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Great Alaska Shootout: Round 1 (Portland State VS Northern Illinois)

Monday, November 24th, 2008 by wiviking in Portland State, basketball



A year after a near miss in the Top of the World Classic, Portland State makes the trip up to Anchorage hoping to rewrite the story of their Alaskan adventure. The first round matches up the Vikings with Northern Illinois. The Huskies are a fairly inexperienced team, led by freshman Mike DiNunno and sophomore Darion Anderson. They are coached by the former head man at Colorado, Ricardo Patton. The Huskies have had a tough start to the season, winning only 2 games against a fairly weak schedule. However, the Viks will not want to take them lightly, as they have a number of guards with the potential to be explosive, as was the case with Fullerton. Thus far, the Huskies have preferred a smaller lineup, but may be forced into a more conventional one to match up with Nelson and Coston.

Match-Ups
Center
PSU: Jamie Jones NIU: Sean Kowal
The 6’11” Kowal, who migrated from Colorado with Patton, has the size and skill to become a very effective player in the MAC. Only a sophomore, Kowal is already averaging 10.5 points per game, and should be able to increase on that against the smaller Jones barring any foul trouble. The Viks can only hope that Jones can have anywhere near the effect he had on Sunday’s game when he scored 21 points including the winning basket in 26 very strong minutes. Though it has become difficult to put anything beyond Jones’ capabilities, this challenge may force him to find ways to be productive outside the points column. It would behoove the Huskies to be assertive with this mismatch, as their talented guards may not be as productive as they have thus far.
Advantage: Huskies

Power Forward
PSU: Kyle Coston NIU: Tyler Storm
Advantage: Highly-rated recruit Tyler Storm could get the start at the 4 for the Huskies. He and Coston should be good marks for each other, as they possess similar size and skill sets. Kyle will try to continue his progress after a solid game on Sunday during which he hit some meaningful shots down the stretch. The winner of this match up will depend on who can get it going from behind the arc in an unfamiliar arena. Coston should be more productive based on the number of minutes he usually merits.
Advantage: Vikings

Guard/Forward
PSU: Phil Nelson NIU: Najul Ervin
Ervin may also play the 4 as the leading rebounder for the Huskies, but winds up here based on size. He will contribute primarily from the inside, unlike Nelson, and may attempt to throw around his muscle with the leaner Viking defenders. Nelson’s defense looked significantly better than in the first two games, but will have to come a lot further if he wants to play more regular minutes. If he can’t handle Ervin inside, Wendell Wright should be able to handle the job, but offensive numbers will suffer if that happens. With the loss of Paul Guede, the Viks lack the versatility of a player who can produce on both ends of the floor, which made him key in crunch time against Portland. Based on his recent cold streak, look for Nelson to find some rhythm up in Alaska, and play a bigger role in the Viking offense.
Advantage: Vikings

Shooting Guard
PSU: Andre Murray NIU: Darion Anderson
Andre had a significant role in the Viks’ come-from-behind victory on Sunday. He hit some very big shots, and came up with a block on Akognon that may have saved the game. Whether or not he continues to play the go-to role on the outside in Alaska depends on the status of Jeremiah Dominguez. If the hand improves significantly, the offense may swing back to the comfort zone. However, if he struggles again, Ken Bone definitely has the confidence that Murray can do what the Vikings need to win. Anderson is a do-everything guard for the Huskies who is averaging 16 points and 5 rebounds per contest. If he can find his stroke from the outside, he has the potential to score 30. Assuming that Dominguez can produce, there is no reason to believe that Murray will duplicate his 16 points from Sunday.
Advantage: Huskies

Point Guard
PSU: Jeremiah Dominguez NIU: Mike DiNunno
True freshman Mike DiNunno has started his collegiate career gunning. He has averaged 21 points for a team that has needed production. A hard-nosed battle with Dominguez, Waters, or a combination of the two may dampen the enthusiasm. After a combined 3-15 effort, the Viking back court stars will look to regroup. The fact that the team was able to win with only 7 points from a duo that produced 42 against Rice speaks to the wealth of talent Ken Bone has right now in the Park Blocks. One would have to bet that Dominguez will get it back on track after the bad game, provided his hand injury begins to improve. The combination at the point for the Viks should be able to overcome the talented freshman for the Huskies.
Advantage: Vikings

Bench
The Huskies bring a very young bench to Wednesday’s game as well. Backup center Ante Dzepina has been solid for the Huskies thus far, and guards Bryan Hall and Jeremy Landers have logged heavy minutes. Again, the Vikings have an advantage due to the depth they have all around. The loss of Guede will hurt, but the continued progress of Wendell Wright should fill in nicely for the time-being. Tyrell Mara produced some very big numbers in Alaska last year, and the Vikings will hope that he can conjure up something similar this time around.
Advantage: Vikings

Prediction
The Huskies are a solid team, but at least a year away from competing for the MAC title. If they can keep it close against a Viking team with superior experience, Patton should be pleased. Viks roll in this one if they can limit the easy opportunities for Kowal on the inside. Either way, they should move on to face Hampton.
PSU: 76 NIU: 68

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PSU VS Cal State Fullerton

Wednesday, November 19th, 2008 by wiviking in Portland State, basketball


Cal State Fullerton comes into their weekend contest with the Vikings with an entirely different roster from the one that was able to win convincingly at home last year, returning two letter winners and just one starter. However, that starter is former Washington State Cougar Josh Akognon, who put up 41 points on Sunday against Hawaii. They expected a lot from 7-2 freshman Adam Thomas coming into the year, but through two games, it appears he’s not yet ready to produce. The Vikings should be coming into Sunday’s match-up sky high, but there are questions about whether Jeremiah Dominguez will be able to play after sustaining a finger injury during Tuesday night’s win over the University of Portland. If he’s out, the Vikings game plan changes drastically, and will have them searching for a source of scoring.

