Eastern Washington Idaho State Montana Montana State Northern Arizona Northern Colorado Portland State Sacramento State Weber State

Posts Tagged ‘portland state’

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

PSU VS UM Preview (1/31)

Sunday, January 27th, 2008 by wiviking in Big Sky, Montana, Portland State

I cannot guarantee that I will have time to do a blog for every game, but I will do my best while I am here. The upcoming contest between the Portland State Vikings and the Montana Grizzlies is an intriguing mid-season match-up as the teams have become rivals in recent years. We all remember the fight after the game two years ago, and it looks like the game on Thursday should be just as hard-fought. Montana enters the contest with two convincing wins against Big Sky opponents which were preceded by a tough home loss against Weber State. The Grizzlies are again lead by their consistent inside duo, Jordan Hasquet and Andrew Strait. Portland State is coming off an extended hiatus which should benefit the team from a health standpoint, but it remains to be seen the effect it will have on team chemistry.

Match-Ups
Center
UM: Andrew Strait PSU: Scott Morrison
The Griz will almost definitely throw everything they have at Morrison offensively. Their combination will include at least Strait and Hasquet, as well as Brian Qvale and Kyle Sharp. There is no doubt that the Grizzly coaching staff has seen how different a team the Vikings are without Morrison on the floor, and it is likely they will try to get him in foul trouble from the opening tip. The Vikings do not have anywhere near the depth of the Grizzlies at center, so it is essential that Morrison stays on the floor for as many minutes as possible and that players like JR Moore and Tyrell Mara are available to spell him inside. Julius Thomas may be the direction Ken Bone wants to go, but it will be difficult for him to compete with the height that the Griz possess at center.
Advantage: Grizzlies

Power Forward
UM: Jordan Hasquet PSU: Kyle Coston/Alex Tiefenthaler
For what has been the most inconsistent position for the Viks all year, Thursday may be a relief. Coston and Tiefenthaler have been much better players at the Stott Center, and Tyrell Mara has not been healthy since his break-out game at the Top of the World Classic. The three man combo will be assigned the Grizzlies top offensive threat, Jordan Hasquet. He has dominated the Big Sky Conference, both offensively and on the glass. If he matches up with Morrison defensively, it will be a showdown between two of the premier big men in the conference. If he matches up at the 4 it will be up to the Viking combo to run him ragged around screens outside, and keep him honest by making a good percentage of the 3 point shots they take. Hasquet and Kyle Sharp should be able to eclipse the Viking players here offensively and on the glass. The question will be whether or not the Viks can keep it close.
Advantage: Grizzlies

Guard/Forward
UM: Ryan Staudacher PSU: Deonte Huff
If the Viks have a mismatch, this is it. Staudacher is big enough to compete with Huff, but is overmatched talent-wise. If he can hold Huff to less than 10 points, I think the Grizzlies should win easily. Unfortunately for him, I do not think that he is capable of that. I think the Viks will depend on strong games from Huff and Dominguez, and it will be up to Huff to keep the game close until the last five minutes. Staudacher is a bit of an unknown to the Viks as he played less than 10 mintues per game last season. At almost 32 per game this year, it is obvious that he has become an important part of the Grizzly attack.
Advantage: Vikings

Shooting Guard
UM: Matt Martin/Ceylon Elgin-Taylor PSU: Andre Murray
Murray has been a very important player to the Vikings this year. Unfortunately, he has also been very inconsistent. The Vikings need a huge effort from him on Thursday, especially if Dupree Lucas is unavailable behind him. Martin and Elgin-Taylor have both averaged 25 minutes a game, so it is up to Murray to play at least that much to provide an equal counterpart. I think Murray should be ready for the challenge if he can stay out of foul trouble.
Advantage: Push

Point
UM: Cameron Rundles PSU: Jeremiah Dominguez
After a strong stretch of games, Dominguez is now leading the team in scoring. He is the go-to-guy down the stretch, and seems to relish the role, as he fares well again and again. This game should give him another opportunity to put the Big Sky on notice. Big or small, he has vanquished them all, and Rundles should provide quite a challenge as he stands 6 ft 1. Rundles is less of a scoring threat than he was last year, but has become a much better passer, an asset the tea, needs at the point. The Viks could definitely use a good shooting night from Mickey Polis, as their front-court match-ups are not likely to produce many points.
Advantage: Vikings

Bench
The Vikings are hoping to have a bit more depth available after the extended break. The team could definitely use the intensity of a player like Mara, or the scoring punch a player like Lucas has provided in the past. The Griz only have 3 bench players who have seen extended action this year, so it is imperative that the Viks try to push the pace and use the extra legs they have available. As that has been their style of play most of the year, it should not be a task with which they have too much trouble.
Advantage: Vikings

Both teams have won their last two games. However, they are at very different places in the conference standings. Thursday will be a chance for the Grizzlies to get back towards the top, where they were expected to be all season. For the Vikings it is a chance to keep pace with Northern Arizona and Weber State at the top of the table. I see this one playing out as a slugfest. Each team is going to take their best shot at the knockout early on, but it is the team that has the most left at the end who should pull it out. In an even match, who do you take? I will go with the home team on a last second floater by Dominguez.

Prediction: PSU 70-68

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Big Sky, Montana, Portland State | 1 Comment »

PSU VS UNC Preview 1/19

Tuesday, January 15th, 2008 by wiviking in Big Sky, Portland State


Over the course of the season, the Vikings may be the most inconsistent team in the country. They have had standout games from 3 different players at the power forward position, 2 at the point, and 2 at shooting guard. The coaches have utilized offensive schemes that focused on using Scott Morrison in the post, and have benched him for long stretches in favor of a smaller, quicker lineup. With at least 13 games left, what can we expect from the Vikings? Saturday brings the UNC Bears to the Stott Center. A rapidly improving team, the Bears have already doubled their win total from last year, and have beaten defending Big Sky champion Weber State.

Match-Ups
Center
UNC: Jabril Banks PSU: Scott Morrison
No matter who matches up with Morrison, there will be a decided size advantage for the Vikings. Without Kirk Archibeque inside due to a concussion, the Bears will have to choose between two guys who are really combo forwards, Banks and Taylor Montgomery. Banks is the more talented of the two. The former Iowa Hawkeye and Indian Hills CC player is leading the team in scoring and rebounding at 13.7 per game 6.2 per game. He is also the only player who qualifies who is leading Scott Morrison in field goal percentage. He has only attempted 2 three point shots all year which means Morrison will be able to play his style of defense against Banks. Though Morrison has been less productive than Banks all year, his size advantage and style of play should allow him to out-produce Banks in this game, and ultimately lead the Vikings to victory.
Advantage: Vikings

Power Forward
UNC: Taylor Montgomery PSU: Kyle Coston/Alex Tiefenthaler
If Coston is not productive early, Ken Bone will not be hesitant to use Tiefenthaler who had the best game of his collegiate career against Idaho State on Sunday. Montgomery is not much of an offensive threat, but should be able to power past the opposition inside because they lack his power. However, the specialty of all the Viking power forwards this season has been their ability to hit the outside shot. Whoever plays here for the Viks should be more productive than Montgomery.
Advantage: Vikings

