PK80 - Phil Knight Invitational - Thanksgiving 2017

Sound Voltex wrote:I really hope we don't get Bill Walton commentating for a third straight game...

wrv wrote:...... Walton can be enjoyable in stretches when he is not distracted. Though his lack of interest in the game before him is something of a problem, he tends to circle back. Our winningnest basketball coach, Jack Avina, was mentioned, along with Howard Hall, during the Carolina match. Hope Jack is well and enjoying life still.

wrv wrote:The wide ranging commentary of the announcers is partly a result of the Pilot games being less than competitive. I  do not think the announcers are to blame for that.

And Walton can be enjoyable in stretches when he is not distracted. Though his lack of interest in the game before him is something of a problem, he tends to circle back. Our winningnest basketball coach, Jack Avina, was mentioned, along with Howard Hall, during the Carolina match. Hope Jack is well and enjoying life still.

NoPoNeighbor wrote:PSU is no fluke, it seems. They were very competitive throughout the tournament this past weekend. Wish we could say the same for the Pilots.

PORTLAND (0-3)

Grade: C-minus

Terry Porter's club has yet to beat a D-I team this season. The Pilots fell to UNC, Oklahoma and DePaul by 59 total points. It's not a surprise; the team's seven most used players this season are freshmen and sophomores.

Speaking of Porter, I couldn't help but wonder what it must have felt like for him to coach inside Veterans Memorial Coliseum. He played much of his career in that building which, frankly, should not have been playing host to NBA games as late as 1995. Cool spot for this tourney, but crazy to know it's where the Blazers played the 1992 NBA Finals.

1) Although some WCC teams did not have the results they were hoping for in last week’s Thanksgiving tournaments, all will eventually be thankful they faced top-flight competition instead of staying at home and beating such opponents as East Central Tech, Delaware Wesleyan A&T and Rhode Island Institute of Overly Dramatic Arts. Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s, Portland and BYU all experienced great competition at a time of the season in which some schools get soft feasting on cupcakes.

3) The PK80 tournament was not kind to host Portland. In deep water, the Pilots went 0-3 after losses to heavyweights North Carolina of the ACC and Oklahoma of the Big 12 and a Sunday defeat to DePaul of the Big East. By the time the Pilots faced DePaul in what was an 82-69 defeat, they were worn down from games against the Tar Heels and Sooners. Come March, however, coach Terry Porter and his players will be glad they faced those teams.

Portland (2-3)

The Pilots had their hands full as one of the host teams of the PK80 tournament over Thanksgiving weekend. UP drew the defending champion North Carolina Tar Heels in the first round and were handed a 102-78 defeat behind Luke Maye’s 20 points and 10 rebounds. Portland did not fare much better against Oklahoma in the consolation bracket, losing 93-71. They face Depaul on Sunday afternoon for their final game of the tournament. Credit UP for hanging tough against some very solid teams. They scored more points in the second half of each contest and gained some very valuable experience. Terry Porter’s squad, led by Franklin Porter’s 13 points per game, will face the Multnomah Lions at home next week before hitting the road to take on Boise State next Sunday.

Portland’s played a Portland State team that played Duke tough, the defending national champions, a quality Big 12 team and a team lucky enough to be in the Big East. The Pilots have also played two non-D1 teams, and face another this week. Then they travel to a good Boise State team. They’ve yet to face a team close to their level.

While the Vikings were opening some eyes, the tournament was an eye-opening experience for the young Portland Pilots. Terry Porter's team had stretches of success, but fell behind early in each of its double-digit losses to North Carolina, Oklahoma and DePaul.

The Pilots have four freshmen and a couple of redshirt sophomores in key roles. and their youth was evident — especially at the start of their games.

"The caliber of teams and the caliber of players we played in this tournament was high-major," Porter said. "Our guys gained a lot of experience with regards to how we have to compete."

Porter said the exposure from playing in such a prestigious tournament can help in terms of recruiting. More immediately, it will help the Pilots prepare for West Coast Conference action.

Freshman guard Jo Jo Walker said the Pilots got better at on-court communication and grew tougher.

"It was different" than wins over small colleges Walla Walla and Oregon Tech heading into PK80, Walker said. "The speed, and the people were stronger. But as the games went by, I got used to it, and at the end it was just another basketball game."

The best thing the Pilots did during the tournament was shoot from distance. Portland made almost half of its 3-point shots (39 of 82).

• Despite the losses, Porter said he enjoyed being back at Memorial Coliseum, where he played alongside Clyde Drexler for the early-1990s Trail Blazers teams that twice reached the NBA Finals.

"First time I've been in the building that I wasn't making baskets," Porter said with a smile. "It felt great to be in this building. Obviously this building is a special place for me. ... I have a lot of fond memories. It's always nice to come back to it and think about those great days. It's nice to see them play basketball in this building again, that's for sure."