Pilots vs SCU, Saturday @ 7pm

The muddled middle of the conference has started to stratify. USD is now the clear bottom team, with only one win . UP is in a three way tie with SCU and LMU for 7-8-9th place at 3-7. One of those teams will play USD in the play-in game in Vegas. Since the Pilots were only 1-2 vs. the other three bottom teams the first half, they need to beat someone, or they won't have any tiebreakers to hang on to in order to escape that game.

If they can manage to get to 8th place, they'll get the #7 seed in Vegas, and have the pleasure of playing the #2 seed, likely Gonzaga. Yay.

As for the SCU game, I suggest they find Brownridge and Feagin, and guard them. They didn't do it last game, when the two combined for 48 points, including 26 of 27 on FTs.

I think everyone, including the players and coaches, are frustrated with the team's performance after starting out 2-0 in WCC play, but I still believe everyone is putting in the max effort to get a win.

I've looked for signs of dissention within the ranks and haven't seen anything but good teammates supporting one another on the court, but I still get the feeling the team chemistry is just not the same as it was before the Christmas break.  

Sophomores Jason Todd and Gabe Taylor, and freshmen Jazz Johnson and Rashad Jackson just don't seem to playing at the same level or with same attitude and fire they had in the preseason.

It seems obvious to the casual observer there is something negative going on between Rashad and the coaches. There have been plenty of times during all the losses that Rashad could have been called upon to add some spark, some athleticism, and some rested legs to get things going on the court....but he's been ignored.  During timeouts during the USF game, Rashad was generally not part of the huddle, but was standing back from his teammates.  

Whatever is going on between the some of the players and the coaches is really beginning to show in the team chemistry and the team's performance.

Whatever it is, let's hope they get it sorted out soon!!

I guess it's all relative.....

In the aftermath of Thursday's loss, the coach had this to say, "I've never been more down looking at a team I coached than what I just saw."

He went on to say, "Leadership, effort, togetherness, playing for the win.  And right now things are going to get worse before they get better."

Elaborating his disgust, he went on to say, "We've got to come to grips with two things, one, I'm your coach.  You're gonna play for me.  And number two is, you're going to go so hard you can't breathe."

Those words were from Arizona Coach Sean Miller after the Wildcats loss to Oregon in Tucson, breaking their 49 game home winning streak.

Is Sean Miller on his way out the door?

Because that's the only reason I see for a coach to publicly throw his players under the Max line.

Brownridge was 14-24, with 7-11 from 3P.  Some of those were over double teams.  He doesn't need any time to get set for his shot. Amazing game from him.  He should go pro after this year.  

In critical moments at the end of each half, he made clutch shots, and UP's players took good shots, and just missed.  Bryce was 0-5 from 3P, and even though he played a strong aggressive game and worked his tail off on defense, a couple makes of those 3Ps could have changed the momentum of the game at those critical junctures.  

Too bad.  USD won today. UOP was very strong against SMC in a close loss.  Given that the only home games left are GU, SMC and UOP, getting another win will be difficult.  LMU is the 2nd game of next week's road trip, with a short turnaround time from the PU game.  And USD is the 2nd game of the last road trip, with the long travel to Salt Lake and then San Diego.

wrv wrote:Helluva game . . .don’t even suggest that there was not effort on the court. If you do, then to quote the state of the union speech, you would  be peddling fiction.

Fairness requires that we acknowledge that the team Reveno coaches, the Portland Pilots, plays hard, if not always successfully. An exceptional comeback though Pilots could not pull it out in the end.

Brownridge was a one man wrecking crew for Santa Clara, apparently not capable of being stopped tonight. Wintering was nearly amazing again.

Yup, you are correct in all respects, wrv.

Unlike the recent home games against USD and USF, where many of us left the Chiles Center shaking our head, this was a very good basketball game....and the guys played their hearts out.

Brownridge is amazing, no doubt about it, but there are a couple of Pilots who are really struggling right now that could have made for a different outcome had their shots been falling or they could have kept from fouling out.

After suffering the team's fourth straight loss, Coach Reveno had this to say:

“It feels like more than four (losses).  It feels like 30. And the guys need a win. It’s really hard when the cloud of losing starts hanging over you, all of a sudden that becomes an issue … it tests everyone, including myself.”  

What feels overwhelming is not just 4 straight losses... It's a 1-8 record in the last 9 games.