Portland Pilots (3-4) at Boise State (7-1)
Date: Sunday, Dec. 3
Time: 1:00 PM (PT)
Place: Boise, Idaho (Taco Bell Arena)
Video: Mountain West Network
Radio: 910 ESPN-Portland
Stats: BroncoSports.com
Series: BSU leads 8-7 (H: 4-4, A: 3-4)
Last Meeting: Boise State 81, Pilots 71 (Dec. 5, 2015 at Chiles Center)

Portland will travel to Boise, Idaho for its first true road game of the 2017-18 season on Sunday. The Pilots and Boise State Broncos will tip-off at 1 p.m. (PT) at Taco Bell Arena. The Pilots (3-4) are coming off of a 112-65 win against Multnomah, while the Broncos (7-1) have back-to-back impressive wins against previously undefeated Loyola (87-53) and at Oregon (73-70).
 
GAME COVERAGE
The game will be aired on the Mountain West Network, while radio coverage for all Pilot games will be on 910 ESPN-Portland (KMTT) with pregame programming starting 30 minutes prior to tip-off with play-by-play voice Jason Swygard.

PORTLAND NOTES
• The Pilots (3-4) dropped three tough games over Thanksgiving weekend as part of the prestigious PK80 Phil Knight Invitational hosted at Moda Center and Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland. The Pilots fell to No. 9 North Carolina, Oklahoma and DePaul.
• The young Pilots had many bright spots against the elite competition, including averaging 13.0 three-pointers per game at the tournament. Portland leads the WCC in three-point percentage (.440) and three-pointers made per game (11.4). Those numbers rank 11th and 15th nationally, respectively.
• Senior C Philipp Hartwich has had a breakout senior season and leads the WCC in rebounding (12.0) and blocked shots (2.9). Hartwich also has three double-doubles this season.
• Sophomore transfers Franklin Porter (14.6) and Josh McSwiggan (13.4) have led a balanced scoring attack featuring eight players averaging five or more points per game. Porter also leads the WCC in three-point percentage (.619, 13-19).
• The Pilots hosted an exhibition game against Eastern Washington on October 29 to raise money for the Red Cross and Puerto Rico's Hurricane Maria relief efforts. Freshman PG JoJo Walker is from Puerto Rico and still has many family and friends that have been impacted by the hurricanes. Walker's family was in attendance at PK80.
• Terry Porter's 2017 recruiting class was ranked No. 10 nationally by HoopScoop.com. The class was the highest rated in the WCC and No. 2 class nationally among mid-majors. Nine newcomers comprised the class with seven freshmen and two JC transfers.
• The Pilots feature just four returning lettermen from last year and two returning redshirts - Franklin and Malcolm Porter, sons of head coach Terry Porter.
• Portland took an August foreign tour to England and went 3-1 on the trip. The Pilots defeated 2017 British Basketball League runner-up Newcastle on a buzzer-beater by Franklin Porter, dropped a buzzer beater to BBL Champions Leicester, and posted two comfortable wins against academy teams.
• Saint Mary's was the unanimous pick to win the WCC, according to head coaches in the league's preseason poll. Gonzaga was second, while the Pilots were picked ninth.
• Portland signed prep senior Josh Phillips (Huntington Beach, Calif./Edison HS) to a National Letter of Intent in November. Phillips (6-8, 190) is long and athletic post player that Portland targeted this summer.
 
ABOUT BOISE STATE
• The Broncos (7-1) defeated the Oregon Ducks on a halfcourt buzzer-beater by Lexus Williams on Friday in Eugene. Chandler Hutchinson paced the Broncos with 20 points and 10 rebounds in the victory.
• Boise State also dominated previously unbeaten Loyola by an 83-57 margin on Tuesday at Taco Bell Arena.
• Other notable Bronco wins have come against LMU (68-48), UTEP (58-56) and Illinois State (82-64). BSU's lone loss was in the title game of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off at Myrtle Beach to Iowa State (75-64).
• Justinian Jessup leads four Broncos averaging double figures at 14.8 points per game, while Hutchinson adds 11.7 points and a team-high 7.9 rebounds.
• Boise State has a +9.8 rebounding margin, shoots 42.2 percent from three-point range, and is outscoring opponents by a 15.8 per game average.
• Former long-time Gonzaga assistant Leon Rice is in his eighth year as head coach of Boise State and has guided the team to six 20-win seasons and two NCAA tournament appearances.
 
