2022 Postseason

Fresno St. downed Youngstown St. this evening, 80-71, with the Bulldogs bench scoring half the points.

First things first, but if UP were to take down SUU on Saturday, they would travel from Cedar City on Sunday to play a Monday game in Fresno (check for yourself how difficult a journey that is) in the semi-final of the Basketball Classic.

Nice for FSU, they will be playing their third of three tournament games at home on Monday.

Dean Murdoch wrote:Who in the world is this Bitrous into the game for the Pilots??

Edit: figured it out. Got the manager into the game!

The rest of the story:

@NickKrupke wrote:You don’t need to be in the Big Dance to have ‘One Shining Moment’. Just ask @PortlandMBB team manager @andrewbitrous out of @clackamas_high
“Closed mouths don’t get fed.”
@CoachLegans

@PortlandPilots

@fox12oregon

https://twitter.com/i/status/1506817836051697667

The full report:https://www.kptv.com/2022/03/24/closed-mouths-dont-get-fed-up-manager-earns-one-shining-moment-with-pilots/

Game information.  Note that video is still ESPN+, and radio is 1080 the Fan, not 910 ESPN.

2022 The Basketball Classic presented by ERACISM
Portland Pilots (19-14, 7-7 WCC) at Southern Utah Thunderbirds (22-11, 14-6 Big Sky)
Date: Saturday, March 26, 2022
Time: 3 PM (PT)
City: Cedar City, Utah
Arena: America First Event Center
TV: ESPN+
Radio: 1080 The Fan (KFXX)

up7587 wrote:Portland Pilots (19-14, 7-7 WCC) at Southern Utah Thunderbirds (22-11, 14-6 Big Sky)
Date: Saturday, March 26, 2022
Time: 3 PM (PT)

In a good move by the athletic department to literally hit the road early, the Pilots should be just now arriving in Cedar City after flying to Salt Lake City and then taking a close to 4-hour bus ride.

Yes, the team is well aware they are the only WCC basketball team still playing in March...

It is easy for us to complain about this s___-show of a tournament, especially the scheduling that is unfair to the Pilots, but the guys are happy to have their season extended, face some good competition, and continue to get better for next season.

I’m mostly just amused by the chaos and make-it-up-as-you-go style of this tournament. I’m glad the Pilots are part of it.

But I’m not sure how the scheduling is unfair to UP. It’s quite unfair to SUU, which has to win two games in the second round in order to reach the third round.

NoPoNeighbor wrote:But I’m not sure how the scheduling is unfair to UP. It’s quite unfair to SUU, which has to win two games in the second round in order to reach the third round.

Ha, I thought we agreed that SUU simply won a play-in game over Kent St.

Actually, I was thinking more about the Pilots long layoff, it will be a week since they last played, and then, fingers crossed, the 12-hour bus ride to Fresno for the semi-final to play a rested Bulldog team on Monday...their third game in a row at home.

I'm glad Deaner doesn't have ESPN+, because dear mother of Mary, that was not a great sight to see Austin go down on stream.

Hate to see his season end this way. Class act by the SUU team and crowd.

tl;dr:

SUU got hot. Pilots could not.

Austin broke his leg in a fashion very reminiscent of Louisville's Kevin Ware almost halfway through the second half after I think trying to avoid a collision with a SUU player. A lot of disturbed emotions throughout the arena and a long stoppage of play. Thankfully seemed to have positive feelings after being wheeled off the court in a platform cart and gave the SUU team fist bumps.

Pilots brought it close near the end but could not capitalize.

No post-game radio for obvious reasons.

Wood and Sjolund combined 2 of 17, 0 for 9 from 3P, 5 total points. Ouch.

Sound Voltex wrote:I'm glad Deaner doesn't have ESPN+, because dear mother of Mary, that was not a great sight to see Austin go down on stream.

Was kind of half following on live stats when I saw your post. Then I looked up Chris Austin on Twitter and they were drawing Kevin Ware comparisons (as you did in your next post) and yeah I’m absolutely happy I wasn’t watching.

Hoping for the absolute best for a guy that’s been a pleasure to watch all season long.

Dean Murdoch wrote:Hoping for the absolute best for a guy that’s been a pleasure to watch all season long.

He is in surgery as I write this...

Coach Legans and Head Trainer Sam Gay are in Cedar City with him.

