Meet the Vikings
March 16th, 2009 by WiVikingThis is an introduction to the Vikings for Xavier fans, or anyone new to Portland State basketball who might be interested. Portland State primarily goes with an eight man rotation. Wendell Wright and Mickey Polis could play, but only if the Vikings get in foul trouble or the game gets out of hand. If you want averages or other statistical data I don’t include, I figure that’s easy to get, so I won’t bother with too much. The positional breakdown will be available tomorrow.
Jamie Jones – Center – 6’7”
Junior – El Segundo, California
Jamie transferred to Portland State from the University of Portland after his sophomore season. Prior to some injury problems halfway through the season, he was one of the Viks’ main offensive weapons (Averaged 10.6 points per game in the first 14 games). After the injuries, he hasn’t been the same player. Although the game plan always seems to include getting Jones the ball at the beginning of every half, his only well-rounded performance of the second half was a 15 point, 10 rebound effort at Eastern Washington. Jones had the reputation of being a good shot-blocker coming in, but has shown very little ability to handle other teams’ centers in any way, shot-blocking or otherwise.
Julius Thomas – Center/Forward – 6’5”
Junior – Stockton, California
You Xavier fans must be salivating when you see his height. Julius is an athletic freak with an unmatched work ethic who has never really put it all together on the basketball court. Like Jones, he is definitely more suited to playing the 4 than the 5, but adjusted to his role nicely when the two expected centers for the Vikings ended up not playing this season. His offensive rebounding really stands out if the other team doesn’t crash the boards hard. Thomas came on down the stretch after Jones’ injury. Big games include a 14 point, 10 rebound effort against Montana, and a 17 point, 5 rebound effort against Montana State in the Big Sky Tournament Final. Thomas starts on the bench, and usually is the backup center, but could see extensive time at power forward if Coston and Mara can’t handle the guys Xavier throws at them.
Kyle Coston – Forward – 6’8”
Junior – Lynden, Washington
Kyle Coston is the heart guy for the Vikings. He is the most likely to get into a fight, or dive on the floor. Coston transitioned to the starting lineup halfway through last season and never relinquished his role. Unfortunately, he has never really stepped up the way the coaching staff, or many fans, would like. He has the potential to score 15 points per game when he is shooting the ball well from the outside, but definitely is on the floor more for energy than anything else. His 6 point per game average is misleading because he is much more likely to go for 2 or 10 than he is for 6.
Tyrell Mara – Forward – 6-6”
Junior – White Rock, British Columbia
Mara is the best interior defender the Vikings have. During his freshman season, he was a great rebounder and defender, bringing extreme intensity. However, his sophomore season was cut short after only 15 minutes of game time and he ended up redshirting. When he came back last season, Tyrell had developed into a starting perimeter player, and had a few solid offensive games to start the season. Unfortunately, this came at the cost of rebounding and defense, something the team sorely needed. A true team player, Mara has gone back to his old role while at the same time preserving his 3 point shot.
Phil Nelson – Forward – 6’7”
Sophomore – Keizer, Oregon
Nelson is the only player on the Viking squad whose physical talents brought an impressive offer sheet like the ones some Xavier players would have seen. After starting his college career coming off the bench at the University of Washington, Nelson opted for more certain playing time and the chance to play on a nightly basis in front of friends and family. He has the potential to be a real hassle to any team given his size and range, but is yet to develop into the type of interior presence that keeps a defense honest. Given the lack of inside scoring that the entire team has, his shortfalls become a lot more obvious. Depending on the type of defensive game Raymond or any other defender plays against him, he could score 25 points and deliver some crowd-pleasing dunks, or he could score 2 and appear invisible to those expecting something spectacular.
Andre Murray – Guard – 6’2”
Senior – Los Angeles, California
Murray is the most versatile player the Vikings have. He can play anywhere from the point to small forward on any given night, and usually does play multiple positions every game. He provides whatever the team needs/whatever the coaches ask. If the other players are having a bad night shooting the ball, he can score 20 or more points as he did in the second and third games against Idaho State. However, if his scoring ability isn’t needed, he can rebound like a forward and play defense against the other team’s most talented guard. He is one of the players on the PSU team that could start for about 80 percent of the teams in the country.
Jeremiah Dominguez – Guard – 5’6”
Senior – Salem, Oregon
The one player who has become nationally recognized through the Vikings’ success in the two years is definitely Dominguez. I don’t know whether this has more to do with his size or the way he dominated Gonzaga. He has the ability to score 20 plus points in any game, he has amazingly quick hands that allow him to steal the ball at any time, and he passes as well as anyone in the NCAA. There has been plenty written about Dominguez, for his actions on the court and off, so I won’t bother trying to explain anything else.
Dominic Waters – Guard – 6’1”
Junior – Portland, Oregon
After starring locally at Grant High School, Waters moved on to the University of Hawaii where he was freshman of the year in the WAC. When his minutes diminished significantly in the sophomore campaign, Dom decided he had had enough of the islands and moved back home. After sitting out last year, he has emerged as major contributor to the Vikings’ offensive attack. He has logged starter minutes in many games, including the season opener at Rice when he looked like the star of the team. Particularly spectacular offensive outbursts include 41 points in the 4 overtime game at Northern Arizona and 19 points in 18 minutes at Montana State.
