UAF @ UAA Tuesday night in Anchorage

[lv2hoop]

Could be a turning point game for both teams this season. Seawolves desperately need the win to stay in striking distance of first place WWU while the Nanooks would drop to a disappointing 2-5 in the GNAC with another loss.

Seawolves will face the tough task of flying home from Bellingham, playing the UAF game, and then flying back to Billings for a Thursday contest before taking a week off from games. So like I said, they need the UAF game because the Billings game will be extra hard.

[Rob_AK]

Re: UAF @ UAA Tuesday night in Anchorage

Seawolves are 8-0 at home, and 2-4 on the road. I like the Seawolves in this one against UAF. The MSUB game is another issue - if UAA is going to compete for the GNAC title they are going to have to figure out how to win on the road. HPU, Chaminade and WWU are not bad road losses and the CWU win almost makes up for NNU, but these guys are all seniors. They should have the mental strength and focus to win on the road not just at home. Unless they find it, they will be sitting at home come March. A good place to start would be playing defense like against SMU and SFU when they held them to less than 50 rather than giving up 90+ like at WWU the other night.

[laker]

Re: UAF @ UAA Tuesday night in Anchorage

What was the end result of deciding on the fate of sports programs at UAF & UAA? I know that they are ok for now but what is the long term solution?

[lv2hoop]

Re: UAF @ UAA Tuesday night in Anchorage

So far so good, at least for the time being. Only time will tell if the state economy doesn't improve.

[northernGNAChoopfan]

Re: UAF @ UAA Tuesday night in Anchorage

1) 2016 WOTY - Dumpster Fire. Applicable when talking about which sector of Alaskan life?

a) the economy
b) the basketball programs affiliated with UAF & UAA
c) the hockey teams affiliated with UAF & UAA
d) a & c

a) the economy. BINGO. The legislature for the state changed shape a little bit this year with our elections this fall and they may be a little kinder to the university (and their respective athletic teams) when dolling out the meager funds to state entities this year. But, the price of oil ain't great and sitting around waiting for it to get great again doesn't seem like the wise path either. Revenue is what we need and most Alaskans hate the idea of helping to generate revenue to pay for all the things we like rather than getting a fat PFD oil check ever year. Dumpster Fire! That said, the university president heard the message loud and clear that Alaskans want their sport teams and they take up ~ 3% of the university budget, so with a kinder legislature, the university might be able to keep limping till we put the dumpster fire out. And believe me when I say I consider myself an optimist.

b) Not quite dumpster fire material yet. I was on the brink of abandoning my team for at least a few hours on Saturday night when we found ourselves down by 22 to Simon Fraser at the half, but my husband told me that I better stand by the boys. So. I am. Trying. to. I love em, but they got to get really gritty and find some leadership if they want to avoid a slaughtering tomorrow night. And you guys at UAA aren't off the hook either. So much chatter and hype for this year... And? Simmering coals are a dumpster fire ready to start or a good team ready to get hot?

c) You probably know more than we do Laker if the Hockey programs are dumpster fire material yet. It seems they've both been in the basement of the WCHA league for a while now.

d) yes.

[laker]

Re: UAF @ UAA Tuesday night in Anchorage

I saw the UAA basketball women play in the Elite 8 in Sioux Falls last March. That was before all the talk about shutting down programs or unifying teams.

Back in 1994 I flew with the Gophers to Anchorage for the Great Alaskan Shootout. I'm not sure if the NCAA still gives exemptions for D1 teams flying to Alaska and Hawaii for tournaments- I assume that they still do.

It seems like the talk of dropping sports gets people's attention much quicker than talking about dropping an underwater basket weaving major. Years ago a school referendum where I was teaching failed. The school board started talking about dropping sports, which were pretty good there. The next one a couple months later passed with flying colors. Looking at some of the options in Alaska I wondered if they were serious or waiting to see how much crap they would get for talking about it.

The men's Elite 8 is in Sioux Falls instead of the women this year. How likely is it that I will be seeing a team from Alaska playing this year?

[lv2hoop]

Re: UAF @ UAA Tuesday night in Anchorage

Yes, the NCAA still does the exempt thing for the Shootout and for many other tournaments as well. The Shootout is still a good preseason tournament, but it is no longer one of the big ones since there are so many other exempt tournaments across the college basketball land.

The likelihood of seeing one of the Alaska schools at the Elite 8 isn't high. The Anchorage men have the talent to get deep, but they've yet to show any consistency on the road. I guess the marquee win was beating Drake in this year's Shootout. But we took a bad loss to Northwest Nazarene at their place and haven't won any other road games except for at Central Washington.

The Fairbanks men were stronger last season. This year they came out of the gates looking tough, losing their opener at UTEP in overtime. But since that time they haven't been impressive. But tonight's game, since it is an in-state rivalry, could go either way. Fairbanks has a very good coach and it would be stupid to underestimate them and I'm sure Anchorage will play hard accordingly.

[lv2hoop]

Re: UAF @ UAA Tuesday night in Anchorage

Didn't get the chance to attend this game in Anchorage but I watched some of it on the Internet. Seemed like the Nanooks gave it a good run through 3/4 of the game before UAA pulled away late to win by about 10. The difference in the game might've been Devine, who ended up having 6 blocks!!