Pilots Host BYU Thursday, San Diego Saturday
Complete Release (PDF) I Live Video I Live Audio I Live Stats I Tickets I The Pilot Report (video)
Portland Pilots (11-8, 3-4) vs. BYU Cougars (13-7, 5-2)
Date: Thursday, Jan. 23, 2014
Tip-off: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Portland, Ore.
Arena: Chiles Center (4,852)
TV: ROOT NW/RM, CSN Bay Area
Radio: Sports 910 AM
Overall Series: 0-9
At UP: 0-4
At BYU: 0-5
At Neutral: N/A
Last: BYU 86, POR 72 (at BYU – Feb. 16, 2013)
GAME INFORMATION
• Portland returns to the Chiles Center for a pair of West Coast Conference games beginning on Thursday at 7 p.m. versus the BYU Cougars. After a quick turnaround, the Pilots will host San Diego on Saturday at 1 p.m.
• Thursday's game will be aired live on ROOT NW, ROOT RM and CSN Bay Area with Tom Glasgow and Bill Krueger calling the action. Saturday is the WCC Game of the Week and will be shown live on ROOT NW, ROOT RM, TWC SportsNet and CSN California.
• Live video of both games for out of region viewers will be available at TheW.tv.
• Sports 910 AM (KMTT) is the home of Portland Basketball featuring a 30-minute pregame show and a complete postgame show with player and coach interviews for all games. Veteran voice of the Pilots Bill Johnson provides the commentary.
TICKETS & PROMOTIONS
• Tickets are still available for Thursday's game through all Ticketmaster outlets or at the door 90 minutes before tip-off.
• Portland's final three home games (1/25, 2/13, 2/15) will feature 2-for-1 adult ticket prices, while kids 6th grade and younger will receive free admission.
• Pregame Pasta Dinner returns to the Chiles Center and is open to all fans starting at 6 p.m. $8 gets all-you-can-eat pasta, salad and a dessert item on the South Mezzanine Concourse (upstairs). Water is complementary, while other beverages will be available for purchase.
• If the Pilots make six or more three-pointers in the game, all fans will get a Buffalo Wild Wings scratch-it with prizes for free food!
ABOUT THE PILOTS
• The Pilots (11-8, 3-4 WCC) split their road trip last week with a win over LMU (71-57) and loss at Pepperdine (76-65).
• Ryan Nicholas recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds and Bobby Sharp added a team-high 14 points off the bench in the win at LMU.
• Portland led 34-30 at the half against Pepperdine, but the Waves shot 65 percent in the second half to take the lead and pull away. Kevin Bailey scored a game-high 27.
• Previously, the Pilots defeated No. 18/22 Gonzaga by an 82-73 margin at the Chiles Center. It marked the first win over Gonzaga since 2003 and the first win over the Bulldogs in Portland since 1996.
• Portland's first five WCC games here at home and the team will play just four more home games. UP concludes the league schedule with seven-of-nine games on the road.
• Senior F Ryan Nicholas joined Portland's 1,000-point club in the second half against Princeton on Dec. 21. He is the 35th player in school history to score 1,000 points.
• Junior G Kevin Bailey leads the Pilots and ranks fourth in the WCC in scoring (17.2) and is 49 points shy of joining the 1,000-point club. He has reached double figures in all but two games this year and scored 20-plus seven times.
• Nicholas is the WCC leader in rebounding (9.2) and is second on the team in scoring (12.7). He also ranks seventh on Portland's career rebounding list.
• Junior C Thomas van der Mars has had a breakout year averaging 12.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. His 19-point, 18-rebound effort vs. Portland State earned him league player of the week honors on Dec. 9.
• Portland returns all five starters and nine lettermen from last year's team that finished 11-21 overall.
• Head coach Eric Reveno returns for his eighth year on The Bluff and recorded his 100th career win on Nov. 27 vs. San Jose State.
• Assistant coaches Eric Jackson and Mike Wolf also return for their eighth year, while Colin Pfaff returns for his second year as an assistant coach.
• Portland looks to return to its 2008-11 success, a stretch that included back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time in school history and 60 wins over three seasons.
• The Pilots were invited to the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) for three consecutive seasons from 2008-2011.
• The Pilots were picked to finish ninth in the 10-team West Coast Conference in the pre-season coaches poll.
• Coach Reveno posts a 100 percent graduation rate and the men's basketball program has one of the top APR scores in the nation (995), receiving a Public Recognition Award from the NCAA last spring.
ABOUT BYU
• The Cougars (13-7, 5-2) have won five straight after opening league play with losses at LMU and Pepperdine.
• Junior G Tyler Haws leads the WCC and ranks sixth nationally in scoring (22.2).
• BYU is one of the fastest paced teams in the nation and ranks fourth nationally in points per game (87.3).
• Head coach Dave Rose is in his ninth season with the Cougars and posts a 222-73 overall record.
