Dec. 27, 2004

GAME DATA: On Dec. 28, Portland will take on the Oregon Ducks in Eugene, Ore. at 7:00 p.m.

WHAT'S AHEAD: Portland is back at home facing Idaho and Idaho State next week. The Pilots will take on the Vandals on Dec. 30 at 7:30 p.m. and the Bengals on Jan. 2 at 3:30 p.m. at the Chiles Center.

A QUICK LOOK AT PORTLAND: Junior guard Pooh Jeter scored 25 points as Portland handed UC Riverside its first home loss of the season on Wednesday Dec. 22 at the Student Recreation Center on the Riverside Campus. Freshmen Jeremiah Dominguez and Marcus Lewis provided big second-half contributions for Portland (9-3), which improved to 4-1 in road games on the year.

Pooh Jeter was named the WCC Men's Basketball Player of the Week for his performance in games during the week of December 5-11, 2004. It was Jeter's first WCC Player of the Week honor for his career.

Currently, the Pilots hold a 9-3 (.750) overall record heading into next week's games. Portland's 9-3 start is the best of the Holton era and the best since the 1995-96 team went 10-3 in non-conference play to start the season.

Earlier this season, the Pilots placed fourth at the Top of the World Classic, defeating Georgia Southern, 74-60 in the consolation championship. Pooh Jeter was named to the Top of the World Classic all-tourney team.

Possible starters for the Pilots in the match up with Oregon, Idaho and Idaho State are: Donald Wilson (Jr., G/F); Pooh Jeter (Jr., G); Dreshawn Vance (So., F); Darren Cooper (Jr., G) and Andreas Gahlmann (Sr., C).

The Pilots return three starters, six letterwinners and add seven newcomers to this year's roster. Last year, the Pilots finished the West Coast Conference regular-season in a tie for sixth place. Portland ended its season with an 11-17 (.393) overall record and a 5-9 (.357) conference mark. The 11-17 (.393) overall record comprised the fourth-best win-loss record over the last 11 years. Portland's 5-1 start at the beginning of the 2003-04 season was the best start since Rob Chavez's 1998-99 team went 5-1 to open play. The Pilots posted a 6-6 (.500) home record, a 5-10 (.333) away record and a 0-1 (.000) neutral site record in 2003-04.

Head Coach Michael Holton is the 19th head coach in school history. In four seasons, Holton has a 37-61 (.378) career overall record and an 11-31 (.262) career WCC record. His 2003-04 team won 11 games and one more WCC win than the previous season, while posting impressive road wins at Oregon State and New Mexico.

Portland returns two players that received West Coast Conference recognition last season. Pooh Jeter took home 2004 first team all-WCC honors, a first for any Pilot sophomore since the 1977-78 season, while teammate Dreshawn Vance was a 2004 WCC all-Freshman team selection.

In a vote of the league's eight head coaches, the Pilots are picked to finish in eighth-place in this year's WCC race.

CHECKING OUT OREGON: The Oregon Ducks return three starters, eight letterwinners and add five newcomers to the 2004-05 roster. Oregon is 7-1 on the season, with their only loss coming from Illinois, 83-68. The Ducks most recently defeated Winthrop, 71-56 on Dec. 22. Four UO players are currently recording double-figure scoring thus far. Aaron Brooks leads the way, averaging 15.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per game, while Malik Hairston adds 13.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per contest. Bryce Taylor currently posts 12.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game and Ian Crosswhite chips in 12.1 points and 6.3 boards per game. Oregon averages 76.6 points and 35.6 boards per game as a team and shoots 50 percent (217-433) from the field, 39 percent (57-147) from three-point range and 66 percent (122-185) from the free-throw line thus far.

Head coach Ernie Kent enters his eighth year with the Ducks and posts a 135-81 record with Oregon and a 225-161 career record.

Probable starters for the Ducks are: #0 Aaron Brooks (G, 6-0, So.); #1 Malik Hairston (G, 6-6, Fr.); #3 Mitch Platt (F, 6-10, So.); #4 Bryce Taylor (G, 6-5, Fr.) and #11 Ian Crosswhite (F, 7-0, Jr.).