Match-Ups
Center
PSU: Jamie Jones CSF: Papa Guisse
Guisse, the transfer from Salt Lake Community College, is going to be relied upon to get some rebounds and block shots for the Titans, who are a very small team. That said, he is very limited offensively, and has produced very little through two games this season. Jones, on the other hand, has been very productive in his two games for the Viks. He is averaging 13.5 points and 8 rebounds per contest. He has provided an interior scoring touch that the Vikings have not had in a few years. It has created some room for Dominguez to work on the outside, and he has responded by shooting 60% from 3 point range. Jones is also a breath of fresh air from the free throw line, hitting 83% in his first two games. Look for the Viks to try to get the ball to Jones inside and attempt to draw some fouls. Though it is nowhere near as bad as last season, the Titans are still very thin on the inside.
Advantage: Vikings

Power Forward
PSU: Kyle Coston CSF: Gerard Anderson
Anderson, who redshirted last season, has been able to pick up some of the slack left by graduation. Through two games he is averaging 15.5 points and 6.5 rebounds. He definitely has the potential to become explosive, as he showed by scoring 20 points in a half against Texas State. Coston has done exactly what has been expected from him so far, stretching the defense from the 4, and chipping in a little bit in every facet of the game. His much improved defense have given him the upper hand in his battle for minutes with Mara. As much as Kyle has improved, I think Anderson will give him fits with his inside game.
Advantage: Titans

Guard/Forward
PSU: Phil Nelson CSF: Marcio Lassiter/Aaron Thompson
Depending on who the Titans decide to go with here, Nelson could have a huge height advantage. His production in this game may depend on how disciplined he is when he gets the ball in space. If he realizes that he can take advantage on the inside, he could be very productive. However, if he jacks up a bunch of 3 balls, or tries to use his speed to get by defenders on the dribble drive, he might find the road a little bit tougher. Lassiter is a shooter, but might have significant difficulty getting his shot off against the significantly larger Nelson. (Assuming Nelson decides to play defense at any point) The larger Thompson also has outside range, but can also provide the Titans with a useful wing man who can help out on the boards if Coston or Mara can draw Anderson out to the perimeter. If Dominguez is out, the Vikings will depend heavily on Nelson, along with Jones and Waters to pick up the slack on the offensive end. One positive note for Nelson is that this game should provide the type of pace that allows fast break opportunities in which he can better utilize his exploits.
Advantage: Vikings

Shooting Guard
PSU: Andre Murray/Dominic Waters CSF: Josh Akognon
Akognon is the one player on the Titans who could spoil an otherwise easy win. The guy can flat out fill it up. His all-around scoring ability (which includes a knack for getting to the foul line) is what makes him so dangerous. He will likely be matched-up against Andre Murray to start, but his size and speed may incite a quick change to Waters who seems more suited to this kind of pairing. Either way, the goal for the Viking defender will be to slow him down, because the Titans don’t have another really dangerous weapon outside of Anderson. Murray has started out slow this season, but based on his in-season improvement last year, one wouldn’t expect too much reaction from Ken Bone and his staff. Waters has done everything they have asked from him so far. If he can add slowing down Akognon to that list, some lineup tinkering may be occurring in the near future.
Advantage: Titans

Point Guard
PSU: Jeremiah Dominguez CSF: Jacques Streeter
If Akognon is the one player for the Titans, Dominguez is the one player for the Vikings. Although the talent of some of the role players is obvious, none of them seem to have that instinct to turn on the juice when the team needs them like Dominguez. His step back 3 point shot has destroyed the chances of the two opponents on the Viking schedule so far, and it will likely continue to do so the rest of the season. However, none of this is relevant if his finger injury keeps him out of the game. Streeter is a very talented freshman, and has the ability to score and pass that will make him a star in the Big West in the coming years. If he goes up against Waters, the numbers are more likely to stay close.
Advantage: Vikings

Bench
Here, the Vikings have a very large advantage. The only real bench for the Titans is made up by freshman and former Benson Tech star Ameer Shamsud-Din, and whichever of the Thompson/Lassiter combo doesn’t get the start at the 3. Though talented, they really can’t compete with the Viking contingent of Waters, Mara, Thomas, Guede and Wright.
Advantage: Vikings

Prediction
I don’t see the Titans jumping out to a 17 point lead like they did in last year’s contest. If the Vikings can exploit some of the mismatches they have, they could be in very good shape. That said, the result of this game is likely going to come down to Dominguez playing, and the effectiveness of the PSU defense on Akognon. If they can hold him under 30, it seems unlikely that the Titans will be able to keep pace with the Viks on the offensive end.
PSU: 82 CSF: 74

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PSU VS UP

Sunday, November 16th, 2008 by wiviking in Portland State, basketball


November 28, 2007 - The Vikings celebrate their first win at the Chiles Center 78-73 on their way to the NCAA tournament while the Pilots experience an awful 9-22 season. November 18, 2008 – Though not expected to do much this season, the Pilots come to the Stott Center a very legitimate threat off their home upset of the Washington Huskies. Though both teams would like to win, the game isn’t key to either’s season. Therefore, the Vikings need it more to build confidence on the home court.

Match-Ups
Center
PSU: Jamie Jones UP: Kramer Knutson/Luke Sikma
Knutson started 30 of 31 games for the Pilots last season, averaging 5 points and 4 rebounds. Saturday night’s 10 point 4 rebound performance indicates that those numbers might improve this year. Jones was very solid, going for a double-double (13 points, 13 boards) in the opener. If he can stay out of foul trouble, he should be able to excel in this match-up. However, if he has to play tough defense on a player like Sikma, his offensive production may suffer.
Advantage: Push

Power Forward
PSU: Kyle Coston UP: Robin Smeulders
Tyrell had a huge game at the Chiles Center last year, draining five 3 point baskets and pulling down 7 rebounds. Smeulders, the new Pilot star, was limited to 3 points and 4 rebounds in 22 minutes. This year’s match-up sees a slightly different set of circumstances, as Smeulders won’t have to contend with Morrison inside, and Coston replacing Mara in the starting lineup. The only way I see the Vikings duplicating last season’s success against Smeulders is if they can find a way to get him into foul trouble.
Advantage: Pilots