Guard/Forward
UNC: Jefferson Mason/Neal Kingman PSU: Deonte Huff
A promising player in his own right, Mason has averaged 9 points and 5 rebounds per contest this year. His height advantage should allow him some easy buckets at times in this one. However, I think it is very unlikely that he will out-produce Huff unless he can get him into foul trouble early. Mason should be able to utilize his size to keep Huff away from some of the put-backs that he normally gets, but I do not see him stopping Huff from driving and getting to the line. If the Bears are going to be competitive in this contest, they will need to minimize the damage that Huff can do because the Vikings have too many offensive weapons for them to deal with. Kingman had been the starter recently before missing the San Diego State game due to influenza. He has a very similar skill set to that of Mason with a little added bulk. He had a season high in the road loss at NAU, but seems to have lost confidence since then.
Advantage: Vikings

Shooting Guard
UNC: Sean Taibi/Robert Palacios PSU: Andre Murray
If Taibi cannot play in this one, then the Bears will likely start Robert Palacios, a teammate of Jabril Banks at Indian Hills CC. Another option here is Devon Beitzel, a freshman who shared player of the week honors with NAU’s Kyle Landry, after he came off the bench for 15 points against San Diego State. The combination of these players will go up against Andre Murray, a player who has also been inconsistent and had trouble staying away from fouls against Idaho State. The Vikings do not necessarily need Murray to have a big scoring night to beat the Bears, but it would definitely help. If he cannot provide the punch Ken Bone is looking for, Dupree Lucas will be waiting for another opportunity to prove that the coaches made a mistake when they benched him in favor of Murray. I give a slight advantage to UNC, especially if Taibi is available. He is a deadly long range shooter who can score in bunches.
Advantage: Bears

Point
UNC: Thanasi Panagiotakopoulos PSU: Jeremiah Dominguez
Panagiotakopoulos has been in double figures three times this year. It appears that his ability to score is similar to that of Mickey Polis in that he has trouble when his three point shots are not falling. Dominguez shoots a lot of threes himself, but he also has the ability to drive and score against the bigger players. Like the Vikings, the Bears have a short backup point guard who has the ability to score. His name is Will Figures. He had a strong showing in the beginning of the season but has cooled off recently. It would really help the Bears if he could get back on track in this one.
Advantage: Vikings

Bench
The Bears have the potential for a very strong bench with players like Mason and Figures. They do not have a lot of overall depth so they will depend on those guys to spell their starters. If they cannot handle that task, it might be a long night. For the Vikings the bench is loaded. It has endless depth and guys who could start for many teams. The issue with the bench, as it is with the rest of the team is consistency. If Tiefenthaler, Lucas, Polis, Hammond and Thomas can each score a few points, that would decrease the burden felt by Dominguez and Huff to shoot so often.
Advantage: Vikings

I think the Vikings are primed to make a run for the Big Sky title. Everyone except Tyrell Mara is healthy enough to play, and some of the guys who were expected to contribute early on are finally coming into their own. The three game home stretch is a critical set for the Vikings, who will need to win all three to compete for home court in the Big Sky tournament. It is definitely a doable task, but the Vikings will need strong play from their leaders and something from the bench to get it done. The first game against Northern Colorado is probably the easiest task, but the most important, as the team will look to start off their home stand the right way.
Prediction: PSU 72-63

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Big Sky, Portland State | No Comments »

PSU VS WSU Preview

Wednesday, January 9th, 2008 by wiviking in Big Sky, Portland State


The Vikings recent success might lead fans to forget the disappointments of the early season. If they had hit the majority of their late free throws the team would be 12-4, and there would be no doubt they were the best team in the conference. Needless to say, that is not the case. A week ago most Viking fans would have been pessimistic about a tough conference game on the road. However, with the recent development of Kyle Coston, this game is once again intriguing.

Weber State is led offensively by the senior duo of Arturas Valeika, a versatile forward from Lithuania, and Dezmon Harris. The Wildcats have to be upset with the production from their veteran players. Both Harris and Juan Pablo Silveira have been less productive this year without David Patten. Unfortunately, their inability to fill that void has really hurt the team so far. The defending Big Sky champions are 5-8 thus far this year and lost their first conference game to last year’s cellar dweller, UNC. To turn things around this year Weber will have to get increased production from their veteran guys.

Match-Ups
Center
WSU: Arturas Valeika PSU: Scott Morrison
This is a game where Bone often looks to play Thomas inside. Offensively, Morrison should have no trouble scoring 10 points on Valeika. However, he isn’t mobile enough to cover Valeika if he is playing out on the wings putting up three balls. I don’t see Morrison getting more than 20 minutes in this one, but I’d be happy if he did. I think the Vikings need him in there to provide a post presence and a stronger rebounder. Because the Vikings made a big change in their offense after the first few games of the season, Morrison has less impact on the game. However, given the right system, he could be just as good as Valeika. I’ll give the edge to Valeika because the Wildcats are committed to giving him the ball and letting him go to work.
Advantage: Wildcats

Power Forward
WSU: Steve Panos PSU: Kyle Coston
To mention the word power in relation to Kyle Coston seems comical. The rail-thin shooter has the ability to rebound at times, but tends to foul quickly when matched up against more physical players, and he has no real power game offensively. It looks like he’ll continue to be the guy until he gives up the spot. Alex Tiefenthaler has done very little since becoming eligible, and Tyrell Mara has had a tough go of it since the Top of the World Classic. As long as Coston stays out of foul trouble, he should win this match-up because Panos isn’t much of an offensive guy at all. He’s averaged only 6 points per game. Other options for Weber at forward include Tyler Billings and Daviin Davis.
Advantage: Vikings

Guard/Forward
WSU: Juan Pablo Silveira PSU: Deonte Huff
Silveira had a strong 3 games against the Vikings last year. If he struggles, look for them to go to Davis who dominated the Vikings in limited time last year. Huff will look to rebound after a tough shooting game against NAU. Aside from the Akron game, it was his worst game of the year. Not bad to get 8 points and 9 rebounds from a guy in one of his worst games. There is no reason to believe the star will have any trouble getting back into form. It is possible that Silveira will get to Huff’s level by the time he is done, but this isn’t that time. I think Huff will have a big game, and he will need to if the Viks have a chance to pull this one out on the road.
Advantage: Vikings

Shooting Guard
WSU: Dezmon Harris PSU: Andre Murray
Murray has been a spark for the Vikings. When he starts the team is 5-1. As the number two scorer, the Wildcats will need more than the 9 points Harris scored against UNC if they are going to play with the Vikings. Harris has shown that ability, scoring 16 points against a tough Utah State team. If he scores 15+ points the game should stay close. If not, they will be pressed to score with Huff, Murray and Dominguez.
Advantage: Vikings

Point
WSU: Brody Van Brocklin/Kellen McCoy PSU: Jeremiah Dominguez
McCoy was the only player who was able to get into double figures for the Wildcats against UNC. He should be a good match-up for Dominguez and Mickey Polis as he is one of the few players in the country who isn’t taller than them. Van Brocklin is one of the three combo guards who starts for the Wildcats. Harris and Silveira are just as capable of running the team if they are asked to. PSU should again have the advantage here. If Dominguez can play the consistent basketball we have become accustomed to this year and Polis can knock down a couple shots, it would push the Vikings in the right direction.
Advantage: Vikings

