Field Set for 2005 BP Top of the World Classic
FAIRBANKS, AK-The field is set for the 2005 BP Top of the World Classic, scheduled for the Carlson Center in Fairbanks in November.
The host team, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, will be joined by seven NCAA Division I teams.
Southern Mississippi, San Diego State, Montana State, Illinois-Chicago, Kennesaw State, Lamar and Denver will join the Nanooks at the BP Top of the World Classic, which will take place November 17th through the 20th.
UAF, which won the tournament in 2002, finished with a 21-9 record last year and advanced to the NCAA Division II West Regional Finals for the second consecutive season. The Nanooks won 20 or more games for the third year in a row, the first time in school history that feat has been accomplished, and Head Coach Frank Ostanik became the first coach in UAF history to win 20 or more games in his first year.
Montana State finished 14-14 last season, finishing second in the regular season conference standings and advancing to the semi-finals of the Big Sky Tournament. Head Coach
Mick Durham was named BSC Coach of the Year.
SDSU is coached by Steve Fisher, who was the head coach when Michigan won the 1989 NCAA Division I championship. The Aztecs were 11-18 last season and advanced to the semi-finals of the Mountain West Conference Tournament.
Southern Mississippi finished 11-17 last season. The Golden Eagles are coached by Larry Eustachy, who led Idaho to the 1993 Big Sky championship, took Utah State to three Big West titles and led Iowa State to two Big 12 titles, two NCAA Tournament appearances and a trip to the Elite Eight.
UIC is coached by former Illinois assistant coach Jimmy Collins. The Flames went 15-14 last season and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Horizon League Tournament.
Kennesaw State will be making its debut as a member of Division I. The Owls were 24-6 last year, and advanced to the first round of the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Region Tournament.
Lamar finished with a 14-11 record last year. Head Coach Billy Tubbs, one of the all-time leaders in victories among NCAA coaches, will be entering his 31st season as a head coach with a 620-326 overall record. After beginning his career at Lamar, where he took the Cardinals to the NCAAs for the first time, he coached at Oklahoma for nine seasons, taking the Sooners to the NCAA championship game in 1988. He has led teams to 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, six National Invitation Tournament appearances, eight conference championships, three conference tournament championships and 18 20-win seasons. Tubbs has been named conference coach of the year eight times and is a two-time national coach of the year.
Denver went 18-10 last season, losing to Louisiana-Lafayette in the championship game of the Sun Belt Conference tournament. The Pioneers advanced to the NIT, losing at San Francisco in the first round, 69-67. Head Coach Terry Carroll served as the associate head coach at Iowa State under Eustachy before joining DU three seasons ago.
"The field is very similar to the field last year, in that there isn't a real clear favorite, and everyone is very good," said UAF Head Coach Frank Ostanik. "The caliber of the coaches in this tournament is maybe the best we've ever had. We have two coaches who have coached in the national championship game, and one who has won a national championship. A lot of the teams have their best players returning. Montana State will be picked to win the Big Sky, Denver was a game from the NCAA Tournament, Lamar has gotten better every year under Billy Tubbs, and San Diego State has a McDonald's All-American coming back from an injury. This could be the best field we've ever had."
The chair of the 2005 BP Top of the World Tournament Committee, George Roderick, was equally enthusiastic. "I thought last year's field was outstanding, and I think that this year's field is as good as it was last year," said Roderick. "We have some high profile name coaches. Billy Tubbs was here with Texas Christian, Larry Eustachy has coached at the Great Alaska Shootout, Jimmy Collins at Illinois-Chicago used to be at Illinois with Lou Henson, and Denver had an outstanding year. Kennesaw State will raise some eyebrows, but they won the Division II national championship in 2004. With the combination of the teams and the coaches we have coming, it's really going to be an exciting field."
-UAF ATHLETI