Small Forward
PSU: Phil Nelson UP: Ethan Niedermeyer
What should we expect from Phil Nelson after the Rice game? A marked improvement. Nelson shot the ball much better in the exhibition, and should get a lot more fast break opportunities in a game against a team that focuses less on defense and controlling the pace. He is matched-up against Ethan Niedermeyer, a player that has improved each year in every meaningful category. His skill may be close to on par, but he can’t compete with Nelson from an athleticism standpoint. If the Viks can get out and run a lot in this one, Nelson could really exploit this match-up.
Advantage: Vikings

Shooting Guard
PSU: Andre Murray/Dominic Waters UP: Nik Raivio
Raivio put together a very solid game against the Vikings last year, scoring 20 points on 8-15 shooting. Andre Murray and Dominic Waters will try to change that outcome on Tuesday. Based on their efforts against Rice, one might contend that is a possibility. However, the Viks will have to overcome the height advantage that Raivio will have at 6’4”. Another factor is Murray’s ability to stay in the game after logging only 9 minutes in Houston.
Advantage: Push

Point Guard
PSU: Jeremiah Dominguez UP: T.J. Campbell
Just when you think you’ve seen everything from Dominguez, he produces something amazing. It happened on Saturday when he carried the Vikings to victory. He slammed the door on Rice’s late comeback attempt with a step-back three ball with just over a minute to go. What can he do to surprise us now? We’ll just have to watch on Tuesday night. Campbell is an interesting match-up, because Dominguez usually goes up against players that are around 6 feet tall. At 5’9” Campbell possesses a similar skill set to that of Dominguez in that he is a strong outside shooter, a good passer, and gets a lot of steals. If he or Ito can produce anything against Dominguez, I’m sure the Pilots fans will be happy.
Advantage: Vikings

Bench
One big question mark is Luke Sikma, who completely dominated the Vikings on the inside last year with 12 points and 14 boards, but has gradually seen a role reduction since that point. If Sikma can find some way to rekindle that magic, it will go a long way towards keeping this one close, especially if Smeulders and Knutson have as much trouble as they did in last year’s contest. Jared Stohl and Taishi Ito may see some meaningful minutes for the Pilots if the Viking guards can overwhelm Pilot defenders like they did the Owls. Even with Sikma available for the Pilots, I have to side with the Vikings on this one. With players like Mara, Waters, and Thomas, who all possess extreme versatility, they can really allow any of the starters significant time away and not miss a beat.
Advantage: Vikings

Prediction
I’m hesitant about picking this one because the Pilots look like a much better team than the one who the Vikings beat last season. The Vikings three most important players from last year’s contest are also out of the starting lineup. (Mara, Huff, Morrison) However, if the Viks can shut down Smeulders or Raivio, it could also be a rout. I’m going to go with the Viks in a fast-paced battle that mimics last year’s cross-town clash.
PSU: 85 UP: 80

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PSU VS Rice (11/15)

Monday, November 10th, 2008 by wiviking in Portland State, basketball


Portland State opens up the 2008-2009 basketball season at Rice. The Owls hired former Cal coach Ben Braun in the off season with the hopes he could turn around a team that went 3-27 last year and 0-16 in conference. Based on his amazing recruiting haul for next year (Be glad they’re not playing next year!), it appears they are headed back in the right direction. However, Braun isn’t expecting much improvement in the win-loss column this season with 4 upperclassmen returning. The one strength the Owls should bring to the floor is a defensive intensity that exceeds that brought on a nightly basis in the Big Sky.

The Vikings on the other hand, appear to have a lot to look forward to this year even with the losses of Deonte Huff and Scott Morrison with the return of Big Sky MVP Jeremiah Dominguez. The Vikings also return two other probable starters in shooting guard Andre Murray and forward Kyle Coston. The Vikings will also break in talented University of Washington transfer Phil Nelson, who scored a flashy 19 points in 23 minutes in the Viks’ exhibition against Western Oregon. Former WAC freshman of the year Dominic Waters should be the first guard off the bench, and University of Portland transfer Jamie Jones will likely start at center to begin the year. PSU’s biggest weakness may be free throw shooting, which has plagued them off and on in recent years. The loss of Morrison and fellow big man JR Moore may also hurt the Vikings on the inside given recruit Jason Conrad’s decision not to enroll at PSU.

Match-Ups
Center
PSU: Jamie Jones Rice: Trey Stanton
The transfer from the US Naval Academy should be an improvement for the Owls at center, although he may not be the big-bodied presence they need. He provides not only the shot-blocking and rebounding that one would expect from a center, but also a 3 point stroke that should stretch defenses all year. The Vikings might match him up with Coston on defense based on his similar body type. Whether or not Stanton is effective, the Owls will have a talented big man on the floor, because 6th man Suleiman Braimoh has the ability to score and rebound too. If Stanton can lock up Jones on defense, it will go a long way towards keeping this one close for the Owls. However, based on Jones’ history, I wouldn’t bet on that happening. In action at the University of Portland, Jones averaged 10 points and 7 boards, and Viking fans will be pleased to see that unlike past big men, he actually has moves around the basket. I’ll take Jones in this match-up with experience winning out, although I think Julius Thomas’ relentless effort will go a long way in helping wear down the Owls’ centers.
Advantage: Vikings

Power Forward
PSU: Kyle Coston Rice: Aleks Perka
Perka started the last three games for the Owls last season, so he gets the nod here. He was fairly effective when he saw extended time, but will need to exceed the 3.6 points and 2.1 boards per game he got last season if Rice is going to compete on a nightly basis. Coston really improved as the season went on last year, averaging 7.6 points in conference. The Vikings are hoping he can continue to develop into the starting role that he moved into last year. The departure of Alex Tiefenthaler should create more minutes for both Coston and Tyrell Mara. PSU needs their 3 point shooting forwards to stretch the defense so that slashers like Wendell Wright, Andre Murray, and Phil Nelson can get some room for their mid-range games. Rice has talented freshmen Emerson Herndon and Lucas Kuipers to come off the bench here, which should help keep the numbers close.
Advantage: Push

