COMING UP: The University of Portland (15-14, 4-10 WCC) will travel to Santa Clara, Calif. to compete in the West Coast Conference men’s basketball tournament, on Mar. 4-7.

WCC TOURNAMENT: The West Coast Conference Basketball Tournament returns to the Bay Area in 2005. The 2005 WCC Basketball Tournament will be held on the Santa Clara University campus, and for the second consecutive year, the WCC will use an Eight-Team/Play-In format for the men, while the women’s championship will use the traditional No. 1 versus No. 8 seed format with no teams receiving byes. The women’s teams receive a rest day after the first round and are reseeded before the semifinals. The women will play March 3-6, 2005 and the men will square-off March 4-7, 2005.

The 2005 tournament will be held in the Bay Area, the 2006 and 2007 tournaments in the Pacific Northwest and the 2008 and 2009 tournaments in Southern California.

Under the format that was adopted in 2003, the No. 5 through No. 8 seeds will compete in the opening round to determine who will advance to the next round of the tournament. Waiting for the winners in the quarterfinals will be the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds, who will have first round byes. The winners of the quarterfinal match-ups will go head-to-head with the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, who will have byes through the first two rounds of the tournament.

On Friday, Mar. 4, the action kicks-off with No. 5 seed Pepperdine (16-13, 6-8 WCC) and No. 8 seed Loyola Marymount (11-16, 3-11 WCC) at 5:30 p.m. At 8:00 p.m., No. 7 seed Portland (15-14, 4-10 WCC) takes on No. 6 seed San Francisco (15-12, 6-8 WCC) in an ESPNU broadcasted game. No. 4 seed San Diego (15-12, 7-7 WCC) will match-up with the Pepperdine/Loyola Marymount winner at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Mar. 5. No. 3 seed Santa Clara (14-15, 7-7 WCC) will face the winner of the Portland/San Francisco game at 8:00 p.m in an ESPNU broadcasted game. On Sunday, Mar. 6. No. 1 seed Gonzaga (22-4, 12-2 WCC) will face the winner of game No. 3 at 6:00 p.m. in an ESPN2 broadcasted game, while No. 2 seed Saint Mary’s (24-7, 11-3 WCC) will take on the winner of game No. 4, at 9:00 p.m. in an ESPN broadcasted game. The West Coast Conference will crown its basketball champion on Monday, Mar. 7 at 9:00 p.m. ESPN will televise the championship game from the Leavey Center in Santa Clara, Calif.

WHAT’S AHEAD: From Mar. 17-20, Portland will await the chance to compete in the NCAA First Round Tournament.

GAME DATA: The Pilots will open WCC Tournament play vs. San Francisco (15-12, 6-8 WCC) at the Leavey Center on Friday, Mar. 4 at 8:00 p.m.

PILOTS ON TV: The Pilots’ game against the San Francisco Dons at the Leavey Center on Friday, Mar. 4 at 8:00 p.m. will air LIVE on ESPNU (DirecTV, Channel 609).

Rich Cellini will do the play-by-play and the color analyst for Portland’s game vs. USF is Jimmy Dykes.

A QUICK LOOK AT PORTLAND: Portland allowed a 16-0 run in the first half of play, creating the separation needed for an 84-68 Gonzaga victory on Thursday, Feb. 24 at the Chiles Center to end WCC regular-season play. It was Portland’s seventh loss in the last nine games, the last three coming at home. It was also Portland’s second largest home crowd of all time at the Chiles Center as 5,000 fans came out to watch the nationally televised game. Previously, the Pilots lost a 58-56 heartbreaker to San Francisco on Thursday, Feb. 17 and fell, 89-73 to San Diego on Saturday, Feb. 19. It was Portland’s most lopsided home loss of the season and its worst home defeat since losing by 19 to Saint Mary’s last season. The Pilots’ win over LMU on Feb. 10 marked the first time since 1995-96 the Pilots have won 15 games in a season. Portland’s 11 non-conference wins is the highest total since the 1978-79 squad finished with a 12-1 mark. The Pilots’ win over Idaho State on Jan. 2, 2005 marked their 1,000th all-time win. To date, Portland posts an all-time record of 1,004-1,080 (.482). The Pilots currently hold a 15-14 (.517) overall record and end the WCC regular-season in seventh place (4-10, .286).

Junior Pooh Jeter was named to the 2005 honorable mention all-WCC team, while Marcus Lewis was a 2005 WCC all-Freshman team pick.

Jeter became the 28th Pilot men’s basketball player to record 1,000 career points. With 2:46 left in Portland’s win over Pepperdine on Thursday, Jan. 13, 2005, Jeter converted a three-point play to record his 15th point of the game and the 1,000th point of his career.