Bench
The Viking bench has really come on since the beginning of the season. It remains to be seen whether or not they can sustain this energy, but it has led to some positive results recently. Two players who should factor in down the stretch are Tyrell Mara and Dupree Lucas. If either gets his starting spot back after his absence it would surprise me. Neither has had the kind of season expected from a starter, and that would lead me to believe that the guys in there now will finish out the season. The Wildcat bench is led by McCoy, Davis and Tyler Billings. They should all see significant time as Randy Rahe looks for an effective combination against the Vikings. Both teams have talented guys on the bench who should have an impact on the game and their production should be similar.
Advantage: Push

I am going to give the Vikings the advantage in this one, but not as big as their talent advantage would suggest. Randy Rahe is a much better coach than Ken Bone, even though he’s had a tough go of it this year. After seeing their early results, I feel that they just don’t have enough scoring to compete for the Big Sky crown this year.
Prediction: PSU 68-64

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Big Sky, Portland State | No Comments »

PSU VS SJSU Preview

Thursday, December 27th, 2007 by wiviking in Portland State

At 4-5, one would expect the San Jose State Spartans to be at the back of the pack in the WAC conference. However, this appears to be a down year for the conference as they are right in the middle so far. On the down side, none of those wins come against a team that is better than mediocre. This is another chance to make a statement against a team with a winning record. On December 15, they lost to Northern Arizona at home. They are a very young team. The two leading scorers are a sophomore and freshman respectively.

Well, what can you say about the Vikings? They weren’t able to win in the state of Washington, and that they cannot shoot free throws consistently well. It has been their downfall in two exciting games, the championship game of the TOWC against Colorado State and the EWU game Saturday. The good sign is that the level of competition will be fairly consistent the rest of the season. To this point, there has been a tough game, then an easy one. Perhaps consistency will help the team come together. The one glaring hole on this team is Scott Morrison. He disappeared recently, either due to bad play, or an injury, but the void has not been filled. The one thing that is obvious to fans is that the entire team suffers when he isn’t on the court.

Match-Ups
Center
SJSU: C.J. Webster PSU: Scott Morrison/Julius Thomas
At 6’8″ 255, Webster is similar to the size the Vikings will see all year in the Big Sky. The choice is whether or not to use Morrison. If they are going to remove him from the lineup, they might as well do it now, because it hasn’t helped the team to see him start, play 15 minutes, then sit the rest of the game. If they choose to keep him in there, he needs to play at least 25 minutes, and he needs to get a lot more touches. His presence makes the outside players much more dangerous, and his rebounding ability in the middle gives everyone more opportunities. Webster is averaging 9.3 points and 7 rebounds per game. This may be the game to move Thomas to power forward because of the center’s size. Kyle Coston has been very inconsistent this season, and it would allow Tiefenthaler to play a position where he would fit in better. JR Moore will be able to deal with the wide-body inside, and perhaps give Bone a reason to play Morrison more. If Morrison plays 25 minutes, the Vikings have an advantage, if not, the Spartans will take advantage.
Advantage: Push

Power Forward
SJSU: Chris Oakes PSU: Tyrell Mara
Since becoming eligible two games ago, Oakes has been the best player for the Spartans. He is the prototypical power forward with the ability to score and rebound well inside, but lacking an outside shot. He has the size to overpower Mara inside, which means that the Vikings have to exploit him defensively by playing Mara outside. If not, the best option is probably to play Tiefenthaler to try to match his size. Oakes is the key guy for the Spartans, and power forwards have tended to produce high numbers against the Vikings, so I’ll give the advantage to him.
Advantage: Spartans

Small Forward
SJSU: Tim Pierce PSU: Deonte Huff
Pierce is a guy who has the ability to explode offensively if his shot is dropping. He and should be a good match-up because they both have the instinct to be the guy for their teams. I think Huff will outproduce Pierce in this game because the Vikings have really relied on him in recent games. Pierce has less pressure to score due to the return of Oakes. After his first double-double of the year, Huff will try to stay hot, but the Vikings also need him to return to his status as the best free throw shooter. In the last 4 games, he is only 5-12 after a 5 game stretch where he was 23-25. The Vikings rely on the senior due to the recession of fellow seniors Lucas and Morrison.
Advantage: Vikings

Shooting Guard
SJSU: Justin Graham PSU: Dupree Lucas
The freshman Graham has had a great season for the Spartans picking up some of the scoring slack when Oakes was out. After a couple of steady games, Lucas got back to his early season form with bad shooting. After a great junior year, coach Ken Bone was expecting a lot more from Lucas. This is his opportunity to get it back on track. Perhaps he can exploit the freshman, and create better shots than he normally gets. If he can do that, he may be able to get back his confidence going into the bulk of the conference season. If he has trouble again, it may be the last straw. Murray has played much better than Lucas recently, and may be the better option going forward if Lucas continues shooting badly. Lucas is the better defender, so he will get the start. Perhaps the duo can hold Graham under 10 points. He and his backup, DaShawn Wright are averaging about 20 points per game, and should have the advantage in this match-up.
Advantage: Spartans

Point Guard
SJSU: Jamon Hill PSU: Jeremiah Dominguez
Hill is the only senior on the Spartans who really sees extended time. They will need him to provide leadership on a team that sorely needs it, especially if they are in this game late. Shockingly, even though he is under 6 feet tall, he is averaging over 3 rebounds per game. Dominguez had a tough second half against the Eagles after a perfect first half. The Vikings will need his points, as well as those of Polis to keep up with the pace of the Spartans. Both point guards have shot the ball well at the Stott Center this year, and that is likely to continue. The advantage definitely goes to the miniature duo of the Vikings, whose production has been a blessing in a down year for many.
Advantage: Vikings

Bench
The bench has disappeared recently for the Vikings aside from Murray and Polis. Guys like Hammond and Tiefenthaler will be relied upon to provide scoring and energy in a game that will likely have poor attendance. The two key guys for the Spartans are DaShawn Wright and Devonte Thomas, both of whom are wings. The Viking defenders have done a good job against bench scorers so far this season.
Advantage: Push

The Vikings haven’t played well recently, and this isn’t really a team to try to fix things against. Though they don’t have a great record, they are solid all the way around, and have the ability to score quickly. The Vikings play well at home, but this may not be much of an advantage without most of the students. If the Vikings can make their free throws, and get some inside production, they should win a close game.

Prediction: PSU 79-76

Tags: , ,
Posted in Portland State | No Comments »

PSU VS EWU Preview

Saturday, December 22nd, 2007 by wiviking in Portland State


Alright everybody, are you ready? It is time for Big Sky basketball. Though this game is only a tease into the conference season, it should be a good gauge in how they might fare the rest of the season.

Saturday marks the first shot a Big Sky team has had against the Eastern Washington Eagles in the post-Rodney Stuckey era. All signs indicate that opponents will like what they see. They are 3-1 at home, but the teams they beat in those three games have won a combined 6 D-I games all year. The Eagles are lead by senior Kellen Williams, who averages an astonishing 35 minutes per game. In the first game last year, the Vikings lost 88-70 at home to a strong team led by Stuckey and senior Paul Butorac, and beat the same team 92-88 in Cheney later in the season.

