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Portland Briefly...

• The Pilots (4-1) lost to No. 12 Kentucky (79-48) last Friday in Portland and turned around and beat Idaho on the road the following night (66-53).

• Jared Stohl had 16 points at Idaho, while Nemanja Mitrovic added 15.

• Luke Sikma is leading the WCC and is second in the nation in rebounding (13.8).

• Stohl led the nation in 3-point percentage last season (.478) and is already the school’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made (262). His 17 threes this year are third most in the nation.

• Portland is receiving votes in the AP Top 25 (Nov. 15) and is No. 17 in the Mid-Major Top 25.

• Head coach Eric Reveno returns with his staff for their fifth season at Portland and are coming off of back-to-back postseason appearances.
• The Pilots matched a school Division I record with 21 wins last season, following a 19-win 2008-09 campaign. Both years Portland was invited to the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.

About Washington State

     The Cougars (2-0) opened the season with an 86-47 win over Southern and an 88-71 victory against Idaho, both on their home court. Washington State is shooting 55 percent from the field and own a +11.0 rebounding margin. Junior G Faisal Aden leads the Pac-10 with a 22.0 points per game average, while Preseason All-America junior G Klay Thompson adds 19.0 points and 7.5 assists per game. A total of six Cougars are averaging double-figures early in the season. Head coach Ken Bone is in his second season at the helm of WSU and does not have a senior on the roster. Bone and the Cougars were picked to finish fifth in the Pac-10 Preseason Poll.
     Portland and Washington State have met nine times previously with the Cougars owning a 7-2 record in the all-time series. WSU won the last meeting, a 62-50 decision in Pullman during the 2006-07 season. WSU is 5-0 all-time in the Cougar Hardwood Classic having defeated Utah (2005), San Diego State (2006), The Citadel (2007), Montana State (2008) and LSU (2009).

Last Week
     Portland lost its first game of the season to No. 12 Kentucky at the Rose Garden in Portland on Friday before bouncing back less than 24 hours later to knock off Idaho on the road on Saturday. The Pilots missed their first 12 shots and went down 15-0 against the Wildcats on Friday en route to a 79-48 loss. Despite only nine turnovers in the game, Portland struggled with UK’s length and shot just 31 percent from the field and 4-for-20 from three-point range. It was a different story on Saturday as the Pilots locked down the host Vandals on the defensive end and the offense came to life in the second half for a 66-53 victory. Leading 26-23 at the half, Portland made 6-of-8 three-point attempts in the second half to cruise to victory. The win avenged a 20-point loss at Idaho the previous season for the Pilots. Jared Stohl led Portland with 16 points, while Nemanja Mitrovic added 15. Luke Sikma grabbed 18 rebounds in the win.

Seattle Connections
     Portland’s roster features four players from the State of Washington, including three in the vicinity of Seattle. Seniors Luke Sikma (Bellevue, Wash.) and Jared Stohl (Marysville, Wash.) have played in Seattle two previous times in their collegiate careers, both at the University of Washington. Freshman Tanner Riley (North Bend, Wash.) will make his first return to his home territory on Tuesday. Portland will play two more games this season in Seattle, on Dec. 6 at Washington and on Feb. 5 versus Seattle University at KeyArena.

Sikma Second Nationally in Rebounds
     Senior F Luke Sikma is leading the West Coast Conference and ranks No. 2 nationally in rebounding average (13.8). Sikma has coralled double-digit rebounds in four of the team’s first five games. He matched his career-high with 19 rebounds versus Florida Atlantic on Nov. 14 and also grabbed 18 rebounds at Idaho on Nov. 20. Sikma is the WCC’s leading returning rebounder after averaging 7.5 per game last season.

Sikma Climbing UP Charts
     Luke Sikma has put up big numbers in a variety of statistical categories throughout his career on The Bluff and could end up as the school’s career leader in rebounds. He currently ranks seventh in the UP record book with 719 career rebounds. Rick Raivio (1976-80) is the all-time leader with 910 rebounds. Sikma also ranks in the school’s top 10 in field goal percentage (6th, .532) and blocked shots (4th, 69).

Stohl Joins 1,000-Point Club
     Senior G Jared Stohl became the 33rd player in school history to eclipse 1,000 career points after his 24-point effort on Sunday versus Florida Atlantic on Nov. 14. Stohl entered the season with 951 points. He is currently tied for 26th place in Portland history with 1,026 career points.

Pilots Receiving Votes in AP Poll for Second Straight Season
     Portland received one vote in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 Poll after opening the year with three consecutive wins. After starting off last season with a 5-0 record, the Pilots cracked the AP Top 25 for the first time in 50 years.

Pilots Earn Tournament, Conference Honors after Big Weekend
     Senior F Luke Sikma was named the AIA Classic Most Valuable Player and was also named the WCC Co-Player of the Week on Nov. 15 after leading the Pilots to three wins and the AIA Classic title. He averaged 11.3 points and 13.0 rebounds, including a dominating 15-point, 19-rebound performance in the de facto championship game against Florida Atlantic on Nov. 14. Sikma, one of two team captains selected by the team, also had a double-double with 14 points and 12 boards in the season-opener versus UW-Milwaukee. Senior G Jared Stohl and freshman G Tanner Riley joined Sikma on the all-tournament team.

