"Tentative" 2009/2010" Schedule

October
29 Corncordia(Exhibition)

November
7 Linfield(Exhibition)
14 at Eastern Washington
17 Seattle
21 Oregon
26-29 76 Classic in Anaheim
26 UCLA
27 Butler or Minnesota
29 TBA

December
2 Portland State
6 at Idaho
12 Denver
19 at Washington
22 Idaho
28 at Nevada
31 Evergreen State

January
2 Army
9 Gonzaga
14 at San Diego
16 at Saint Mary's
21 Loyola Marymount
23 Pepperdine
28 at San Francisco
30 at Santa Clara

February
4 at Gonzaga
11 San Diego
13 Saint Mary's
18 at Pepperdine
20 at Loyola Marymount
25 San Francisco
27 Santa Clara

March
2 Lewis & Clark
5-8 WCC Tournament

Wow... We get to play the Geoducks, on NY Eve??

Haha and I see we are following the Zag lead with the post season tuneup game right before the WCC tourney...

January 9. GU at UP. WCC opener.

Haha and I see we are following the Zag lead with the post season tuneup game right before the WCC tourney....

I am glad to see we are playing a local team, though... no South Carolina Upstate...

Indeed... Well this is Portland, we are clearly going to go with the more "green" opponent...

Hmm... the GU @ UP game is before school starts back up. I know it'll be packed, but I hope the student section has a good showing. I'm not even sure the dorms will be open then...

Is the Seattle U game gonna count as D1 game or are they still a "transitional" school?

Fingers crossed for a win or two at the Anaheim tourney. That could give us some big time exposure. I'm hoping ESPN Australia covers a Pilot game or two at that tourney.

ShipstadPilot11 wrote:Hmm... the GU @ UP game is before school starts back up. I know it'll be packed, but I hope the student section has a good showing. I'm not even sure the dorms will be open then...

The game is Saturday the 9th, classes start Monday the 11th, so students will be around... especially for that game...

I know I will be! That will be an intense game and hopefully one we have an incredible shot of winning.

I don't think the problem will be getting the students to THAT game, the challenge is to get them to come to all the games AFTER that one...

PilotNut wrote:

ShipstadPilot11 wrote:Hmm... the GU @ UP game is before school starts back up. I know it'll be packed, but I hope the student section has a good showing. I'm not even sure the dorms will be open then...

The game is Saturday the 9th, classes start Monday the 11th, so students will be around... especially for that game...

And no lame homework excuses, either!

Haha and a whole day to recover from the hangover!!! Er, I mean, go to church and get a jump on reading for semester...

On the other hand...opening the WCC with Gonzaga, USD, and St. Mary's?

Nothing like jumping in with both feet...

Fortunately San Diego and St. Mary's doesn't mean quite as much as it did the last couple years....

UCLA is a tough draw at the Classic in Anaheim. We've got our work cut out for us this year. I'm hoping that we can start off about
10-4 going into the game against Army. But, it would be nice if we could squeak out an upset before the new year...maybe against the Butler/ Minnesota opponent.

DaTruRochaldo wrote:Fortunately San Diego and St. Mary's doesn't mean quite as much as it did the last couple years....

The 2005-06, the Pilots nipped the Gaels in Moraga and we split the series that year. I expect the game in Moraga to be a good one, especially during Jan Term when the students are all back. I think that for Portland to get to the next level, it's got to win on the road so while I understand that the Gaels are depleted and without General Mills running the point - this game means more to the Pilots than ever to overcome the knock that the Pilots can't win on the road.

Oh I definitely agree, and Moraga is no slouch when it comes to home court...

I think McConnell (I'm too lazy to look up spelling) will be serviceable as a point guard, but the bigger hole to fill IMO is Simpson. He was such a dynamic player that really held that front court together (Especially on defense), I don't know if Omar has the chops to do it on his own with defenses not having to worry about Simpson...

MJGoGaels wrote:

DaTruRochaldo wrote:Fortunately San Diego and St. Mary's doesn't mean quite as much as it did the last couple years....

The 2005-06, the Pilots nipped the Gaels in Moraga and we split the series that year. I expect the game in Moraga to be a good one, especially during Jan Term when the students are all back. I think that for Portland to get to the next level, it's got to win on the road so while I understand that the Gaels are depleted and without General Mills running the point - this game means more to the Pilots than ever to overcome the knock that the Pilots can't win on the road.

