Ticket Information
Tickets for all upcoming basketball games can be purchased through all Ticketmaster outlets, online at ticketmaster.com or by calling (503) 224-4400. Tickets can also be bought at the door an hour before tip-off.
Game Information
The University of Portland men’s basketball team hosts three crucial West Coast Conference games in a one-week span starting Thursday against the San Diego Toreros (12-8, 4-1) at 7 p.m. The home tilt continues against No. 18 Saint Mary’s (18-1, 5-0) on Saturday at 6 p.m. and concludes with a nationally televised contest against No. 20 Gonzaga (14-4, 5-0) on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 8 p.m. on ESPN2. Tickets for all upcoming basketball games can be purchased through all Ticketmaster outlets, online at ticketmaster.com or by calling (503) 224-4400. Tickets can also be bought at the door 90 minutes before tip-off.
Game Coverage
The game will be broadcast live on 970 AM (KCMD) in the Portland-metro area with a free live simulcast at portlandpilots.com. A live video stream is available at pilotsvideo.com.
About The Pilots
Portland is off to one of the best starts in program history, sporting a 13-7 overall record and 4-1 West Coast Conference mark. The 4-1 start to league play matches the best start in school history, also accomplished by the Pilots in 1980 and 1998. A win on Thursday would mark Portland’s best six-game start in league history. The Pilots take some momentum into the matchup as they enter with a four-game winning streak, have won six of their last seven games and are 8-1 record at the Chiles Center. Portland swept LMU (75-59) and Pepperdine on the road last weekend as Nik Raivio averaged 17.5 points, 12.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in the wins.
Raivio leads four Pilots averaging double figures and is fourth in the West Coast Conference in scoring at 16.0 points per game. Junior F Robin Smeulders and sophomore G Jared Stohl are tied for 13th in the conference in scoring (11.6). Stohl also paces in the conference in three-pointers made per game (2.95) and his 59 threes this year are tied for sixth on the UP season charts. Sophomore C Kramer Knutson is shooting 62 percent from the field to lead the league.
Junior PG T.J. Campbell has been a strong addition to the roster and averages 10.6 points and 4.8 assists. A Glendale (Ariz.) Junior College transfer, Campbell leads the WCC in three-point percentage (.494) and is among the conference leaders in seven statistical categories.
Portland leads the WCC in three-point percentage (.390) and three-pointers made (7.8) and is second in field goal percentage (.457), assists (14.9) and rebounding defense (30.2). The team’s 70.2 points per game average is third in the league and 7.1 points higher than last year’s average.
Head coach Eric Reveno returns 80 percent of the team’s scoring and 87 percent of its rebounding from last year’s squad. Picked to finish sixth in the WCC Preseason Coaches’ Poll, Reveno’s roster features eight underclassmen and no seniors.
One of the main focuses for the program throughout the offseason was improving in the weight room. The results are noticeable, as every player has either added good basketball weight or dropped pounds, if necessary.
The Pilots will be competing with perhaps the best returning core group of players in WCC basketball history. After a banner year in which the league sent a record three teams to the NCAA Tournament, 13 of 15 starters will be returning to those squads. Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s and San Diego are the favorites to compete for the WCC crown again this year as the league moves the WCC Tournament to a neutral site (Las Vegas, Nev.) for the first time in history. The Pilots play 11 games this season against teams that advanced to postseason play last year.
About San Diego
The Toreros (12-8, 4-1) enter Thursday night’s game tied with Portland for third-place in the West Coast Conference standings. San Diego had its six game winning streak snapped with a 65-42 loss at home to current No. 18 Saint Mary’s last weekend. De’Jon Jackson and Trumaine Johnson were the lone Toreros in double figures and finished with 15 and 11 points, respectively. San Diego lost All-WCC point guard Brandon Johnson to a season-ending injury (left Achilles‘ tendon) eight games into the season.
Senior C Gyno Pomare leads the Toreros in scoring at 14.3 points along with 6.9 rebounds per game. Trumaine Johnson adds 12.9 points and sophomore F Rob Jones chips in 10.1 per game. San Diego is limiting opponents to just 59.6 points per game. The Toreros have posted impressive non-conference wins over Nevada (65-51), Oregon (64-57) and Mississippi State (64-61).
Head coach Bill Grier led the Toreros to the 2008 WCC Tournament title and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in his first year at San Diego. The Toreros then upset UConn in the first round of the tourney before dropping a narrow contest to Western Kentucky. Prior to taking over the Torero program, Grier spent 16 years at Gonzaga, including the last eight seasons as Mark Few’s top assistant.
Portland-San Diego Series Notes
All-Time: USD leads 41-22
At USD: USD leads 20-9
At UP: USD leads 19-12
At Neutral: USD leads 2-1
Current Streak: USD, 4 wins
Last Five: USD leads 4-1
Last Meeting: San Diego 78, Portland 61 (2/16/08, at San Diego)
UP Staff to Participate in Suits & Sneakers Weekend on Saturday
When the Pilots host Saint Mary’s on Saturday at 6 p.m., the UP coaching staff will wear sneakers in support of the Coaches vs. Cancer “Suits and Sneakers Awareness Weekend.” This is a collaborative initiative of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and the American Cancer Society (the Society) slated for the weekend of Jan. 30 - Feb. 1, 2009. Participating NABC-member coaches will wear sneakers instead of dress shoes to demonstrate their support for the Society and the fight against cancer. For more information visit cancer.org/coaches.
