Top of the World Classic tips off in Fairbanks
FAIRBANKS - Al Sokaitis may be the only college basketball coach in America who frets when there's not enough snow for his basketball tournament.
At the Top of the World Classic, host University of Alaska Fairbanks likes to give teams a taste of what it's like to live in the north by exposing them to mushing, curling and ice carving. So far, only a dusting of snow has touched Interior Alaska.
"We're going to cover the dirt a little bit, but we have not had winter weather conducive to winter sports," Sokaitis said Tuesday.
On the basketball floor, Sokaitis expects three veteran teams from mid-major conferences - the University of California Santa Barbara, Ball State and Weber State - to shine in the country's northernmost tournament, which begins today.
In today's games, host UAF plays Wisconsin-Green Bay at 7 p.m. and Nebraska opens against Centenary at 9 p.m. In Friday's openers, Weber State plays UC-Santa Barbara at 7 p.m. and Jacksonville State takes on Ball State at 9 p.m.
UAF, an NCAA Division II team, returns just four players from its 4-23 team a year ago, led by guard Steve Towne and forward Jason Williams. Two of the 11 newcomers on the UAF roster - Chris Smith, a transfer from Cal State-Fullerton, and freshman Andrew Smith, Alaska's high school Player of the Year - should help. Seven of the 11 newcomers played high school basketball in Alaska, and 14 of the Nanooks grew up in the state.
The only Southeast Alaska player on the Nanooks' roster is sophomore guard Scott Jones, a transfer from Gray's Harbor Community College in Washington. Jones didn't play in UAF's two season-opening victories over Walla Walla College on Nov. 7 and 9, but might see action in the Top of the World Classic.
The Nanooks open against Wisconsin-Green Bay, picked by coaches and media to finish seventh in the Horizon League. The Phoenix are led by head coach Tod Kowalczyk, a former assistant at Marquette. Greg Babcock, a 6-10 center, is one of four starters returning to a team that knocked out Butler, last year's Top of the World champion, in the first round of the conference tournament.
Nebraska finished tied for seventh in the Big 12 last year and returns four starters. Sophomore guard Jake Muhleisen averaged 11.7 points and 3.8 assists per game as a freshman. He helped the Big 12 All-Stars to a 6-0 record in a tour of Sweden, Norway and Denmark.
John Turek was the first freshman in school history to lead the team in rebounding with 6.2 per game. Also returning is 6-11 forward Brian Conklin, who was ranked 29th nationally in 3-point percentage shooting at 43.3 percent.
Centenary, 14-13 last year, will play 18 road games this year and just 10 at home in Shreveport, La. The Gents return 6-3 Andrew Wisniewski, who averaged just under 20 points, and Demario Cooper, who averaged just under 10.
UC Santa Barbara shared the Big West Conference title with Utah State and is favored to repeat. The Gauchos return four starters, including 6-7 forward Mark Hull, a first-team all-conference selection. He scored 32 in UCSB's five-point loss to Arizona in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Junior guard Branduinn Fullove is a preseason all-conference pick.
UCSB opens against Weber State, 18-11 last year and the runner-up in the Big Sky Conference. The Gauchos will have an Alaska player on their team next year, having signed Chugiak High School 6-7 senior guard-forward Chris Devine to an NCAA Letter of Intent earlier this month.
Preseason polls put the Wildcats in the NCAA tournament again. Weber State returns conference scoring leader Jermaine Boyette and three other starters. They've also added 6-8 Slobodan Ocokoljic, who transferred from Ohio State and started 13 games for the Buckeyes.
Ball State was last year's giant killer, upsetting Kansas, UCLA and LSU. The Cardinals reached the quarterfinals of the NIT before falling to South Carolina.
Ball State is led by Theron Smith, a Wooden Award Finalist. The 6-8 forward averaged nearly 20 points per game and 11 rebounds. He's joined by 6-3 guard Chris Williams, who averaged nearly 16 points
Ball State opens against Jacksonville State, a seventh-place finisher last year in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. The Gamecocks return their entire starting lineup and top eight scorers. Guard Cornelius Richardson and forward Omar Barlett both averaged more than 14 points.