HARTWICH POSTING BREAKOUT SENIOR SEASON
Senior C Philipp Hartwich has exploded out of the gates in his senior season. Hartwich averaged 1.4 points and 3.0 rebounds through his first three years on The Bluff, but is averaging 6.4 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.9 blocked shots this year. He has recorded his first three career double-doubles (10 pts, 18 rebs vs. Portland State; 10 pts, 10 rebs vs. Walla Walla; 12 points, 10 rebounds vs. Multnomah). He leads the WCC in rebounding and blocked shots, while his 107 career blocked shots are second in UP history. He is 14 shy of all-time leader and former teammate Thomas van der Mars (121, 2011-15).

YOUTH MOVEMENT
The Pilots feature one of the youngest rosters in the nation. Portland has 10 underclassmen with eight freshmen and two sophomores. Rashad Jackson and transfers Crisshawn Clark and Austin Stone are juniors, while Philipp Hartwich and D'Marques Tyson are the only seniors.

THREE-POINT THREATS
Portland leads the WCC in three-point percentage (.440) and three-pointers made per game (11.4). Those numbers rank 11th and 15th nationally, respectively. The Pilots have made nine or more triples in all seven games this year. Sophomore G Franklin Porter is leading the WCC in three-point percentage (.619). Sophomore G/F Josh McSwiggan is second in the league in threes per game (2.9) and ninth in percentage (.465).

McSWIGGAN OFF TO FAST START
McSwiggan has led the Pilots in scoring three times this year, reached double figures in six of seven games, and is averaging 13.4 points per game. The Loughborough, England native had a circuitous route to Portland. After committing to UTEP and sitting out his freshman season, he transferred to Casper College (Wyoming) and had a solid 2016-17 campaign. Portland assistant coach Bob Cantu, who recruited McSwiggan to UTEP, kept in touch helped garner his commitment to the Pilots. McSwiggan was then able to return to his roots and play in his hometown in front of friends and family when Portland took a foreign tour to England in August.

WALKER RESILIENT
Freshman PG JoJo Walker is from Puerto Rico and still has many family and friends that have been impacted by the hurricane season. Walker left Puerto Rico to gain greater basketball exposure and opportunities when he was a freshman in high school and settled in Santa Maria, Calif. What was originally supposed to be a short stint, but he developed such a connection with his host family and friends that he ended up staying all four years at St. Joseph High School. Despite only getting back to Puerto Rico a couple weeks per year, Walker's entire biological family still calls Carolina, Puerto Rico home. His mother, father, and grandfather were able to get off the island and visit JoJo in Portland in early October and were also at the PK80 Tournament. The Pilots were able to use the NCAA Natural Disaster Exemption to host an exhibition game against Eastern Washington on Oct. 29 that raised nearly $3,000 for Red Cross efforts benefitting Puerto Rico relief. Walker has started all seven games at point guard this year.

DIVERSE ROSTER WITH INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR
Portland has a diverse roster featuring players from 13 different states or countries. There are three native Oregonians, but no other state or territory with more than one player on the roster. Internationally, Portland has players from Mali, New Zealand, Germany and England. States represented include Hawaii, Arizona, California, South Carolina, Ohio, Idaho, Washington and the US territory of Puerto Rico. Freshman Tahirou Diabate is from Mali, but has lived in France, the Canary Islands, and Japan and speaks five languages: Bambara (native), English, French, Spanish and Japanese.

TYSON CLIMBING UP CHARTS
Senior G D'Marques Tyson is the leading returning scorer for the Pilots after averaging 8.5 points per game a year ago. Tyson, a three-point specialist, ranks third all-time in three-pointers made at Portland (202). He is on pace to move into second place for career threes made, trailing only Jared Stohl (336, 2007-11). Tyson is also No. 5 in career three-point percentage (.408). His 794 career points and is hoping to become Portland's 39th 1,000-point scorer.

