The favorite Thanksgiving pastime of Alaskans for three and a half decades, the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout will play home to a bevy of preseason hoops favorites in 2013.

In its 36th edition, the Shootout boasts five teams on the men's side that were picked either first (Green Bay, Harvard, Indiana State) or second (Alaska Anchorage, Denver) in their league's respective preseason poll.

In addition, the men's field will feature TCU from the powerful Big 12 Conference and tradition-rich Pepperdine from the West Coast Conference, while college hoops legend and former Shootout standout Danny Manning leads his Tulsa program north for the first time.

On the women's side, six-time champion Alaska Anchorage – always the crowd favorite – will vie with UC Riverside and an up-and-coming Nicholls program for the chance to challenge pre-tourney favorite Georgetown. The Hoyas' entry makes it four teams from the powerhouse Big East Conference to visit for the women's event since 2008.

Here's a look at the 2013 fields:

WOMEN
ALASKA ANCHORAGE: The Seawolves kept of a pair of recent trends last year, earning their seventh straight winning season and notching another Shootout victory, this time a first-round win over North Dakota State.

UAA returns five players from its 17-10 squad, including preseason all-conference forward Kylie Burns, a senior who averaged over 10 points and seven rebounds in 2012-13. Second-year head coach Ryan McCarthy also has the returning Great Northwest Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year in guard Jessica Madison, plus multi-talented junior wing Alli Madison at his disposal.

GEORGETOWN: Coming off a 15-16 campaign, new head coach Jim Lewis hopes to get the Hoyas get to the form that made them an NCAA squad in 2011-12.

Forward Andrea White (10.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg), GU's lone returning double-figure scorer, will be joined by fellow starter Samisha Powell to provide the most experience. Sophomore Katie McCor-mick is a dangerous three-point threat, and center Natalie Butler is a freshman to watch.

NICHOLLS: Head coach DoBee Plaisance loses only one starter from the team that posted a program-best 19 wins in 2012-13.

The guard duo of senior KK Babin and sophomore Emani White rained down 100 three-pointers on Colonels opponents last season, while the Thibadeaux, La., squad will also get a lift from senior forward LiAnn McCarthy (8.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg), who is returning from a knee injury.

UC RIVERSIDE: Head coach John Margaritis brings his Highlanders north for the second time after finishing runner-up in the 2006 Shootout.

Guard Brittany Crain (14.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.8 spg) was the 2012-13 Big West Conference Freshman of the Year, leading a group of eigtht returning letterwinners, while 6-2 center Natasha Hadley (11.3 ppg, 6.9 rpg) gives the Southern Californians a big inside presence.

MEN
ALASKA ANCHORAGE: With five wins in the last three Shootouts – and 35 all-time in their signature event – the Division II Seawolves are no stranger to success against their D-I competition.

Tenth-year head coach Rusty Osborne's squad was voted second in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference poll, led by preseason all-league picks Kyle Fossman (14.8 ppg), Teancum Stafford (14.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg) and Travis Thompson (11.8 ppg, 3.9 apg). Thompson – a local Dimond High product who redshirted last year – plus the addition of sophomore transfer Brian McGill at the point should give UAA one of the most dangerous backcourts in the nation.

DENVER: After sharing the Western Athletic Conference title last year, the Pioneers move to the Summit League, where they are picked second in the league's preseason poll.

Head coach Joe Scott returns 10 letterwinners from his 22-win squad, including a pair of double-digit scorers with forward Chris Udofia (13.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.3 apg) and guard Brett Olson (11.4), both of whom started every game in 2012-13. Guard Jalen Love brings a deep threat to the Pioneers' offense, while athletic forward Cam Griffin is set to make impact in the post.

DU is making its first Shootout trip.

GREEN BAY: Head coach Brian Wardle leads his team into the 2013-14 season as the preseason favorite to win the Horizon League, thanks largely to the return of all-conference duo Alec Brown (14.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.7 bpg), a 7-1 senior center, and Keifer Sykes (15.9 ppg, 4.3 apg), a 5-10 senior point guard.

One of the nation's top rebounding teams a year ago, this season's squad will again feature board machine Jordan Rouse (8.3 rpg) alongside Brown, who is the only player in NCAA Div. I to begin this season with career totals of 1,200 points, 600 rebounds and 200 blocks.

Green Bay is making its second Shootout appearance after placing sixth in the 1993 tournament.

HARVARD: After coming to the Shootout as an assistant with Duke in 1995, Tommy Amaker returns two decades later to lead the Crimson on their first trip to The Last Frontier.

The three-time defending Ivy League champions are loaded for another run, with all but one player back from last year's team that pulled the 2013 NCAA Tournament's signature opening-weekend upset  over 3rd-seeded New Mexico.

A trio of high-scoring guards – all-conference junior wing Wesley Saunders (16.2 ppg, 3.5 apg), Siyani Chambers (12.4 ppg) and Laurent Rivard (10.3 ppg, 40% 3FG) – make Harvard the unanimous pick in this year's Ivy League preseason poll.

INDIANA STATE: Picked only behind 2013 Final Four club Wichita State in the Missouri Valley Conference's preseason poll, the Sycamores are making their first trip to Anchorage.

Although best known for famous alum Larry Bird, this year's squad is eager to write its own legend in Terre Haute, led by 4th-year coach Greg Lansing and four returning starters.

ISU point guard Jake Odum was an All-MVC first-teamer last year with averages of 13.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg and 4.6 apg, while fellow senior Manny Arop, a 6-6 forward, posted 12.0 ppg and 5.1 rpg in 2012-13.

PEPPERDINE: The Shootout gets back to its roots as the Waves return for the first time since the inaugural tourney in 1978, when the Malibu, Calif., school placed third.

Coach and Pepperdine alum Marty Wilson has turned over half of his roster from last year's 12-18 club, attempting to return glory to a program that boasts 13 NCAAs, 15 West Coast Conference championships and 17 NBA players in its proud history.

The Waves return 6-6, 245-pound sopomore Stacy Davis (11.2 ppg, 7.3 rpg), and will get another boost on the interior with 6-9 UCLA transfer Brendan Lane.

TCU: After successful stops at Nevada, Stanford and LSU, second-year coach Trent Johnson has embraced the challenge of transitioning TCU into the powerful Big 12 Conference.

Despite an 11-21 mark, last year's squad saw some success, catching the nation's attention with an upset of Kansas in February. Junior guard Kyan Anderson (12.0 ppg, 3.2 apg) is the Horned Frogs' only returning double-figure scorer, however senior guard Jarvis Ray is also back and fully healthy after suffering an early January knee injury.

TULSA: College hoops legend Danny Manning played his first three games as a freshman at the 1984 Shootout, and now Tulsa's second-year head coach brings his Tulsa program to Anchorage for the first time.

The Golden Hurricane have three returning starters, led by versatile guards James Woodard (12.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg), Shaquille Harrison (6.8 ppg, 2.8 apg) and Pat Swilling Jr. (10.7 ppg), alongside a slew of six newcomers as they look to contend in a talent-laden Conference-USA.