2024 Pilot Non-Conference Games

The season kicks of Wednesday Nov. 6th with a 7:00pm game at Chiles vs. the Lewis and Clark Pioneers from the D-III Northwest Conference.  The game will be available on ESPN+ TV and 910 ESPN radio.  The Pilots have played L&C each of the last two seasons, winning 89-62 and 89-72 respectively.  Per their web site, the roster lists five players at the C or F position at 6'6" to 6'8"; the Pilots should have a large height advantage.

Any guesses for the Pilot starting lineup?  Without seeing any practices, I will SWAG Vukasin Masic, Vince Delano, Max Mackinnon, Austin Rapp, and Mezziah Oakman.  That's one returning starter, a redshirt freshman, a true freshman, and two experienced transfers.

Go Pilots.

Vukasin is still recovering from an injury, so I would expect Todd Jones to be in the starting lineup instead for Wednesday’s game. Sounds like Vukasin may be back for the Saturday game against UC Santa Barbara.

Looking ahead, playing a Saturday game at 3:00pm in the middle of prime college football season is pretty dumb.

L&C finished dead last in the nine-team Northwest Conference last year with a conference record of 2-14 and an overall record of 6-19. They're a bad D-III team. Anything other than a blowout win tonight should be very, very concerning.

Rob's Jacket wrote:Anything other than a blowout win tonight should be very, very concerning.

In the first D1 game for a number of players and in a game where the staff is attempting to develop what amounts to an entirely new team, I don't think a "blowout" is what they are trying to achieve tonight.

A double-digit win, yes!

Chemistry not quite there yet as expected. Only the first half but Pilots have 13 turnovers. Picking up some momentum going into the half.

Rob's Jacket wrote:L&C finished dead last in the nine-team Northwest Conference last year with a conference record of 2-14 and an overall record of 6-19. They're a bad D-III team. Anything other than a blowout win tonight should be very, very concerning.

Wow

Down by 3 at the half

Post-game radio with Coach Legans and Todd Jones Jr: https://vocaroo.com/16dovXO78SgV

The game went just as expected...

The Pilots came out a little too fast, a little to amped up, and a little too prone to turnovers, but by the second half, and with the calming effect of "old man" Chris Austin the team found its offensive rhythm, limited the turnovers to just three, and hit 9 of 13 three-point shots.

As predicted, a double-digit win after a slow start.

Todd Jones was very impressive!

up7587 wrote:Per their web site, the roster lists five players at the C or F position at 6'6" to 6'8"; the Pilots should have a large height advantage. 

Todd Jones and Austin Rapp combined for 19 rebounds. Mezziah Oakman only had 1.  Rebound advantage was 42-34.  L&C scored 18 points in the paint, compared to 38 for the Pilots.

up7587 wrote:Any guesses for the Pilot starting lineup?  Without seeing any practices, I will SWAG Vukasin Masic, Vince Delano, Max Mackinnon, Austin Rapp, and Mezziah Oakman.  

Starting lineup was Mackinnon, Rapp, Chris Austin, Oakman and Jones.  Delano has the most minutes off the bench.  Micah Ballew and Bol Dengdit also had double figure minutes.

Pilots shot only 1-7 from 3P range in the 1st half, but 9-13 in the 2nd half, to finish at 50%.  Mackinnon, Rapp and Delano combined for 8-12 on 3P shots.

Masic has an ankle injury, and Kelson Gebbers has a back injury.

https://portlandpilots.com/news/2024/11/6/mens-basketball-portland-shoots-50-percent-from-deep-defeats-lewis-clark-83-70.aspx

Pilots play their first D1 opponent the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos on Saturday at 3:00pm. The game is available on ESPN+ and 910 ESPN. Unlike the Pilots, the Gauchos had no problems dispatching their first opponent, DII San Francisco St, taking a lead after 5 minutes and running out to a 96-47 victory.

The Gaucho starters averaged 16 minutes of play, and 13 players saw time off the bench. Leading scorers were 6'8" SO Colin Smith and 6'8" FR Zion Sensley. Each scored 11 points, in 14 and 15 minutes respectively. Sensley is the player who initially committed to SMC, signed a NLI, then asked for a release when an SMC assistant left for Michigan. It was a contentious departure, and there is a 23 page thread on God is a Gael discussing him.

UCSB was 14-15 in D1 games last year, and ranked #207 in the NET, 88 points better than UP.

Go Pilots.

Death.

Taxes.

Random schools coming into Chiles and shooting absolute fire from 3 point range.

Dean Murdoch wrote:Death.

Taxes.

Random schools coming into Chiles and shooting absolute fire from 3 point range.

It’s happening again

Look at it this way…

We have plenty of room to grow.

Geezaldinho wrote:Look at it this way…

We have plenty of room to grow.

Hey, we only lost by 41. San Francisco St. lost to them by 49.

After missing their first eight 3-point attempts, UCSB made 16 of their next 29, 55%. Pilots only made 5 of 31 3P shots. That's an extra 33 points for them on 3P shots.

When is the last time we got beat by 40 or more?

Oldguyfan wrote:When is the last time we got beat by 40 or more?

January 11th, ten months ago, at SMC, losing 95-52.

The beat-down by UCSB last night dropped the Pilots to dead last in the WCC KP ratings...

The team is now #312, 51 spots below USD, the team above them, and 309 spots below GU.

wrv wrote:Now that we have been reminded of an inglorious  road loss, let's get more to the point: when was the last time we lost at home by 40+?

There were a couple other recent 40+ road losses. Looks like the last home 40+ point loss was Feb. 2021 to BYU, 105-60.

up7587 wrote:There were a couple other recent 40+ road losses.  Looks like the last home 40+ point loss was Feb. 2021 to BYU, 105-60.

Yup, and unlike Saturday, thankfully no one had to sit through it because it was during the COVID lockdown...

On March 3rd, 2007, in a WCC tournament game played at the Chiles Center, SMC beat UP 87-47. That was Taishi Ito and Ben Sullivan's team. That's the closest I can find to a home loss as bad as yesterday's since 2002.

wrv wrote:

up7587 wrote:

Oldguyfan wrote:When is the last time we got beat by 40 or more?

January 11th, ten months ago, at SMC, losing 95-52.

Now that we have been reminded of an inglorious  road loss, let's get more to the point: when was the last time we lost at home by 40+?

up7587 wrote:On March 3rd, 2007, in a WCC tournament game played at the Chiles Center, SMC beat UP 87-47.  That was Taishi Ito and Ben Sullivan's team.  That's the closest I can find to a home loss as bad as yesterday's since 2002.

There is one closer, just barely: a 74-33 loss at home to Saint Mary's on January 12, 2017. (41 points)

Next game is tomorrow at 8:00pm @ Oregon on the Big 10 Network.

The Ducks are 2-0 beating UCR 91-76 and Montana 79-48. KP ranks them #22.

7’0 Senior Nate Bittle is averaging a double double with 16.5 points and 10 rebounds a game. Additionally, 4 other players are averaging in the double figures.

ESPN gives UP a 1.1% chance to win this game. Going to be a really tough game for sure but excited to see what the guys can do!