Pilots Look for Season Sweep of BYU Saturday Night
Complete Release (PDF) I Live Video I Live Audio I Live Stats
Portland Pilots (15-12, 7-8) at BYU Cougars (19-10, 11-5)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 22, 2014
Tip-off: 6:00 p.m. (PT)
Location: Provo, Utah
Arena: Marriott Center
TV: BYUtv
Radio: 1080 The Fan (KFXX)
Overall Series: 1-9
At UP: 1-4
At BYU: 0-5
At Neutral: N/A
Last: POR 114, BYU 110 (3ot) (at POR – Jan. 23, 2014)
GAME INFORMATION
• Portland continues its season-ending four-game West Coast Conference road trip against the BYU Cougars on Saturday at 6 p.m. (PT).
• The game will be televised nationally live on BYUtv with Spencer Linton and Blaine Fowler providing the commentary.
• 1080 The Fan (KFXX) will broadcast Saturday's contest in Portland. Veteran voice of the Pilots Bill Johnson provides the play-by-play with a 30-minute pregame show.
ROAD GAME WATCH PARTIES AT BUFFALO WILD WINGS
• 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.
ABOUT THE PILOTS
• The Pilots (15-12, 7-8 WCC) dropped a 61-59 decision at San Diego on Thursday. Junior C Thomas van Der Mars led all scorers with 18 points, while junior G Bobby Sharp added 16 points in his second career start.
• Portland played without leading scorer Kevin Bailey (leg injury) for the third straight game. Bailey is doubtful for Saturday's contest.
• Sophomore G Bryce Pressley had a solid all-around game with 11 points, six rebounds and five assists. Freshman PG Alec Wintering was also hobbled by a leg injury and played just 22 minutes. He is questionable for Saturday's game.
• Portland's first five WCC games were at home, while the second half of UP's schedule features 7-of-9 games on the road.
• Nicholas joined Portland's 1,000-point club in the second half against Princeton on Dec. 21. He is the WCC leader in rebounding (9.0) and is third on the team in scoring (12.8). He also ranks fifth on Portland's career rebounding and double-doubles lists.
• Van der Mars has had a breakout year averaging 12.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. His 19-point, 18-rebound effort vs. Portland State earned him league player of the week honors on Dec. 9.
• The Pilots are No. 20 nationally in three-point percentage (.395).
• 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 (19-10, 11-5) moved into sole possession of second place in the WCC standings with a 73-65 win over No. 24 Gonzaga on Thursday night. Junior G Anson Winder led four BYU players in double figures with 17 points in the win.
• Junior G Tyler Haws leads the WCC and ranks fourth nationally in scoring (23.6).
• BYU is one of the fastest paced teams in the nation and ranks third nationally in points per game (85.1).
• Head coach Dave Rose is in his ninth season with the Cougars.
• BYU owns a 9-1 overall series edge over Portland, including 5-0 margin at the Marriott Center... Portland picked up its first win over BYU on Jan. 23 at the Chiles Center with an epic 114-110 triple overtime victory... Bobby Sharp and Thomas van der Mars scored 27 points each for the Pilots, while Tyler Haws set a new Chiles Center record with 48 points in a losing effort.
INJURY REPORT
• After staying healthy for most of the year, the injury bug bit the Pilots last week as Kevin Bailey (leg injury) has missed three straight games. He is doubtful on Saturday.
• Freshman PG Alec Wintering injured his leg vs. Pepperdine on Saturday and he is questionable for Saturday.
SENIOR MOMENTS
• All four seniors earned the start on Senior Day vs. Pepperdine last Saturday and came out firing. Portland built an early 10-point lead as Tanner Riley scored all 10 of his points in the game's first seven minutes.
• Korey Thieleke also drilled a three-pointer and made big plays in the second half at both ends of the court, while Ryan Nicholas finished with a game-high 21 points.
• It was the first career start for John Bailey, who grabbed a rebound in four minutes.
NICHOLAS CLIMBING CAREER CHARTS
• 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 15th in school history with 1,185 points.
• The Spokane, Wash. native is leading the WCC in rebounding (9.0) and double-doubles (9) and cracked the top 10 in school rebounding history after his 16-rebound effort against North Texas. His 803 career rebounds are fifth all-time.
• 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.
BAILEY AMONG ELITE WCC SCORERS
• Junior G Kevin Bailey has had a breakout season.
• Earlier this year he joined teammate Ryan Nicholas as the 36th member of the 1,000 point club. His 10 points at Santa Clara on Feb. 1 pushed him over the mark and he now has 1,020 points for his career.
• He has reached double figures in 22 of the 24 games, scored 20 or more points eight times, and logged a career-high 29 points in the season opener over UC Davis.
• A three-year starter, the Clovis, Calif. native averaged 11.4 points last season and 9.5 points per game as a freshman.