Small Forward
PSU: Phil Nelson Rice: Lawrence Gorham
Outside of point guard, this should be the most exciting match-up, and the one that produces the most points. Gorham, a junior had two 20 point games last year and averaged 8.5 points and 4 boards per game. If he can continue his progress, and help Foster on the scoreboard, it would greatly improve the Owls’ chances. Phil Nelson comes to PSU after starting 9 games as a freshman at the University of Washington, and it comes to no one’s surprise that there are very high expectations. With size, unlimited range, and highlight-reel dunking ability, Nelson is a player that could end up in the NBA in the not-so-distant future. The questions surrounding him are whether or not he can stay healthy, and if he can limit bad shots. If he can do these things, he may not be around long.
Advantage: Vikings

Shooting Guard
PSU: Andre Murray Rice: Cory Pflieger
Pflieger was third in Conference USA in 3 point shooting as a sophomore, averaging 6 points and 2 rebounds per contest. He sat out last season with a medical redshirt after going down with an ankle injury in the fifth game of the season. Rodney Foster may see some minutes at the two if one of the other point guards (Beasley, Frizzelle, Schwarze) proves effective. Murray brings luck to the Vikings, who won 18 out of his 22 starts after their dreadful start. He brings a strong all around game, with a good outside shot and a rebounding ability that exceeds his size. Though he probably won’t be looked on to score as much this season, Murray will be asked to bring his experience and intensity. Numbers wise, this should be close, even though Murray is the more talented of the two.
Advantage: Push

Point Guard
PSU: Jeremiah Dominguez Rice: Rodney Foster
The leading scorer and assist man for the Owls at 11 points and 3 assists per game, Foster shouldered the load for a team that simply wasn’t good. Ben Braun plans to take some of the load off of Foster by playing a larger rotation. The hope is that he won’t go down with a major injury like he did when he broke his hand in practice during the last week of the season last year. Foster will have a significant height advantage in this match-up, but the question is whether or not he can capitalize. Dominguez did a great job on larger opponents last year, utilizing his superior speed and hands to out-duel opponents. Whether or not he can duplicate last season’s numbers depend on the production of team mates. As you might recall, he usually played the role of tough defender and passer last season until it became evident the team would need his scoring output. Foster may outscore Dominguez, especially if Nelson and Jones can be effective on the offensive end, but the numbers should balance out by the time this one is over unless one of them gets into foul trouble.
Advantage: Push

Bench
Bryan Beasley, Texas’ former top-ranked point guard transferred to Rice after sitting out a year as a redshirt at Texas A&M. Last year, he transitioned into the lineup, starting 20 games, and averaging 3 points. Ben Braun has to hope that Beasley will continue to progress and take some pressure off of Foster. Other guys off the bench who might have an impact include Suleiman Braimoh, Emerson Herndon, and Lucas Kuipers. PSU should have a much better bench than they did last year. Although they lost Dupree Lucas and JR Moore, the Vikings gain Dominic Waters, a guy who can play at either guard spot; Donatas Visockis, a big man who will easily fill Moore’s role, and perhaps a great deal more; and Wendell Wright, a strong rebounding freshman wing. Those guys are added to the group that includes Tyrell Mara, Mickey Polis, and Julius Thomas. Even if they weren’t a more talented group, the Vikings clearly have experience and depth that the Owls don’t, and that should allow their starters to get the rest they need to be effective.
Advantage: Vikings

Prediction
Though the Owls play in a conference that has more talent than the Big Sky top-to-bottom, they held a minimal share of that talent, comprised mostly by Foster. If Rice is going to win some more games this year, and particularly this home opener, they will need everything he can give them and then some. The energy surrounding the reopening of Tudor Fieldhouse may keep this one close most of the way, but if the Vikings play up to their potential they’re just too talented for the current Rice squad.
PSU 74 Rice 62

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2008 OOC schedule, make or break?

Friday, April 18th, 2008 by BWahlberg in Big Sky, football

Happy to be blogging here, many of you probably know me as RE/MAXGriz over on egriz, I was asked to add some of my long winded insight into the blog features here.  Earlier this week in a discussion about the next season I thought I’d take a look at how the conference has booked their out of conference schedule (OOC).  It’s interesting what’s been set up, and for the amount of teams that are really striving to reach the playoffs, I was pretty surprised at how difficult they set up their schedules.  So lets take a look at what each team has set up before conference play starts:

Eastern Washington – Two FBS schools in Texas Tech and Colorado, in back-to-back games, ouch.  I know that the gap between top FCS teams and many FBS teams has closed, I see both of these games as very tough ones to win for EWU.  They’ve also got a home against Western Washington and two open dates (which I’ll bet one gets filled).  I’d expect possibly a Great West team or maybe another D2 school if they don’t want to travel.  If they look to a mid-west or east coast FCS team I’d expect they’d have to travel out there.  3 road games and 1 home game OOC could be rough, however it could also really toughen them up for the conference.

Weber State – They’ve also got 2 FBS teams, Hawai’i and Utah, probably both losses, those are both very good football teams.  The two home games they have booked are lower division schools, Dixie St and Montana-Western.  So chances are they’ll be 2-2 when done with the OOC, however they’ll not have a single win to help their status with the playoff committee, they’ll have to win at least 7 conference games to be even considered, if they even go 6-2 in conference play they’ll just have 6 Division 1 wins.  So Weber must be banking on winning the conference auto-bid this year.

Idaho State – ISU has Boise and Idaho booked in their OOC, as well as North Dakota.  Boise will most likely win, Idaho… who knows, I’d think the Vandals would have the edge there.  North Dakota went 10-2 last year and beat Southern Utah (although SUU didn’t win a game).  I think this game will be tough for ISU, they’re rebuilding and they’re having budget issues, so they probably won’t book an FCS road game as well.  They could limp out of the OOC with either a 1-2 or 0-3 record.

Portland State – They’ve got an OOC that tilts to their favor, games against Cal Davis and W. Oregon.  I don’t know much about Davis, so I can’t say how competitive they’ll be.  PSU should have their system in place and I think they’ll win both of those games.  Also they travel to Washington State, Wulff, WSU’s coach will be familiar with them, but he’s rebuilding a Cougar team that could have trouble stopping the spread offense.  Could be interesting to see what happens.

