2015 CIT Information!

PilotNut wrote:It will be interesting to see how this plays out.  It is not uncommon in these "other" tournaments to have teams not fully engaged in the game...  some are disappointed that they didn't get in a better tourney, some just seem ready to have the season end, some are just excited to still be playing... which teams will we see on Wednesday?  

I think that will have a lot to do with the motivational ability of current Big Sky Co-Coach of the year, Brian Katz, and the 2009 West Coast Conference and District 9 Coach of the Year, Eric Reveno.  

I just hope everyone is healthy.  Bryce and Alec were pretty dinged-up when they left Las Vegas, D'Marques was barfing in the locker room during the BYU game and didn't come out for the second half, and Voldy was still suffering the affects of the flu earlier in the week.  And those were just the ailments that were obvious to the fans.

Coach Revneno wrote:‏@CoachReveno   Need to defend a great shooting team in Sac St on Wed. Hornets are 4th best 3 pt team in country and 26th overall shooting it.  #PilotStrong

UP is #152 in the country defending the 3-ball and #215 against the 2-ball.  

The Pilots are #30 at shooting the 3, #223 at shooting the 2, and #83 at shooting free-throws (Sac St. is #34).

Statistically, it would appear the best offense against the Hornets is inside....they rate #347 against the 2-point shot.

Of course, none of this means anything on game day...

DoubleDipper wrote:

Coach Revneno wrote:‏@CoachReveno   Need to defend a great shooting team in Sac St on Wed. Hornets are 4th best 3 pt team in country and 26th overall shooting it.  #PilotStrong

UP is #152 in the country defending the 3-ball and #215 against the 2-ball.  

The Pilots are #30 at shooting the 3, #223 at shooting the 2, and #83 at shooting free-throws (Sac St. is #34).

Statistically, it would appear the best offense against the Hornets is inside....they rate #347 against the 2-point shot.

Of course, none of this means anything on game day...

How the heck are we 83 at shooting free throws?

I think to comes down to how much this teams wants to keep playing. Do our 4 seniors want to keep playing, and can they get the whole team to rally with the?

blacksheep wrote:How the heck are we 83 at shooting free throws?

Point taken!

UP may be 83rd in the nation shooting 71.9%, but more recently, in WCC play only, the Pilots are shooting 69.1%....only 7th in the WCC.

Nationally the Pilots are terrible defending the free-throw, 343rd/73.8%, but as I really don't understand how to cut down on an opponent's free-throw percentage, I hate to bring it up.  Although I will say, UP fans in the Chiles Center are way too polite when the opposing team is at the line compared to other schools.  

Only other CIT game in the West is Northern Arizona at Grand Canyon.

I'd say the winner of the Sac State/Portland game would get the NAU/GCU winner in Round 2, but I've already been wrong like 18 times in this thread.

Terry Cahill wrote:Only other CIT game in the West is Northern Arizona at Grand Canyon.

I'd say the winner of the Sac State/Portland game would get the NAU/GCU winner in Round 2, but I've already been wrong like 18 times in this thread.

Yeah, the reason UP isn't playing Seattle U is because Cameron Dollar's team is apparently not playing any postseason games.

Note: St. Mary's has a 4 seed in the 32 team NIT....the Gaels host a very good Vanderbilt team on ESPN2 on Wednesday night at 6.

Oregon St. turned down an invitation to the NIT....yeah, I meant the CBI.

Just to clarify... OSU passed up an invite to the CBI. I don't think a team passes up the NIT. It looks like their depleted roster needs a break.

Interesting move... would all of those walk-ons have liked another game? I guess not.

DoubleDipper wrote:Yeah, the reason UP isn't playing Seattle U is because Cameron Dollar's team is apparently not playing any postseason games.

Wrong!  Seattle U is hosting Pepperdine in the CBI Tournament on Wednesday night.

So, 5 WCC teams in postseason play: GU and BYU to the NCAA; SMC to the NIT; PU to the CBI; and UP to the CIT.

Can the WCC go 5-0 in the first round?

How did Seattle get into the CBI?

NoPoNeighbor wrote:How did Seattle get into the CBI?

You hold Chicago State to 31 points, you pick whatever damn postseason tournament you want. I guess.

NoPoNeighbor wrote:How did Seattle get into the CBI?

Hmm, good question.  

With a 16-15 record and an unflattering RPI of 280, it does seem a little odd, but as the CBI is a pay-to-play tournament and with teams such as UNLV, Cal, OSU, Florida St., South Carolina, and Tennessee reportedly turning down the CBI committee, maybe it was a matter of last school willing.

Playing in the WAC, Seattle U might have decided to pay up to finally get a decent home game...

Go WCC!

I really hesitated mentioning this, but KenPom's computer is picking UP over Sac St., 73-65 with a 79% probability of UP winning.

Las Vegas odds will probably be very similar....

The basketball team is really stepping up its promotion of the game on campus, from the looks of things on social media. But what is important is that the promotion is not limited to social media! The team is giving away pizzas in the dorms, handing out tickets, setting up tables in the dining hall, giving away t-shirts...