Jeter was named the WCC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for his performance in games during the week of December 5-11, 2004. It was Jeter’s first WCC Player of the Week honor for his career.

Earlier this season, the Pilots placed fourth at the Top of the World Classic, defeating Georgia Southern, 74-60 in the consolation championship. Pooh Jeter was named to the Top of the World Classic all-tourney team.

Possible starters for the Pilots in the WCC Tournament are: Donald Wilson (Jr., G/F); Pooh Jeter (Jr., G); Ben Sullivan (So., C); Darren Cooper (Jr., G) and Andreas Gahlmann (Sr., C).

The Pilots return three starters, six letterwinners and add seven newcomers to this year’s roster. Last year, the Pilots finished the West Coast Conference regular-season in a tie for sixth place. Portland ended its season with an 11-17 (.393) overall record and a 5-9 (.357) conference mark. The 11-17 (.393) overall record comprised the fourth-best win-loss record over the last 11 years. Portland’s 5-1 start at the beginning of the 2003-04 season was the best start since Rob Chavez’s 1998-99 team went 5-1 to open play. The Pilots posted a 6-6 (.500) home record, a 5-10 (.333) away record and a 0-1 (.000) neutral site record in 2003-04.

Head Coach Michael Holton is the 19th head coach in school history. In four seasons, Holton has a 43-72 (.374) career overall record and a 15-41 (.268) career WCC record. Holton recently recorded his 100th career game on Dec. 30, 2004 with an 81-66 win over Idaho at the Chiles Center.

Portland returns two players that received West Coast Conference recognition last season. Pooh Jeter took home 2004 first team all-WCC honors, a first for any Pilot sophomore since the 1977-78 season, while teammate Dreshawn Vance was a 2004 WCC all-Freshman team selection.

In a vote of the league’s eight head coaches, the Pilots were picked to finish in eighth place in this year’s WCC race.

QUOTING HOLTON: “We look forward to this opportunity and I would like to say that this conference tournament is going to be extremely competitive as it has been all year long. It was a very tough conference race, there were a lot of close games and no one was able to run the table. At the same time, you do have to take your hat off to Gonzaga as they were able to emerge at the top. I am proud to be associated with this league, there were a lot of good things that happened this year in terms of national recognition and knocking off ranked teams. I think the conference tournament is going to probably hold a couple of surprises as well. I think our team is ready to go. We’ve dropped some close games down the stretch in league play, but we are certainly optimistic and excited about playing.”

CHECKING OUT SAN FRANCISCO: The San Francisco Dons enter the tournament as the No. 6 seed with a 15-12 overall record, 6-8 in WCC play. The Dons defeated Santa Clara, 73-70 on Saturday, Feb. 26 at home and lost in triple overtime, 81-77 to Saint Mary’s on Thursday, Feb. 24.

Leading the Dons are John Cox, Tyrone Riley and Jerome Gumbs. Cox (20.4 ppg) and Riley (15.5 ppg) are averaging double-figure scoring for the Dons, while Gumbs posts 9.4 points per game. Riley leads the team in rebounding (8.9 rpg), while Cox averages 4.4 boards per game. USF averages 69.4 points and 36.0 rebounds per game as a team.

The Dons return three starters, eight letterwinners and add two newcomers to the 2004-05 roster. Head Coach Jessie Evans enters his first year with San Francisco, posting a 147-93 career record. Last year’s team went 17-14 overall and finished in fourth place in the WCC with a 7-7 record.

Probable starters for the Dons are: #3 Tyrone Riley (Sr., 6-7, F); #5 Jason Gaines (Sr., 6-1, G); #21 Jerome Gumbs (Jr., 6-4, G); #25 Alan Wiggins, Jr. (So., 6-8, F) and #33 John Cox (Sr., 6-5, G).

CHECKING OUT NO. 12/16 GONZAGA: The No. 12/16 ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs enter the tournament as the No. 1 seed with a 22-4 overall record, 12-2 in WCC play. The Zags defeated the Pilots, 84-68 in Portland on Thursday, Feb. 24.

Four Gonzaga players are currently averaging in double-figure scoring. Adam Morrison leads the team in points per game (18.2) and posts 5.6 rebounds per game, while Ronny Turiaf leads the team on the boards (9.3 rpg) and totals 16.3 points per game. Derek Raivio averages 13.5 points and 5.1 assists per game, while J.P. Batista chips in 12.0 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. As a team, the Zags post 79.0 points and 38.1 rebounds per game.

The Zags return three starters, eight letterwinners and add six newcomers to the 2004-05 roster. Head Coach Mark Few enters his sixth year with Gonzaga, posting a 155-36 career record. Last year’s team went 28-3 overall and finished in first place in the WCC with a perfect 14-0 record.

