2017-18 Pre-Season Discussion

Not much to talk about around here while we're waiting for the release of the schedule, with the exception of last week's verbal commitment from 2018 PF Josh Phillips.

So here's a topic... potential red-shirts for the upcoming season. No one will be shocked to learn of my interest in having some balance among the sizes of the four classes, and red-shirting freshmen is one way to accomplish that, especially in a year like this one where we have so many first-year players entering the program. Here's where we'd stand for next season ('18-'19) if no one redshirts this year, and if Phillips is the only signee for 2018:

SR: Jackson, Stone
JR: Clark, F. Porter, McSwiggan, Smoyer
SO: Shaver, Smith, Walker, M. Porter, Fahrensohn, Hogland, Diabate
FR: Phillips

2-4-7-1 is not great, in terms of setting-up the program for stability in the coming years. It would be advantageous to have a couple of this year's freshmen take redshirt years and join Phillips in next year's freshman class. Two redshirts this year would put us at 2-4-5-3 next year, which would be considerably better.

So, who might/should redshirt this season? It's hard to tell this early, but we do have the scrimmage and the four games in England to go from. Here's a very ill-informed assessment:

M. Porter: He already redshirted last year, so he's off the table. He might be the starting PG.

Shaver and Walker: I'd like to see one of these two guys take a redshirt year. No sense having three PGs on scholarship in one class, and better for the program to not lose both of these guys to graduation at the same time. In the play earlier this summer, Shaver looked a bit more confident and ready to go at the DI level, though his shooting wasn't too good.

Smith: He's a walk-on, so probably no real advantage in redshirting him.

Fahrensohn: He was injured and didn't play in the scrimmage or the England trip, so it's hard to say what skill set he brings to the team. However, his size and position make him somewhat redundant to F. Porter, McSwiggan and Tyson. This, combined with his need to recover from his injury, makes him a strong redshirt candidate in my book.

Diabate and Hogland: Both of these guys looked pretty raw in the action earlier this summer. I think they would both benefit from a redshirt year, but our lack of depth on the front line makes it necessary to have at least one of them available. Diabate seems to have a higher ceiling, and looks like he could be more versatile. Hogland is more of a Ryan Nicholas-style grinder. I'd guess that Diabate won't redshirt, but Hogland might.

So, my top three redshirt candidates are Walker, Fahrensohn and Hogland. I'd like to see at least two of these guys take the redshirt. Based on last year, in which Coach Porter played a significantly shorter bench than the Reveno regime, I'd guess that Porter will be be more inclined than Reveno was to encourage some guys to actually redshirt.

Good discussion topic; it will be good to see even more pre-season discussion as we await the first D1 game against PSU on Veterans Day.

Regarding redshirt candidates, I think it's a given that Taki Fahrensohn will sit this coming season to completely heal and get stronger.  Taki was injured while playing with the New Zealand national team, and instead of resting and rehabilitating him, the NZ staff continued to play him.  I'm all for the Tall Blacks winning, but not at the expense of one of their young players.

If the staff were to redshirt another player besides Taki (and Crisshawn Clark who must sit out this year after transferring from Pitt), I would guess it would be Hugh Hogland.  Hugh and Austin Stone have both been a little banged up, and Austin needs time to develop, but I almost always favor redshirting a freshman post player if the team can afford it (Joseph Smoyer should have redshirted last year, IMO).  Tahirou Diabate will not redshirt because, raw as he currently is, he'll be in the starting lineup. If "D" were to redshirt, there's a good possibility he'd graduate and leave with one year of eligibility remaining....shoot, even if does NOT redshirt and develops to his projected capability, he still might turn pro before graduation.

I too would like to see either Marcus Shaver or JoJo Walker redshirt, but I'm doubtful the staff will want to be so thin at point guard they will let that happen  In my estimation, JoJo is at this stage the better point guard of the two, but as much as Malcolm Porter has developed, those two will both need to see action every night at the "1" while Brian Smith runs the scout team during practice.

My guess is whoever redshirts, it will be one or two freshmen (1. Taki, 2. Hugh) so as to better balance the classes going forward.

We'll get 5 games on ESPN networks this season.

