UCSB

From the official release: http://www.portlandpilots.com/news/2011/11/22/MBB_1122114237.aspx

Portland Pilots (2-2) at UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (3-0)
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2011
Tip-off: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Santa Barbara, Calif.
Arena: Thunderdome
Radio: 800 AM
Live Audio: PortlandPilots.com
Overall Series: Tied, 5-5
At UP: 3-1
At UCSB: 2-4
Last: Portland 75, UCSB 63 (Nov. 27, 2010 at Portland)

THIS WEEK
• The Portland Pilots open a two-game road swing over the Thanksgiving Holiday by facing UC Santa Barbara on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
• Portland will then travel to Lexington, Ky. to face the No. 2 ranked Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday at 4 p.m. (PST).

GAME COVERAGE
• All Portland basketball games will be broadcast live on True Talk 800 AM, with a 30-minute pregame show and Bill Johnson calling the play-by-play. The audio simulcast will also be available on www.portlandpilots.com.
• Saturday’s game at Kentucky will be televised live on Fox Sports South.

ABOUT THE PILOTS
• Portland dropped its home-opener to Washington State (83-73) on Sunday. Freshman G Kevin Bailey led five Pilots in double-figures with a season-high 14 points.
• The Pilots won two of three games at the World Vision Classic in Seattle to open the season, knocking off Florida Atlantic (70-65) and Georgia State (66-61) before falling to host Washington (93-63).
• Senior G Nemanja Mitrovic was named to the All-Tournament Team after averaging 12.0 points per game.
• Sophomore F Ryan Nicholas is averaging just shy of a double-double (10.8 ppg/8.5 rpg) in his first four career starts.
• Despite playing eight underclassmen in the primary rotation, the Pilots have come from behind in the second half to close out both wins this season.
• All four Pilot true freshmen are averaging more than 12 minutes per game.
• Portland has outrebounded all four opponents this year.
• Head coach Eric Reveno and all three assistant coaches return for their sixth year together on The Bluff.
• Portland is coming off of back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time in school history.
• The Pilots were invited to the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) for the third consecutive season in 2011.
• Portland returns two starters and nine lettermen from last year’s 20-12 team that finished fifth in the WCC with a 7-7 league record. A heralded four-player freshman class joins the team this season.
• UP has graduated nine players in the last two years and all have gone on to play professionally.
• The Pilots were picked to finish seventh in the nine-team West Coast Conference, while Mitrovic was named to the preseason all-conference team.

ABOUT UC SANTA BARBARA
• The Gauchos defeated Westmont College 82-61 on Friday to improve to 3-0. Previously, UCSB routed Santa Clara (89-56) and Chapman (74-48).
• UCSB is opening the season with a six-game home stand at the Thunderdome.
• Last season UCSB went 18-14 overall and 8-8 in the Big West before winning the Big West Tournament and advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row.
• Preseason All-America senior G Orlando Johnson became the first Gaucho ever named to the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top-50 list.
• Johnson has scored in double figures in 64 of 65 games played at UCSB. He is averaging 18.3 ppg this year.
• Senior G James Nunnally is the Gauchos’ leading scorer early on at 20.0 ppg.
• Head coach Bob Williams is in his 14th season at UC Santa Barbara he posts a 220-170 record at the school. He is two wins shy of tying the school record.

blacksheep wrote:• All four Pilot true freshmen are averaging more than 12 minutes per game.

This is awesome. And meanwhile, our RS Freshman has played 3 minutes this year.

Speaking of playing time, did i miss some injury news on Eric or has he just been passed up on the depth chart?

I have a feeling it's the later as D-Rodge has been playing really well backing up Tim. Rodgers knows his role well and has been playing to his strengths this season. Also, despite the last two games final result being less than desirable, I have found that I am extremely optimistic about the future, and by future, I mean conference play. Maybe I'm overly optimistic but I have a feeling that if we can keep our heads up through what could be a bumpy November/December, we will be super competitive come Jan/Feb/March.

I heard tanner and Eric are dinged up. Tanner less so than Eric. Both are expected back soon. Tanner played a little Sunday and Eric was suited up.

On the way to UCSB with a Beer Snob Alert!

In Santa Monica having lunch at the Library Alehouse before taking a leisurely drive up the coast to Santa Barbara for tonight’s game. What a great place to eat and drink; they close at 11PM, so I guess I’ll have to race back here after the game.

I told the publican I needed a real nice brew that would still allow me to drive, and he recommended Blind Pig IPA – I can tell you it was great!!

DoubleDipper wrote:

I told the publican I needed a real nice brew that would still allow me to drive, and he recommended Blind Pig IPA – I can tell you it was great!!

Your Publican did well. BP is the little brother of Pliny the Elder, and is often available locally when the Elder isn't.
Lower ABV, slightly lower BU, but clearly from the same tanks.

My backup beer.

4 point lead at half. Sound like we played well with the exception of some foul trouble.

I loved Tanner coming out and playing well.

blacksheep wrote:4 point lead at half. Sound like we played well with the exception of some foul trouble.

Fouls were the one thing I thought the freshmen could work on after WSU. We need the depth they bring and they need to cut down the avoidable fouls.

van der Mars and Riley Barker both with 4 fouls already with 12ish minutes left. Play them or play Cason or Bailey instead even though we give up some size so we have Van der Mars and Barker later in the game?

I guess that answers the question in regards to Barker. Fouled out with almost 11 to go.

barely beat the spread. #notadegenerate

Saying it was a tale of two halves would be oversimplifying it, but it would be accurate. UCSB started hitting 3’s and FT’s and pulled down RB’s at both ends of the court in the 2nd half, and their guards can really SHOOT!

Tanner came out on fire, but just never found it in the second half.

Riley Barker really never showed up tonight and fouled out quickly.

Van der Mars again played tough and Nicholas again provided the energy and went for the hoop to draw fouls. Our guards were solid and limited their turnovers; Rodgers was all over the court.

I’m not sure why KB played so little, but disappointing because he had family at the game, as did a number of other players.

The guys never quit; UCSB is very good (I think better than WSU) and just took over in the 2nd.

My burger and another Blind Pig IPA just arrived at my new favorite pub in Santa Monica…………