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Buy New Kayaks
Kayaking is an increasingly popular sport, and one that has been popular for quite some time now. Kayaks come in many different guises and are made of many different materials in numerous colours for all sorts of activities. When you want to buy...
Increase Your Athletic Performance, Stamina and Metabolism Naturally
Electrolyzed Alkaline Water is becoming the sports drink of choice for professional and college universities world wide.
Electrolyzed Alkaline Waters, such as Fitness Fuel Alkaline Water Concentrate, go through a proprietary process that...
Nutritional Benefits From Protein Sports Supplements
One of the best ways that a person can benefit from a healthy diet and exercise routine is the addition of sports nutrition in the form of extra protein. Protein is found naturally in many of the foods we eat. But a person who exercises often should...
Quick Guide To Choosing Canoes
When you think of buying a canoe you have to first decide what you are going to use it for. Ask yourself, whether you want to use your canoe on lakes and ponds or whitewater. Another question to consider is whether you prefer to take your canoe...
Your tax dollars at work: Basic health tips from the US Government Nutrition Web Page
Here are some basic health tips from the US Government
Nutrition Web page. We've seen it all before but it is all good
basic health advice. 1.Start your day with breakfast. Breakfast
fills your "empty tank" to get you going after a long...
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Cold Nights and Hot Games: Great Alaska Shootout Basketball Tourney
Each year, colleges and universities from all over the nation
send their men's basketball teams to the "Last Frontier State"
to the Great Alaska Shootout Basketball Tourney. The competition
heats up the cold winter days and nights, as teams meet head on
to battle for buckets. Colleges and universities get the
opportunity to play against their top rivals and powerhouses of
the game. These games draw in record crowds each year, as any
basketball fan should not miss the chance to attend this fast
paced pre season classic.
The main question on any sports fan's mind is, why Alaska? The
reason is simple, former University of Alaska Anchorage head
coach, Bob Rachal found a loophole in the NCAA rules determining
pre season play. In an effort to draw more attention to the
state, the University of Alaska Anchorage, and the Seawolves
athletic program, Rachal became the mastermind of what began as
the Sea Wolf Classic. The NCAA rules stated any games played
outside the contagious 48 states did not count towards a
program's pre determined allotment. For this reason,
participants of the Great Alaska Shootout Basketball Tourney can
get an early gauge of their teams prowess against national
talent.
The first Sea Wolf Classic was held in 1978 for the '78-'79
basketball season and saw the Wolfpack of North Carolina State
University crush the University of Louisville's Cardinals. The
tournament ended in 1978, leaving many wondering if it would
become an annual event. Much to everyone's relief, the Sea Wolf
Classic became a Thanksgiving tradition in 1979, but under a new
name.
Broadcaster Billy Packer is credited with changing the name from
the Sea Wolf Classic to the Great
Alaska Shootout Basketball
Tourney back in 1979. In this stunning tournament, the title
game came down to the University of Kentucky Wildcats and the
Iona College Gaels. The Wildcats proved too powerful for the
tiny New York school, and emerged victorious as the second
champion of this fantastic new basketball challenge.
A list of past champions reads like a who's who of College
basketball, including NC State, Louisville, Kansas, Kentucky,
Duke, North Carolina, and UCLA to name a few.
The attendance may have been meager in the early days, but soon
the action caught on, and now college basketball fans of all
ages flock to the state for the Thanksgiving weekend Great
Alaska Shootout Basketball Tourney. What better way to celebrate
our national day of thanks than by cheering on teams from all
across the country? Many hotels, cruises, and lodges have
special packages designed with the college basketball fan in
mind.
If you find you cannot wait until December to enjoy hot hoops
action, head to Anchorage and watch the action melt away the
snow! Plan a trip for the family and bring budding sports fans
to experience the thrilling display of skill and sportsmanship,
or make it a raucous occasion for celebration with your best
hoops loving buds. Whoever you bring, just make sure you bring
yourself to this annual college basketball showdown!
About the author:
A lifelong Alaskan, Ron Richards lives in the beautiful
Matanuska Valley. Ron invites you to come and see Alaska. One
excellent way to enjoy Alaska is by taking an affordable Alaska Cruise Visit
http://findanalaskacruise.com for more information.
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