So far this season the Vikings are 3-4 on the road. Tuesday’s defeat against the Washington Huskies made the Vikings 0-3 against the Pac-10, but on the positive side, exposed them to the style of game they’ll have to play if they get to the NCAA tournament in March. It also provoked some questions from fans about the coaching decisions of Ken Bone. There will always be more questions when the team is losing, but concerns that Scott Morrison isn’t seeing enough time definitely appear valid. Along with Jeremiah Dominguez, he is the guy that makes the offense work. Even when he’s not scoring, he forces the defense to focus on him, opening up the perimeter for the rest of the team. From now on the Viks play a schedule full of games they can win, many of which they will be favored in. The January 13 game at Idaho State will be available on ESPN Full Court.

Match-Ups
Center
EWU: Brandon Moore PSU: Scott Morrison
After a lackluster performance at U-Dub, Morrison will look to rebound. Moore will present a challenge on the boards for Scott because he is a strong player inside. Though Kellen Williams leads the team in rebounds, the Eagles will depend on Moore to pick up some big ones inside if they want to win. Neither player is an explosive scorer, but I’ll give the edge to Morrison who leads in all statistical categories and should be able to use his height to get some put back opportunities. The other option the Eagles have used at center is Matt Brunell, but he is a smaller guy who has produced less, so Moore should get the start.
Advantage: Vikings

Power Forward
EWU: Kellen Williams PSU: Tyrell Mara
Mara had a tough night on Tuesday trying to cover Jon Brockman. Unlike that match-up, Mara won’t be at a major physical disadvantage in this one. As a smaller team, the Eagles may be forced to try to use the fast break against the Vikings. If they do, it is at their own peril. Both Mara and Tiefenthaler excel in that system, and outside of Morrison and JR Moore, it benefits every player’s game. Williams is the leading scorer and rebounder for the Eagles, and will not be taken lightly by the Vikings. I expect that they’ll try to really apply pressure with Mara, and when he tires, using Tief. If the Vikings really focus their effort here, they may not win the power forward point battle, but it will be hard for the Eagles to win. Besides Williams and DeLeon, they don’t really have another scoring option, which means bad nights for them almost always equates to a loss.
Advantage: Eagles

Small Forward
EWU: Marcus Hinton PSU: Deonte Huff
Hinton isn’t much of a scoring threat, but that doesn’t mean he can’t make a huge impact on the game. Huff has been the Vikings’ most consistent player offensively, even when he’s not shooting well from the outside. If Hinton is able to slow him down while staying out of foul trouble, it could go a long way in keeping the Eagles in this game late. If he can’t it’s tough to see how they could win. The Vikings have too many advantages on the rest of the floor. As for Huff, he’s really moved into a leadership role by example. He gives great effort every night while performing at a high level, and a great example is the massive improvement in free throw percentage, even though he has played more minutes. I expect him to beat Hinton in every category, but I think Hinton will be able to slow him down enough to keep it close near the end.
Advantage: Vikings

Shooting Guard
EWU: Trey Gross/Milan Stenojevic PSU: Dupree Lucas/Andre Murray
The starter for each team is the more consistent performer. The backups are explosive scorers who can shoot the lights out from the outside. Lucas did a great job along with Dominguez on Justin Dentmon, and has really become a more consistent, if scoring less than before. Murray has developed into a potent weapon for the Vikings as the season has gone on, which has helped the team win some tough games like the one against Utah Valley State. Gross is a pretty good player for the Eagles, but nothing special. Stenovic, the junior newcomer is a different story. Though his effect depends entirely on his shooting, he can really torch an opponent. Even though he is new to the team, the seem ready to delegate a large number of shots to him in tough contests. In games against Wazzu, U-Dub Santa Clara, and Portland, he averaged 9 shots per game and over 11 points. Neither option had any success defensively against Nik Raivio, so the Viks will hope that they can outscore the duo.
Advantage: Push

Point
EWU: Gary Gibson/Adris DeLeon PSU: Jeremiah Dominguez/Mickey Polis
After a tough stretch early in the season, definitely warrants mention as a semi-starter. Though he isn’t the most effective running the offense, and he isn’t as quick as Dominguez, his ability to shoot the 3 ball make him an important piece of the Vikings’ arsenal. After the game off JD came back with a strong effort against the Huskies. If the Viks’ two point guards duplicate their performance from that game, there is no team with a better combination in the Big Sky. The Eagles boast a strong pair themselves. Sophomore Gary Gibson isn’t the prototypical pass first point guard, but he plays a very effective game. He has the ability to score in bunches at times, as the big total against Idaho speaks to. The real star of the team may be Bronx native and future candidate for All Big Sky Adris DeLeon. He is the team’s best passer and third best rebounder. If need be, he can carry the team on his shoulders offensively (22 points @Washington, 24 @ Kansas.) If the Viks are able to shut down Williams, and Stenojevic has an off-shooting night, look for DeLeon to pick it up.
Advantage: Push

Bench
Even though they had a tough night on Tuesday, there is still reason to believe in the Viking bench. There is a lot of talent as players have exhibited all year, but a major lack of consistency outside of Murray recently, and Thomas on the boards. This may point out that the lack of confidence that coaches have had in players has had an effect. I look for this trend to continue in this one. Maybe Hammond, Tiefenthaler, or Coston will come back with a strong game. It’s hard to tell who it is going to be at any given time. The Eagles have a bench led by the strong play of DeLeon and Stenojevic. If they have good games, it could help keep an otherwise mediocre offensive team in the game. The advantage goes to the depth of the Vikings, no matter how inconsistent.
Advantage: Vikings

The first conference game, especially on the road, should be a thrill for the new guys. Nobody else has played yet, so the winner gets the top spot in Big Sky rankings for the coming week. If the Eagles are able to come out with a strong shooting game and get some production out of their two bench stars they could win this game at home. Unfortunately, I don’t think they can put together a full team effort yet, and even a semi-solid performance from the Viks should get it done. Hopefully, Coach Bone will give Morrison some more minutes to utilize his advantage.

Prediction: PSU 68-61

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Portland State | No Comments »

PSU VS Washington Preview

Monday, December 17th, 2007 by wiviking in Portland State


The Huskies are missing four players from last year’s game, and 36 of the 105 points. The biggest subtraction is that of Spencer Hawes in the middle, but the Huskies are also going to miss the 9 points of Phil Nelson, who transfered to PSU. This year’s Husky team is also anchored by a big man in the middle, Ryan Sommer’s high school teammate Jon Brockman. He’s only 6’7″, but he uses his 245 pounds very well, rebounding as well as anyone in the country right now. Not that they can necessarily do it again, but Brockman was the only player that the Vikings were really able to stop during last year’s game. As a whole, the team has almost as much talent as the squad that beat the Viks by 32 points, but they lack the explosive offense. They are hoping that senior Ryan Appleby can fix that problem. He is averaging 18 points per game since returning from a thumb injury.

PSU’s best effort in last year’s contest came from the departed Ryan Sommer, but Deonte Huff also provided a solid effort off the bench. He will need to provide that and more if the Vikings are going to pull off the upset this year. Who else can come up with some points? Scott Morrison played well when he was in the game last year, but Hawes was ultimately able to draw him into foul trouble that prevented him from having a huge one.

