Portland St

2008 NCAA Tournament Capsule: Portland State

Joel Welser — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 14:39:47 -0700

Portland State Vikings

Big Sky (23-9, 14-2)

Big Wins: 11/16 vs IUPUI (75-73), 11/17 vs Akron (66-63), 2/7 at Northern Arizona (71-68)

Bad Losses: 11/18 vs Colorado State (63-64), 11/24 at UC Davis (68-76), 12/22 at Eastern Washington (57-58)

Last NCAA Appearance: none

Coach: Ken Bone (First NCAA appearance)

Probable Starters:

Jeremiah Dominguez, Junior, Guard, 14.3 ppg, 4.1 apg, 2.0 spg

Andre Murray, Junior, Guard, 9.2 ppg, 2.0 apg, 3.6 rpg

Deonte Huff, Senior, Guard, 13.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg

Kyle Coston, Sophomore, Forward, 5.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg

Scott Morrison, Senior, Center, 10.6 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1.7 bpg

Key Roleplayers:

Dupree Lucas, Senior, Guard, 5.6 ppg, 1.9 apg

Justynn Hammond, Freshman, Guard, 3.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg

Mickey Polis, Junior, Guard, 3.2 ppg

Tyrell Mara, Sophomore, Forward, 4.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg

Julius Thomas, Sophomore, Forward, 4.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg

Alex Tiefenthaler, Sophomore, Forward, 3.0 ppg, 1.7 rpg

J.R. Moore, Senior, Forward, 2.5 ppg, 1.6 rpg

Why They Can Surprise:

Jeremiah Dominguez is the leader of the Vikings of Portland State. The junior averages a team high 14.3 points 4.1 assists per game. The diminutive 5-6 point guard will sneak his way into the paint for lay-ups, but most of his shots are taken from beyond the arc. And shooting three’s is what Coach Ken Bone’s team does best. However, besides Dominguez’s 2.6 long balls per contest, nobody is that prolific of a three-point shooter. Just about everybody else who plays significant minutes hits about one three-pointer per game.

And there are a whole lot of players who see quality minutes for Portland State. Twelve Vikings average at least eight minutes per game on the season. That is a lot of depth and a lot of players to plug into specific situations as the game requires.

Why They Can Disappoint:

The offense is dynamic and pretty good, but the same cannot be said for the defense. Portland State’s opponents shoot nearly 45 percent from the floor. There are not many teams who play in any postseason tournament that will give up a higher percentage than that. They can block some shots and grab some steals, but it is the turnovers that lead to that high opponents shooting percentage. On many occasions those turnovers will turn into easy baskets on the other end. Dominguez and Deonte Huff are superb scorers and the lifeblood of the team, but together they commit nearly five turnovers per game and that is too many for a couple of experienced players on the perimeter.

Who To Watch:

The size of the frontcourt has been a huge advantage for Portland State in Big Sky play. Center Scott Morrison is 6-11 and 250 pounds and has become a consistent scoring threat in the paint during his senior season. Fellow starter Kyle Coston is 6-8 and Alex Tiefenthaler brings a big 6-9 frame into the game off the bench. The Vikings have not had to deal with a lot of great big men during conference play and how well they adjust to playing more talented post players will determine their fate in the postseason.

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Team of the Day: Portland State

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 21:30:00 -0700

Portland State 23-9 (14-2 Big Sky) Computer numbers (courtesy of kenpom.com, through Tuesday): RPI 96, SOS 245 Thanks to their 67-51 victory in the Big Sky Tournament final against Northern Arizona Wednesday night, the Vikings become the first entrant making their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Three players reached double figures in the win, led by senior guard Deonte Huff with seventeen. Portland State also forced twenty-two turnovers and held the Lumberjacks to 34.5% shooting from the field. NAU senior forward Kyle Landry, who for the season averaged 17.8 points per game, was harassed into a 3-11 night from the field for ten points. The best wins on the schedule for PSU may be back-to-back wins over IUPUI and Akron all the way back in mid-November, so they'll probably end up being a fifteen seed. But that's something to worry about for Sunday. Until then, enjoy the thrill of heading to your first NCAA Tournament. On the clock: Dayton and Villanova. Both teams have chances to pick up huge "resume" wins when they take on the top seed in their respective conference tournaments on Thursday. Dayton, who already had their hands full with Xavier, can't be too happy with the Musketeers being peeved by the "disrespect" being sent their way in regards to conference honors. As for Villanova, they get another shot at Georgetown, and a win would bolster their case for being "robbed" in their previous meeting.