Probable starters for the Zags are: #1 Ronny Turiaf (Sr., 6-10, F, 16.1 ppg, 9.0 rpg); #3 Adam Morrison (So., 6-8, F, 17.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg); #5 Derek Raivio (So., 6-3, G, 12.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg); #13 J.P. Batista (Jr., 6-9, C/F, 10.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg) and #22 Erroll Knight (Jr., 6-7, G, 7.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg).

CHECKING OUT LOYOLA MARYMOUNT: Loyola Marymount enters the tournament as the No. 8 seed with an 11-16 overall record, 3-11 in WCC play. The Lions fell, 82-76 to the Pepperdine Waves on Saturday, Feb. 26 to end WCC regular-season play on the road.

The Lions return three starters, 12 letterwinners and adds three newcomers to the 2004-05 roster. Head Coach Steve Aggers enters his fifth year with Loyola Marymount, posting a 55-89 record at LMU and a 369-359 career record. Last year’s team went 15-14 overall and finished in a tie for sixth place in the WCC with a 5-9 record.

Three LMU players currently average double-figure scoring with Matthew Knight leading the way, tallying 15.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Brandon Worthy totals 11.2 points and 3.9 boards per game, while Charles Brown adds 10.3 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. As a team, the Lions average 67.4 points and 33.5 rebounds per game.

Probable starters for the Lions are: #00 Brandon Worthy (So., 6-2, G); #13 Wes Wadrop (J., 6-3, G); #14 Matthew Knight (So., 6-8, F/C); #15 Damian Martin (So., 6-2, G) and #21 Daryl Pegram (So., 6-8, F).

CHECKING OUT PEPPERDINE: Pepperdine enters the tournament as the No. 5 seed with a 16-13 overall record, 6-8 in WCC play. The Waves defeated the LMU Lions, 82-76 in their final WCC regular-season home game on Saturday, Feb. 26.

Pepperdine returns all five starters, 11 letterwinners and adds five newcomers to the 2004-05 roster. Paul Westphal, the former head coach of the Phoenix Suns and the Seattle Super Sonics, is beginning his fourth season at Pepperdine and has compiled a mark of 68-51 in Malibu. Overall, Westphal has a 152-78 career record. Last year’s team went 15-16 overall and finished in a tie for second place in the WCC with a 9-5 record.

Three Pepperdine players average double-figure scoring as Glen McGowan leads the way, totaling 19.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Alex Acker posts 16.1 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, while Yakhouba Diawara averages 14.4 points and 5.6 boards per game. The Waves average 74.2 points and 36.2 rebounds per game as a team.

Probable starters for the Waves are: #2 Glen McGowan (Sr., 6-5, G); # 3 Alex Acker (Jr., 6-5, G); #5 Marvin Lea (So., 6-3, G); #10 Kingsley Costain (Fr., 5-7, G) and #33 Russell Hicks (Fr., 7-0, C).

CHECKING OUT SAINT MARY’S: Saint Mary’s enters the tournament as the No. 2 seed with a 24-7 overall record, 11-3 in WCC play. The Gaels swept both games on the road last week to close out WCC regular-season play. SMC defeated San Francisco, 81-77 in triple overtime on Thursday, Feb. 24 and topped San Diego, 86-83 on Saturday, Feb. 26.

Saint Mary’s returns four starters, nine letterwinners and adds five newcomers to the 2004-05 roster. Now in his fourth season as the head coach of the Gaels, Randy Bennett has a 67-54 career record. Last year’s team went 19-12 overall and finished in second place in the WCC with a 9-5 record.

Three SMC players average double-figure scoring thus far. Paul Marigney leads the Gaels in scoring with 16.7 points and 4.2 boards per game. Daniel Kickert totals 16.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, while E.J. Rowland chips in 11.1 points and 3.8 board per game. The Gaels post 70.4 points and 36.3 rebounds per game.

Probable starters for the Gaels are: #14 Daniel Kickert (Jr., 6-10, F); #32 Jonathan Sanders (Sr., 6-7, G); #2 E.J. Rowland (Sr., 6-2, G); #50 Frederic Adjiwanou (Sr., 6-8, F) and #11 Paul Marigney (Sr., 6-3, F).

CHECKING OUT SAN DIEGO: The San Diego Toreros enter the tournament as the No. 4 seed with a 15-12 overall record, 7-7 in WCC play. The Toreros lost 86-83 to the Saint Mary’s Gaels in their final WCC regular season home game on Saturday, Feb. 26.

Three USD players currently average double-figure scoring thus far. Brandon Gay leads the way, totaling 16.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Brice Vounang averages 15.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, while Nick Lewis chips in 12.3 points and 5.0 boards per game. As a team, the Toreros average 76.4 points and 34.3 rebounds per game.