Match-Ups
Big Men
UW: Jon Brockman PSU: Scott Morrison
While Morrison is much taller, Brockman is clearly the more put together. What does this mean to their match-up inside? Likely that Brockman will win. He’s an effort player, which really hurts Morrison. Morrison tires quickly, and has trouble offensively when his defender doesn’t take plays off. This is especially salient when his defender can overpower him. The only way that the Vikings can win this match-up is by getting Brockman into foul trouble. Because the Huskies won’t have to double team in the post, Morrison should get some opportunities for shots inside. If he can keep his arms extended, he should be able to compete, and possibly draw Brockman into some stupid fouls.
Advantage: Huskies

Power Forward
UW: Quincy Pondexter PSU: Alex Tiefenthaler
It’s hard to justify Mara getting the start here. The Viks haven’t needed Mara offensively much recently. As his scoring has disappeared, his playing time has too. He should provide a strong backup here, but likely won’t see extended time unless Tief gets in foul trouble, or the Viks need 3 point shooting. Tiefenthaler has been effective since his insertion into the rotation two games ago. If he gets the start, the Viks will need him to score more than the 5.5 he is averaging, but it is very likely that all he needs is increased playing to do that. Pondexter is a good match-up for Tiefenthaler. Like Brockman, he’s had to change his role since the departure of Hawes. He went from being a small forward who was relied on to score, to being a power forward who is relied on to rebound more. As a result, his production in certain categories has shifted. I think given increased playing time, Tiefenthaler should be able to equal Pondexter’s production.
Advantage: Push

Guard/Forward
UW: Ryan Appleby PSU: Deonte Huff
Huff clearly has the physical advantage in this match-up, and should eclipse Appleby in almost every category. The question is whether or not he can slow him down scoring-wise, while at the same time continuing his recent hot shooting. I think that might be a bit much to ask, especially if the Viks rely on his scoring. I think both that they’ll both score 15+ points, with all of Appleby’s coming on 3 pointers. I give the edge to Huff because he’s a more complete player, even though Appleby may outscore him. If Appleby doesn’t shoot the ball well, the Huskies have a couple of other options in Tim Morris and Joel Smith who match up better physically with Huff.
Advantage: Vikings

Shooting Guard
UW: Justin Dentmon PSU: Dupree Lucas/Andre Murray
Dupree carried over his solid, if not flashy play in the Cal Poly game. He had 10 points and 4 assists in a game where he didn’t play much because of foul trouble. The key thing he provided was leadership. Though he has been erratic shooting the ball at times, he is a very aggressive defensive player who provides the leadership the team needs when Morrison is on the bench. Murray returned from the ankle injury with a solid game himself. He shot the ball well from the outside and rebounded well. Both players should provide the same things offensively and on the boards against Dentmon. The key however, is how they play against him defensively. Though he is only 5’11″, he can provide stats in every category. Aside from 3 games, he has gone for double digits in every contest, and tends to step up his play for the big games. I think the combo for the Viks will eclipse Dentmon’s effort, but he is a better player than either individually.
Advantage: Push

Point Guard
UW: Venoy Overton PSU: Jeremiah Dominguez/Mickey Polis
Depending on who starts for the Vikings, Overton could have a huge game. I think that the Huskies will rely on Overton to score in this one, whether or not Dominguez is playing. Outside of the center position, this is the one position where they have an advantage that they can exploit. Look for them to try to get Overton to use his size to drive and post up against the Vikings’ miniature point guards. If Dominguez doesn’t play, the problem will be exacerbated by Polis’ tendency to turn the ball over. I really enjoy watching his effort, and I thought he played a great game on Wednesday, but even though he was more cautious with the dribble, his passes still looked terrible. It’s doubtful he’ll be able to replicate his 15 point performance against a team like the Huskies. I give the advantage to Overton in a one-on-one match-up, who’s stats should look more like they did against Syracuse than his averages. Both of the Viking point guards are capable of scoring, but their games are fairly one dimensional.
Advantage: Huskies

Bench
PSU’s bench has had some really strong games like the one on Wednesday, and some really poor ones, especially early on. If all the guys play as well as they are capable of, they are very good, however, many of them are reliant on shooting for their offense to run. I give them the advantage over the group of Smith, Morris, Wolfinger, and Bryan-Amaning. The Huskies lost key reserve guard Adrian Oliver, who decided to transfer a couple of years ago.
Advantage: Vikings

I think the outcome will ultimately be decided by whether or not Jeremiah Dominguez plays, and how well the Vikings can shoot the 3 ball. If they can make a high percentage, and the Huskies continue their 60 percent clip at the free throw line, then the Viks could find themselves in the game late. As far as match-ups go, a tough game down the stretch might go their way, especially with how they’ve done so far this season. The Huskies have outscored their opponents by 3.7 points per game, while the Vikings have outscored theirs by 2.4 points. If more points are scored, that favors the Huskies. I think they should beat the Vikings, based on the venue of the game. It could really go either way, but the Vikings will need all their scorers to be on at once to win this one.

Prediction: UW 79-74

Tags: , ,
Posted in Portland State | No Comments »

PSU 74 Cal Poly 66

Wednesday, December 12th, 2007 by wiviking in Portland State

This game had disaster written on it from the beginning. Jeremiah Dominguez was out in street clothes, and it looks like he may be out for academic reasons which would likely be a season ending suspension. The pay seats were almost empty. Those in charge of marketing at the athletic department have a lot of work to do to make the Stott Center an intimidating place to play. On the bright side, both Andre Murray and Justynn Hammond were in action tonight, and the Vikings would need both their contributions to pull off a victory.

First Half
Play began dreadfully for the Vikings. Their game plan was to feed Scott Morrison in the post to take advantage of the size discrepancy. Much to the chagrin of Tyler Geving, Morrison turned the ball over the first two touches he got. Then he was yanked and he sat and sat and sat. The Viks played over ten minutes without Morrison on the floor, and his replacement was the offensively-limited Julius Thomas. How you can bench your biggest mismatch in the game for ten minutes over two turnovers is incomprehensible. The Viks struggled offensively without Dominguez and Morrison, and they sputtered along for most of the half save for the efforts of Deonte Huff and Andre Murray. Then, to the surprise of most fans present, the Vikings found a serviceable backup at small forward. Out was Kyle Coston who has struggled all year, and in was Justynn Hammond. He provided great energy off the bench and hit two big 3 pointers. He looked a little uncomfortable on defense, and looked lost without the ball, but was magical with it in his hands. Then, another screwed up coaching move occurred. Alex Tiefenthaler was subbed out after a long stretch at the four and Tyrell Mara came in. After Mara didn’t rush the shooter on a made 3 ball, Geving pulled him out and put back in the exhausted looking Tiefenthaler. Ken Bone finally put a leash on his power hungry assistant and chewed him out. The entire half was dominated by great shooting by the Mustangs. They seemed to make every outside shot they took, led by Trae Clark. Dupree Lucas looked in control for the Vikings all half, and played well while at the same time providing much-needed leadership. Unfortunately, he couldn’t stay out of foul trouble, drawing three in the first half. The Viks were able to cut the lead to one point at the end of the half due to strong play by Murray, Polis, Huff, and Morrison.