Montana – The Grizzlies have a bear of an opening game, testing a defense with 8 new starters against Cal Poly’s amazing and experienced offense.  The Wofford game stung Montana, and Cal Poly could do the same.  After that Montana returns to home to host Southern Utah, Central Washington and Cal Davis.  Most likely they’ll finish the OOC 3-1.

Montana State – Another team with 2 FBS and 2 lower division schools.  The Cats play Minnesota and Kansas State back-to-back, they also host Adams State and South Dakota.  MSU could be in a similar bind as Weber State, coming out of their OOC 2-2 and relying on winning the conference to make the playoffs.  I think they might have a chance to knock off Minnesota, they beat Colorado a few years back, so who knows!

Sacramento State – CSUS has an interesting OOC, they host two lower-division schools, Humbolt State and Southern Oregon.  They also travel to Davis and to Colorado State.  Since half of the conference is playing Davis, maybe I should check up on these guys!  Sac could be 3-1 OOC when it’s all said and done, they don’t play Davis until late, as they usually do. 

Northern Colorado – They’ve got 3 games booked so far, they travel to Purdue and travel to (guess who?) UC Davis.  They also host Texas State.  Didn’t they beat Texas State last year, or the year before that?  UNC is still building, and they’re on the rise, they could come out of this 1-2 but most likely I’ll say 0-3. 

Northern Arizona – NAU plays Arizona State, New Mexico Highlands (who?), and Southern Utah.  Pretty straight forwards, ASU will most likely beat NAU, but the other two games should be wins for the Lumberjacks.  2-1 OOC is decent. 

—-

Quick, “Who is UC Davis?” note – Just looked it up, Davis went 5-6 last year, their most notable wins were against Portland State and beating San Diego late in the season.  They didn’t do much else.  A quick manual count has them losing 12 seniors to graduation from the 2007 season, which included some skill players.  They’re a younger team, probably still finding their way.

—

It amazes me how some teams almost schedule themselves right out of the playoffs, I know it’s usually because of money issues, but there’s a lot of cases where teams would have made the playoffs if they wouldn’t have booked 2 or 3 FBS teams, or didn’t book 2 or 3 Division 2 (or lower) schools.  It will be interesting to see how this all shakes out, it’s just a bummer we’ve got to wait so long until football season actually starts.

 

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Posted in Big Sky, football | 7 Comments »

Quick Preview: Western Oregon Wolves

Thursday, April 3rd, 2008 by Jeremy in Big Sky, Portland State, football

Throughout this off season I will make a quick preview of each team the Portland State Vikings will play, complete with the team facts and a quick overview. I’ll start off with the first team to play at PGE park for the 2008 season: Western Oregon.

Western Oregon Wolves
Head Coach: Arne Ferguson
Location: Monmouth, Oregon
Nickname: Wolves
Colors: Crimson Red and White
Enrollment: 4,889
President: John P. Minahan
Athletics Director: Jon Carey
Stadium: McArthur Field (2,500)
Playing Surface: Grass
Conference: GNAC
2007 Record: 9-2
Athletics Site: WOUWolves
Fan Site: The Wolves Den

Quick Overview

Coach Arne Ferguson’s Western Oregon football squad finished the 2007 season with a 26-12 Dixie Rotary Bowl victory over Colorado School of Mines on Dec. 1 in St. George, Utah. The Wolves finished the season with a 9-2 record. WOU’s nine wins in 2007 is only the fourth nine-win season in 78 years of Western Oregon University football. The Wolves visit PGE Park on Saturday August 30th and believe it or not lead the series between the 2 schools 11-8, The Wolves come to town having lost 17 seniors to graduation.

I’ll have more on this game soon….

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Welcome Portland State Fans Forum!

Tuesday, April 1st, 2008 by chris in Portland State, Site Updates

I would like to welcome Portland State’s Message Board to the BigSkyFans.com Network.

They have moved their forums to our network and are now located at http://psufansforum.bigskyfans.com.

If you are a fan of Portland State or want to chat with them, join the forums today!

This makes Idaho State, Montana, Northern Arizona, Northern Colorado, Portland State, Sacramento State, and Weber State that are now part of the BigSkyFans.com Network!

Enjoy the forums and if you have any questions, please feel free to let me know!

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PSU VS Kansas (3/20)

Tuesday, March 18th, 2008 by wiviking in Big Sky, Portland State

The Vikings are finally in the big dance, and instead of excitement, fans may feel like they are looking down the barrel of a gun. As a 16 seed, going up against 30-3 Kansas, I wouldn’t blame them. Many expected to be at least the 15, with some estimates as high as a 14 against a school like Xavier. However, as bubbles burst and conference champions fell in tournaments, it became likely that the Green would not be lucky this time around. So, here we are, waiting for the blade to drop, and yet I’m still ecstatic, and I know I’m not alone. Even the NIT would have sufficed for many, but the fact that the basketball team was able to take care of its business seems to be a metaphor for PSU’s progress as a whole, and its future. Oregon being Oregon, PSU will be trumped by the Ducks’ luck slipping in to the tourney.

Why did the Vikings drop to a number 16? Interest of fairness, attendance/money. UMBC, who is statistically a worse team , got what would have been the Viks’ 15 seed. Their game is in Raleigh against 2 seed Georgetown. The hope is that UMBC will be able to get their entire allotment to the game if it is that close. Georgetown will have no trouble with that, but the proximity should also give them a pseudo home court advantage. PSU would probably only be able to get about 15 fans to a game in Raleigh, and would create much less sentimentality than they will in Omaha. In Omaha, the Viks will be the fan favorites outside the KU allotment, even though the game is close to Kansas.