Coach Brad Holland is in his 11th season at the helm of Torero basketball. He posts a 163-149 record with San Diego and a 186-180 career record. Last season the Toreros finished 4-26 overall and 1-13 in WCC play for an eighth place finish. This year, the Toreros return four starters, seven letterwinners and add five newcomers to the 2004-05 roster.

Probable starters for the Toreros are: #5 Brandon Gay (Sr., 6-8, F); #12 Brice Vounang (Sr., 6-8, F/C); #14 Ross DeRogatis (So., 6-1, G); #32 Corey Belser (Jr., 6-6, F) and #42 Nick Lewis (Jr., 6-10, F/C).

CHECKING OUT SANTA CLARA: The Santa Clara Broncos enter the tournament as the No. 3 seed with a 14-15 overall record, 7-7 in WCC play. The Broncos closed out WCC regular-season play on the road with an 87-73 loss at San Diego on Thursday, Feb. 24 and a 73-70 loss at San Francisco on Saturday, Feb. 26.

Three Bronco players average in double-figures thus far. Doron Perkins leads the way, averaging 16.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. Travis Niesen totals 15.2 points and 4.2 boards per game, while Kyle Bailey adds 14.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. As a team, the Broncos post 75.1 points and 36.7 rebounds per game.

Dick Davey is in his 13th season as the head coach at Santa Clara with a career coaching record of 216-163, which includes three 20-win seasons.

The Broncos return three starters, 10 letterwinners and adds three newcomers to the 2003-04 roster. Last year’s team went 13-15 overall and finished in a tie for sixth place in the WCC with a 4-10 record.

Probable starters for the Broncos are: #30 Doron Perkins (Sr., 6-2, G); #41 Travis Niesen (Jr., 6-7, F); #5 Brody Angley (Fr., 5-11, G); #40 Ethan Rohde (Sr., 6-5, G) and #15 Sean Denison (So., 6-11, C).

THE SERIES: Friday’s match up with San Francisco will mark the 59th meeting between the two schools. The Dons lead the all-time series with Portland, 38-21 going back to the 1954-55 season. Portland is 19-33 vs. the Dons in WCC play. Portland split the 2003-04 season series with the Dons, losing 86-73 on the road on Feb. 14, 2004 and recording a 77-63 win at home on Jan. 17, 2004. Portland is 15-13 at home, 5-24 away and 1-1 at a neutral site vs. USF. Earlier this season on Jan. 22, the Pilots lost a 74-70 heartbreaker to the Dons in overtime at Memorial Gym and dropped a 58-56 heartbreaker to USF at home on Feb. 17.

If Portland faces Gonzaga in the WCC Tournament, it will mark the 141st meeting between the two schools. Gonzaga leads the all-time series with Portland, 76-65 going back to the 1946-47 season. Portland is 14-38 vs. the Zags in WCC play. The Zags swept the 2003-04 season series with a 79-69 win at The Kennel on Feb. 18 and an 80-65 win at the Chiles Center on Jan. 23. The Pilots were the last WCC team to defeat Gonzaga in Spokane, handing the Zags a 72-68 loss during the 2002-03 season. Portland is 35-27 at home, 21-37 away and 2-3 at a neutral site vs. Gonzaga. From 1946-50, Portland posted a 7-9 record vs. Gonzaga, but the game sites are unknown. Earlier this season, the Zags recorded a 91-79 win over the Pilots in Spokane, Wash. and an 84-68 win on Feb. 24 in Portland, Ore.

If Portland faces LMU, it will be the 70th meeting between the two teams. Loyola Marymount leads the all-time series with Portland, 38-32 going back to the 1954-55 season. Portland is 28-32 vs. the Lions in WCC play. Portland swept the 2003-04 season series with the Lions, defeating them 74-59 on Feb. 5, 2004 at home and 77-68 on the road on Jan. 12, 2004. When it came tournament time the Lions claimed an 82-77 victory in the first round of the WCC tournament on Mar. 5, 2004. Portland is 20-14 at home, 10-20 away and 2-4 at a neutral site vs. LMU. The Pilots swept the 2004-05 season series record vs. LMU after a 74-57 victory over the Lions at home on Jan. 16 and a 54-50 win in Los Angeles, Calif. on Feb. 10.

If the Pilots and the Pepperdine Waves meet in the WCC Tourney, it will mark the 70th meeting between the schools. Pepperdine leads the series with Portland, 50-20 going back to the 1953-54 season. Portland is 16-44 vs. the Waves in WCC play. Pepperdine swept the 2003-04 season series with the Pilots and recorded a 71-67 win at the Chiles Center on Feb. 7, 2004 and a 97-88 win in Malibu, Calif. on Jan. 10, 2004. Portland is 13-22 at home, 6-23 away and 1-4 at a neutral site vs. Pepperdine. The Pilots split the 2004-05 season series, 1-1 after an 81-71 victory over the Waves at home on Jan. 13 and a 72-66 loss to the Waves on the road on Feb. 12.

