I wrote up a quick preview last night, but ended up falling asleep before I could hit the submit.. anyhow
2014 GCI Great Alaska Shootout
Last season, Rice participated in Santa Clara's Cable Car Classic. The Owls played up in both games, coming just short to Rider in OT, before upsetting the host Broncos.
For the uninitiated, the tournament follows the standard 8-team 3-games-in-3-days bracket common among these early season events. Once a premiere event among early season tournaments, the Shootout has lost some of its luster, but every tournament has included at least one team that would go on to play in the NCAA tournament. Long held at downtown Anchorage's Sullivan Arena, the tournament moves in to the host school's new on campus 5,000 seat Alaska Airlines Center.
It looks to be a competitive slate. Here's hoping not, but the quick turnaround may prove problematic for the frenetic Owls. Here's how the bracket shakes out...
NR (DII) Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves, Great Northwest Athletic Conference (2-4)
#198 Pacific Tigers, West Coast Conference (2-2)
#157 Missouri State Bears, Missouri Valley Conference (2-1)
#77 Colorado State Rams, Mountain West Conference (3-0)
#304 Rice Owls, Conference USA (1-2)
#189 Mercer Bears, Southern Conference (2-2)
#181 Washington State Cougars, Pacific 12 Conference (1-2)
#96 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos, Big West Conference (1-2)
Rice's opening round opponent, Mercer, is coming off of 27-9 season in which they were co-champions of the Atlantic Sun Conference, as well as A-Sun tournament champions. In the NCAA tournament, the Bears upset Duke in the round of 64 before falling to Tennessee. They have moved to the Southern Conference for this season. Returning a grand total of
zero starters from last that campaign, Mercer is 2-2 so far this year with home wins against Kennesaw State and DIII Piedmont, and road losses to Seton Hall and Colorado State. They are led by JR Guard Ike Nwamu, with 17.0 ppg.
Anybody else making the trip?