• BYU owns a 9-0 overall series edge over Portland, including 4-0 margin at the Chiles Center... Last year the BYU swept the regular season series with an 85-67 win at Portland and 86-72 win at BYU.
AMONG THE WCC LEADERS...
• Portland leads the WCC in blocked shots (4.6) and ranks second in assists (15.4) third in assist-turnover ratio (1.4) and fourth in scoring (77.4).
• Ryan Nicholas leads the league in rebounding (9.2) and Bryce Pressley tops the conference in assist-turnover ratio (2.9).
• Alec Wintering is sixth in assist-turnover ratio (2.3), seventh in steals (1.3) and assists (4.2) and 12th in free throw percentage (.821).
• Thomas van der Mars is fourth in FG percentage (.592) and 12th in rebounding (6.6).
• Kevin Bailey is fourth in scoring (17.2), eighth in blocked shots (0.9) and tops among all guards in the league. Riley Barker is 10th in blocked shots (0.9).
PORTLAND VS. RANKED OPPONENTS
• The win over Gonzaga on Jan. 9 was the seventh all-time for Portland against an AP Top 25 program and the first since defeating No. 22 Minnesota at the 2009 Anaheim 76 Classic.
• Portland earlier lost to then-No. 1 Michigan State on Nov. 18 and is now 7-54 all-time against AP Top 25 ranked opponents.
• The victory snapped an 11-game losing streak against ranked opponents.
BAILEY BREAKING OUT
• Junior G Kevin Bailey has had a breakout season and is now just 49 points of joining teammate Ryan Nicholas as a member of the 1,000 point club.
• He has reached double figures in 16 of the 18 games, scored 20 or more points seven times, and logged a career-high 29 points in the season opener over UC Davis.
• Bailey is shooting 44 percent from the field, 39 percent from three-point range and 74 percent at the free throw line.
• A three-year starter, the Clovis, Calif. native averaged 11.4 points last season and 9.5 points per game as a freshman.
NICHOLAS CLIMBING CAREER CHARTS
• Senior F Ryan Nicholas scored his 1,000th career point in the second half against Princeton on Dec. 21 to become the 35th player in school history to reach the mark. He currently ranks 21st in school history with 1,081 points.
• The Spokane, Wash. native is leading the WCC in rebounding (9.2) and cracked the top 10 in school rebounding history after his 16-rebound effort against North Texas. His 734 career rebounds are seventh all-time and 30 shy of Jesse Perry (1965-68) for sixth.
• Nicholas is a three-year starter and led the Pilots in scoring and rebounding each of the past two seasons.
• Nicknamed 'Rhino', he sat behind All-WCC forward Luke Sikma and four-year starting center Kramer Knutson as a freshman but followed with a breakout sophomore year (11.5 ppg, 7.6 rpg). He averaged 13.0 points and 8.7 rebounds last season.
IM-PRESSLEY
• Sophomore G Bryce Pressley had a remarkably efficient game in the win over Gonzaga. He finished with 16 points on 5-of-6 from the field, 2-of-2 from three-point range and 4-of-4 at the foul line. He added nine assists with zero turnovers, and also had two rebounds, two blocked shots and two steals.
• Pressley previously earned WCC Player of the Week honors on Dec. 23, joining Thomas van der Mars as the second Pilot in three weeks to be recognized.
• He was named the MVP of the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic after scoring a career-high 25 points in the win over Princeton. He was 8-for-10 from the field, 5-for-5 from three-point range and 4-for-4 at the foul line. His previous career high was 10.
• The Sacramento native picked up his first career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Pacific on Jan. 2.
• Pressley started the final seven games of the 2012-13 season and also took over backup point guard duties late in the year.
• The son of former NBA standout and NCAA Champion Harold Pressley (Villanova, '86), he has started every game on the wing this year and is also the backup point guard.
• An all-around versatile talent, Pressley has improved his shot is leading the Pilots in three-point percentage (.450).
VAN DER MARS GARNERS HONORS
• Junior C Thomas van der Mars has also stepped his game this season, including a 19-point, 18-rebound effort against Portland State on Dec. 7 that earned him WCC Player of the Week honors.
• He became the first Pilot to win the weekly honor since Jan. 31, 2011.
• Van der Mars had a remarkable second half against the Vikings, finishing with 17 points and 11 rebounds after the break. Overall, he was 6-for-8 from the field and made 7-of-9 free throw attempts in the victory.
• The Gouda, Netherlands native scored 21 points with 12 rebounds against North Texas. He also had 15 points and 12 rebounds against Idaho.
• His 23 points against Santa Clara on Dec. 30 established a career-high.
• Van der Mars has started 77 career games and his 62 career blocked shots are ninth in school history.
BLOCK PARTY
• Portland leads the WCC in blocked shots per game (4.6).
• Junior centers Riley Barker and Thomas van der Mars rank eight and ninth in school history with 63 and 62 blocked shots, respectively.
• Junior G Kevin Bailey (51) is five shy of cracking the school's Top 10 list.
