Complete Notes (PDF)

Portland Pilots (6-3) vs. Oregon State Beavers (3-8)
Date: Sunday, Dec. 18
Tip-off: 3:00 p.m.
Location: Portland, Ore.
Arena: Moda Center
Television: Pac-12 Network
Radio: 910-ESPN Portland
Live Stats: PortlandPilots.com
Tickets: RoseQuarter.com

GAME INFORMATION
The Portland men's basketball team will play the Oregon State Beavers on Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Moda Center. That game will be televised live on the Pac-12 Network with Roxy Bernstein and Dan Dickau on the call. All Pilot games will have radio coverage on 910 ESPN-Portland (KMTT) with Jason Swygard calling the action. Coverage starts 30 minutes prior to tip-off and will have a complete post-game show.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Portland held on for an 85-82 victory over the South Dakota Coyotes courtesy of a Gabe Taylor three-pointer with 2.2 seconds left. The Coyotes had a good luck to tie at the buzzer, but it rimmed out as Portland survived despite giving up a 14-point second half lead. Taylor finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds, while Portland's dynamic backcourt duo of Alec Wintering and Jazz Johnson combined for 45 points and 14 assists. The Pilots were without senior F Jarrel Marshall (ankle), but got a boost from redshirt freshman Chier Maker, who made his collegiate debut and finished with two points and eight rebounds in 24 bench minutes. Portland caught fire from three-point range behind Taylor (4-of-5) and Johnson (5-of-6). The Pilots went 12-of-22 overall from beyond the arc and had a 40-38 rebounding edge. The Coyotes stuck around by forcing 16 UP turnovers that led to a 20-9 margin in points off of turnovers. Six Coyotes reached double figures led by 15 from Mooney, while Flack had 14 points and 10 boards. Portland held a 36-33 lead at the half.
 
PILOT QUICK HITS
• After Portland's first seven games were all decided by double digits, the last two have come down to the buzzer. The Pilots beat UT-Rio Grande Valley on a Gabe Taylor tip-in, 90-89, in double overtime on Dec. 5. Taylor then drilled a three-pointer with 2.2 seconds left to defeat South Dakota, 85-82, on Friday, Dec. 16 at Moda Center.
• Portland had an 11-day break after the Dec. 10 game at Boise State was postponed due to inclement weather. The Pilots had final exams last week.
• Portland's four-player 2017 recruiting class has been ranked No. 17 nationally by The Hoop Scoop, tops among all mid-majors.
• Alec Wintering and Jazz Johnson comprise the No. 3 scoring backcourt in the nation (41.2) and No. 5 scoring duo overall nationally.
• Wintering and Jaylen Adams (St. Bonaventure) are the only players in the nation ranked Top 35 in scoring, assists, and steals per game.
• Wintering, Markelle Fultz (Washington) and Jon Elmore (Marshall) are the only players in the nation ranked Top 20 in scoring and assists.
• Wintering ranks 18th nationally in scoring (22.4) and 15th in assists per game (6.4) and 34th in steals (2.2).
• Wintering leads the WCC in scoring, steals and minutes per game, and is second in the league in assists.
• The Pilots are No. 24 in the nation in free throw percentage (.768) and 10th in defensive rebounds per game (30.6).
• Portland's three losses have come against quality competition as UCLA is ranked No. 2 nationally, while Colorado and Dayton are coming off of NCAA Tournament trips with experienced rosters.
• Redshirt freshman Chier Maker made his collegiate debut on Friday after the NCAA deemed him eligible following semester exams.
• Senior F Jarrel Marshall missed Friday's game with an ankle injury.
• First-year head coach Terry Porter took over the program in April and hired an experienced collegiate staff to support his transition in long-time Pac-12 assistants Bob Cantu (USC) and Ben Johnson (WSU).
• Johnson moved into the starting lineup this year and is averaging 18.8 points, while Taylor is averaging 14.0 points and 7.2 rebounds.
• The Pilots return five of their top six scorers from last year's team that finished 12-20 overall and 6-12 in the WCC. League coaches picked the Pilots eighth in the WCC Preseason Poll.
• Porter welcomes five newcomers to the roster in true freshmen Andre Ferguson, Alec Monson, Malcolm Porter and Joseph Smoyer, as well as sophomore transfer Franklin Porter (Saint Mary's). Malcolm and Franklin Porter are redshirting the 2016-17 season.
 