Halftime 37-36 Cal Poly

Second Half
The Viks came out with a completely different energy level in the second half. They finally got the crowd into the game by throwing down some dunks, and hitting some big outside shots. Though he turned the ball over a few times on bad passes, Polis played a very solid game in place of Dominguez. He was able to make most of the shots he took, and did not have the ball stolen on the dribble. Charles Anderson led the Mustangs offensively, and without his effort, they would have been blown out of the building. Their leading scorer, Lorenzo Keeler, did absolutely nothing all night, hurting their chances. Down the stretch, they were unable to hit outside shots, and big outside shots by Lucas and Tiefenthaler sealed the deal.

Final Score: PSU 74-66

Everybody is healthy now, but the Vikings’ success will center around whether or not Dominguez plays the rest of the way. If not, Polis will have to run the show, and work on making better passes. Hopefully Justynn Hammond will be the long term solution to the problems of the bench. The result is unsatisfactory after the whooping the Mustangs received from NAU, but the win is the most important thing at this juncture.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Portland State | No Comments »

PSU VS Cal Poly (12/12) Preview

Tuesday, December 11th, 2007 by wiviking in Big Sky


Cal Poly finished second in the Big West last season, posting a 19-11 mark. They beat the Vikings in a BracketBuster game 92-87 last year in San Luis Obispo. This season, they have had trouble shooting, and as a result, trouble winning. So far this season, they are .500, and 2-4 on the road. The Mustangs are coming off an 85-51 loss to NAU on Sunday. In that game, they shot 32% to bring their season average to 38.5%. The Mustangs distribute the scoring very evenly with 7 players averaging 6 points per game, and none averaging more than 10. They are lead by sophomore Lorenzo Keeler, who only plays 19.6 minutes per game, but averages 9.6.

The Vikings are happy to return to the “friendly” confines at the Stott Center after the water damaged court left them without a home for the last two weeks. In the last week, the players went from a solid team that had won two road games in a row over teams it was supposed to beat to one that barely held on against a team they should have beaten by 40. Sunday night’s game against Washington State saw the team take some steps back in the right direction, especially on the part of D-Huff. He returned to the form of late last season, which could spell doom for opponents. He was already a complete player save for on the ball defense, but with a shooting touch he is next to unstoppable. Jeremiah Dominguez also showed some life after a terrible performance against the Pioneers. On the other hand, some players were nowhere to be found. Scott Morrison only had 5 points on three shots, leading many Viking fans to question Coach Bone’s play calling, and Morrison’s positioning. Sunday was his second opportunity against a bigger opponent, and both opportunities have shown Scott’s weakness. Both Kevin Love and Aron Baynes have been able to get inside and score, as well as keep Scotty away from the basket with their wide bodies, and he’s been unable to answer. The other major question is whether or not Justynn Hammond will be available for his first action as a Viking on Wednesday. He arrived as a recruit last fall, but was unable to qualify academically, so he’s been working the last year to do it.

Match-Ups
Center
CP: Titus Shelton PSU: Scott Morrison
Shelton scored a career-high 20 points in the game against the Vikings last year. He went on to become the Big West Conference Defensive Player of the Year, averaging 1.48 blocks per game. If he is to replicate that success against the Vikings, something will have to go wrong. If the team speed of the Mustangs or foul trouble forces them to go small, it could happen. Otherwise, Morrison should win this match-up. He should be strong enough to deal with Shelton down low, and has a 4 inch height advantage. Morrison has done well against smaller defenders this season, scoring in double figures in every mismatch contest except IUPUI. Shelton’s production has dwindled in the last two games, but he should get the nod here with his success last year, and his larger size.
Advantage: Vikings

Power Forward
CP: Matt Hanson PSU: Alex Tiefenthaler/Tyrell Mara
This is an interesting position choice for the coaching staff: Do they go with the bigger guy to save back-court depth against a guard-heavy team, or do they go with the guy who’s been starting all year? I think they go with Mara to start off because Tief didn’t play big minutes against Wazzu. However, if he doesn’t wear down, he may see a majority of the minutes, especially if Hammond is eligible. Hanson has been very inconsistent this year for the Mustangs. He began the season averaging double-figures, but hasn’t done much recently. His production on the boards has also seen a significant decline over the same time period. When he’s on, Hanson can be a difficult match-up because he has a good shooting touch outside, and soft hands inside. He is also a tough defender. I doubt we’ll se much point production from this position on Wednesday because neither team will have much of an advantage.
Advantage: Push

Guard/Forward
CP: Dawin Whiten PSU: Deonte Huff
After a solid beginning to his career at Poly, Whiten’s production is down significantly. Across the board, he’s worse at everything. 3 less points per game, 1 less rebound, and a 3 point percentage that’s gone down from 36 to 27%. He will need to find his touch from the outside, and make better passes if the Mustangs are going to have a chance in this one. What can be said about Deonte Huff? Eventually you knew he’d find his stroke. Unlike Lucas, he is able to get to the rim and free throw line, so he’s been scoring 10+ without jump shots. With the jump shot, he’s a very dangerous player. Look for the Vikings to try to run the high-low with Huff and Morrison and create some fluidity, because they should both have success on Wednesday.
Advantage: Vikings

Shooting Guard
CP: Chaz Thomas/Lorenzo Keeler PSU: Dupree Lucas
Though he probably won’t start, Keeler’s scoring ability warrants him mention as part of the starting lineup. Like Whiten, Thomas has seen a drop-off in the numbers as the team shooting percentage has gone down. He was a very important part of the offense in the first 5 games, and has been less utilized since. If he is ineffective, the Mustangs will go with Keeler who got stuck with the bagel on Sunday night on 0-6 shooting. The production here can only go up for them, so the Vikings better be prepared. Until Andre Murray’s ankle allows him to play, this is once again Dupree’s position. He was very good in Alaska, but dreadful after that until Sunday. With improved shot selection and patience he can be a very effective player, especially when others are shooting the ball well. I expect Lucas to have a good game after the success Huff and Dominguez enjoyed on Sunday. If eligible, Justynn Hammond will probably see some minutes here. Hopefully he can get a few looks at home.
Advantage: Mustangs

Point
CP: Trae Clark PSU: Jeremiah Dominguez
Clark is the one guy for Cal Poly who has really stepped up his game this year. He has taken on an increased scoring load while passing and rebounding better too. Like JD, he’s a small guy who likes to shoot the 3. Jeremiah is back after a bad game against Lewis & Clark. He should excel in a game like this because he likes to run and snap off quick passes.
Advantage: Push

Bench
The two guys who see a lot of minutes off the bench for the Mustangs are Keeler and Dreshawn Vance, a 6’7″ forward. In this game, they may also give wide-bodied center Zach Thurow some minutes. He has only seen action in two games, but as the only center on the roster, might warrant some time against the sizable Morrison. At 6’9″, 270 you have to wonder why he chose basketball over football after high school. For the Vikings, Julius Thomas will definitely see considerable minutes, as will Tiefenthaler. Depending on the need for shooting, Kyle Coston may also see extended time. With their newfound depth, the Vikings should have some really serviceable guys available at every position.
Advantage: PSU

The Mustangs are prone to turnovers and bad shooting. On the road, these problems should only be accentuated. Add this to the fact that they’re not a particularly good defensive team, and this should be a contest that favors the Vikings. The outcome will depend on how well the teams shoot, and whether or not Poly can defend Morrison inside. I think that they may do well at the 2 guard, but I don’t think this team is built to win on the road.