• Tim Frost (2000-02) owns the all-time Pilots record with 103 blocked shots.
WINTERING GIVEN THE KEYS
• Freshman PG Alec Wintering dished out a season-high 13 assists with just one turnover against San Francisco on Dec. 28. It was the most assists by a Pilot against a Division I school in program history, and one shy of the school record set by Dionn Holton (14 vs. Southern Oregon — Dec. 9, 1995).
• He ranks seventh in the WCC this season in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.3).
• The Concord, N.C. native has started all 19 games for the Pilots and recorded a season high 15 points versus Princeton on Dec. 21 including a perfect 10-for-10 from the foul line. He is shooting a team-best 82 percent from the free throw line this year.
• Portland secured a commitment from Wintering out of United Faith Christian Acad. in North Carolina, where he was coached by former NBA point guard Muggsy Bogues.
• Wintering's ties to Portland go back to when he lived in Arizona and looked up to former Pilot PG T.J. Campbell, a two-time All-WCC selection for the Pilots in 2008-10.
SCORING PUNCH
• Scoring is up significantly this season for the Pilots as the team is averaging 77.4 points per game, the highest for a UP squad the 1991-92 season when current Miami HEAT head coach Erik Spoelstra was a senior point guard for the Pilots and the team averaged 80.9 points per game.
• Portland ranks fourth in the WCC in team scoring, while Kevin Bailey (4th, 17.2 ppg), Ryan Nicholas (19th, 12.7 ppg) and Thomas van Der Mars (20th, 12.3) are among the league's top individual scorers.
• Last year the Pilots averaged 61.0 points and the team averaged 65.1 points during the 2011-12 season.
DOMINATING THE BOARDS
• After being outrebounded in the first three games of the season, Portland has had a positive rebounding margin in 11 of the last 16 outings.
• For the season the Pilots have a +1.9 rebounding margin.
• During Coach Reveno's eight year tenure, the Pilots have had a positive rebounding margin in all but one season (2011-12, -0.4).
HOME SWEET HOME
• The Pilots have a 55-28 record at the Chiles Center since the 2008-09 season.
• Portland had a 19-game home winning streak snapped by Gonzaga in 2011.
• Signature home wins have come against Gonzaga, Washington, Oregon, Nevada and Saint Mary's three times.
CENTURY CLUB!
• The 100 points scored in Portland's season opener marked the first time the Pilots hit the century mark since defeating Evergreen State College 101-77 on Dec. 31, 2009.
• It is the first time UP reached 100 against a Division I opponent since the opener of the 1993 season versus Hawaii at the Great Alaska Shootout.
IT'S ALL ACADEMIC
• Ryan Nicholas (3.47 GPA, Psychology) and Thomas van der Mars (3.94, Operations Technology Management) were named to the 2013 WCC All-Academic Team, while Riley Barker (3.46, Marketing) earned honorable mention honors.
• Nicholas picks up his second award in as many years.
• Coach Reveno has had a total of 13 WCC All-Academic selections in his seven years.
• Reveno also posts a 100 percent graduation rate (17 players) and the men's basketball program has one of the top APR scores in the nation (995), receiving a Public Recognition Award from the NCAA last spring.
SPAIN FOREIGN TOUR
• Portland benefitted from a 10-day Foreign Tour to Spain and the Canary Islands back in August.
• On the court, Portland went down to the final possession against both Angola (No. 15 ranked team in the world) and Venezuela (No. 24) while in Madrid.
• The Pilots then routed three select teams in the Canary Islands to finish the tour 3-2.
• Check out photos, video highlights and other information from the trip at www.PortlandPilots.com/Spain2013.
SPORTS 910 AM PORTLAND'S NEW HOME FOR RADIO & COACHES SHOW
• Sports 910 (KMTT) is the new home for University of Portland men's basketball this season.
• In addition to airing nearly every Pilot game live, the station will host a weekly show with Coach Eric Reveno every Monday night between 7-8 p.m.
• Game broadcasts will have a 30-minute pregame and 30-minute postgame show.
• Veteran Pilot play-by-play broadcaster Bill Johnson returns to call the action.
and host the Coaches Show for the Pilots.
TELEVISION SCHEDULE
• Portland will once again have a lot of regional and national television exposure as a total of 13 Pilot games will be televised this season.
• UP hosted Gonzaga in a nationally televised game on ESPNU on Jan. 9.
• ROOT Sports NW will broadcast a total of nine Pilot games, while BYUtv will pick up the game in Provo.
PILOT WATCH PARTIES FOR ROAD GAMES
• Pilot fans are encouraged to gather at Buffalo Wild Wings Lloyd District for Portland watch parties of all WCC road games this season.
• Located at 1200 NE Broadway Street, Suite 20 Portland, OR 97232, Buffalo Wild Wings will provide televisions and space for Pilot fans to gather for all nine road games. For more information about the watch parties contact Jon Brooks at (503) 943-7431 or brooksj@up.edu.