The fact that they got this far amazes me. I had a lot of doubt about the season after the meltdowns against San Jose State at home and Eastern Washington on the road. The beginning of the season was marred by awful finishes to a majority of the games, and a lack of cohesion. The second half dominance began with Deonte Huff carrying the team as the only consistent presence, both physically and offensively. Next came Jeremiah Dominguez’ decision to become completely unstoppable and send a message to the Big Sky. Julius Thomas went down with a broken rib, and Scott Morrison seized the opportunity to reassert himself as the center of the team. Tyrell Mara’s injury led to the eventual evolution of Kyle Coston into a starting role, and Andre Murray was able to fill in the hole left by Dupree Lucas’ mysterious step back. So, justly the Viks deserve the 16. The committee is supposed to seed based on recent personnel and results, but consistency is also important, and the Viks certainly weren’t that.

KU, the number 1 seed, is the natural favorite to win the region and get to the Final 4. Every year the #1 has continued to be an automatic ticket to the second round. However, they face the toughest opponent of any of the 1 seeds, and will have to deal with a fairly difficult region. If you are a Jayhawk fan, don’t be fooled into thinking that the effort that beat Northern Arizona by 41 and Eastern Washington by 38 at home will produce the same result against this Viking team.

The Vikings drew a very difficult match-up, but one that is more favorable than Duke or Wisconsin due to Kansas’ balanced size and aggressive style of play. At 3 out of 5 positions, the Viking starters should be able to hold their own, and their depth may finally prove vital, as Kansas will force physicality and athleticism. At the same time, some of the normal position players will be forced to play against players who are much larger and talented than they have become accustomed to in the Big Sky.

Match-Ups
In an effort to make room for people playing out of position, I will revert to the form the previews took at the beginning of the year; position by position.

Center
PSU: Scott Morrison KU: Darnell Jackson
Julius Thomas Sasha Kaun
JR Moore
Scott will start here, and should see his normal number of minutes if Kansas plays one of these three and he doesn’t get in foul trouble. The starter here will be either Jackson, Kaun, or Darrell Arthur. If Arthur starts, or lines up at center a lot, Julius Thomas or Alex Tiefenthaler will likely see time against him. Jackson is only 6’8”, but at a chiseled 250, he is extremely powerful inside. The most similar player Morrison has gone up against was Akron’s center, Jeremiah Wood. However, Jackson is more talented offensively. Morrison has really struggled when forced away from the basket. In this game, that will almost certainly happen, and if he can’t adjust, another player may be the best option, even though it will create a huge rebound gap. If Scott gets in foul trouble with Jackson in, Thomas is the obvious replacement. However, if it’s Kaun, Moore may see some time. He won’t be able to run the court with Kaun, but should be able to bang with him in the post for a few good minutes.
Advantage: Jayhawks

Power Forward
PSU: Kyle Coston KU: Darrell Arthur
Alex Tiefenthaler
Tyrell Mara
A player who is physically ready to play power forward in the NBA, Darrell Arthur was the star of a team of stars this year. He averaged 13 points and 6 rebounds, which will only be impressive when people look at the number of players from this team on NBA rosters in 5 years. He turned down the opportunity to be the guy at Baylor for the media, history, and opportunity at Kansas, and there is a chance that this year he will be rewarded.

Physically, the only player built to match up with Arthur is Tiefenthaler. They are both 6’9” 225, and play physical basketball. The difference is that Tief resorts to an outside game on the offensive end, whereas Arthur stays down low and dominates in the post. However, Tiefenthaler has seen a sharp decline in minutes with Kyle Coston’s steady improvement. As the likely starter, Coston will have to really have to shoot the lights out from the 3 point line, because there is no way he can handle Arthur in the post. He is definitely capable, and the Viks will hope he can and keep the game from becoming a laugher. Is Tyrell Mara really healthy? All indications say no. He was unstoppable at times in Alaska, and a strong defender his freshman year. Since then, he has been out with an injury, and dropped to a reserve role. If he is available at 100%, he would be a very useful asset. If not, he can become a defensive liability, and has gone cold offensively. If he isn’t forced to play center, Julius Thomas could also be very useful here. He plays a very similar game to that of Arthur on the boards and defensively. Though he isn’t an offensive threat, he might be able to keep Arthur further away from the hoop. Realistically, nobody is going to stop Arthur. The solace the Viks can take is that they could outscore him at the power forward if their shooters can get hot.
Advantage: Jayhawks

Small Forward
PSU: Deonte Huff KU: Brandon Rush
Justynn Hammond
Why is Brandon Rush still in college? Well, an injury definitely contributed to it, but the potential future lottery pick wants the same things Arthur wants, the big stage, and the opportunity to compete for a national championship. If he and his teammates can stay grounded and shoot free throws well, they shouldn’t really be challenged until the Sweet 16.

Every Viking fan knows Deonte Huff. For those who are Kansas fans, or underdog supporters, this is the guy to watch for excitement. If he was 2 inches taller, and had a pretty shooting stroke, he would be a mirror of Rush. He brings the house down with his dunking ability, creates tons of fouls with his uncanny ability to get to the hoop, and can hit shots from the outside as well. Defensively, he doesn’t really match up, so Kansas will look to get Rush the ball to exploit Huff. The two players could easily score the same number, or one could outscore the other by 20. It really depends on whose shots are falling from distance. Although I’d love to say this was a push, I have to give the advantage to Kansas based on defensive ability and the size difference. However, it could just as easily go the other way. Justynn Hammond is an unknown at this point. To get an idea of his story, there should be links from the Oregonian website. If he is available, Hammond could fare well here. His defense is superior to that of Huff, and his long arms and superior shooting stroke give him a fighting chance. If not, Tyrell Mara or Dupree Lucas may play here, but neither really matches up well physically.
Advantage: Jayhawks

Off Guard
PSU: Andre Murray KU: Sherron Collins
Dupree Lucas Rodrick Stewart
Brian Curtis
It is rare when a 6’2” shooting guard has a height advantage after high school. Especially when he is going up against a highly rated recruit who has the ability to rebound with the big men. However, that is the situation for Andre Murray in this match-up. It should be interesting to watch, because his playing style won’t necessarily be changed as a result. He will almost certainly continue to shoot whenever he is open on the offensive end, but he may be a little more aggressive if he has a chance to get by Collins. Dupree Lucas will also have to deal with Collins, and a combination of other guards. His defense a necessity, Lucas may see the kind of minutes he became accustomed to with consistent play last year. Brian Curtis may also see playing time for his defense, here or at the point. I honestly feel that the Vikings have a chance to hold their own here, It depends entirely on the rotation Bill Self chooses. If Collins, Robinson, and Chalmers all play extended time off the ball, the Vikings have no chance, but if Collins and Murray/Lucas is the primary match-up, I feel the efforts could counterbalance each other.
Advantage: Push

Point
PSU: Jeremiah Dominguez KU: Mario Chalmers
Mickey Polis Russell Robinson
Mario Chalmers dropped 30 points against DJ Augustin on Sunday. Chalmers and Russell Robinson are the best point guard tandem in the country, a 1 and 1a combo like Jordan Farmar and Darren Collison were for UCLA. Is there anything to be positive about? Maybe.

