
Previous Shootout Appearances: All (36-75)
Drexel
Nickname: Dragons
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Website: drexeldragons.com
Conference: Colonial Athletic Association
2014-15 Overall/Conf. Record (Place): 11-19/9-9 (t-6th)
2015 Postseason: None
Head Coach: James 'Bruiser' Flint, 14 seasons
Previous Shootout Appearances: None
Loyola (Illinois)
Nickname: Ramblers
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Website: loyolaramblers.com
Conference: Missouri Valley Conference
2014-15 Overall/Conf. Record (Place): 24-13/8-10 (6th)
2015 Postseason: CBI Champion
Head Coach: Porter Moser, 4 seasons
Previous Shootout Appearances: None
Middle Tennessee
Nickname: Blue Raiders
Location: Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Website: goblueraiders.com
Conference: Conference USA
2014-15 Overall/Conf. Record (Place): 19-17/9-9 (6th)
2015 Postseason: CIT First Round
Head Coach: Kermit Davis, 13 seasons
Previous Shootout Appearances: None
UNC Asheville
Nickname: Bulldogs
Location: Asheville, North Carolina
Website: uncabulldogs.com
Conference: Big South Conference
2014-15 Overall/Conf. Record (Place): 15-16/10-8 (t-6th)
2015 Postseason: None
Head Coach: Nick McDevitt, 2 seasons
Previous Shootout Appearances: None
San Diego
Nickname: Toreros
Location: San Diego, California
Website: usdtoreros.com
Conference: West Coast
2014-15 Overall/Conf. Record (Place): 15-16/8-10 (5th)
2015 Postseason: None
Head Coach: Lamont Smith, 1st season in 2015-16
Previous Shootout Appearances: 2009 (2nd)
San Jose State
Nickname: Spartans
Location: San Jose, California
Website: sjsuspartans.com
Conference: Mountain West Conference
2014-15 Overall/Conf. Record (Place): 2-28/0-18 (11th)
2015 Postseason: None
Head Coach: Dave Wojcik, 2 seasons
Previous Shootout Appearances: None
Toledo
Nickname: Rockets
Location: Toledo, Ohio
Website: utrockets.com
Conference: Mid-American Conference
2014-15 Overall/Conf. Record (Place): 20-13/11-7 (2nd, West. Div.)
2015 Postseason: None
Head Coach: Tod Kowalczyk, 5 seasons
Previous Shootout Appearances: None