This is EXACTLY the direction I hope that the athletic department goes for promoting basketball games. Not just for this one post-season game, but all year long. And then take this same approach off-campus, out into the community.

Publicity and promotion MUST get beyond Twitter and press releases. Make people, and especially the student body, feel a connection to the team and to the game. This is a good start.

Today in front of 400 people at the "State of the University" and Alumni Awards at the Sentinel Hotel, the UP V-P fired up the crowd with a reminder of the SMC game and invited everyone to the CIT game.

As the 400 guests exited they were met by Rev, D'Marques, Riley, and Jason.  For many, once they get to talk to the coach or a player and get to know them a little, they are much more likely to attend the game.

Spoke with D'Marques.....it was the flu that took him out of the BYU game, but he's feeling good now.

DoubleDipper wrote:Today in front of 400 people at the "State of the University" and Alumni Awards at the Sentinel Hotel, the UP V-P fired up the crowd with a reminder of the SMC game and invited everyone to the CIT game.

As the 400 guests exited they were met by Rev, D'Marques, Riley, and Jason.  For many, once they get to talk to the coach or a player and get to know them a little, they are much more likely to attend the game.

Spoke with D'Marques.....it was the flu that took him out of the BYU game, but he's feeling good now.

This is fantastic... I would hope that this sort of thing is done this fall entering into the season, to build up excitement, build community, etc. going into the season.

The T-Room should be plastered with Pilot paraphenalia and basketball information. As should every other bar, restaurant and business on N Lombard (N Killingsworth, St. Johns and all of NoPo for that matter). The employees of those establishments should be incented to wear UP attire on game days--heck, even know when game days are. (I know one of the bartenders at the T Room was given a UP jersey to wear on the specific game night I was in there pre-game). This is the sort of grass roots marketing that needs to happen to get people talking about the program and to get some name recognition/association and excitement built. The Timbers and Thorns have done a phenominal job of tailoring their marketing to be very "Portland" (i.e. the axe billboards)... we could learn from that... do we need to be a little quirky? A little weird? Does Wally need to put a bird on it?

Additionally (and maybe even more importantly), we as fans need to ask the T-Room and the other bars & restaurants we patronize to participate/get involved. Let them know you are there becuase it is game night. Let them know it would be great if they would put up a Pilots flag or somehow participated. When ordering, ask them if there are Pilot game-night specials (they wont have them, but you are again bringing it up). When paying your bill, casually let them know that if they became more involved in UP athletics events, you would be likely to go there more often and bring your friends and recommend the place to those sitting around you. Take pictures of yourself in Pilot gear at the business and post it on their social media sites, and publicly ask (shame?) them to get involved. If they get asked 10 times to do something, they are going to think about doing it.

Chill N' Fill and Cha Cha Cha Taqueria across Lombard from the T-Room are 2 prime examples of places that should be crawling with Pilot fans on game days pre- and post-game (also on non-game days!), yet neither really has reached out. Lets do our part... I know several of us on this site frequent both places.

I've never actually been in, but the Portway on Willamette always flies a UP flag next to the US flag.  

The Portway! What a great little hole in the wall. There is that coffee shop next door that should get involved, too.

I will have to go out of my way to get in there soon. Its a great little spot, if you are okay with environs that are a little rough around the edges....

PilotNut wrote: a little rough around the edges

That's an understatement. I've actually been meaning to stop in some time, but there are so many great bars in St. Johns that are a closer walk for me.

Plew's Brews (again, rough around the edges and smells like otto's jacket) painted their whole building purple, but I don't think it has anything to do with UP.

I'm having trouble remembering if it's the Portway or the Perch that I'm not allowed back into.

Terry Cahill wrote:I'm having trouble remembering if it's the Portway or the Perch that I'm not allowed back into.

As long as it's not the Portside!

Where is everyone going before/after the game tonight?!

ShipstadPilot11 wrote:Where is everyone going before/after the game tonight?!

pregame pasta or pilot club before.

up7587 wrote:

blacksheep wrote:

PilotNut wrote:
Tickets start at $5 for kids/students and $10 for adults and will be general admission open seating. They will go on sale Monday at 11 a.m. through all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.TicketMaster.com, or in-person at the Pilot Box Office.

I'm going to get there early and sit in UP7587's seat!

When I read that I was just thinking some jerk will be sitting in my seat.  I was right.

Ha!! 10 minutes before tip and I see on the camera that 7587 is already in his seat - classic!!

Go Pilots!!

Rochin54 wrote:

up7587 wrote:

blacksheep wrote:

PilotNut wrote:
Tickets start at $5 for kids/students and $10 for adults and will be general admission open seating. They will go on sale Monday at 11 a.m. through all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.TicketMaster.com, or in-person at the Pilot Box Office.

I'm going to get there early and sit in UP7587's seat!

When I read that I was just thinking some jerk will be sitting in my seat.  I was right.

Ha!!  10 minutes before tip and I see on the camera that 7587 is already in his seat - classic!!  

Go Pilots!!  

yep, he looks kinda lonely up there.