3 in the PK80 + our home games vs Gonzaga and BYU.

http://www.wccsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/091317aab.html

That's about what I would have guessed for our ESPN coverage. Actually, I'm surprised the BYU game is on ESPN. So, my expectations have been exceeded.

The Marriott Center in Provo has always been a tough environment for opponents, but now it's going to get even louder and crazier:

Should be OK, as long as they don't flavor it.

As the season start slowly approaches, the unpredictable pre-season predictions have started popping up. The common questions for debate this year:

• Will St. Mary's overtake Gonzaga for first?
  
• Will BYU fall below third?
  
• How will the bottom tier teams not named USF or SCU fare? Will any have a breakout season? (most likely not...)
  

Pretty much all lists have us near the bottom (not surprisingly...well, except for The Beacon's "bold prediction" of top 3.) but hey, predictions are predictions and anything could happen (for better or for worse).

10) Portland Pilots

It is no secret that the Portland Pilots have lost a lot of talent from last year’s team, which finished last in 2016-2017. The graduation of Alec Wintering and transfers of Jazz Johnson and Gabe Levin [Taylor], leaves D’Marques Tyson as the best scorer on the team. Besides Tyson, center Philipp Hartwich is the only other senior on head coach Terry Porter’s thin roster.

https://bustingbrackets.com/2017/07/27/wcc-basketball-way-too-early-west-coast-conference-power-rankings/

8. Portland: The Pilots have nearly an entirely new roster this season after a last-place finish in Terry Porter’s first year.

http://collegebasketball.nbcsports.com/2017/10/03/2017-18-wcc-preview-can-st-marys-overtake-gonzaga/

7. Portland

Bottom Line: No team in the WCC has a more uncertain outlook than the Pilots do this year - but an exciting young backcourt unit, along with some legit size and beef up-front, should help Portland catapult themselves out of the WCC gutter this season.

https://three-man-weave.com/3mw/2017/9/29/wcc-preview-2017-18

Analysis:

Chemistry – Chemistry. That is the biggest question for this team. They will undoubtedly face considerable adversity in the early going and how this group of young men respond to that adversity will determine the success or lack of success this team enjoys in the second half of the season. There really isn’t a true leader on this roster – not yet. There is considerable potential for back biting, resentment and divisiveness.

Can Coach Porter hold things together until the team starts to gel? Based on what I saw last year, I am not optimistic. I do hope I’m wrong here but I see too much downside to hold out much hope in the upcoming year.

PREDICTED FINISH 10TH

(Disclaimer: OP mistakenly thinks we still have Gabe Taylor)

http://wccboards.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=1721#p5665

#9 Portland. All in the family will do ok, but will hit the skids by mid January. Porter will get one more season to show something after this year. 4-14 league record.

http://wccboards.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=1721#p5685

I think all of these predictions put us so low for two reasons:

1) We have a completely new team and they don’t know what to make of us. Last season’s finish is their best predictor of this season’s results.

2) None of them actually watched Pilot basketball. They just see the one or two storylines and make easy predictions. None of them watched the England games to know what they are looking at.

In the end, they could be totally right for all I know. And, while chemistry is the issue, I have my purple tinted glasses on. I will predict a 5th-8th place finish in conference for this team.

Really difficult to respond to all the views presented by the "outsiders" due to the many inaccuracies, but a number of the views are probably valid....

The long post on nepotism, although overblown, is worth noting as it can cause rifts on a team if not guarded against by the entire team. But the concern over "chemistry, back biting, resentment, and divisiveness" was way over the top, as it has been pretty evident during the summer and fall practices and the England tour that the guys really like each other....but how that translates after a string of losses may have to be determined.

Pretty funny that one OP stated that Jazz was "certainly the team leader" last year   , or that Tahirou ("D") "will be dealing with language issues"   (the OP didn't mention which of D's four languages would be the difficult one).

Picked by many pundits to finish last in the WCC, one or two have predicted as high as 7th, but I guess we'll just have to see how this group of "newcomers" jells with a few "leftovers" before the predictors are proven right or wrong.  Much of that jelling is going to be up to the coaching staff who have said they've brought in not just the best athlete or basketball player, but the best combination of attitude, willingness to learn, basketball IQ, and strength in the classroom.

