UC Riverside @ Pilots (11/11)

Game Time - 7:00 PM, Chiles Center
Video Stream - none listed (so far)
Radio - Sports 910
Stats - http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=150022

Portland (0-0)
PG - Alec Wintering (SR, 6-0 165)
SG - Jazz Johnson (SO, 5-10 200)
SF - Jarrel Marshall (SR, 6-6 185)
PF - Gabe Taylor (JR, 6-8 230)
C - Philipp Hartwich (JR, 7-1 250)
Off the bench - Rashad Jackson (SO, 6-3 180), D'Marques Tyson (JR, 6-5 215), Ray Barreno (SR, 6-10 250).
Lost from last year - Bryce Pressley (starting SG), Jason Todd (backup SF/PF).

UC Riverside (0-0)
PG - Malik Thames (SR, 6-2 165)
SG - Chance Murray (JR, 6-3 195)
SF - Gentrey Thomas (SR, 6-4 195)
PF - Secean Johnson (SR, 6-5 215)
C - Alex Larsson (JR, 6-10 250)
Off the bench - Menno Dijkstra (SO, 7-0 225), Brandon Rosser (JR, 6-7 220), Dikymbe Martin (FR, 6-1 165).
Lost from last year - Taylor Johns (starting PF), Jaylen Bland (starting SG), Steven Jones (backup PG).

My best guess at both starting lineups and the first three guys off the bench. This was way easier to do for the Pilots than it was for Riverside - they haven't played any exhibition games and the Highlanders only return 5 major contributors from last year so I had to make a couple of guesses. Seems fairly obvious that Chance Murray will play a large role for UCR this year (transfer from Arizona State) so I have him starting at SG. Larsson and Dijkstra essentially split the minutes at center. They played a lot of small ball last year after Johns was injured, which really caused Thomas's minutes to soar. Could also see them going with Secean Johnson at SF (where he was before the Johns injury) and either Rosser (Central Arizona transfer) at PF or go twin towers with Larsson and Dijkstra at PF & C.

Last year UCR was 2-1 against the WCC, losing at USF, while beating SCU at home and LMU on the road.

Coach Porter has said the Highlanders are "extremely athletic, move the ball very well, and have some talented big men."  (Have you ever heard a coach say anything much different about an opposing team?")

The Pilots are favored in this contest, but if the Pilots are to win they'll have to settle down from some opening night adrenalin while getting accustomed to their new offensive and defensive schemes against a D1 opponent.  On offense I think you'll see the Pilots attempt to utilize the pick-and-roll much more than we've ever seen it before, and on defense Coach Porter is going to expect his guards to "lock-down" UCR's guards and never let them get into a rhythm or feel comfortable.  We can also expect to see a lot of ball movement and body movement as the players look for mismatches they can exploit.

The big (6-10/210) question for me is will Joseph Smoyer redshirt.  My guess is he will dress for the game and be ready to play if Ray or Philipp go down or play poorly.  Obviously Coach Porter knows Joseph will not be able to redshirt once he plays....but it's not a decision that has to be made in advance.

I am looking forward to getting the regular season started and see what this team looks like. I think we will have a short bench with only 8 players playing most of the game. I would be surprised if Johnson starts over Tyson. I think Tyson's defense is more important to Johnson's offense to start the game. I would not be surprised to see a small lineup with Jarrell at the 4 and Gabe at the 5 for a stretch of time.

If we do have a lot of pick & roll plays I will be curious how the refs call fouls on the moving screens. It seems like our bigs can get into foul trouble if they aren't careful on offense.

2002Pilot wrote:I  think we will have a short bench with only 8 players playing most of the game.  I would be surprised if Johnson starts over Tyson.

So...

Starters
Wintering
Tyson
Marshall
Taylor
Hartwich

Subs
Johnson
Barreno
Jackson

Malika Andrews published a good feature in the Beacon on the Porter family. It confirms that Malcolm plans to redshirt. Will anyone else join the Porter brothers as redshirts? I think the most likely candidates are Smoyer and Monson. I doubt Ferguson will redshirt, given the distribution of PGs in the program:

2017 grad: Wintering
2019 grad: Johnson, Halinan
2020 grad: Ferguson
2021 grad: Walker

Dean Murdoch wrote:Game Time - 7:00 PM, Chiles Center
Video Stream - none listed (so far)
Radio - Sports 910
Stats - http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=150022

The game will be streamed live on TheW.tv

Dean Murdoch wrote:Portland (0-0)
PG - Alec Wintering (SR, 6-0 165)
SG - Jazz Johnson (SO, 5-10 200)
SF - Jarrel Marshall (SR, 6-6 185)
PF - Gabe Taylor (JR, 6-8 230)
C - Philipp Hartwich (JR, 7-1 250)

UC Riverside (0-0)
PG - Malik Thames (SR, 6-2 165)
SG - Chance Murray (JR, 6-3 195)
SF - Gentrey Thomas (SR, 6-4 195)
PF - Secean Johnson (SR, 6-5 215)
C - Alex Larsson (JR, 6-10 250)

Well, 9 outta 10 ain't bad (as I blow out my shoulder patting myself on the back).

It's just not going to be the same next year when Wintering isn't doing what he does out there game after game. 24, 8, and 8....what a player.

Taylor was outstanding as well. 38 of 40 minutes played.

While fully realizing UC Riverside certainly isn't a WCC-caliber team, the Pilots were definitely fun to watch out there tonight.

Dean Murdoch wrote:While fully realizing UC Riverside certainly isn't a WCC-caliber team, the Pilots were definitely fun to watch out there tonight.

UC-Riverside lost their two best players from last year, but added an ASU transfer this year. They started all Jrs and Srs. They were 2-1 last year against WCC teams. This was a decent opponent.

Joseph Smoyer played 2 minutes in the first half, when Hartwich and Barreno each had two fouls. I think that burns his redshirt opportunity.

Ferguson also played. That leaves Monson as the only redshirt question mark. Malcolm Porter is definitely redshirting. He was in street clothes on the bench alongside his brother and Maker.

Former Pilot Darren Cooper was the analyst for the game broadcast on TheW.tv.

Just a reminder that game day was also Veterans Day.....

Nice to see the UP combined Army ROTC and Air Force ROTC color guard present the colors for the National Anthem last night, and the respect they were paid by the 2600 fans in attendance.

I spoke to one Korean War veteran at halftime who was still "choked-up" from seeing the colors marched onto the Chiles Center court.  His words to were poignant, "I hope everyone remembers that Americans are still at war, and as in the past, some Veterans will never return home from their service to their country."

This video from ESPN is a heart-warming tribute to those veterans who have returned home to their families (sorry about the 30 second ad):

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=18015800&sf42068046=1