If you have morbid curiosity, there is a YouTube video of Chris' injury. A commentor who claims to have been at the game with a clear view said there was no contact from a SUU player, Chris just slipped. Hard to tell from the video.

Sound Voltex wrote: A lot of disturbed emotions throughout the arena and a long stoppage of play. Thankfully seemed to have positive feelings after being wheeled off the court in a platform cart and gave the SUU team fist bumps.

I am told Chris can expect a full recovery, but still...

[quote="DoubleDipper"]

Sound Voltex wrote:

I am told Chris can expect a full recovery, but still...

Any word on the nature of the injury? From experience and the brief view in the video. it looks like maybe a tendon or ligament snapped.

An injury like that 40 years ago would have been career ending, but I’m betting he will come back at least as strong as before with modern advances in surgery and rehab. It will take time, though.

I’ve had serious shoulder and knee injuries and came back completely from both, and I’m a lot older than Chris. (X3) .


Positive thoughts go out to the young man.

Geezaldinho wrote:An injury like that 40 years ago would have been career ending, but I’m betting he will come back at least as strong as before with modern advances in surgery and rehab. It will take time, though.

Positive thoughts go out to the young man.

Without bumping up against privacy concerns for Chris, his attitude toward rehab, recovery, and coming back is great.

This sort of injury followed by surgery and lots of rehab can have a player in his shape back to full speed ahead in 6 months...fingers crossed.  

Saturday:

Excellent NIT this year, the last that will play the finals in Madison Square Garden for the foreseeable future.

Xavier, under the guidance of interim coach Jonas Hayes, beat favored Texas A&M, 73-72, in one of the better postseason games this year.

Retread Sean Miller will take over the team tomorrow, 13 years and a scandal since he left, and Hayes was apparently told he will be the associate head coach if he wants it...but after his success since taking over from fired coach, Travis Steele, he may be looking for a head coaching job instead.

DoubleDipper wrote:

up7587 wrote:UTEP finished 4th in the West Division of Conference USA, lost their 2nd game in the conference tourney, and beat Western Illinois Saturday.  They are led by DoubleDipper's old favorite from USF Souley Boum.

Souley!!

He and I played the same position at the same high school 55 years apart.    He is much better than I ever dreamed of being.

Saw him play at UOP earlier in the season, I think he dropped about 30 points while shooting over 50%.

Souley just seems to score around 20 every night at UTEP after scoring 26 on UP in his first game in the Chiles Center as a freshman in 2017.  Really good kid!

Saw on Twitter from @willmaup that Souley Boum is transferring again. https://twitter.com/willmaup/status/1516526059063156738
He started his career at USF in 2017. Has already played in 122 games. Still has a year left. Crazy.

up7587 wrote:

DoubleDipper wrote:

up7587 wrote:UTEP finished 4th in the West Division of Conference USA, lost their 2nd game in the conference tourney, and beat Western Illinois Saturday.  They are led by DoubleDipper's old favorite from USF Souley Boum.

Souley!!

He and I played the same position at the same high school 55 years apart.    He is much better than I ever dreamed of being.

Saw him play at UOP earlier in the season, I think he dropped about 30 points while shooting over 50%.

Souley just seems to score around 20 every night at UTEP after scoring 26 on UP in his first game in the Chiles Center as a freshman in 2017.  Really good kid!

Saw on Twitter from @willmaup that Souley Boum is transferring again.  https://twitter.com/willmaup/status/1516526059063156738
He started his career at USF in 2017.  Has already played in 122 games.  Still has a year left.  Crazy.

Souley is off to Xavier!!  

Wow, good for him.

When Mrs. DD and I first talked with him just after Christmas in 2017 he was a wonderful young man feeling a little homesick after the holidays and looking forward to talking to his mom...and we followed his career closely after that.

Just named the UTEP Male Athlete of the Year, he will now be up against the big guys of the Big East...that's a long way from Oakland.  I love watching those Sunday Big East games on the TV, and looking forward to watching Souley.  

Dean Murdoch wrote:Who in the world is this Bitrous into the game for the Pilots??

Edit: figured it out. Got the manager into the game!

When it appeared Andrew Bitrous was likely to enter the game, the student section was going nuts, and when he dribble toward the basket (and missed the bunny) it got real loud.  Obviously well-liked by the students and the student-athletes, Andrew is now a UP graduate.

And to make it even more cool, for his time and effort as a student manager and his dribble-drive on the court, Andrew was awarded really good looking UP Letterman jacket.