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Portland Pilots (7-4) at Cal State Fullerton Titans (4-7)
Date: Thursday, Dec. 22, 2016
Tip-off: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Fullerton, Calif.
Arena: Titan Gym (4,000)
Video: BigWest.tv
Radio: 910-ESPN Portland
Live Stats: PortlandPilots.com

GAME INFORMATION
The Portland men's basketball will conclude its non-conference schedule on Thursday against Cal State Fullerton at Titan Gym. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on BigWest.TV. This will be Portland's fourth game in eight days. 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
Calaen Robinson hit a late three-pointer and the Portland State Vikings held on for a 77-75 victory over the Portland Pilots in an intense city rivalry game before 2,679 fans Tuesday night at the Chiles Center. The Pilots overcame a 13-point deficit to take the lead late, but the Vikings converted last in a game that featured numerous clutch plays. Gabe Taylor recorded a game-high 22 points, while Alec Wintering battled through early foul trouble to finish with 18 points and Jazz Johnson added 15. The Pilots used a 10-0 run sparked by a pair of Taylor baskets to take a 67-65 lead with 4:25 remaining to energize the home crowd. Portland would lead 72-69, but a pair of PSU three-pointers in the final two minutes went unanswered. Portland shot 68 percent from the field in the second half to overcome a 42-33 halftime deficit. The Vikings shot 48 percent overall and had a 37-26 rebounding margin and 20-12 edge in second chance points.

PILOT QUICK HITS
• Junior F Gabe Taylor was named the WCC Player of the Week on Monday after averaging 17.0 points and 10.0 rebounds in a pair of wins over South Dakota and Oregon State. Taylor drilled the game-winning three-pointer on Friday vs. USD, his second consecutive game-winner after tipping in a shot against UTRGV in double OT on Dec. 5. He then added 22 points on 10-of-13 shooting in Tuesday's loss to Portland State.
• Portland's 53-45 win over OSU on Sunday was the first against a Pac-12 opponent since the 2009-10 season (Oregon and UCLA) and snapped a four-game losing streak to the Beavers.
• 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 (39.4) and No. 7 scoring duo overall nationally.
• Wintering, Markelle Fultz (Washington) and Jaylen Adams (St. Bonaventure) are the only players in the nation ranked Top 25 in scoring and assists.
• Wintering ranks 23rd nationally in scoring (21.3), 22nd in assists per game (6.0) and 11th in minutes per game (36.8). He leads the WCC in scoring, is second in steals (2.0) and minutes, and third in the league in assists.
• The Pilots are No. 29 in the nation in free throw percentage (.757) and 15th in defensive rebounds per game (29.5).
• Portland's four losses have come against quality competition as UCLA is ranked No. 2 nationally, Colorado and Dayton are coming off of NCAA Tournament trips with experienced rosters, and Portland State has now won five of their last six games.
• Redshirt freshman Chier Maker made his collegiate debut on Friday after the NCAA deemed him eligible following semester exams.
• Senior F Jarrel Marshall missed the last three games with an ankle injury and is doubtful for Thursday.
• 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).
• 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 CAL STATE FULLERTON
The Titans (4-7) lost at Omaha in overtime on Sunday, their second OT loss of the season. Fullerton defeated Portland State in double OT earlier this year, 106-100. They also have a 78-77 victory against Pacific. The Titans are 4-1 at home this season and are led by Tre' Coggins who averages 19.6 points per game. Fullerton is hoping to get 2016 Big West Freshman of the Year Khalil Ahmad back now that the Titans have completed fall semester. Ahmad was deemed academically ineligible for the fall and has not appeared in a game this year. Last season, Ahmad scored a game-high 25 points in the Titans 65-60 loss to Portland at the Moda Center. Head coach Dedrique Taylor is in his fourth season at the helm and the Titans were picked sixth in the Big West Preseason Poll.
 
TAYLOR NAMED WCC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior F Gabe Taylor was named the WCC Player of the Week on Dec. 19 after leading the Pilots to wins over South Dakota and Oregon State at the Moda Center. Taylor buried the game-winning three-pointer with 2.2 seconds left against South Dakota for an 85-82 Pilot win. It was his second straight game-winner as he also tipped in a rebound to give the Pilots a 90-89 double overtime win with two seconds left on Dec. 5 against UTRGV. Taylor recorded his first double-double on Friday (22 points, 11 rebounds) and has thrived under new coach Terry Porter.