CHECKING OUT IDAHO: The Idaho Vandals return two starters, seven letterwinners and add three newcomers to the 2004-05 roster. Idaho is 2-8 on the season and most recently defeated Utah State, 69-62 in Moscow, Idaho. Two Vandals are currently recording double-figure scoring thus far. Dandrick Jones leads the way, averaging 15.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, while Tanoris Shepard adds 10.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per contest. Idaho posts 64.2 points and 35.1 rebounds per game as a team and shoots 42 percent (221-524) from the field, 27 percent (47-174) from three-point range and 61 percent (89-145) from the free-throw line thus far.

Head coach Leonard Perry enters his fifth year with the Vandals and posts a 36-50 career record.

Probable starters for the Vandals are: #2 Dandrick Jones (G, 6-4, Sr.); #11 Tanoris Shepard (G, 5-11, Sr.); #24 Tihon Johnson (G, 6-3, Jr.); #25 Anton Lyons (F, 6-6, Sr. ) and #42 Lionel Davis (F, 6-8, Sr.).

CHECKING OUT IDAHO STATE: The Idaho State Beavers return three starters, nine letterwinners and add four newcomers to the 2004-05 roster. The Bengals are currently 4-5 on the season and will face Boise State on Dec. 28 and Great Falls on Dec. 31 before making the return trip to Portland. Earlier this season, Portland defeated the Bengals, 82-73 in Pocatello. Two Idaho State players are currently recording double-figure scoring thus far. Antoine Millien leads the way, averaging 13.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, while Jeff Gardner adds 13.3 points and 2.0 rebounds per contest. The Bengals average 72.2 points and 32.4 boards per game as a team and shoots 47 percent (230-495) from the field, 37 percent (69-187) from three-point range and 70 percent (121-174) from the free-throw line thus far.

Head Coach Doug Oliver returns for his eighth year at the helm and posts a 66-102 career record.

Probable starters for the Bengals are: #3 Doug Hardy (G, 5-10, Fr.); #4 Logan Kinghorn (G, 6-5, Fr.); #11 Jeff Gardner (6-2, Sr., G); #33 Kyle Stevens (F, 6-8, So.) and #50 Antoine Millien (6-7, Jr., F/C).

THE SERIES: Oregon leads the all-time series with Portland, 45-8, dating back to the 1937-38 season. The Pilots lost last season, 88-70 to the Ducks at the Chiles Center on Dec. 22, 2003. The last time both teams met at the McArthur, Portland lost a 96-66 decision to Oregon on Dec. 4, 2002. The Pilots are 7-25 at home, 1-20 on the road and 0-0 at a neutral site vs. the Ducks. The Pilots have a 30-120 (.200) all-time series record vs. Pac-10 opponents. Idaho leads the series with Portland, 12-8. In their last meeting on Nov. 28, 2001 Portland recorded a 71-66 road victory over the Vandals. The last time both teams met at the Chiles Center, Portland claimed a 54-53 win during the 1985-86 season. Portland is 5-4 at home, 1-4 on the road, 1-2 at a neutral site and 1-2 in unknown locations vs. Idaho. The Pilots have a 73-56 (.566) all-time series lead over Big Sky opponents. Idaho State leads the all-time series with Portland, 10-7. The Bengals have four our of the last five meetings, but the Pilots claimed an 82-73 win earlier this season. The Pilots are 4-1 at home, 3-7 on the road and 0-0 at a neutral site vs. Idaho State.

AROUND THE WCC: Dec. 23- San Francisco beat Fresno State at home, 73-62, to extend its winning streak to seven games Thursday night. Loyola Marymount lost a heartbreaker in overtime to 25th-ranked Virginia, 79-77, on the road, and Pepperdine lost to California in the championship game of the Golden Bear Classic on a buzzer-beater, 61-58. All three teams will take a break for the holidays before returning to action next week.

Dec. 22- Pepperdine, Portland, and San Diego posted wins Wednesday night in non-conference action. The Waves beat Arkansas State, 91-82, in the first round of the Golden Bear Classic at California. Portland beat UC Riverside, 76-70, on the road, and San Diego held on to beat UC Santa Barbara, 71-63, at home. Santa Clara lost a close game to Arizona State on the road, 68-63. With the win, Pepperdine advances to play in the tomorrow night's championship game against host California. Portland, San Diego, and Santa Clara will be back in action on Tuesday, Dec. 28 after the Christmas break.