ABOUT OREGON STATE
The Beavers (3-8) dropped a 71-67 decision to Long Beach State on Friday night at Moda Center. Oregon State has been hit hard by injuries to key players and has lost five games by five points or less. Leading scorer Tres Tinkle (20.2) has missed the last the last five games. Sophomores Stephen Thompson, Jr. (15.2) and Drew Eubanks (14.3 pts, 9.0 rebs) have led the Beavers. OSU earned a bid to the 2016 NCAA Tournament after finishing 19-13 overall last season. Head coach Wayne Tinkle is in his third year at the helm and the Beavers were picked to finish ninth in the Pac-12 Preseason Poll.
 
TAYLOR WITH HIS SECOND STRAIGHT GAME-WINNER
Junior F Gabe Taylor has won Portland's last two games with big shots late. On Dec. 5 vs. UTRGV, he tipped in a rebound to give the Pilots a 90-89 double overtime win with two seconds left. On Friday he buried a three-pointer with 2.2 seconds left to defeat South Dakota, 85-82. Taylor has thrived under new coach Terry Porter and recorded his first career double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds on Friday. Through nine games, Taylor is averaging 14.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, both career highs.

MAKER MAKES DEBUT
Redshirt freshman Chier Maker made his collegiate debut on Friday scoring two points and grabbing eight rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench. An immigrant from South Sudan who settled in Sydney, Australia, Maker concluded his final exams on Thursday and was deemed eligible by the NCAA on Friday. He is the cousin on Thon Maker, a lottery pick of the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2016 NBA Draft.

RECRUITING CLASS RANKED NO. 17 NATIONALLY
Portland's 2017 recruiting class is currently ranked No. 17 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP following the fall signing period, tops among all mid-majors nationally. First-year head coach Terry Porter and his staff secured four commitments in the fall with three incoming freshmen and a junior college transfer. According to the HOOP SCOOP's rating system, all four Portland commits are rated among the Top 300 signed players in the nation, while freshmen-to-be Tahirou Diabate (6-10, F, Niigate, Japan) and Taki Fahrensohn (6-5, G, Auckland, N.Z.) crack the Top 100 individually. JoJo Walker (6-1, PG, Santa Maria, CA) and JC transfer Austin Stone (6-9, F, USC Salkehatchie) also received high marks. Portland will also welcome current redshirts Franklin and Malcolm Porter to the rotation next season. The HOOP SCOOP referenced Portland's ability to identify quality international recruits as one of the main reasons that the Pilots have secured an elite recruiting class. Diabate (Japan by way of Mali), Fahrensohn (New Zealand) and JoJo Walker (California by way of Puerto Rico) all will bring international experience to The Bluff.

DYNAMIC BACKCOURT DUO
Alec Wintering and Jazz Johnson have produced at an elite rate early in the season. The pair combined for 62 points in a over CSUN, the most points by Pilot teammates in the same game in school history. They were the top two scorers at the elite Wooden Legacy tournament over Thanksgiving weekend as Wintering averaged 26.7 and Johnson averaged 22.7 points per game. The pair also ranks as the fifth highest scoring duo in the nation and No. 3 backcourt combination nationally:
Top Scoring Tandems in the Nation
1. Marcus Keene (G)/Braylon Rayson (G), Central Michigan           48.4
2. Jack Gibbs (G)/Peyton Aldridge (F), Davidson                 44.3
3. Matt Mobley (G)/Jalen Adams (G), St. Bonaventure    43.4
4. Michael Young (F)/Jamel Artis (F), Pittsburgh                 41.9
5. Alec Wintering (G)/Jazz Johnson (G), Portland             41.2

WINTERING SHATTERING RECORDS
Alec Wintering is the one of two players in the nation ranked Top 35 in scoring, assists, and steals per game and also one of three ranked Top 20 in both scoring and assists (Jon Elmore-Marshall, Markelle Fultz-Washington). The Charlotte, N.C. native tops the WCC in both scoring (22.4), steals per game (2.2), minutes per game (37.0) and is second in assists (6.4). He also is rapidly climbing a variety of UP career lists and set a school single-game record by playing all 50 minutes in the win over UTRGV. Wintering earned All-WCC First Team recognition last year after scoring the second most points in single-season Portland history (584). He became the first Pilot in history to record consecutive 30-point games (34 points vs. Pepperdine on Dec. 23, 31 at San Francisco on Dec. 31) and then accomplished the feat a second team earlier this year at the Wooden Legacy (31 vs. Dayton, 36 vs. CSUN). He became Portland's all-time leader in free throws made on Friday and is ascending a variety of Pilot career records (see next page).

SMOYER BREAKS OUT
Freshman C Joseph Smoyer earned his first significant playing time in the win over UTRGV. He came up big playing the games final 23 minutes, forcing overtime with a dunk with 0.8 seconds left in regulation, and recording season highs of eight points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots. He added three points, five rebounds and a blocked shot in eight bench minutes on Friday. Smoyer is a Portland native that attended Franklin High School and is enrolled in the UP Honors Program.

