The College of Charleston men's basketball team is headed to the Land of the Midnight Sun as the tournament field for the 2017 GCI Great Alaska Shootout was announced this week.Host University of Alaska Anchorage unveiled the seven visiting teams for the nation's oldest regular-season college basketball tournament.Joining the Seawolves for the 40th anniversary tournament on Thanksgiving Week will be Cal Poly, CSU Bakersfield, Central Michigan, College of Charleston, Idaho, Sam Houston State and Santa Clara. Combined, next year's Shootout field has won at nearly a 60 percent clip this season, with three teams – CSU Bakersfield, Charleston and Idaho – qualifying for postseason play.The College will return to Anchorage for the third time in program history and the first since its thrilling 2002 Shootout title-game victory over Villanova, while Santa Clara and Idaho are back for the first time since 1991.Central Michigan, which featured national scoring leader Marcus Keene as a junior this season, will make its second appearance this decade, but its first since the tournament moved to the Alaska Airlines Center in 2014.Among the three first-time visiting programs, CSU Bakersfield is this season's Western Athletic Conference regular-season champion and remains alive in the NIT semifinals after recent road upsets of California, Colorado State and UT Arlington. Idaho reached the second round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament."I'm confident we've assembled some of the nation's top mid-major programs for our 40th anniversary tournament," UAA Athletic Director Keith Hackett said. "Our recent fields have proven that the GCI Great Alaska Shootout still features some of the most exciting basketball in the nation and is a catalyst to future success."The tournament bracket and matchups will be announced at a later date.SeawolvesAnchorage, AlaskaGoSeawolves.comGreat Northwest Athletic Conference21-8/15-5 (2nd)NoneRusty Osborne, 13 seasons (250-138)All (38-79)Ashton Pomrehn, Sr., G (2.6 ppg, 1.9 rpg), Augustus Simmers, Sr., F (2.4 ppg, 2.1 rpg), Damien Fulp (2.3 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 1.6 apg, .458 FG)The Seawolves have claimed wins over Drexel and Drake in the last two Shootouts but must replace the bulk of a lineup that won 21 games each of the last two campaigns.MustangsSan Luis Obispo, Calif.gopoly.comBig West11-20/6-10 (7th)NoneJoe Callero, 8 seasons (111-139)NoneVictor Joseph, Sr., G, 6-0/170 (12.0 ppg, 1.8 rpg, .357 3FG, .817 FT), Donovan Fields, Jr., 5-10/160 (11.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.1 spg, .356 3FG, .867 FT), Luke Meikle, Sr., F, 6-9/209 (8.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg).The Mustangs are set to return their top two scorers from 2016-17 and will get a boost with the return of athletic 6-8 forward Josh Martin, who nearly averaged a double-double before being injured last fall.RoadrunnersBakersfield, Calif.gorunners.comWestern Athletic Conference24-9/12-2 (1st)NIT SemifinalsRod Barnes, 6 seasons (105-87)NoneDamiyne Durham, Jr., G, 6-4/175 (12.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.3 spg, .331 3FG), Shon Briggs, Sr., G/F, 6-6/200 (6.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, .491 FG), Brent Wrapp, Sr., G, 6-3/175 (4.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.7 apg, .413 FG)The Roadrunners are in the midst of their best stretch since becoming a Div. I program, making the NCAA Tournament in 2016 and winning the WAC regular-season title this season … CSUB earned its first Div. I postseason victory with an upset of California in the NIT last week.ChippewasMount Pleasant, Mich.cmuchippewas.comMid-American Conference16-16/6-12 (6th-West Div.)NoneKeno Davis, 5 seasons (77-82)2011 (4th)Marcus Keene, Sr., G, 5-9/175 (30.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4.9 apg, .447 FG, .368 3FG, .819 FT, First Team All-MAC), David DiLeo, So., F, 6-8/205 (8.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, .376 3FG, .848 FT), Cecil Williams, Sr., F, 6-6/210 (8.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, .478 FG, .791 FT)CMU guard Marcus Keene led the nation with 30 points per game in 2016-17, topping the 30-point mark 16 times, including a 50-point performance … the Chippewas will give the Shootout a MAC representative for the third straight year, following Toledo in 2015 and Buffalo in 2016.CougarsCharleston, S.C.cofcsports.comColonial Athletic Association25-10/14-4 (2nd)NIT First Round, 3 seasons (52-48)1996 runner-up, 2002 champion, Sr., G, 6-4/195 (17.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.0 spg, .392 3FG, .822 FT, First Team All-CAA),, Jr., F, 6-7/250 (14.2 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 1.1 spg, .369 3FG, Second Team All-CAA; CAA All-Defensive Team),, So., G, 6-3/185 (13.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.2 apg, .486 FG, .798 FT, CAA All-Rookie Team).The Cougars are set to return the top six scorers from a team that finished runner-up in the CAA regular season and its postseason tournament in 2016-17 … CofC owns the most storied Shootout tradition of any mid-major program, owning victories over Oklahoma State, Villanova and Stanford, and suffering its lone loss against Kentucky in the 1996 title game.VandalsMoscow, Idahogovandals.comBig Sky Conference19-13/12-6 (t-3rd)CIT Second RoundDon Verlin, 8 seasons (150-137)1991 (6th)Victor Sanders, Sr., G, 6-5/195 (21.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.6 spg, .441 3FG, .793 FT, First Team All-Big Sky), Brayon Blake, Sr., F, 6-7/220 (10.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg, .435 FG, .705 FT), Arkadiy Mkrtychyan, Sr., F, 6-7/235 (8.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg, .521 FG)The Vandals are set to return their top seven scorers from 2016-17, including two-time All-Big Sky guard Victor Sanders … Idaho has made postseason appearances each of the past two seasons, averaging 20 victories per campaign.BearkatsHuntsville, Texasgobearkats.comSouthland Conference21-13/10-8 (t-4th)NoneJason Hooten, 7 seasons (138-98)NoneChris Galbreath, Sr., F, 6-7/210 (10.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg, .484 FG), John Dewey III, Jr., G, 6-0/170 (10.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 4.9 apg, 1.4 spg, .353 3FG, .739 FT), Josh Delaney, Jr., G, 6-0/173 (4.2 ppg, 0.9 rpg, .367 3FG)The Bearkats have made the postseason three of the last four seasons and averaged 22.3 wins per campaign in that span.BroncosSanta Clara, Californiasantaclarabroncos.comWest Coast Conference17-16/10-8 (t-4th)NoneHerb Sendek, 1 season1983 (5th), 1991 (7th)KJ Feagin, Jr., G, 6-1/175 (14.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 4.4 apg, .463 FG, .490 3FG, .879 FT, Second Team All-WCC), Matt Hauser, Jr., G, 6-2/170 (10.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 5.2 apg, .360 3FG, .743 FT), Jarvis Pugh, Sr., F, 6-6/210 (8.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, .448 FG, .702 FT)Broncos coach Herb Sendek will be making his second trip to the Shootout after leading Arizona State to a runner-up finish in 2010.