Pilots @ Oregon, 12/19 (12:00 PM)

Live stuff here - https://portlandpilots.com/sports/mens-basketball/schedule

Projections
Kenpom - Oregon #23, Portland #263 (UO 84-61)
Barttorvik - Oregon #19, Portland #263 (UO 86-63)

A Pilots win would...
• give them their first state of Oregon sweep since 2005-06
• extend UP's winning streak over the Ducks to 2
• give UP its first 6-1 start since, uhh, last year
• probably push UP into way-too-early NIT consideration (there's really a guy that does NIT bracketology all year long, go check out thebarkingcrow.com) if there's actually going to be an NIT this year. I have no idea.

Big test, big opportunity for this Pilots team.

After losing their opening game of the season to Missouri, the Ducks are on a five-game winning streak during which they have outscored their opponents by an average of 19.2 points in the paint (44.4 to 25.2)).  

And when the ball hasn't gone in the hoop, the Ducks rebound it.  In three recent games they out rebounded Seton Hall, 38-22; EWU, 45-31; and UW, 40-30.

IMO, the only way UP can stop UO's 25 game winning streak at Matthew Knight Arena is to make over 50% of their outside shots, as there is just no way they are going to find any success insides against the Tall Firs.

If N’Faly Dante isn’t back for Oregon (injured against USF) it seems that the Ducks have an endless amount of 6’6” guys to throw out there.

Who thought this court design was a good idea?

Pilots shooting 19%, Ali hasn’t hit a field goal, outrebounded 24-12, and we are down by 16.

How are we this close?

I have to admit, I expected better.

WORST shooting performance you could ever see, 12-56, and the defence wasnt anything special, think Porter has forgotten he has a lights out shooter sitting, brings him in when 38 down. Very old school coach Porter, starts and continually plays the same 5, all night.And can someone try and explain to me the offence he runs ? Long year for the Pilots and Aussie Zach Triplett, going to get real ugly when the conference games start.

Aussie Baller wrote:WORST shooting performance you could ever see, 12-56, and the defence wasnt anything special, think Porter has forgotten he has a lights out shooter sitting, brings him in when 38 down. Very old school coach Porter, starts and continually plays the same 5, all night.And can someone try and explain to me the offence he runs ? Long year for the Pilots and Aussie Zach Triplett, going to get real ugly when the conference games start.

 We all knew you'd eventually come around to most everyone's way of thinking...and it didn't take long.

If you look over the posts on PilotNation over the last 3 years you'll note the same sentiments over and over that you expressed regarding the frustration that comes from watching UP MBB and the head coach.

There is hope that 2021 will begin to bring about a change in the world as the US gets new leadership and the COVID-19 vaccine begins to take effect, and in comparison the need for new leadership of UP MBB is small, but change is needed.

TP's contract expires in four months...

WOW DD, i did go back and read, not the best record for Porter, and by some of the comments, players have improved dramatically once left Portland.
Not sure our Aussie boy Zach will have much of a future under Porter,he doesnt seem to play a geniune shooter, doesnt run an offence for a geniuine shooter, and seems to give the older kids a licence to just do what they want, 17-52, and 3-18 from 3, is shocking and it was incredible to get the win, and you take the W. Seattle next up, with another Aussie freshman Kobe Williamson, who is playing 30 + minutes, different players but i know who i would want and hes on Portlands roster.
Can anyone over there introduce Zach Triplett to Terry Porter, before the year is over put him out there for 25 minutes, get him shooting and Portland wont shoot 3-18 from 3, maybe Santa Claus might be able to do that for us Aussie supporters of our boy and Portland

How bad was that performance?

What are the coaches doing? Do the assistants have any say, or is it just old fashioned terrible basketball from Porter ?

If i was Zach, i would be running 100 miles an hour out of the joint, cant wait to talk to him when he gets back to Australia and find out WTF is going on

The ugliest court in the land will sit idle for a while.

https://twitter.com/oregoniansports/status/1349073761497178115?s=21

Geezaldinho wrote:The ugliest court in the land will sit idle for a while.

https://twitter.com/oregoniansports/status/1349073761497178115?s=21

The Ducks came off their COVID pause long enough to lose to OSU, and now they are paused again and will not travel to Southern California to play their two scheduled games against UCLA and one against USC.

Sounds like a good move on many levels...