The Vikings have Big Sky Player of the Year Jeremiah Dominguez. The 5’6” phenomenon completely tore through the entire Big Sky the second half of the season, and when he makes outside shots, he is literally unstoppable. No matter his size, he gets to the hoop. Perhaps a good comparison is Earl Boykins. He can drop a shot from anywhere, but he is inside all the time anyway. When he is at his best, he is a terror on the defensive end as well. He can strip the ball with the best, and his unparalleled quickness ensures he’s the first one to the hoop. If Dominguez gets in foul trouble, the game is over. Mickey Polis was on fire from the outside at Washington, and it’s as if he has become ash. In all fairness, Dominguez hasn’t given Polis much opportunity to prove himself since then, but the Viks will need all the help they can get, and outside shooting will be essential if the game is going to stay close.
Advantage: Jayhawks

Other players for Kansas who could make a difference: center Cole Aldrich, and guards Conner Teahan and Tyrel Reed.

I think the Viks will play one good half. However, that means the Jayhawks are up by 20 at half, and the Green keep pace with their backups, or that it’s close at the half, and KU pulls away at the end. Either way, this game will be exciting to follow, and hopefully an experience Viking fans will remember as the beginning of something great.
Prediction: Kansas 85-68

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PSU VS ISU (3/11) Big Sky Semifinals

Tuesday, March 11th, 2008 by wiviking in Big Sky, Idaho State, Portland State

Idaho State comes into the Big Sky semi-finals on the heels of a two point victory over Montana. They are the real unknown of the four remaining teams. They are young, and should be in the upper-echelon of the Big Sky for the next few years.

For the Vikings, there is a different story. After a 23 point win at home against the Bengals, and a 10 point win on the road, there is little reason to doubt Portland State’s chances to advance to advance to the Big Sky Championship game. If there is one unknown, it is how the Viking players will react to the Rose Garden. The only other game there this year, the Vikings only beat Division III Lewis & Clark by 1 point. Needless to say the current Viking team has come a long way. They give up the friendly confines of the Stott Center for the added seating capacity and big game atmosphere of the Rose Garden. One would hope the great season Ken Bone’s squad has had would bring more than a thousand fans to championship games.

Match-Ups
Center
ISU: Lucas Steijn PSU: Scott Morrison
This match-up is not fair. Out of the 3 options the Bengals have here, none can guard Scott Morrison, none can rebound with Morrison and none can score against Morrison. In the first game, Morrison had a very solid all-around game while holding Steijn to just 3 points and 3 rebounds. The second match-up saw Morrison have a little less success offensively, while giving the Bengal centers 2 points and 4 rebounds. Even JR Moore had success. I don’t see much changing. As I said before their last game, ISU doesn’t really have any post presence, so PSU may be able to put a little more pressure on the wing players.
Advantage: Vikings

Forward
ISU: Logan Kinghorn PSU: Kyle Coston
Kinghorn was outplayed by his backup, Chron Tatum in the second game against the Vikings. If Kinghorn starts slowly this time, look for the Bengals to go to Tatum early. They can’t hold anything back, as this is likely the last game of their season. Kyle Coston had a so-so game the last time he played against the Bengals, with 8 points and 2 rebounds. Considering how ineffective the other options for the Vikings were at the 4, he had a solid game. PSU doesn’t necessarily need a great effort from this position to win the game, but a little extra cushion couldn’t hurt.
Advantage: Push

Guard/Forward
ISU: Amorrow Morgan PSU: Deonte Huff
Morgan has had decent success against Huff, going for 11 points in both contests. However, he hasn’t been able to equal Huff’s success (20 points and 6 rebounds the last game between the two.) As I pointed out the last game between the two, Morgan is only a sophomore, so he could one day become the player Huff is. However, he is not ready to beat out the Big Sky first-teamer at this point in his career.
Advantage: Vikings

Off Guard
ISU: Donnie Carson/Austin Kilpatrick PSU: Andre Murray
Kilpatrick won the last battle between the two with 14 points to Murray’s 6. However, Murray went only 2-10 from the field. Assuming he can hit an average percentage of his shots, Andre should be able to keep pace. He outrebounded Kilpatrick 5-1 in the first match-up, something he probably won’t have to do in this match-up for the Vikings to have success. Can Kilpatrick seize the initiative and provide the much-needeed scoring punch aside Stucki and Morgan? If not, this game won’t be close. Recently, Carson has been receiving a lot of playing time. Against Montana he turned that into 10 points and 5 rebounds. If he can pitch in and contribute the same amount tonight, that will help keep the game close, and perhaps Stucki can pull something out of the bag late, who knows?
Advantage: Push

Point
ISU: Matt Stucki PSU: Jeremiah Dominguez
Stucki may be the one player who gives Dominguez serious problems defensively. Dominguez has been great all year, but the 6’6” Stucki is a full foot taller than Dominguez. Here, I gave the advantage to Stucki in the Stott Center game based on their outputs in the first game. Dominguez was able to hit right on his averages, but Stucki was great, going for 26 points. However, Dominguez had a very solid all-around game in the second match-up that superceded Stucki. As this season progressed, one could tell Jeremiah went out every night to send a message. He was rewarded for his outstanding play with the Big Sky Player of the Year award. He is clearly the factor that made last year’s mediocre squad into this year’s Big Sky champions.
Advantage: Vikings