If SMC and Portland meet up in the WCC Tournament, it will mark the 67th meeting between the schools. Saint Mary’s holds a 42-24 advantage overall in the series dating back to 1949-50. Portland is 22-37 vs. the Gaels in WCC play. In their last meeting on Feb. 5, 2005, Portland was edged 73-72 by the Gaels at home. On Jan. 6, 2005 the Pilots dropped a 66-45 decision to the Gaels in Moraga, Calif. Portland is 18-17 at home, 6-24 on the road and 0-1 at a neutral site vs. Saint Mary’s. Saint Mary’s swept the season series last year.

If the Pilots face San Diego, it will mark the 57th meeting between the two schools. San Diego leads the all-time series with Portland, 36-21 going back to the 1964-65 season. Portland is 19-33 vs. the Toreros in WCC play. The Pilots owned last year’s season series vs. the Toreros with an 89-78 win at home on Feb. 28, 2004 and an 84-72 victory on the road on Jan. 31, 2004. Before Portland’s win on Jan. 31, 2004, the Pilots dropped the previous four meetings with the Toreros, but defeated USD, 61-56 on the road during the 2000-01 season. Overall, Portland is 11-17 at home, 9-17 on the road and 1-2 at a neutral site vs. the Toreros. The last time Portland defeated the Toreros at home was with an 89-78 victory on Feb. 28, 2004. Earlier this season on Jan. 20, the Pilots lost a 92-58 decision to USD at Jenny Craig Pavilion and on Feb. 19, Portland dropped an 89-73 decision to the Toreros at home.

If Portland meets up with Santa Clara in the WCC Tournament, it will be the 69th meeting between the two teams. Santa Clara leads the all-time series with Portland, 47-22 going back to the 1946-47 season. Portland is 20-39 vs. the Broncos in WCC play. Most recently, The Pilots defeated the Broncos, 75-62 at home on Feb. 3. Previously, Portland lost a 76-63 decision to the Broncos in Santa Clara, Calif. on Jan. 8. Last year, the Broncos recorded a 2-0 sweep of the series. Portland posted a 0-3 record vs. Santa Clara during the 1946-47 season, but the game sites are unknown. Overall, Portland is 15-17 at home, 6-27 on the road and 1-0 at a neutral site vs. the Broncos.

The Pilots have a 202-324 (.384) all-time series record vs. West Coast Conference opponents.

ALL-WCC HONORS: Junior Pooh Jeter was named to the 2005 honorable-mention all-WCC team, while Marcus Lewis was a 2005 WCC all-Freshman team pick. It is Jeter’s second all-WCC award of his career, in 2004 he was a first-team pick.

INJURY REPORT: Junior Darren Cooper went down with a shoulder injury in practice on Tuesday, Feb. 22. Cooper’s status for this week’s WCC Tournament is listed as day-to-day. Dreshawn Vance missed the last two games with a lower leg injury, but will return to the line up for the tournament.

WCC RANKS AMONG NATION’S TOUGHEST: The WCC is entering its conference tournament with its highest ever conference RPI ranking in men’s hoops. For the seventh consecutive week, the WCC is listed as the No. 7 rated conference in the Collegiate Basketball News RPI rankings. The WCC is listed ahead of other highly regarded conferences such as Conference-USA, the Missouri Valley Conference, the Mountain West Conference, and the Western Athletic Conference. In fact, the only conferences listed ahead of the WCC are the six “BCS” conferences with the ACC leading the way, followed, by the Pac-10, the Big 12, the Big East, the SEC and the Big Ten.

WCC AMONG TOP FIVE: Of the 31 Division I conferences, the WCC boasts the third highest percentage of teams with winning records. Six of the WCC’s eight institutions own winning records for a .750 percentage. The ACC ranks first with 10-of-11 (.909) winning records, followed by the Big 12 (10-of-12 - .833), the WCC (6-of-8, - .750), the Pac-10 (7-of-10 - .700) and the SEC (8-of-12 - .667).

HOME COURT EDGE: WCC schools collectively posted a 45-6 (.882) non-conference home record, and the trend has continued during league action. The home team in WCC play is 35-21 (.636) thus far. Portland is no exception, posting an 8-5 (.615) overall home record.