I don't believe were taking the Gaels lightly. But I think the TJ-Mickey matchup is far from a wash(TJ all-conference, Mickey...Patty mills sub and split time with that other so so Aussie Senior guard) and the Pilot men had a chance to see the best your bringing over from down under this year. I don't think they are too overly concerned about those inexperienced Austrailian freshman. More so concerned if Hunter gets hot from behind 3, or Mickey shoots well like last year in Moraga. There's always Omar in the Middle but he keeps getting smaller taking up less room and being able to be pushed around (7 footer in Australia killed him,no excuse's for a Senior D'1 player really???) and he's really, really gonna miss Diamond Simpson (Let's face it Ben Allens no Diamond, and he won't ever be) and Sikma,Smuelders, and Knutson bigger, craftier, and more skilled each year they have had to face OMAR now, so I would say a split in the series.

The key to race for the gaels and the Pilot's this year will be both teams picking up a split with them(the enemy). Considering they only have 2 vets, the little kid who everbody has deamed an All-American because he made a lucky shot against a weak WKU team, and a returrning center who averages 2 pts a game with a history of multiple foot injuries.A ton of UNPROVEN ,untested talent who won't even be close to Austin Dayes skill level even after 4 yrs at Gonzaga if they don't quit,drop out ,wash out, etc.,althoough you can't explain that to those nutjobs with their blinders on at theiir board. I think if Mickey, Wayne, and Omar with a strong supporting cast of newcomer's get the Gaels on a roll they very well could have a better record then the Pilots and possibly the Zaggetees.



Either way good luck MJ, remember the key is to destroy the Zags 1st ,not each other so their playing for the reg season title against a weaker team in the WCC at the end of the year. Would that suck or what?



MesaPilot1

Hey hey easy on the Aussies lol. I watched Omar play against one of the pro teams down here and he can just easily be doubled now because they dont have a penetrating guard like Mills and another big time big like Simpson. Its a lot easier to guard someone when the other options arent quite there.

As far as the Gaels Aussie freshman, Dellavedova (incoming guard) is playing for the Aussie national team (questionably in my opinion, but he's doing a good job) in China right now. He's good but i dont think he'll have the same impact as Patty Mills did. I know the other incoming freshman played in the junior national team but i dont know as much about them. Dellavedova is the main guy and while he'll pick up some of the slack from the losses, i think the Gaels lost too much to be at the same level as last year. Thats not to say they wont be good, i just think it will be a much different team. I think the key player for the Gaels will be Hunter, that guy needs to be a scorer full time now.

The key is gonna be someone getting a game or two off the zags. From anybody. It will be interesting to see an inexperienced Zag team back in the pack needing to win games down the stretch and see how they react to the pressure. I think the Zags are the most vulnerable they've been in years

I luv u Aussies Chris, but like you said I think this is the Gaels toughest year without Diamond in the middle. He definetely helped take the heat off of Omar. I hope the frosh pan out. I have a stake in the Gaels to as I've been watching Mickey play since he was wizzing around the court in his pre-teens. I wish the Pilot's had him, that is until TJ showed up on campus as another unheralded AZ recruit.

The best HS game I've ever seen in person was when Mickey was matching Bayless shot for shot. It was so great to see Bayless pout and do his best Austin Daye imitation. Mickey has a few things up his sleave for Gael fan's and I hated to see him get roasted over the coals all of last year on the Gael board. (After all the kid was a substitute soph with limited playing time trying to fill in for an All-American). I thought he preformed admirably in those circumstances and i guess Randy Bennett must think he's doing the job. I don't see anybody replacing him in the next 2 yrs contrary what other's think.


But like has been said both teams need to take the wind out of Gonzaga's sail's to HELP each other in the long run. Outside of Bouldin and Gray I don't see any proven offense unless one of their alleged pre-season newcomer( or like they like to say their future lottery pick/All-Americans ) of the years comes through later on. I can't believe their still talking about Poling like he's the next comming of Josh Heighfelt(SP). What was it about 4 yrs ago when he was a player of any consequence in HS. When Kevin Love turned him into toast in a HS game after Poling bragged about how he was gonna dominate him,lol.He will be a very adequate WCC player, Their center Rob is the one with the "real" talent and if he realizes it they will be scary good with him ,Bouldin and Stephen Gray, if he can stay away from his multiple injuries. My prediction this WCC season will be who gets the first and most "T's" the little hot headed guard for the Zags or Robin.lol.


MesaPilot1