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. He converted back-to-back layups in the first half of Sunday's win against Oregon State for his first career field goals. An immigrant from South Sudan who settled in Sydney, Australia, Maker concluded his final exams last 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.

GETTING DEFENSIVE
Portland held Oregon State to 45 points on Sunday, the lowest output by a Pilot opponent since a 53-43 victory against Pepperdine on Jan. 7, 2012. The Pilots held OSU to 28 percent shooting from the field and outrebounded the Beavers by a 44-24 margin. 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)	+5.3 (133)
FG Pct. Defense	.452 (269)	.404 (78)
3-Pt FG Defense	.381 (326)	.336 (143)
Defensive Rebounding	23.8 (284)	29.5 (15)

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 is tied for seventh as the 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	43.0
3. Matt Mobley (G)/Jalen Adams (G), St. Bonaventure	42.6
4. Michael Young (F)/Jamel Artis (F), Pittsburgh	42.1
5. Alec Peters (F)/Shane Hammink (F), Valparaiso	40.3
6. Tiwian Kendley (G)/, Phillip Carr (F), Morgan State	40.0
7. Alec Wintering (G)/Jazz Johnson (G), Portland	39.4

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.

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 and sixth in the WCC in scoring (18.1) and shooting 53 percent from the field, 51 percent from three-point range and a league-best 88 percent at the foul line. His field goal percentage is tops among all guards in the WCC. The Portland native also logged a career-high six assists on Friday vs. South Dakota. 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.

SMOYER BREAKS OUT
Freshman C Joseph Smoyer earned his first significant playing time in the win over UTRGV on Dec. 5. He played the final 23 minutes, forced overtime with a dunk with 0.8 seconds left in regulation, and recorded 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 against South Dakota and played the final 18 minutes and helped ignite a late comeback Tuesday against Portland State. Smoyer is a Portland native that attended Franklin High School and is enrolled in the UP Honors Program.

WINTERING SHATTERING RECORDS
Alec Wintering is one of three players in the nation ranked Top 25 in both scoring and assists (Markelle Fultz-Washington, Jaylen Adams-St. Bonaventure). The Charlotte, N.C. native tops the WCC in scoring (21.3), is second in steals per game (2.0) and minutes per game (36.8) and third in assists (6.0). 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.

WINTERING PASSES SPOELSTRA, CONTINUES ASSAULT ON UP CHARTS
Alec Wintering moved past former Pilot and current Miami HEAT head coach Erik Spoelstra and is now second on the UP all-time assists chart. Wintering now has 533 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 (460) and is No. 3 steals (163), No. 6 in three-point percentage (.407) and is on pace to break the record for games started. Wintering's 1,431 points ranks seventh in Portland history, nine points shy of Jim Winters (1949-52, 55-56) and 17 away from cracking the top 5.

TERRY PORTER ERA ARRIVES
Porter, a 17-year NBA veteran and two-time NBA All-Star, spent most of his pro career with the Trail Blazers where he helped lead Portland to a pair of NBA Finals and had his jersey retired. Porter also served as head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns, in addition to various assistant coaching positions throughout the league. He was named head coach of the Pilots on April 1, 2016.
 
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.
 
HARTWICH HUGE IN THE MIDDLE
Despite not taking a single shot from the field on Sunday, junior C Phillip Hartwich had perhaps the most impact on getting Portland the win against Oregon State. Hartwich grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds, blocked three shots, altered many more, and was the primary defender against Oregon State big man Drew Eubanks. The talented sophomore was held to six points and four rebounds in 35 minutes after entering the game averaging 14 points and nine rebounds.

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.
 
RADIO-TELEVISION
Portland will once again have an extensive TV package with games on ESPN, ROOT Sports, and CSN Northwest. The complete broadcast schedule is available at PortlandPilots.com. All Pilot Basketball games will be on the radio on 910 ESPN-Portland with Jason Swygard calling the action. The Terry Porter Show will air on 1080 The Fan and be simulcast on CSN Northwest each Monday night (barring travel/game conflicts).