Stohl Earns Preseason All-Conference Nod
     Senior G Jared Stohl was recognized the WCC coaches as one of the top 10 returning players in the WCC as a member of the preseason all-conference team. Stohl has earned All-WCC honorable mention honors each of the last two seasons.
2010-11 WCC Men’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team

(Alphabetical order)

Keion Bell, G, 6-3, Jr., Pepperdine University

Matthew Dellavedova, G, 6-4, So., Saint Mary’s College

Kevin Foster, G, 6-2, So., Santa Clara University

Steven Gray, G, 6-5, Sr., Gonzaga University

Elias Harris, F, 6-7, So., Gonzaga University

Mickey McConnell, G, 6-0, Sr., Saint Mary’s College

Jared Stohl, G, 6-2, Sr., University of Portland

Vernon Teel, G, 6-4, Sr., Loyola Marymount University

Marc Trasolini, F, 6-9, Jr., Santa Clara University

Drew Viney, F, 6-8, Jr., Loyola Marymount University

Knutson, Sikma Voted Team Captains

       Portland head coach Eric Reveno always lets his players choose the team captains at the beginning of every season. This year, Pilot seniors Kramer Knutson and Luke Sikma were voted captains by their peers. Knutson is a three-year starting center and two-time WCC All-Academic pick, while Sikma earned All-WCC honorable mention honors last year.

Stohl Looks to Make NCAA History
     Junior sharpshooter Jared Stohl led the nation in three-point percentage according to the final 2010 NCAA statistics. The Marysville, Wash. native finished 98-205 (.478) on the season. As a sophomore in 2009, he finished third nationally at 45.6 percent. Stohl can become the first player in NCAA history to lead the country in three-point percentage two years in a row. He is off to a good start, going 17-for-33 (.515) through five games from beyond the arc.

Home Court Edge
     The Chiles Center has become quite comfortable for the Pilots over the last three seasons as Portland has rattled off a 28-4 home record. Signature home wins have come against Washington, Oregon, Nevada and Saint Mary’s twice in the last two seasons. Portland is off to a 3-0 start at the Chiles Center already this year.

Stohl Obliterates UP Three-Point Record
     With four three-pointers at Santa Clara on Jan. 30, 2010 Jared Stohl became the Portland career leader in three-pointers made. Stohl now has 262 career threes, 51 more than second place Casey Frandsen (211, 2000-04). Stohl also ranks second in career three-point percentage (.456), trailing only format teammate T.J. Campbell (.478). He led the WCC last season in three-pointers made per game (3.1) and his 98 three-pointers tied for second place in UP single-season history, eight shy of Peter McKelvey’s record from the 1991-92 season. Stohl also owns the UP single-game record by drilling 10 three-pointers on Dec. 22, 2009 against Idaho, breaking his own school record. He finished 10-for-15 from three-point range for 30 points. He set the previous record by going 9-for-13 against San Francisco on Jan. 15, 2009. Stohl ranks seventh in WCC history for three-pointers and is chasing all-time conference leader Jeff Fryer of LMU (363, 1987-90).

Staff Stability

     Eric Reveno was named the 2009 WCC and District 9 Coach of the Year after leading UP to a 10-win improvement during the 2008-09 season. Now in his fifth year on The Bluff, Reveno credits the stability of his coaching staff as key to the program’s turnaround. All three assistants that joined Reveno when he was hired in April of 2006 have remained on the Portland bench ever since. No other team in the WCC has kept an entire staff together the last five years. Reveno is the third longest tenured WCC coach behind Gonzaga’s Mark Few (12) and Saint Mary’s Randy Bennett (10).

Three Recruits Inked During Early Signing Period
     Portland signed Kevin Bailey (Clovis, Calif./East Clovis HS), Dorian Cason (Fontana, Calif./Summit HS) and David Carr (Portland, Ore./Central Catholic HS) to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period, head coach Eric Reveno announced. Bailey is an athletic and skilled 6-5 wing who is rated a top 150 national recruit according to Rivals.com and is the No. 11 prospect in the state of California. Cason is a long and mobile 6-7 power forward, also rated as a top 25 California prospect. Carr is a sharpshooting 6-2 guard that also led his high school team in rebounding and assists last season.

New Video Scoreboard Unveiled in Chiles Center

     The Chiles Center will have a very new look as a centerhung video scoreboard was installed this fall. The new video board will allow for instant replays, real-time stats, and live game action from a three-camera arena feed. The board will also be hooked up to DirectTV to allow for watch arena watch parties or other viewing desires. The new board became operational on Nov. 1, 2010.

Sikma to Provide Season-Long Blog on PortlandPilots.com

       Get behind the scenes anecdotes and information on the University of Portland men’s basketball team through the eyes of senior captain Luke Sikma. The Bellevue, Wash. native will give a unique, in-depth look at the UP basketball program. Fans can also send questions and comments to Luke, so make sure to bookmark www.portlandpilots.com/SikmaBlog!

Pilots Tie Program Record for Wins in 2009-10        

     Portland’s win over San Diego in the WCC semifinals tied a program record for single-season wins (21) at the Division I level. The 1994-95 Pilots finished 21-8 and was the only other 20-win season at the D-I level.