Portland State Puts Scare Into #8 Washington State

Press Release — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 16:52:47 -0800

Pullman, WA - Junior center Aron Baynes led the eighth-ranked Washington State Cougars to a 72-60 win over Portland State on Sunday night at Friel Court. Baynes hit 9-9 shots from the field and 5-6 at the line for a game-high 23 points.

That was part of a brilliant overall shooting performance by the Cougars that the Vikings could not match. Washington State hit 26 of 40 shots for a .650 mark on the game. WSU went into the game as one of the top three defensive teams in the nation, allowing just 51.5 points per game. PSU hit 22-54 shots (.407), but put up 60 points in the game.

Washington State improved to 9-0 overall, and won its’ 16th straight home game against a non-conference opponent. The Cougars are now 6-0 all-time against the Vikings.

Portland State is now 6-4 on the season, including 4-4 away from home. The loss ended a three-game winning streak for PSU.

The Vikings led for virtually the entire first half, only giving up the lead in the final two minutes as Washington State went on an eight-point run. The Cougars led 35-28 at halftime.

Portland State pulled back within two early in the second half, but never led again. The Cougars’ advantage stayed at five to seven points for most of the second half. Late free throws pushed it to a 12-point win for WSU.

The Vikings’ loss nullified a strong effort by the Vikings’ Deonte Huff. The senior guard scored 18 points, five rebounds and four steals to lead Portland State. Jeremiah Dominguez added 15 points and three assists for the Vikings.

“That last three, four minutes of the first half really hurt,” said Head Coach Ken Bone. “(It was) disappointing how well Washington State was shooting and scoring, but they had the patience to work the ball and get the good shot. That’s why they are ranked (where) they are.”

- Portland State Media -

Portland State Adds Solid Hawaii Transfer

Press Release — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 09:31:28 -0700

Portland State men's basketball has added another transfer to its roster with the signing of former University of Hawai'i team member Dominic Waters.

Waters will transfer to Portland State for the 2007-08 year and redshirt as per NCAA rules. He will be eligible to play during the 2008-09 season and have junior eligibility.

"I may sound like a broken record, but once again I am excited about another local kid who has decided to come back to Portland and play for Portland State," said Viking Head Coach Ken Bone in reference to Waters and another transfer, Phil Nelson.

"Dominic is a solid player in every facet of the game. He is also an outstanding young man off the court. We are glad he will be a part of our program," said Bone.

A 6-1 guard, Waters is originally from Portland where he attended Grant High School. He led the PIL in scoring at 23.4 points per game and ranked third in the state as a senior. Waters was a first-team All-State and All-PIL selection.

Waters played two seasons for the Warriors. He was the Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year in 2005-06. He played in 20 games, starting twice. Waters averaged 2.9 points and shot .435 from three-point range.

As a sophomore this past season, Waters improved his scoring to 6.3 points per game. He shot .409 from the field, .394 from three-point range and .867 at the line, while also handing out 51 assists. Waters played in 30 games, starting once, and had eight double-figure scoring performances.

As mentioned, Waters is the second transfer to join the Viking program in the past week. Phil Nelson, formerly of Washington, is transferring to PSU and will redshirt with Waters next season.

The Vikings, who were 19-13 in 2006-07, will have six seniors on the 2007-08 squad.

Phil Nelson Transfers to Portland State

Press Release — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 07:33:57 -0700

Former University of Washington basketball player Phil Nelson will transfer to Portland State University and play basketball for the Vikings. Nelson, who was a freshman for the Huskies during the 2006-07 season, will transfer to PSU this fall. Due to NCAA transfer rules, he will redshirt in 2007-08.

"We're very excited about Phil's addition to our program," said Viking Coach Ken Bone. "One, because he is local kid who wants to be a part of the Portland State basketball program. And two, because he is a really outstanding athlete who can shoot it."

Nelson, a 6-7 forward, attended McNary High School in Keizer. In his only season with Washington, he played in 31 games, starting nine times. Nelson averaged 4.7 points and 2.0 rebounds in 14.9 minutes per game. He shot .413 from the field, with more than half of his field goal attempts coming from beyond the three-point line. Nelson hit 24 of 82 three-pointers for a .293 percentage.

Nelson averaged 20.8 points per game as a senior at McNary, and 22 points as a junior. He was a three-time All-Valley League selection and was named first team All-State in 2005.

Portland State has eight returning letterwinners and four returning redshirts to its 2007-08 squad. The Vikings lost its two main three-point threats in seniors Juma Kamara (69-171, .404 3-pt FG) and Paul Hafford (76-204, .373).

Nelson will pick up the scholarship made available at the conclusion of the season when guard Ryan Sommer left the program. He will have sophomore eligibility in 2008-09.