I'm guessing the staff and fans will be pleased with 6th place and a bye on Friday in Las Vegas.  The players, however, will be gunning for first place!!

I take no offense to any prediction that puts us so low. Fact of the matter is that we looked pretty terrible last year once Alec went out, and Jazz and Gabe - who would have at least been experienced returning players - are gone.

I have a lot of hope and optimism for the new group of guys, but they'll have to earn the respect of the prognosticators before they get picked to finish higher in the WCC.

More interesting to me will be the coach's poll... I bet we end up 9th or so in that, unless the WCC coaches are really impressed by our recruiting.

Stonehouse wrote:More interesting to me will be the coach's poll... I bet we end up 9th or so in that, unless the WCC coaches are really impressed by our recruiting.

Yeah, probably 8, 9, or 10 along with UOP and USD.

Probably no one in the UP community was more worried about their parents and other relatives in Puerto Rico than JoJo Walker....as he did not hear from them until 4 or 5 days after Hurricane Irma devastated the island.  

They are fine, in fact his parents and grandparents are in Portland for now.

They are still without potable water and electricity at their home southeast of San Juan, but at least their house was "only" heavily damaged, not destroyed.

It will be a very long physical and emotional recovery, but at least they are safe!

You can see from the picture of JoJo's dad and granddad, mom took the picture, they are visiting him at UP: https://www.instagram.com/p/BaNniFMFGVE/

Stonehouse wrote:More interesting to me will be the coach's poll... I bet we end up 9th or so in that, unless the WCC coaches are really impressed by our recruiting.

Tomorrow, Thursday October 19, we'll learn what the coaches are predicting as the WCC Preseason Polls and All-Conference Teams are released.

It's WCC Basketball Tip-Off week going on at the Orleans Arena, and tomorrow we will also hear from each of the 10 men's basketball coaches and a player from each team on WCC Basketball Tip-Off Central. The team interviews will happen every 15 minutes starting with USF at 10:30 and end with Coach Porter and Philipp Hartwich at 12:45.

If you have questions for the coaches you can submit them via Twitter using the hashtag #WCChoops.

Is there still a public scrimmage this Saturday? It's listed on the basketball schedule UP website, but no other communication has been made about it. No article on the website, no direct communication with season ticket holders... I'm again shocked at the seeming lack of competence/attention to the most basic of publicity functions at the Athletic Dept.

But they sure do a great job with video production! If only they put 1/10th that energy/focus toward getting more people to attend games.

Terry Porter has an entire new roster on his hands. Besides the graduation of senior scorer Alec Wintering, a bunch of players including Jazz Johnson decided to transfer. This is a win-win situation for both sides, with the players choosing to play in a system that fits them, and Porter can now get the players he wants for his team, rather than dealing with those he inherited.

He's gotten off to a good start, getting a few intriguing young players for the future. Marcus Shaver is a three star guard who can score in bunches, and Tahirou Diabate is a 6'9 athletic forward from Japan. Originally from Mali, Diabate spent the last few years in the same country as Rui Hachimura and has similar traits on the court. He could be a real steal for the Pilots.

Throw in the two sons, Malcolm and Franklin Porter, and you can see the vision the coaching staff has. They've gone after athletes and players with raw talent and ability. There's a great chance that the Pilots will finish last in the league with all this youth, but it could very well pay off in a few years. This team is one to keep an eye out for in the future.

https://www.slipperstillfits.com/2017/10/17/16446366/gonzaga-bulldogs-2017-18-season-preview-west-coast-conference-preview

Pre-season poll is out. Pilots clock in at 9th, about where I think we all expected.

http://portlandpilots.com/news/2017/10/18/wcc-mens-basketball-preseason-poll-released.aspx

2017-18 WCC Preseason Men's Basketball Coaches Poll
Team (First Place Vote) Pts.
1. Saint Mary's (9) 81
2. Gonzaga (1) 73
3. BYU 62
4. San Francisco 59
5. Santa Clara 44
6. San Diego 37
7. Pepperdine 30
8. Pacific 24
9. Portland 21
10. Loyola Marymount 19  

2017-18 All-WCC Preseason Men's Basketball Team
Name Year Pos. Institution
Olin Carter III Jr. G San Diego
Yoeli Childs So. F BYU
KJ Feagin Jr. G Santa Clara
TJ Haws So. G BYU
Calvin Hermanson Sr. F Saint Mary's
Jock Landale Sr. C Saint Mary's
Charles Minland So. F San Francisco
Emmett Naar Sr. G Saint Mary's
Josh Perkins Jr. G Gonzaga
Johnathan Williams Sr. F Gonzaga

NoPoNeighbor wrote:Is there still a public scrimmage this Saturday?

