UAA

Location: Anchorage

Last season: 30-5 (15-3 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference)

Postseason: NCAA semifinals, lost to Northern Kentucky

Coach: Tim Moser (3rd season; 53-11)

Go-to player: Rebecca Kielpinski, 6-2 senior center. Averaged 12.7 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2 blocks per game en route to All-America honors.

One shining moment: Last season's march to the NCAA Division II Final Four solidified Moser's program as one of the best in the nation. And the 1990 Northern Lights Invitational championship -- which came in an eight-team field featuring seven D-I schools -- marked the first time a Division II team won an otherwise all-D-I, eight-team tournament. One season earlier, Robin Graul wrapped up an unparalleled career by leading the Seawolves to the West Region tournament.

Favorite locker room music: Rap and hip-hop.

Famous alum who wasn't a jock: Sarah Palin attended Mat-Su College, part of the UA system, for a semester. OK, so she's a famous dropout. She could still school Joe Biden in hoops.

CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE

Location: Northridge, Calif.

Last season: 1-26 (0-16 in Big West Conference)

Coach: Staci Schultz (4th season; 24-62*)

Go-to player: Analee Viena-Lota, 5-10 sophomore forward. Had a pair of double-doubles last season and a career-high 21 points in a game against Cal State Bakersfield.

One shining moment: Two seasons ago, Ofa Tulikihihifo became just the third player in Big West history to earn all-league first-team honors all four years of her career. She ranks first career scoring at the school (1,632 points) and second in career rebounding (838).

Favorite locker room music: Rap.

Famous alum who wasn't a jock: Cheech Marin of Cheech and Chong fame. Dude! "Dave's not here!"

Alaska connection: Assistant coach Cory O'Dell is from Talkeetna, and his dad still lives there; O'Dell spent several years at UAA as an assistant women's coach for Jerry McLaughlin, Harry Larrabee and Brandi Dunigan. Alaska connection, part 2: The men's team has an assistant coach from Anchorage -- Louis Wilson, who won state titles as a player at East High and got his coaching start at his high school alma mater under the legendary Chuck White.

JACKSON STATE

Location: Jackson, Miss.

Last season: 18-14 (13-5 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference).

Postseason: NCAA first round, lost to Louisiana State.

Coach: Denise Taylor (8th season, 90-61).

Go-to player: Erica Trahan, 5-10 senior forward. MVP of last year's conference tournament; named to preseason All-SWAC second-team.

One shining moment: Coach Denise Taylor's breakthrough championship in last season's SWAC tournament, which marked the first time one of her teams won the tournament title and the advanced to the NCAA tournament.

Favorite locker room music: Upbeat rap.

Famous alum who wasn't a jock: Grammy-winning jazz vocalist Cassandra Wilson.

Alaska connection: Assistant coach Marc Lowe is back in Alaska -- again. A player for the Seawolves from 1984-86 and a men's assistant under Harry Larrabee for a couple years in the early 1990s, Lowe was at last year's Shootout as an assistant with Bradley. And in 2001, he was here for the old AT&T Alascom Jamboree with Missouri-Rolla. That darn-near makes him eligible for a Permanent Fund dividend.

SYRACUSE

Location: Syracuse, N.Y.

Last season: 22-9 (10-6 in Big East).

Postseason: NCAA first round, lost to Hartford.

Coach: Quentin Hillsman (3rd season, 31-29).

Go-to player: Chandrea Jones, 5-9 senior guard. Led the team last season with 15.1 ppg and was second in rebounds with 7.9. Second-team Big East selection.

One shining moment: The Orange made the top 25 for the first time in program history last season, spending six weeks in the polls and ranking as high as 21st in the AP poll and 22nd in the ESPN/USA Today poll.

Famous alums who weren't jocks: Where to start? Bob Costas, 1974. Vanessa Williams, 1985. And the second-most-famous vice presidential nominee of the year, Joe Biden, 1968 (law school). Dream halftime show: Joe takes on Sarah Palin in a game of M-O-O-S-E (the Alaska version of H-O-R-S-E).

Alaska connection: Julie Rising of Anchorage is captain of the Syracuse ice hockey team. And Copper Center twins Mary and Naomi Carlson are on the rowing team.

* Does not include games from this season.