Bench
The Vikings have the advantage here. The Bengals have three bench players who average 5 or more points per game, but none who is a real threat to go for a bunch of points. At home, the Viking bench players just tend to do better. Alex Tiefenthaler had 16 points the first time around against ISU, but failed to score a single point in the second contest. JR Moore stepped up with 6 points and 9 big rebounds in the second contest. With Julius Thomas healthy, Moore may not even see time. Hard to believe that even JR was dominant in the post against the Bengals.
Advantage: Vikings

Well… now comes the time for a prediction. The Bengals won only two conference games away from home: Northern Colorado and Montana. I predicted 76-60 at the Stott Center, and the game came out 81-58. This time, I’m expecting the Vikings to score a few less points in the unfamiliar atmosphere at the Rose Garden. However, I think they should still have plenty to get by the Bengals for a championship match-up with Northern Arizona or Weber State.
Prediction: PSU 73-60

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PSU VS NAU Preview

Wednesday, February 6th, 2008 by wiviking in Big Sky, Northern Arizona, Portland State

The rematch of the two teams at the top of the Big Sky Conference standings promises to be an interesting affair. In the first match-up this season, PSU completely dominated the Jacks in all facets of the game, especially rebounding, en route to the 80-66 final. Tomorrow night’s game looks to be different. First of all, the game is not being played at the Stott Center, where the Viks are 8-1. The first matchup was also a break-out game for Kyle Coston. Before and since that game he has done nothing to indicate he can reproduce that effort. Nobody will ever question his shooting touch, but his lack of tenacity and inability to create his own shot makes him an offensive clone of the two other options for the Vikings at the 4 spot. Tiefenthaler, Mara, and Coston all have the ability to shoot the ball well from the outside, but none have been able to produce when their shot hasn’t fallen. This, along with injuries, is one of the reasons that Ken Bone is forced to shuffle his lineup almost every game. Speaking of consistency, there are two names that come to mind for Viking fans: Deonte Huff and Jeremiah Dominguez. The two have carried the Vikings to almost all of their victories, one of the few exceptions being the first match-up with the Jacks. The pair only produced 19 points in the first game. They will need to be on their game if the Viks have any chance on the road. The last big factor for change is the rotation. Scott Morrison only played 20 minutes in the first contest, with Julius Thomas going 17. With Thomas out, Morrison will likely be depended on to go at least 30 minutes, and be given a few mintues rest by JR Moore.

On the other side, the first contest was an off night for Kyle Landry. He was able to manage 12 points, a good night for most, but not for Landry who is averaging 17.3. In his place, Zarko Comagic stepped up and had a really big game. The two of them will need to be consistent to keep pace with Huff and Dominguez. Coming off losses to Idaho State and Northern Colorado on the road, the Lumberjacks will look to get back on track, and back into first place.

Match-Ups
Center
NAU: Ryan McCurdy PSU: Scott Morrison
Though his play hasn’t been as consistent as many would like, Scott Morrison has started every game with the exception of the near disaster against Lewis & Clark. For the last 4 games Morrison has been very consistent. With increased opportunity (30+ minutes) he has delivered over 17 points per game. In the first game against NAU Morrison scored only 6 points, but was limited to just 5 shots. With renewed confidence Morrison should deliver at least 15 points against the rail-thin McCurdy. McCurdy’s advantage in this match-up is his speed. If the Jacks can create some fast-break opportunities, he should have no trouble beating Morrison down the floor and putting defenders in the position to foul.
Advantage: Vikings

Power Forward
NAU: Kyle Landry PSU: Kyle Coston
Landry is clearly the better player in this match-up, even though his production in their first contest wouldn’t indicate it. No matter who he goes up against for PSU, he should have the advantage. None are particularly good defenders, and only Mara brings the intensity necessary to be one. The challenge for the Vikings will be to get some offensive production here, because they are better at the other positions, but the outside shot here creates room for Morrison to work inside.
Advantage: Lumberjacks

Small Forward
NAU: Zarko Comagic PSU: Deonte Huff
This match-up should be the exact opposite of the one at power forward. Here, Comagic had a great game offensively while the consistent Huff made a lackluster performance. If Comagic can produce more than 10 points against Huff this time around, it bodes well for a team that will need to shoot much better than 42% to win. I expect Huff to come through with another strong performance, which should be aided by his recent hot streak at the free throw line.
Advantage: Vikings

Shooting Guard
NAU: Nathan Geiser PSU: Andre Murray
Murray seems to be adjusting well to his role as the team’s unquestioned shooting guard. With his ability to rebound much larger than his stature, his play is somewhat reminiscent to that of Huff. He had a solid game against the Jacks the first time out, and should the Viks need his production, I expect him to be there again tomorrow. Geiser really struggled in the first contest, throwing a bagel up on the scoreboard. Since then, he has returned to form, and should fare better this time around. If not, Zach Filzen will be ready to pick up the slack.
Advantage: Push

Point
NAU: Josh Wilson PSU: Jeremiah Dominguez
Wilson is definitely one of the top point guards in the Big Sky Conference. Averaging 12 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists, he would get the nod over just about anyone. The problem is that he is going up against the best point guard in the conference. Dominguez is a tenacious on-ball defender, with quickness that allows him to take the ball at any time. Add that to his recent offensive explosion, and he becomes one of the favorites for MVP. He outscored Wilson by 9 points in the first game, but the two combined for only 13. This time around, I expect them to go for 30+.
Advantage: Vikings

Bench
For the Vikings, the role of the bench has decreased substantially. However, they will need to get quality minutes from JR Moore in place of Morrison, and some scoring production from the 4 spot to have a good shot at winning. For NAU, Filzen, Johnson, and Jones will have to take advantage of the Vikings weaker defenders. If they can produce 10+ points, it will go a long way towards determining the outcome.
Advantage: Push

I see the Viks giving one back here. I hate picking against them, but they aren’t a particularly good team on the road. If they get a solid performance from all the role players and Dominguez has an amazing output that might change things.

Prediction: NAU 72-70

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