There have been numerous great games in the Great Alaska Shootout. These 10 rank among the all-time best
No. 1 - What a finish!
Cincinnati 77, Duke 75 (1998)
Behind future NBA top pick Kenyon Martin and guard Melvin Levett (11 of 14 shooting), 15th-ranked Cincinnati knocks off top-ranked Duke with former East High star Trajan Langdon in the title game. With time expiring, Cincinnati completed a long pass from its end line that Martin caught and tossed behind his back to Levett for the game winning slam with one second remaining. Duke would not lose again until the NCAA championship game in April.
No. 2 - UAA stuns ACC's Wake Forest
UAA 70, Wake Forest 68 (1993)
All-America guard Jason Kaiser was magnificent, scoring 25 of his game-high 35 points in the second half -- while UAA held little-known freshman Tim Duncan scoreless. In what's become a signature play in Shootout annals, Kaiser slammed home a breakaway dunk with 1:03 remaining. Less well remembered is that fact that the play, which could have sealed UAA's victory, had the opposite effect. Kaiser got a technical for hanging on the rim and Wake cut an eight-point deficit to one in just 40 seconds. But UAA hung on to advance to the semifinals. UAA center Raynold Samuel had 10 points and 12 rebounds against the huge Demon Deacons, who had seven players on their roster at least 6-foot-8.
No. 3 - Nail-Biter Championship
New Mexico State 95, Illinois 94 (1992)
New Mexico State guard Sam Crawford and Illinois forward Andy Kaufman split 64 points and the sellout crowd roared as the teams exchanged leads throughout the second half of the championship game. A free throw with 10 seconds left by Crawford, who also had 10 assists, won it.
No. 4 - Controversial Finish
Missouri 54, UAA 53 (1980)
The Seawolves have let several Shootout games slip away, but this one for fourth place in the 1980 tournament tops the list. Leading 53-50, UAA gave up a layup with six seconds left. Then the Seawolves failed to inbound the ball within five seconds, prompting a 15-minute meeting of officials, who put one second on the clock. That's all it took for Missouri's Steve Stipanovich to convert the 3-foot game-winner.
No. 5 - First Championship OT
Marquette 92, South Carolina 89 (2005)
In a Shootout field criticized for few marquee teams and players, the title game was a classic. Ryan Amoroso poured in nine of his career-high 30 points in overtime as the Golden Eagles remained perfect in Shootout play under coach Tom Crean - they won in 2001 as well. "It was a classic," South Carolina coach Dave Odom said. South Carolina's Renaldo Balkman, now with the New York Knicks, had 16 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three blocked shots, but Marquette's tall sharpshooter Steve Novak, now with the Houston Rockets, poured in 28 and was 6 for 10 on three-pointers.
No. 6 - Loaded with Future NBA Stars
Arizona 80, Syracuse 69 (1987)
In perhaps the Shootout's deepest field, the championship game featured eight future NBA players. Sean Elliott scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to blunt a Syracuse second-half rally led by center Rony Seikaly (18 points, 11 rebounds) and power forward Derrick Coleman.
No. 7 - Dwyane Wade at Sully
Marquette 50, Indiana 49 (2001)
Future NBA superstar Dwyane Wade's putback layup with 11 seconds left downed Indiana and lifted Marquette into the title game. Wade had 21 points in one of the lowest-scoring games in Shootout history. Indiana, led by future NBA player Jared Jeffries, would advance to the national championship game in March.
No. 8 - J.J. and Hansi Dominate
UAA 80, Texas 68 (1986)
Trailing 47-46 with 12 minutes remaining, UAA center Hansi Gnad ignited a 10-0 run by the Seawolves with a hook shot in the consolation semifinal. Gnad finished with 27 points and 16 rebounds in one of the best Seawolf performances ever in the Shootout, while Jackson had 19 points and arguably the greatest assist in Shootout history -- a behind-the-back, running-off-the-court pass he threw to Mike Childs. The Longhorns never got closer than five points in the final 10 minutes.
No. 9 - Gut-Wrenching Loss
Southern Cal 57, UAA 56 (2005)
UAA frittered away a five-point lead in the final 2
38 with the kill shot coming when Southern Cal's 6-foot-10 freshman RouSean Cromwell tipped in a missed free throw with 13.5 seconds remaining. UAA committed five turnovers in its last six possessions and Kemmy Burgess missed a jumper at the buzzer to allow Southern Cal to grab fifth place.
No. 10 - Huskies Dazzle Sellout Crowd
Washington 79, Alabama 76 (2004)
Two nationally ranked teams produced a thrilling championship game before 8,264 fans with great shooting on both sides -- despite the absence of Washington's Brandon Roy, who hyperextended his knee in the semifinal. Washington's Bobby Jones hit a three-pointer that gave his team a six-point lead with three minutes to play. "It was amazing, man," said Washington junior Mike Jensen. Future NBA player Nate Robinson added 16 for Washington and was named Shootout Most Outstanding Player.
By VAN WILLIAMS