REBOUNDING DISPARITY: In 15 non-conference games this season, the Pilots averaged 32.7 rebounds per game and allowed exactly 32.7 for a 0.0 margin. In 14 WCC games, Portland is grabbing just 32.3 boards per game while allowing 35.1, a -2.7 margin.

JETER CONTINUES SCORING TREND: Junior guard Pooh Jeter has reached double figure scoring in 23-of-29 games so far this season. Jeter, a 2005 honorable-mention all-WCC pick and a 2004 first team all-WCC selection, as well as a Dec. 13 WCC Player of the Week, is averaging a team-leading 15.6 points per game.

SENIOR TRIBUTE: The University of Portland men’s basketball team recognized its three seniors, Eric Wanless, Andreas Gahlmann and Karl Aaker on Thursday, Feb. 24 in a special senior tribute prior to the Gonzaga game. We would like to thank Eric, Andreas and Karl for all of the hard work and dedication that they have contributed to the Pilot men’s basketball program throughout their careers.

NEWCOMERS PROVIDING SPARK: Four newcomers have made immediate and significant contributions this season. Junior transfer Darren Cooper worked his way into the starting lineup after four games and has proven to be a force at both ends of the court as Portland’s second leading scorer (11.0 ppg) and an aggressive defensive stopper. Freshman forward Marcus Lewis has transitioned nicely, and is third on the team in points (9.3) and leads the team in rebounds per game (5.6), while showing flashes of dominance in the paint. Lewis has a solid back-to-the-basket game, in addition to soft hands and interior passing abilities. Portland’s energizer comes in the form of 5-foot-6 freshman guard Jeremiah Dominguez (4.5 ppg), the 2004 Oregon State Player of the Year. Dominguez’s ability to create, flashy passing and aggressive on-ball defense have made him a fan-favorite already. Sophomore transfer Ben Sullivan is also making his mark, breaking out with a 12 point, four rebound performance in the Pilots’ win over Portland State. Sullivan earned himself a starting position after the Oregon game and is averaging 8.5 points and 4.4 rebounds in 22.6 minutes per game.

UP CAREER CHARTS: Pooh Jeter is currently the all-time leader on Portland’s career charts in free-throw percentage (273-327, .835) and is sixth in three-point field goal percentage (143-375, .381). He has amassed 1,166 career points and is currently 47 points shy of cracking the top 10. Jeter is currently No. 18 in career scoring average (13.7), fourth in three-pointers made (143), tied for 14th in assists per game (3.0) and sixth in steals (125). Dreshawn Vance has 59 career blocked and is fifth all-time, while junior Donald Wilson, who has recorded 110 career steals (14th all-time), needs four more to crack the top 10.

BRILLIANT BEN: Sophomore center Ben Sullivan has come into his own this season after sitting out last year due to NCAA transfer rules. Sullivan has continued to improve and earned a starting position after the Oregon game on Dec. 28. He has played in all 29 games, starting in the last 16, while averaging 8.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Sullivan has made his presence felt down low in the paint after recording a career-best 19 points and five rebounds in Portland’s win over Santa Clara. He has recorded double-figure scoring in 12 games this season. Sullivan is currently shooting 52.4 percent from the field and 76.7 percent from the free-throw line thus far.

OUT OF THE GATES: Darren Cooper has played in all 29 games, while starting in the last 23. Right out of the gates Cooper has consistently scored the majority of his points. In fact, in six games thus far, Cooper has scored all of his points in the first half alone. Through 29 games, 55 percent of Cooper’s scoring output has come in the first half.

THE RIGHT COMBINATION: Portland has seen four different starting lineups take the court this season. The Pilots went 3-1, 6-2 and 0-1 with three different starting lineups and are 6-10 with its current lineup.

WCC STATISTICAL LEADERS: Portland is currently second in the WCC in field goal percentage defense (.422), scoring defense (68.2) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.327). UP is third in field goal percentage (.449) and fourth in blocked shots (3.14), steals (7.14), scoring margin (+1.1), rebounding defense (34.1) and turnover margin (+1.14).

Individually, five Portland players rank among the WCC statistical leaders a combined 11 times.

CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS: The Pilots might be sixth as a team in the WCC statistical leaders for free-throw percentage (.690), but currently have two individuals ranked in the top 10 at the stripe. Junior Pooh Jeter ranks in at No. 4 (106-124, .855), while Darren Cooper is sixth, hitting 80-of-95 (.842). Sophomore Ben Sullivan just missed this week’s top 10, but has made 69-of-90 (.767) freebies. Freshman Jeremiah Dominguez has connected on 33-of-43 (.767) at the line.

DYNAMIC DONALD: Junior Donald Wilson, one of Portland’s most athletic players, has proven to be a major force both offensively and defensively this season. A 2002-03 honorable-mention all-WCC selection, Wilson is third in the WCC in field goal percentage (.526) and has posted double-figure scoring in 13 games thus far. Wilson currently averages 8.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals in 29.2 minutes per game.