Prediction: PSU 78-66

Tags: , ,
Posted in Big Sky | No Comments »

Portland State VS Washington State (12/9) Preview

Thursday, December 6th, 2007 by wiviking in Portland State


This picture of Cougars center Aron Baynes may be what the Vikings look like after Sunday night’s contest. The Washington State Cougars coached by Tony Bennett, suddenly became a good basketball team last year. After years and years of struggles, and terrible recruiting it looks like the Cougars may now have a squad that will be a power for years to come. Though they lost in the second round of the NCAA tournament to Vanderbilt, and lost in the finals of the Pac-10 tournament to USC, they had a very good team last year, and very well could have gone as far as the elite eight. This year, they return all of their best players, including studs Derrick Low and Kyle Weaver. So far this season, Washington State is 8-0, and they are coming off two very solid road victories at Baylor and Gonzaga. They have been on a quest to prove they’re a legitimate power in the Pac-10, and last night’s victory might have done just that. If they can get through this one unscathed, they should begin the Pac-10 season undefeated.

On the flip side of the coin there are the Vikings. They’re coming off a terrible game last night against Division III Lewis & Clark that they should have lost based on the way they played. That said, they are 6-3 so far, which gives them the best record in the Big Sky Conference. They will have Scott Morrison back on the inside who is 100%, but could be without Andre Murray, whose ankle injury’s severity is unknown at this time. The Vikings are also hoping to get two new additions to the roster, Alex Tiefenthaler and Justynn Hammond. Tiefenthaler transfered from Portland at this time last year, and Hammond has been in classes for over a year trying to become academically eligible. Tiefenthaler would be a big boost on the inside, where JR Moore has been largely ineffective, and Kyle Coston has been useless. He has made a few outside shots, but he’s still too small to fight for rebounds. Hammond, if eligible, would probably fit into the mix at backup small forward, or backup off guard.

Match-Ups
Center
Wazzu: Aron Baynes PSU: Scott Morrison
Unless Coach Bone really thought PSU could win this game, Morrison’s being held of the game last night doesn’t make much sense. Outside of the exhibition game, and Kevin Love, Scott hasn’t gone up against a player of this size. (6’10″ 270) Baynes is a very strong inside presence, and has played a solid game offensively so far this season. Like Morrison, he gets fewer rebounds due to playing for a team on which the smaller players rebound well. Baynes plays the fewest minutes per game of any starter on the Cougs, but has a talented backup in Caleb Forrest, who is also effective on the inside. Morrison can compete with either one, but probably not both. Even if Tiefenthaler plays, they’ll probably have to play him at power forward, because Cowgill is way too big for Mara. I’ll give the edge to Wazzu, but only because they have a better backup, power wise.
Advantage: Cougars

Power Forward
Wazzu: Robbie Cowgill PSU: Tyrell Mara/Alex Tiefenthaler
There are very few teams in the country who start two guys this big. Cowgill is huge for a college level power forward at 6’10″. As a result, it creates big mismatches for opponents. For Portland State, it will be no different. They have a few options here. If Tiefenthaler is eligible, he’s a no brainer against Cowgill. If not, they could play Morrison here, with Moore at center. This would set up a match-up between two great shot blockers, as Morrison is #1 all-time at PSU, and Cowgill is 7th all-time at Wazzu. The third option is to go with their standard lineup and play Tyrell Mara here. It could definitely work, but would be risky. On the up side, Mara could really stretch the defense with his shooting and open up mid-range shots for Huff, Murray, and Lucas. On the down side, Mara is nowhere near big enough to guard Cowgill down low, and would either allow a bunch of points, or get in foul trouble early. Therefore, the Vikings will have to hope Tiefenthaler is eligible because he is both big enough to pound with Cowgill inside, and agile enough to keep up with his mid range shooting ability. Due to unknown factors, PSU can’t prepare properly for Cowgill, so I’ll give him the advantage.
Advantage: Cougars

Guard/Forward
Wazzu: Kyle Weaver PSU: Deonte Huff/Tyrell Mara
If Tiefenthaler is eligible to play, that opens up options at this position too. Mara, because of his physical nature, larger stature, rebounding ability, and intense defense, is a better match-up against Weaver. With two guys who are 6’6″, and have big hot streaks on offense to go along with tenacious defense, this could be a very intriguing match-up. If Tief can’t go, that puts Huff on Weaver. These two are also a good match-up, but one that favors the Cougars. Weaver is bigger, and a better on the ball defender than Huff. Both players are streaky shooters, but have the ability to get inside and create opportunities for themselves, as well as rebound with the big men. Either one presents a match-up that the Vikings could win given the right circumstances, but an unfriendly venue, just finishing finals, and a terrible warm up game don’t bode well for the Vikings.
Advantage: Cougars

Off-Guard
Wazzu: Derrick Low PSU: Andre Murray/Dupree Lucas/Deonte Huff
Some college basketball analysts have said that Derrick Low is the best player in the country that nobody knows about. Because he plays on the west coast, combined with playing in a relatively small media market, Low gets no attention outside of road games. The people who you can be sure have their eyes on Low is the opposing coaches. Low is a deadly outside shooter who has the knack to get inside shots too, even though he is only 6’2″ and just under 200 pounds. He consistently plays at the level Dupree Lucas plays at when he’s at his best. That means trouble for the Vikings. Out of the three possible match-ups, none is a very good defender outside of Lucas. However, when Lucas goes 100% on the defensive end, he becomes non-existent on the offensive end. That’s why I think he’s the best choice in this one. Forcing him to play tough defense will keep him from taking stupid shots the second he gets the ball because he’ll be too tired to do so. If either of the other options for the Vikings play here, the result will be this: 25+ points for Low, about 10 for his opponent. Not bad for a match-up against a player who will compete for Pac-10 player of the year, but not good enough if the Vikings really want to have a chance to win.
Advantage: Cougars

Point
Wazzu: Taylor Rochestie PSU: Jeremiah Dominguez
This may be the one place where the Vikings can actually compete in this game outside the center position. If it is to be, Dominguez will really have to be on his game. Both teams can play a quick game, so Dominguez won’t have an advantage if he tries to push too much. Good shooting, and quick hands on the defensive end will be necessary to achieve that goal. Rochestie is a very talented offensively, with the ability to stroke it from long range, and the ability to create good shots for his teammates. If he can exploit his major height advantage, it would benefit the Cougars in a big way. Look for him to try posting up early, as Lewis & Clark attempted unsuccessfully with Tillery. In this case, it is much more likely to work. If it does, Morrison is going to have to be ready with the help inside.
Advantage: Cougars

Bench
Both benches are pretty solid. Neither has a player on it who is doing any real damage offensively so far this season, but both have talented players (Harmeling, Forrest) (Lucas, Thomas.) The team that has the advantage in the match-up of the benches is the one who gets a good effort from one of the players not mentioned above. Maybe Coston can come up with a strong game in his home state, or maybe freshman Stephen Sauls can put up som points for the Cougs. Either way this is a good match-up.
Advantage: Push

Though I think the Cougars have an edge at every position, I think most of them are small advantages. However, the Cougs have home court advantage in this one, and big- time confidence off their game last night. The one thing the Vikings do have going for them is that the Cougars are coming off a very physical hard-fought victory against Gonzaga (as indicated by the photo.) If they overlook the Viks, then there is a chance this could be an exciting ball game. If not, it will likely resemble the one against UCLA. I predict a hard-fought battle, but I don’t think PSU can compete on these terms. There are too many unknowns in a match-up that already favored the Cougars.

