sports

6-foot-9-inch, 240 pound University of Missouri forward Tajudeen Soyoye set a school record for basketball players in the bench press, lifting 400 pounds, beating the previous mark by 55 pounds.

Missouri's 6-foot-5-inch freshman guard Rickey Paulding can reach 11-foot-4 inches in a one-step vertical jump.

Syracuse players Jeremy McNeil and James Thues list “selective studies” as their area of academic concentration.

Four University of Rhode Island women's players list dunking as their ultimate sports fantasy.

Valparaiso University players Amber Schober and Marko Punda list “geomorphology” as their favorite class.
UAA forward Dana Bottoms finished the tournament with five blocked shots and the team totaled nine. Ohio State and Rhode Island were tied for second in team blocks with three each.

Ohio State women's basketball team celebrates their championship at the Great Alaska Shootout

Photo by Ankur Dholakia

Best Quotes:

For the chronologically challenged: “We like to do it at the beginning, the middle and the end.” Valparaiso guard Jared Nuness on beating Ohio State for third place.

Grammar counts: “We wanted to win. Ain't no fun if you aren't winnin'.” Syracuse guard Allen Griffen.

It's the big things that count: “We have to make shots; if we don't make shots, we don't win the game.” Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim.

Strategies revealed: “Our biggest thing is we couldn't stop them. If you can't stop them, you have no chance of winning.” Depaul Coach Pat Kennedy after losing to Syracuse.

Repetitively redundant: “I don't think we did a good job guarding defensively.” Rhode Island Coach Jerry DeGregorio following a loss to UAA.

On6 –foot-10-inch, 350 pound Nigel Dixon “I was afraid he would eat Andrew Wafula. How do you guard a guy like that? I told him [Wafula], `Don't let that kid bite you; we won't see you again.” DeGregorio.
“They were some of the biggest guys we've ever covered. They were strong and not slow.” Ed Kirk after the loss to DePaul.

“We knew we were in for a battle today, but I can honestly say in all the years I've been around the shootout, I thought this team played the full 120 minutes the whole tournament; they never let up.” Charlie Bruns following UAA's tournament-ending loss to DePaul.

“We won the other two; Maui and the NIT and the Shootout are the three premier tournaments. We've won the other two, now we've won here, I'm proud of that.” Boeheim on wining the tournament.

Men's All Tournament Team:

Imari Sawyer, DePaul

Clarence Gilbert, Missouri

Damone Brown, Syracuse

Ed Kirk, UAA

Kareem Rush, Missouri

Brian Brown, Ohio State

Tavorris Bell, Rhode Island

Bobby Simmons, DePaul

Allen Griffin, Syracuse

Raitis Grafs, Valparaiso

Most Outstanding Player: Preston Schumpert, Syracuse

Women's All Tournament Team:

Zinobia Machanguana, Rhode Island

Megan Buchmann, UAA

Courtney Coleman, Ohio State

Marlous Nieuwveen, Valparaiso

Yatar Kuyateh, Rhode Island

Most Outstanding Player: Jamie Lewis, Ohio State

2001 Shootout field:

Men

UAA
Gonzaga
Indiana
Marquette
Oregon State
St. John's
Tennesse
Texas

Women

UAA
Gonzaga
Indiana
TBA