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Portland Pilots (7-5) at Pacific Tigers (6-7)
Date: Thursday, Dec. 29, 2016
Tip-off: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Stockton, Calif.
Arena: Spanos Center
Video: TheW.tv
Radio: 910-ESPN Portland
Live Stats: StatBroadcast.com

GAME INFORMATION
The Portland men's basketball opens West Coast Conference play at Pacific on Thursday and then returns to host Pepperdine on Saturday night. Tip-off Thursday is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Spanos Center, while Saturday's game at Chiles Center tips at 5 p.m. Thursday's game will be streamed live on TheW.tv, while Saturday's game will be televised live on CSN Northwest. 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
The Pilots led by 10 late in regulation, but Cal State Fullerton made numerous big shots late to force overtime and take a 77-72 victory Thursday night at Titan Gym. Alec Wintering led four Pilots in double figures with 24 points and seven assists. D'Marques Tyson hit five three-pointers and finished with 17 points, while Gabe Taylor and Jazz Johnson added 13 apiece. After Wintering drilled a three-pointer to give the Pilots a 63-53 lead with 4:02 remaining, Tre' Coggins buried three three-pointers and a pair of free throws to pull the Titans within one. Wintering made one-of-two free throws with 21 seconds left to give Portland a 67-65 lead, but Khalil Ahmad drove the lane and finished with six seconds left to force overtime. Coggins buried a deep three to beat the shot clock in overtime to give the Titans a 77-72 lead with 29 seconds left and Portland was unable to answer. Portland was outrebounded by a 52-33 margin and allowed a 20-6 edge in second chance points.
 
PILOT QUICK HITS
• Alec Wintering and Jazz Johnson comprise the No. 3 scoring backcourt in the nation (39.2) and No. 7 scoring duo overall nationally.
• Junior F Gabe Taylor was named the WCC Player of the Week on Dec. 19 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. South Dakota, his second consecutive game-winner after tipping in a shot against UTRGV in double OT on Dec. 5.
• Portland's 53-45 win over Oregon State on Dec. 18 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.
• 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 20th nationally in scoring (21.5), 21st in assists per game (6.1) and ninth in minutes per game (37.5). He leads the WCC in scoring and steals (2.0), is second in minutes, and third in the league in assists.
• The Pilots are No. 32 in the nation in free throw percentage (.753) and 21st in defensive rebounds per game (29.1).
• Redshirt freshman Chier Maker made his collegiate debut versus South Dakota on Dec. 16 after the NCAA deemed him eligible following semester exams.
• Senior F Jarrel Marshall missed the last four games with an ankle injury and is questionable 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 PACIFIC
The Tigers (6-7) have won two straight and three of their last four games entering WCC play under first-year head coach and Portland native, Damon Stoudamire. Pacific had two common non-conference opponents as the Pilots, losing at UCLA (119-80) and Cal State Fullerton (78-77). The Tigers are led by Ray Bowles (14.1) and T.J. Wallace (13.4), while Anthony Townes is grabbing a team-high 6.7 rebounds per game, while Pacific is one of the top rebounding teams in the league with a +6.3 margin per game. Pacific was predicted to finish seventh in the WCC 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 against South Dakota (22 points, 11 rebounds) and has thrived under new coach Terry Porter. He has reached double figures in scoring nine times in 12 games and is sixth in the WCC in rebounding (7.0).

MAKER MAKES DEBUT
Redshirt freshman Chier Maker made his collegiate debut on Friday versus South Dakota scoring two points and grabbing eight rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench. He converted back-to-back layups in the first half of the 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 on Dec. 15 and was deemed eligible by the NCAA the following day. 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 Dec. 18, 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)	+4.4 (133)
FG Pct. Defense	.452 (269)	.404 (78)
3-Pt FG Defense	.381 (326)	.347 (143)
Defensive Rebounding	23.8 (284)	29.1 (21)

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	49.4
2. Jack Gibbs (G)/Peyton Aldridge (F), Davidson	43.8
3. Matt Mobley (G)/Jalen Adams (G), St. Bonaventure	43.3
4. Michael Young (F)/Jamel Artis (F), Pittsburgh	42.2
5. Alec Peters (F)/Shane Hammink (F), Valparaiso	41.8
6. Tiwian Kendley (G)/, Phillip Carr (F), Morgan State	40.6
7. Alec Wintering (G)/Jazz Johnson (G), Portland	39.2

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 eighth in the WCC in scoring (17.7) and shooting 52 percent from the field, 49 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 against 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 also played the final 18 minutes and helped ignite a late comeback last 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 (21.5) and steals per game (2.0), and is second in minutes per game (37.5) and third in assists (6.1). 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 Dec. 16 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 540 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 (465) and is No. 3 steals (165), No. 6 in three-point percentage (.406) and is on pace to break the record for games started. Wintering's 1,455 points ranks fifth in Portland history.

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 against Oregon State on Dec. 18, junior C Phillip Hartwich had perhaps the most impact on getting Portland the win over the Beavers. 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. Hartwich blocked a season-high four shots on Thursday at Cal State Fullerton to move into a tie for 10th place on Portland's career list with 59.

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.