Prediction: Washington State: 74-58

Tags: , ,
Posted in Portland State | 2 Comments »

PSU VS Lewis Clark

Wednesday, December 5th, 2007 by wiviking in Portland State

Good news! Sounds like next week’s game against Cal-Poly will be played back at the Stott. Vikings are 20-18 overall against the Pioneers. Hopefully, they will never be close to .500 again in this match-up.
Starting Lineups:
PSU: Morrison JR Moore, Mara, Huff, Murray, Dominguez
L&C: Joey Toboni, Gene Rivera, David Berggren, Josh Kollasch, Thomas Tillery
Morrison will sit this one out due to a lingering back problem. It sounds like he’ll be back for the Washington State game, and that there’s still a chance we’ll see Tiefenthaler and Hammond. According to Coach Bone, this is probably the last time he’ll get a chance for two days off in a row. Murray gets the start over Lucas. Hopefully this leads to the bench energy I mentioned in the preview.

First Half
JR Moore started off the game by drawing a foul on Kollasch and hitting a pair of free throws. Tillery got by Dominguez early to draw a foul. Huff missed two early three balls, making him 5-23 on the year. Luckily for the Vikings, the Pioneers also started shooting very cold, missing their first 7. First Timeout: 5-0 Vikings After the break, the Pioneers subbed their entire lineup. They put in Waagmeester, Papenfuss, Robinowitz, Thierry, Allen. Papenfuss scored the first two for the Pioneers inside, and after a Mara 3 for the Viks, Robinowitz answered. Just as I had guessed, 7 minutes into the game Dominguez got collared with his second foul. Off the inbound, Papenfuss muscled inside again for another L & C basket. After the Pioneers had closed to one, the Vikings pulled off a run of their own. Second Timeout: 14-7 Vikings Andre Murray started the game 4-5 after hitting back-to-back jumpers. The Pioneers ran an offense which played their point guard Tillery posting up, and though he had a height advantage, it didn’t work well early. Ahead of a Berggren jumper that made it 18-9, Dupree Lucas missed another jumper causing a quick sub. Even in this game, things aren’t looking up for him. Hopefully he’ll soon find a way out of the funk he’s in now. Third Timeout 20-11 Vikings The decidedly pro-Pioneer crowd was unhappy with the referees multiple times in the first half, and for a good reason. Instead of allowing the game to come to him, Lucas continued to force offense (0-5), and with poor results. To start the game, he and Huff shot a combined 1-10. The Pioneers were losing big early, but not because of the skill difference. Instead, it was a result of many turnovers, and taking bad shots. The only reason it was as close as it was was 2-15 3 point shooting by the Vikings. Late in the half, the Pioneers went on a run. Berggren hit a three ball, Papenfuss put in another inside bucket, and Berggren converted an inside shot. Fourth Timeout 26-18 Vikings Unfortunately for the Pioneers, Berggren is a 33% free throw shooter.

Halftime 32-20 Vikings
The Pioneers kept this one close by playing good defense against a talented Viking team. Unfortunately, they were unable to keep up with Andre Murray, who had 12 first half points. The Vikings should be happy the spread was as large as it was with one of their starters out with an injury, and two others went 2-12 from the field.
L & C: 29% first half shooting

Second Half
Murray starts the second half with a strong board to get him 1 away from his first double-double at PSU. For some reason, he was yanked right away in favor of Lucas. Tillery then drove the ball down the lane and met his high school teammate JR Moore who drew a charge. Lucas finally hit his first field goal, but promptly missed another. First Timeout 36-21 Vikings The next segment of the game was characterized by terrible shooting and 4 fouls on Nick Thierry. Deonte Huff continued his great free throw shooting, and Papenfuss cut the lead to 13 with 2 more inside buckets. Second Timeout 42-29 Vikings Papenfuss continued his strong play, and the Pioneers slowly continued their assault on the lead. Third Timeout 48-36 Vikings At 50-39, the Pioneers had a chance to cut the lead to single digits, but they threw away their first chance. However, on their second opportunity, Mark Robinowitz hit a 3 ball to cut the lead to 8. The Pioneers made 3 out of their first 5 from the outside in the second half. JR Moore answered with a layup, but Papenfuss came right back with one of his own. Moore did okay, but appeared overworked due to his limited practice time. Andre Murray came down with an ankle injury with around 4 minutes to go. After the injury, 56% free throw shooter Gene Rivera hit two big ones to cut the lead to 6 before Papenfuss drew his fourth foul. It didn’t cost them, as 86% free throw shooter Tyrell Mara clanked both of them. Huff got an offensive board and put it back in, but fouled out right afterwards. Brian Curtis came in for Huff seeing rare late minutes. Ditto for Julius Thomas who played well inside, albeit against lesser foes. Final Timeout 56-48 Vikings JT hit another big layup coming off the timeout to run his tally to 9, but Tillery came back down for the Pioneers, converting an and-one which cut the lead back down to 7. He then hit a pair of throws to cut the lead to 5. If the run had started earlier, they probably could have won the game. Rivera also played well cutting the lead to 3 with 30 seconds to go. The Pioneers put Brian Curtis on the line, who converted 1 of 2 with 23 seconds left. Tillery converted another and-one to cut the lead to one with 15 seconds left. The Pioneers stole the ball from JD, and had a good look to win the game. Fortunately for the Viks, they couldn’t convert.
Final 61-60 Vikings

David Berggren who’s averaged in double figures the last two years, is only averaging 8 this year, and had a tough game tonight. On the bright side, Tyson Papenfuss was very good, scoring in double digits for the Pioneers. Robinowitz also scored 10 in the second half. I’m not sure this game would have been close if Morrison had played, but the team was clearly fundamentally sound. Thomas Tillery really turned it on late, scoring 8 points in the last 4 minutes.

For the Vikings, Andre Murray was very good. He had 14 in the contest, and also rebounded well. Dupree Lucas continued his horrendous senior season shooting 1 for 11. The Vikings shot only 6-12 from the charity stripe, and their best shooter fouled out with 4 minutes to go. Julius Thomas played great late minutes, contributing 11 points. None of the starters outside of Murray really played a good game. Outside of the terrible shooting from their stars, Dominguez and Mara could not duplicate their early season form.

Realistically, this result is unacceptable. The game should never have been that close. In the Stott Center, with Morrison, this game wouldn’t have been close. Dupree Lucas needs to contribute for the Vikings to win. Losing Murray late made this game very dangerous.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Portland State | No Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »
Copyright ©2007-2010 by

a Missoula Media company