IT'S ALL IN THE FAMILY
Sophomore G Franklin Porter and freshman G Malcolm Porter are both coming off of redshirt seasons and in 2017. Franklin transferred to UP after playing one season at Saint Mary's, while Malcolm signed with the Pilots after graduating from Jesuit High School. Both players are also sons of Portland head coach Terry Porter.

RECRUITING CLASS RANKED NO. 10
Terry Porter put together a nine-player 2017 recruiting class that one publication has been ranked as the No. 10 in the nation. In his first full recruiting cycle, Porter and his staff were recognized by HoopScoop.com to have the top class in the WCC and No. 2 class nationally among mid-major schools. Three of those newcomers will redshirt the 2017-18 season - Crisshawn Clark due to NCAA transfer rules after coming to Portland from Pitt, Takiula Fahrensohn is coming off of knee surgery, and Hugh Hogland is redshirting to focus on development.
 
ENGLAND FOREIGN TOUR IN AUGUST
Portland went on a foreign tour to England in August and finished with a 3-1 record against quality competition. The Pilots defeated 2017 British Basketball League runner-up Newcastle on a buzzer-beater by Franklin Porter, dropped a buzzer beater to BBL Champions Leicester, and comfortable defeated a pair of academy teams during the trip. In addition to the games and tours in London, the team was able to get 10 extra days of practice on campus. Visit PortlandPilots.com/LondonTour for complete details on the trip.

PK80 HIGHLIGHTS 2017-18 SCHEDULE
The Pilots will play a total of 15 regular season home games at the Chiles Center, and took part in the prestigious PK80 Invitational hosted at the Rose Quarter over Thanksgiving Weekend. Portland dropped games to defending NCAA Champion North Carolina, Oklahoma and DePaul at the event. The Chiles Center and Beauchamp Recreation and Wellness Center on the Portland campus served as a practice host site for the event.
 
PILOTS ON THE TV & RADIO
Portland will have a minimum of 18 games aired nationally or regionally this basketball season. Games will primarily be seen on ESPN, ROOT Sports Northwest, and NBC Sports Northwest. Visit PortlandPilots.com for complete schedule details and full TV listings. All Pilot games will once again have live radio coverage on 910 ESPN-Portland with Jason Swygard calling the action. Each broadcast will feature a 30-minute pregame show and complete post-game coverage. The Terry Porter Show airs weekly on 1080 The Fan each Tuesday night (barring game and Holiday conflicts).  Fans can also watch a simulcast of the weekly show on the Portland Pilots Facebook Page.

PILOTS INK ATHLETIC BIG DURING EARLY SIGNING PERIOD
Portland signed Josh Phillips (Huntington Beach, Calif./Edison HS) to a NLI on the first day of the early signing period, head coach Terry Porter announced. Phillips (6-8, 190) will join the Pilots as a freshman in the fall of 2018. Porter and the Portland coaching staff targeted a 2018 post this summer and Phillips caught the staff's attention immediately. He earned All-Sunset League First Team honors and helped Edison post a 23-5 overall record and 9-1 mark in the Sunset League. The team advanced to the second round of the CIF Southern Section 2017 Boys Basketball Division I-AA Championships. "Josh impressed us with his ability to make multiple effort plays consistently as we evaluated him in the recruiting process," Porter said. "He has good size, length and athleticism, a great motor, and the tremendous desire to defend and rebound. His shot blocking ability will translate right away and he is always doing the little things that helps winning programs. He will bring a unique skillset to our frontline next year."

PILOTS IN THE PROS
A total of 11 former Pilots are currently playing professionally overseas: Alec Wintering (Araberri, Spain), Ray Barreno (Panteras de Aguascalientes, Mexico), Thomas van der Mars (Kalev/Cramo Tallinn, Estonia), Volodymyr Gerun (FC Barcelona B, Spain), Bryce Pressley (Palencia, Spain), Nemanja Mitrovic (Araberri, Spain), Nik Raivio (Legnano, Italy), TJ Campbell (Turk Telekom, Turkey), Luke Sikma (ALBA Berlin, German), Taishi Ito (Toyota Alvark, Japan) and Pooh Jeter (Tianjin Gold Lions, China).