Big Sky Player of the Week

Press Release — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0800

Portland State guard Dupree Lucas has become the third Viking this season to be named Big Sky Conference Player of the Week after totaling 52 points in a pair of Viking wins last week. Lucas shares the honor with Montana State’s Carlos Taylor who also led the Bobcats to two wins.

A 6-1 junior from Wichita, KS, Lucas averaged 26 points per game as Portland State earned victories over Northern Colorado and Northern Arizona. Lucas scored a career- high 33 points in an 86-71 win over Northern Colorado on Thursday. Lucas was 12- 21 from the field, and 7-7 from the free-throw line. He also had three rebounds, four assists, and three steals. The 33 points tied a Big Sky single-game high this season and was the most by a Viking since Dec. 30, 2003 - a span of 90 games.

Lucas added 19 points with two rebounds, two assists and a steal in the Vikings’ 83-78 win over Northern Arizona on Saturday.

The Viking victories raised their record to 13-8 on the season, 4-4 in the Big Sky Conference. PSU has now bettered last year’s 12-16 record with nine games to play.

Lucas has averaged 24.2 points over the last five games making 48-91 shots (.527) and 23-34 free throws (.676). He has improved his scoring average from 9.7 to 13.1 per game and now leads the Vikings in scoring. Lucas averages 17.8 points in Big Sky Conference games.

This is Lucas’ first Big Sky Conference Player of the Week honor. The other Vikings named BSC Player of the Week this year are junior center Scott Morrison and senior guard Paul Hafford.

Montana State’s Taylor averaged 20 points per game as the Bobcats upset Weber State and Idaho State.

Portland State 72 - San Jose State 63

Press Release — Sun, 10 Dec 2006 20:59:14 -0800

San Jose, CA - Juma Kamara's big second half combined with the overall excellence of Scott Morrison led the Portland State Vikings to a 72-63 non-conference win at San Jose State.

Kamara hit four three-pointers in the second half and scored all 15 of his points after intermission. Morrison posted a season-high 19 points on 9-12 shooting. He had nine rebounds, four blocked shots and three steals in a career-high 36 minutes.

Portland State raised its record to 7-3 on the season, winning its third straight game and sixth in the last seven. San Jose State dropped to 1-8 on the season.

It was a seesaw affair through the first half. The Vikings jumped to a quick 15-7 lead on a Dupree Lucas layup with 14:26 to go in the first half. But San Jose State rallied, going on a 15-3 run to take a 22-18 lead at the 7:49 mark.

PSU regained the lead and took a 30-28 advantage into halftime. The Vikings shot just 36% from the field and were outrebounded 27-19 in the half, but used 14 Spartan turnovers to maintain the lead.

The Vikings went down six early in the second half, but bounced back to go ahead by eight at the 8:40 mark and held the lead the rest of the way. The Vikings made 16-26 from the field in the second half for a .615 mark.

Deonte Huff also had a big game for the Vikings, scoring 12 points with nine rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Portland State ended up shooting 46% for the game, but poor three-point shooting continued. Going into the game, the Vikings were hitting only .284 from long range. PSU managed only 5-20 against the Spartans.

Tim Pierce hit four three-point field goals and had a team-high 17 points for San Jose State.

- Portland St Media Relations -

Gonzaga Cruises Past Portland State

Press Release — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 21:52:39 -0800

Spokane, WA - The upset-minded Portland State Vikings would have had a shot at a win but couldn't get enough shots to fall, losing to 22nd- ranked Gonzaga, 69-51, at McCarthey Athletic Center on Thursday.

The Vikings played Gonzaga close most of the night, but hit only 31.7% of their shots and scored their fewest points since late in the 2002-03 season. The loss ended PSU's three-game winning streak and dropped the Viking record to 4-3.

The Bulldogs climbed to 7-1 on the season behind the 20 points of Derek Raivio.

Portland State was down 37-29 at halftime, and was within seven at the 6:02 mark in the second half. A three-pointer by Dupree Lucas, his second in a row, pulled the Vikings to a 55-48 deficit. However, the Vikings made just one of eight shots the rest of the way as Gonzaga pulled out a comfortable 18-point victory.

Lucas led four Vikings in double figures with 13 points. Juma Kamara had 12 points, six rebounds and four assists. Deonte Huff had 11 points and six rebounds, and Scott Morrison scored 10 points with six rebounds.

Neither bench played very well as PSU's hit just 1-11 field goals, scoring three points. Gonzaga's bench was 0-8, but had five points and grabbed 14 rebounds.

Josh Heytvelt added 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Bulldogs.