AMONG THE WCC LEADERS...
• Portland is second in the WCC in assists (15.1) and 3-point pct. (.395), and third in scoring (76.5), assist-turnover ratio (1.3), FT pct. (.741) and blocked shots (4.3).
• Ryan Nicholas leads the league in rebounding (9.0), Thomas van der Mars is No. 1 in FG pct. (.610), and Bryce Pressley is second in three-point percentage (.465).
• Pressley (2.3) and Alec Wintering (2.2) and are second and fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio, respectively.
• Wintering is also fifth in assists (4.5), fifth in steals (1.6) and 11th in free throw percentage (.833).
VAN DER MARS ERUPTS
• Junior C Thomas van der Mars has had a few monster games this season, while putting up career numbers. His seven double-doubles are tied for third most in the WCC.
• He scored a career-high 28 points with 11 rebounds at Santa Clara on Feb. 1. He was 9-for-10 from the field and 10-for-10 from the free throw line.
• Van der Mars previously scored 27 points with 18 rebounds in the triple overtime win against BYU on Jan. 23. 21 of his points came after halftime.
• He also dropped 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.
• He ranks 4th in school history in FG percentage (.567) and 7th in blocks (69).
WINTERING GIVEN THE KEYS
• Freshman PG Alec Wintering has dished out 10 or more assists three times this year.
• His season-high 13 assists with just one turnover against San Francisco on Dec. 28 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).
• His 5.3 assists per game in league play is No. 3 overall.
• The Concord, N.C. native has started all 27 games for the Pilots.
• He is shooting a team-best 83 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.
THREE-POINT THREATS
• Portland was one of the top three-point shooting teams in the nation three years running from 2009-11 and the touch has returned to The Bluff this year.
• The Pilots are shooting 39.5 percent this year from beyond the arc, second in the WCC and tied for 20th nationally.
• Those numbers are even better in league play as UP is shooting a league-best 42.8 percent from downtown.
SHARP SHOOTER
• Junior G Bobby Sharp drilled three three-pointers in his first career start on Thursday vs. LMU and has been on fire during league play.
• He is shooting 45.6 percent from beyond the arc in league play which ranks seventh, while his 36 three-pointers made in conference play are third overall.
• Sharp not only hit eight three-pointers and broke his previous career-high of 18 points with his 27-point effort against BYU on Jan. 23, many of the three-pointers were clutch and against defensive pressure.
• The two biggest threes came in the final 30 seconds of the second overtime period as the Pilots came back from an eight-point deficit with 2:39 remaining.
• His fade-away three tied it at 103 with 13 seconds left and UP cruised in the third OT.
IM-PRESSLEY
• Sophomore G Bryce Pressley had a remarkably efficient game in the win over Gonzaga on Jan. 9. 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 second in the WCC in three-point percentage (.465).
RECORD BREAKING GAME
• The win over BYU on Jan. 23 marked just the second triple overtime game in UP history. The other was an 82-81 win over San Jose State on November 27, 1984.
• BYU's Tyler Haws scored 48 points to break the Chiles Center individual scoring record, previously held by UP's Matt Houle (43) on Feb. 13, 1993 against San Francisco.
• The 114 points scored by the Pilots were the most against a Division I opponent in school history.
• Bobby Sharp, who hit seven three-pointers over the games final 22 minutes, was trending nationally on Twitter during the overtime periods.
SCORING PUNCH
• Scoring is up significantly this season for the Pilots as the team is averaging 76.5 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 third in the WCC in team scoring.
• Last year the Pilots averaged 61.0 points and the team averaged 65.1 points during the 2011-12 season.
HOME SWEET HOME
• The Pilots have a 57-29 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, BYU, Washington, Oregon, Nevada and Saint Mary's three times.
IT'S ALL ACADEMIC
• Thomas van der Mars (3.95, Operations Technology Management) was named to the Capital One Academic All-America Third Team, becoming the second UP men's basketball player in school history to earn the honor.
• Van der Mars joins Rick Raivio (1980) to earn third team honors and is the 30th student-athlete to earn Academic All-America honors across all sports.
• Ryan Nicholas (3.47 GPA, Psychology) and van der Mars were named to the 2013 WCC All-Academic Team, while Riley Barker (3.46, Marketing) was honorable mention.
• 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.
BIG HOME WINS
• The BYU win was UP's first in 10 games and was the second straight big home win.
• The Pilots snapped a 20-game overall losing streak to Gonzaga and picked up the first win at the Chiles Center over the Bulldogs since 1996 with an 82-73 win on Jan. 9.
DOMINATING THE BOARDS
• After being outrebounded in the first three games of the season, Portland has had a positive rebounding margin in 16 of the last 24 outings.
• For the season the Pilots have a +2.0 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).
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.