EL’ CAPTAIN: Junior co-captain Pooh Jeter has taken on the role of team leader very seriously this year. Always with a smile on his face, Jeter leads by example and has proven that both on and off the court. A 2004 first team all-WCC selection, Jeter is leading the team in scoring (15.6), assists (95) and three-point field goal percentage (.374). He is also among the WCC statistical leaders in five categories and has posted double-figure scoring in all but six games thus far. Jeter most recently became the 28th player to break 1,000 points (vs. Pepperdine, 1-13-05).

M-DOT’S SHOTS: Freshman Marcus Lewis came in and has made an immediate impact down low for the Pilots this season. M-dot is currently 13th in the WCC in rebounding (5.6 rpg). He is third on the team in points per game (9.3), scoring the majority of his points in the paint. He is currently ninth in the WCC in offensive rebounds (2.24). M-dot has recorded double-figure scoring in 14 games and double-figure rebounds in five games this season, while posting three double-doubles to date.

PILOTS AD-VANCE: Sophomore Dreshawn Vance didn’t just pack on 17 pounds of muscle over the summer, he fine tuned his skills to become more of a presence in the paint this season. And he just keeps getting better. Vance, who is second on the team in rebounding (4.8), is also sixth on the team in points per game (4.9). He is fourth in the WCC in blocked shots (0.96) and for his career, Vance has posted two double-doubles, both during the 2004-05 campaign. He has also posted double-figure scoring in four games and double-figure rebounding in three games this year.

PILOT PICK-POCKETS: As a team, Portland is fourth in the WCC in steals (7.14), but junior Pooh Jeter leads the team with 49 and is sixth in the WCC. Donald Wilson and Darren Cooper have snagged 35 and 34 picks, while Jeremiah Dominguez has collected 32 steals on the year. Jeter is currently sixth on the UP charts in steals, while Wilson is just four picks shy of cracking the top 10.

JETER AMONG TOP 150 GUARDS: Junior Co-Captain Pooh Jeter is currently ranked 130th in the country out of 1,099 Division I guards in the most recent CBSSportsLine.com player rankings. He is currently sixth among WCC guards and 245th out of all Division I players.

AROUND THE WCC: Feb. 26-One of the more memorable WCC men’s basketball regular seasons came to a close Saturday night. Saint Mary’s got a big night from Daniel Kickert who finished with a game-high 32 points in an 86-83 win over San Diego, Pepperdine edged rival Loyola Marymount at home, 82-76, and San Francisco held on for an exciting 73-70 win over rival Santa Clara at home. WCC men’s basketball will continue next Friday at the WCC Championships. Portland will take on San Francisco in first round action, while Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine will compete in the other first round matchup.

Feb. 24-WCC men’s basketball was as exciting as it gets Thursday night as San Diego downed Santa Clara, 87-73, Saint Mary’s won a triple overtime thriller over San Francisco, 81-77, and Gonzaga clinched the WCC outright title by beating Portland, 84-68, on the road. Brandon Gay and Ross DeRogatis each totaled new career highs in scoring with 31 and 28 points, respectively, for the Toreros in the win over the Broncos. SMC’s Paul Marigney led the Gaels with 22 points in the win over USF, while USF’s John Cox scored a game-high 29. Ronny Turiaf had 14 points and 11 rebounds for his 24th career double-double for the Zags. The WCC regular season will come to a close Saturday night when Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine, Saint Mary’s, San Diego, San Francisco, and Santa Clara take the court.

WCC AMONG THE NATION’S FINEST: The West Coast Conference emerged as a mid-major basketball power in the early 1950’s and has continued the trend to present day. Currently, the WCC has one member institution ranked and one other receiving votes in the national polls. Gonzaga is currently No. 12 in the Associated Press Poll and tied for No. 13 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches’ Poll, while Saint Mary’s received two votes in the AP poll and four votes in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches’ poll. Gonzaga received a No. 1 ranking in the most recent CollegeInsider.com poll, while Saint Mary’s is ranked No. 4. San Diego garnered one vote in this week’s poll. West Coast Conference teams have recorded 59 NCAA Tournament appearances since 1952 and post a 56-61 (.479) combined NCAA Tournament record.

JETER EARNS WCC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS: Portland’s Pooh Jeter was named the WCC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for his performance in games during the week of December 5-11, 2004. It is Jeter’s first WCC Player of the Week honor for his career.

