July 27, 2005
SAN DIEGO -
2005 BP Top of the World Classic Bracket
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San Diego State will open the 2005-06 season against Alaska Fairbanks at the BP Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska, on Thursday, Nov. 17, tournament officials announced today.
The four-day, eight-team exempt tournament will be held from Nov. 17-20 at the Carlson Center. The Aztecs and Nanooks will open the tournament on Thursday at 6 p.m. AST (7 p.m. PST) followed by Illinois-Chicago and Montana State at 8:30 p.m. AST (9:30 p.m. PST).
This will mark the program's first visit to Alaska and first meeting with Alaska Fairbanks. The Nanooks posted a 21-9 record last season, won a share of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship and advanced to the Sweet 16 of Division II.
The other half of the bracket begins play on Friday with Denver facing Kennesaw State at 6 p.m. AST and Lamar battling Southern Mississippi at 8:30 p.m. AST.
The Aztecs will face either Illinois-Chicago or Montana State on Saturday, with the tournament concluding on Sunday. Game times on Saturday and Sunday will be determined following the previous days games.
San Diego State returns four starters from last season's team including juniors Brandon Heath and Marcus Slaughter, the top two returning vote recipients from last season's all-Mountain West Conference team. In Steve Fisher's coaching career he has coached teams that have returned at least four starters from a team he coached the previous season six times. Those teams have advanced to NCAA Tournament play on five occasions while the other squad claimed the postseason NIT title.