Raivio Rolling
Nik Raivio had a career weekend in a road sweep of LMU and Pepperdine. Raivio recorded his first ever double-double with 15 points, 15 rebounds and six assists against the Lions last Thursday. He followed with 20 points, nine rebounds, four assists and four steals against the Waves on Saturday. The 15 boards against LMU also set a career-high. Raivio ranks fourth in the WCC in scoring (16.0), ninth in rebounding (6.7) and is also among the WCC leaders in five other categories. His 9.2 rebounds per game in league action is third best and he’s the top rebounding guard in the conference. Nik is the son of UP Hall of Famer Rick Raivio and brother of former Gonzaga standout and WCC Player of the Year Derek Raivio.
Fast Start to League Play
With a 4-1 start to WCC play, the Pilots matched the program’s best start in history since joining the league during the 1977-78 season. Portland’s 1980 and 1998 squads also started 4-1, but no Pilot team has even been 5-1 to open league play.
Lucky 13
Portland’s 13 wins are the second most for the program in the last 10 years. The 2004-05 Pilots finished 15-15 overall, but the last team to finish above .500 was the 1997-98 squad (14-13).
Holding Home Court
Portland is 8-1 at the Chiles Center this season, including impressive wins over Washington and Nevada. The Pilots have only posted an above .500 home record four times in the last 10 years and have not won 10 or more home contests since 1998. Portland is set to host five more games at the Chiles Center this season starting with San Diego on Thursday.
Nail-Biters
Portland has had 12 games this season decided by six points or less. The Pilots are 8-4 in those games and 6-2 in games decided by three or fewer points. Last year, Portland finished 3-9 in games decided by six or less.
Stohl The Show
Sophomore sharpshooter Jared Stohl has already drained 59 three-pointers this season, one more than he hit all of last season when he set a UP freshman record with 58. He is already tied for sixth on the single-season list with Darren Cooper (2005-06). Stohl is also two treys shy of cracking Portland’s top 10 career list. He set a school and Chiles Center record by making nine three-pointers on Jan. 15 against San Francisco and finished with a career-high 33 points. The Marysville, Wash. native leads the WCC in three-pointers per game (2.95) and is third in three-point percentage (.434).
The Long Ball
In addition to Stohl’s career night, the Pilots tied a school record for three-pointers made against San Francisco by going 14-for-29. Portland previously made 14 against Northern Arizona in 2004 and against Loyola Marymount in 1992.
Niedermeyer’s Impact
Junior F Ethan Niedermeyer has missed six games with sprained ankles this season and the Pilots are 2-4 in those games with the two victories coming by a combined four points (68-65 over Idaho, 53-52 over Santa Clara). With him in the lineup, Portland is 11-3. Opponents are shooting 44 percent from the field against UP when Niedermeyer plays and 50 percent when he doesn’t.
Efficient Offense
The Pilots lead the WCC in three-point percentage (.390) and three-pointers made (7.8) and are second in assists (14.9) and field goal percentage (.457). Portland is also third in the league in scoring offense (70.2). It is the highest FG percentage for the program since the 1983-84 Pilots finished at .467 for the season. Portland has shot 50 percent or better from the field in five games this season, including a season-high 61 percent vs. Howard.
Campbell Running the Show
Junior college PG T.J. Campbell has acclimated to the Division I level with a smooth transition. Picked by Blue Ribbon Magazine as the preseason WCC Newcomer of the Year, Campbell leads the league in three-point percentage (.494), is second in assists (4.8), fourth in assist/turnover ratio (1.7) and three-pointers made (2.1), seventh in steals (1.4), 14th in FG percentage (.447) and 20th in scoring (10.6). He is 11-for-20 on three-pointers in WCC games.
Fast-Paced Pilots
Portland has made a point of trying to get in the open court and convert easy baskets this season and the result has been the Pilots averaging 70.2 points per game. The Pilots have scored at least 75 points in ten games and the team is shooting 46 percent from the field. Last year, Portland averaged 63.1 points per game and shot 43 percent from the field.
On the Glass
Portland had its streak of eight straight games with a positive rebounding margin snapped against Santa Clara on Jan. 18, but the Pilots have outrebounded 10 of the last 11 opponents and are second in the WCC in rebounding defense (30.4). Portland has always been a good team on the boards under head coach Eric Reveno. Last year the team had a +3.3 margin and in 2006-07 the Pilots owned a +3.1 margin on the glass. This year the Pilots post a +2.7 margin.
Balanced Attack
Four Pilots are averaging double figures through 20 games. Portland has had six different players lead the team in scoring so far and have had five players scored in double figures against Washington, Yale and Howard.
Knutson off to Remarkable Shooting Start
Sophomore center Kramer Knutson has led the WCC in field goal percentage all season and enters Thursday’s game having made 44-of-71 shot attempts (.620). What is most remarkable about Knutson’s percentage is that he missed his first five shots of the season.
Sikma Coming On
Luke Sikma missed much of the preseason with a lingering knee injury, but the sophomore has looked better as the season has progressed. Sikma recorded a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds against Howard on Dec. 22. He grabbed a season-high of 13 rebounds against both Air Force and Cal State Bakersfield and is 10th in the WCC in rebounding (6.1).
No Grumpy Old Men
With no seniors on the 2008-09 roster, Portland will once again be one of the younger teams in the nation. Last year, the Pilots were listed as the eighth youngest team in the country according to kenpom.com. Despite the lack of seniors, the Pilots do return seven of their top eight scorers and six players that started at least eight games. In all, Portland returns 80 percent of its scoring and 87 percent of its rebounding.
Viva Las Vegas
For the first time in conference history, the WCC Basketball Championships will be played at a neutral site as the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. will serve as the 2009 host, March 6-9.