Yes!

Basically it will be a scrimmage like any other UP practice scrimmage during the preseason except that the public will be allowed to watch....and it's free!.

Remember, there's no Pilot Club (you can eat and drink all you want at the Women's soccer match against GU...meal available at 6, the game starts at 7).

BEER!
 
As many know, fans at Merlo Field this season have been able to purchase beer or hard cider and consume the beverage anywhere in the stands except in the (almost empty) student section.  The pint beers cost $8….

The OLCC/UP rules for Merlo Field are much the same as in the Pilot House Pub, regardless of age, show your ID, get a wristband, and you’re set.

Now Men’s Basketball fans will have the same opportunity to consume beer, hard cider and wine anywhere in the Chiles Center except in the student section, and there’s a be a positive twist….I’m told those $8 pints will be only $5 for Pilot Club members by flashing your MVP, Purple or White Pilot Club card.

Multiple beer and food options will be available in the Pilot Beer Garden beginning with the PSU game on Veterans Day. The beer garden will be on the upstairs mezzanine where the Pilot Club use to be, and it will be open to all, and if you you've got your wristband you can now take your alcoholic beverage to your seat!

Pilot Club MVP and Purple members who drink for “free” in the HOF Room CAN bring their beer or wine into the arena, but apparently not their mixed drinks.
Hey, if the Pilots are to finish in 9th place, there has to be some silver lining for fans.  

But I can bring my "soda" in a glass from the HOF room, right?

At $8 (or $5 reduced), I expect the new beer garden will be all hoppy beers, and no PBR?

up7587 wrote:no PBR?

Man, I hope not!

PilotNut wrote:

up7587 wrote:no PBR?

Man, I hope not!  

That's right, you're more a Coors Light bucket o' beers kinda guy.  Maybe they'll have a bucket for $5.

up7587 wrote:That's right, you're more a Coors Light bucket o' beers kinda guy.  Maybe they'll have a bucket for $5.

It's a bucket. Full of beer. What's not to like?

DoubleDipper wrote:Now Men’s Basketball fans will have the same opportunity to consume beer, hard cider and wine anywhere in the Chiles Center except in the student section, and there’s a be a positive twist….I’m told those $8 pints will be only $5 for Pilot Club members by flashing your MVP, Purple or White Pilot Club card.

Multiple beer and food options will be available in the Pilot Beer Garden beginning with the PSU game on Veterans Day. The beer garden will be on the upstairs mezzanine where the Pilot Club use to be, and it will be open to all, and if you you've got your wristband you can now take your alcoholic beverage to your seat!

Amazing. Never thought we'd see the day.

PilotNut wrote:It's a bucket.  Full of beer.  What's not to like?

I believe the plan is to have only microbrews on tap, no bottles, cans, or buckets....that's the way it's been at Merlo Field this season, except there will likely be more variety in the Chiles Center.

Stonehouse wrote:
2017-18 WCC Preseason Men's Basketball Coaches Poll
Team (First Place Vote) Pts.
1. Saint Mary's (9) 81
2. Gonzaga (1) 73
3. BYU 62
4. San Francisco 59
5. Santa Clara 44
6. San Diego 37
7. Pepperdine 30
8. Pacific 24
9. Portland 21
10. Loyola Marymount 19  

Looks to be a pretty clear delineation of the top-4 above the rest, then a mid-3 and a final-3. I doubt the staff expects their young team to compete for the top 5 spots this year while they build for subsequent years, but I also bet they want to surprise everyone with a bye on Friday night in Las Vegas.....

SMC is loaded this year....with Cullen Neal in their lineup for his graduate year they could conceivably land 4 players on the All-WCC Team at the end of the season.  They got first place votes from all of the coaches except their own coach, Randy Bennett.

Interesting to note that the predicted bottom 3 teams are coached by former NBA players/coaches.