Jeter tallied 24 points and four assists on 6-of-13 shooting from the field, 3-of-7 shooting from long range and 9-of-10 shooting from the free-throw line in Portland’s 82-73 win over Idaho State on the road. He racked up 26 points, two rebounds, four assists, three steals and a baseline buzzer-beater to give UP a thrilling 71-70 victory over Long Beach State. Portland trailed LBSU by as much as eight points in the final eight minutes, but cut the margin to 70-69 on a Jeter lay-in with 1:40 remaining. The Pilots got the ball back with under a minute left, but a turnover allowed the 49ers to extend the lead. LBSU’s Cody Pearson shot a desperation three-point at the end of the shot clock and the 49ers had two put back attempts rim out before Jeter gathered the rebound with less than seven ticks remaining and went coast-to-coast. His contested runner from the left baseline went through as time expired. For the week, Jeter averaged 25.0 points, 1.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game. The Los Angeles native, shot .517 from the field (15-29), .538 from three-point range (7-13) and .867 from the free-throw line (13-15).

JETER RECORDS 1,000 CAREER POINTS: Junior Pooh Jeter became the 28th Pilot men’s basketball player to record 1,000 career points. With 2:46 left in Portland’s win over Pepperdine on Thursday, Jan. 13, 2005, Pooh Jeter converted a three-point play to record his 15th point of the game and his 1,000th point of his career.

BASKETBALL PROGRAM CLAIMS 1,000 ALL-TIME WINS: Portland’s game vs. Idaho State on Jan. 2, 2005 was a memorable one not only because the Pilots won by over 30 points, but because it was a game that would go down in the history books. Portland’s win over Idaho State gave the basketball program its 1,000th all-time win in 2,070 games.

HOLTON HITS 100 CAREER GAMES: Head Coach Michael Holton recently recorded his 100th career game on Dec. 30, 2004 with an 81-66 win over Idaho at the Chiles Center.

ALASKAN HARDWARE: Junior Co-Captain Pooh Jeter was named to the 2004 Top of the World Classic all-tourney team. Jeter finished the tournament, averaging 14.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Jeter also shot 41 percent from the floor, 36 percent from long range and 74 percent from the free-throw line for the tournament.

PILOTS ON TOP OF THE WORLD: The 2004 Top of the World Classic statistical leaders were highlighted by eight Pilot players. Pooh Jeter led his team throughout the tournament, ranking in four different statistical categories. Jeter was fourth in scoring, ninth in steals, 10th in three-point field goal percentage and 16th in rebounding. Dreshawn Vance was seventh in blocks, ninth in free-throw percentage, 12th in rebounding and 20th in scoring. Marcus Lewis was second in rebounding, fifth in steals, and 10th in blocks. Darren Cooper led the tournament field in free-throw percentage, while senior Andreas Gahlmann ranked first in field goal percentage. Junior Donald Wilson was second in steals, sophomore Ben Sullivan was fifth in field goal percentage and Jeremiah Dominguez was sixth in free-throw percentage.

RECAPPING THE TOP OF THE WORLD CLASSIC: The Pilots went 2-1 at the Top of the World Classic, claiming the consolation championship and fourth-place finish overall. Portland lost at the buzzer to Northwestern, 56-53 and then defeated Western Michigan, 67-64 and Georgia Southern, 74-60. Pooh Jeter was named to the 2004 all-tournament team after impressive performances in all three games and ranking in four statistical categories. Seven other players on the Pilot team found their way into the stat leaders list as the team outscored its opponents by 4.7 points per game and out rebounded its opponents by 4.0 boards per game.

STATISTICALLY, WHAT THE PILOTS RETURN: Portland returns three starters and eight of the 14 letterwinners from last season. Here is a statistical breakdown of what the Pilots return in 2004-05.

Points: 55 percent, rebounds: 54 percent, three-point field goals: 51 percent, assists: 39 percent, steals: 55 percent, blocks: 48 percent, free-throws: 57 percent and minutes played: 49 percent.

PILOTS ON THE INTERNET: The University of Portland men’s basketball team will have live stats via the internet for all home games. Check out the Pilot matches at: http://www.portlandpilots.com/livestats/mbball/xlive.htm.

WCC PRESEASON POLL: The West Coast Conference released its preseason men’s basketball coaches’ poll on Oct. 11, 2004. The University of Portland, which received 18 votes in the poll, is picked to finish eighth. The Gonzaga University Bulldogs were picked by the WCC league coaches as the favorite to capture their fifth consecutive regular season West Coast Conference crown. The Zags tallied 60 points, receiving five first place votes to edge the Saint Mary’s Gaels, who collected three first place votes and 56 points. The Pepperdine Waves are picked third in this year’s poll, just behind Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s with 51 points. Santa Clara is selected fourth with 36 points, followed by San Francisco (28), San Diego (20), Loyola Marymount (19), and Portland (18), respectively.