JOHNSON THRIVING IN STARTING ROLE
Sophomore G Jazz Johnson played primarily the backup point guard role last year, but this season is starting alongside Alec Wintering and has thrived. He is second on the team in scoring (18.8) and shooting 55 percent from the field, 54 percent from three-point range and 86 percent at the foul line. His field goal percentage is tops among all guards in the WCC and he ranks 12th nationally in three-point percentage. The Portland native also logged a career-high six assists on Friday. Johnson was an elite prep scorer at Lake Oswego High School, setting the prestigious Les Schwab Invitational scoring record after averaging 35.5 points per game at the tournament his senior season.

WINTERING PASSES SPOELSTRA, CONTINUES ASSAULT ON UP CHARTS
Alec Wintering moved past former Pilot and current Miami HEAT head coach Erik Spoelstra into third place on the UP all-time assists chart during a Nov. 18 win over Lewis & Clark. Wintering now has 525 and is on pace to pass Pilot Hall of Fame member and eight-year NBA veteran Darwin Cook for the school record. Wintering currently leads UP all-time in free throws made (455), is No. 3 in assists (525) and steals (161), No. 6 in three-point percentage (.410) and is on pace to break the record for games started. Wintering's 1,399 points rank eighth in Portland history, two shy of Jared Stohl (2007-11).

GETTING DEFENSIVE
Head coach Terry Porter and assistant Ben Johnson came from the Dick Bennett coaching tree and defense has been one of the main points of emphasis as Porter has taken over the Portland program. The early returns have been better relative to last season in a variety of defensive categories:
Stat                                        2015-16 (Nat'l Rank)      2016-17 (Nat'l Rank)
Scoring Margin                  -2.2 (233)                             +5.8 (132)
FG Pct. Defense                .452 (269)                            .407 (83)
3-Pt FG Defense               .381 (326)                            .336 (144)
Defensive Rebounding  23.8 (284)                            30.6 (10)

EXPERIENCED STAFF
Terry Porter indicated his desire to find an experienced coaching staff to help support his transition to the college game and he loaded up with a pair of big name assistants. Bob Cantu, a former USC interim head coach, associate head coach and long-time assistant coach with the Trojans and UTEP, has more than 20 years collegiate coaching experience at various levels. He has coached under four NBA Coaches, coached 14 NBA players and five NBA First Round Draft picks, while helping five teams reach the NCAA Tournament. Considered one of the top recruiters in the nation, Cantu helped land the No. 1 overall class in 2007 at USC. Ben Johnson also has extensive Pac-12 coaching experience and 24 years working the sidelines during his coaching career. Johnson was with Dick and Tony Bennett at Washington State during the program's most winning years. He has coached and recruited four NBA players, including NBA Lottery Pick Klay Thompson. Johnson also brought a pair of Australian National Team players to Wazzu in Brock Motum and Aron Baynes. He helped WSU to the Sweet 16 in 2008 and was also a standout player for Dick Bennett at UW-Green Bay. He helped the Phoenix to the 1991 NCAA Tournament and a pair of NIT appearances. Porter rounded out his coaching staff with a familiar face to Pilot fans in Kramer Knutson. A four-year starter for Portland from 2007-11, Knutson led the Pilots to a top-25 ranking and a program-best 60 wins over his final three seasons. Knutson served as Director of Basketball Operations for Portland last year after a four-year professional playing career in Europe.
 
PORTER INKS FOUR DURING EARLY SIGNING PERIOD
Portland signed four prospects during the early signing period, three incoming freshmen and a junior college transfer:
- JoJo Walker (Santa Maria, Calif./St. Joseph HS). The 6-1, 170-pound point guard was the CIF Southern Section Division 5A Most Valuable Player after leading St. Joseph High School to the 2016 CIF title. He earned All-Area MVP honors while averaging 18.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.3 steals per game.
- Taki Fahrensohn (Auckland, New Zealand/Auckland Grammar School). A 6-5, 180-pound combo guard, Fahrensohn averaged 33.6 points over seven games at the 2016 New Zealand Secondary Schools Basketball National Championships. He is a member of the New Zealand Junior Tall Blacks, the country's national youth team.
- Tahirou Diabate (Niigate, Japan/Teikyo Nagaoka HS). At 6-10, 215 pounds he averaged 31 points and 18 rebounds per game last season and helped lead his team to the Okinawa Cup, Japan's High School National Championships. He and was named the Most Valuable Player of the event after leading the tournament in points and rebounds.
- Austin Stone (Lake Wylie, S.C./Clover HS/USC Salkehatchie). The 6-9, 225-pound post was a late bloomer to the game and has become a force down low at the Junior College level. Stone will enroll as a junior next fall.