Dec. 21- Loyola Marymount and Gonzaga took the court Tuesday night in non-conference action. The Lions and the Bulldogs recorded wins over Colgate and Eastern Washington, respectively. Loyola Marymount rebounded after a sluggish first half of play to walk away with a 64-54 come-from-behind victory. Gonzaga beat local rival Eastern Washington in Spokane for its sixth straight victory, 83-70. LMU travels to Virginia Thursday to take on the 25th ranked Cavaliers, while Gonzaga next plays Oklahoma State on Tuesday, Dec. 28.

Dec. 20- San Francisco and Portland picked up wins in non-conference action Monday night. The Dons dropped Montana, 79-58, while the Pilots rebounded after a tough loss to Washington State over the weekend with a 70-64 win over Winthrop at home. San Francisco is back in action Thursday night, Dec. 23, at home against Fresno State in the final game before Christmas, while Portland will take on UC Riverside on the road Wednesday, Dec. 22.

JETER EARNS WCC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS: Portland's Pooh Jeter was named the WCC Men's Basketball Player of the Week for his performance in games during the week of December 5-11, 2004. It is Jeter's first WCC Player of the Week honor for his career.

Jeter tallied 24 points and four assists on 6-of-13 shooting from the field, 3-of-7 shooting from long range and 9-of-10 shooting from the free-throw line in Portland's 82-73 win over Idaho State on the road. He racked up 26 points, two rebounds, four assists, three steals and a baseline buzzer-beater to give UP a thrilling 71-70 victory over Long Beach State. Portland trailed LBSU by as much as eight points in the final eight minutes, but cut the margin to 70-69 on a Jeter lay-in with 1:40 remaining. The Pilots got the ball back with under a minute left, but a turnover allowed the 49ers to extend the lead. LBSU's Cody Pearson shot a desperation three-point at the end of the shot clock and the 49ers had two put back attempts rim out before Jeter gathered the rebound with less than seven ticks remaining and went coast-to-coast. His contested runner from the left baseline went through as time expired. For the week, Jeter averaged 25.0 points, 1.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game. The Los Angeles native, shot .517 from the field (15-29), .538 from three-point range (7-13) and .867 from the free-throw line (13-15).

WCC RANKS AMONG NATION'S TOUGHEST: The West Coast Conference maintained its No. 8 ranking in the latest men's College Basketball News RPI rankings and jumped from No. 10 to No. 8 in the latest Sagarin ratings released on Monday morning. The No. 8 ranking in both listings is the highest the conference has reached in WCC men's basketball history. The WCC is in elite company as it is just one of six conferences in the country that can boast that all of its member institutions own a winning record. The other conferences that can make that claim are the ACC, the Big East, the Big 12, the Pac-10 and the SEC.

Last week, WCC teams posted an 8-3 record (.727) and improved the WCC's overall non-conference record to 63-28 (.692). The 63 wins already surpassed last season's total of 61 non-conference wins and is the most since the 1999-2000 campaign (65). The WCC's .692 winning percentage is on pace to shatter the conference's all-time best non-conference winning percentage of .649 established during the 1978-79 season.

HEARTBREAKERS: All three of Portland's losses thus far have been decided by three or less points. In the three losses this year, the Pilots have been edged by a total of seven points. Two of the losses were by three points, while the other loss was by just one point. Portland is currently out-scoring its opponents by a margin of 7.6 points per game.

JETER AMONG TOP 200 GUARDS: Junior Co-Captain Pooh Jeter is currently ranked 175th in the country out of 1,050 other Division I guards in the most recent CBSSportsLine.com player rankings. He is currently fourth among other WCC guards and 327th out of all other Division I players.

JETER CONTINUES SCORING TREND: Junior guard Pooh Jeter has reached double figure scoring in 10-of-12 games so far this season. Jeter, a 2004 all-WCC selection and Dec. 13 WCC Player of the Week, is averaging a team-leading 17.9 points per game.

NEWCOMERS PROVIDING SPARK: Four newcomers have made immediate and significant contributions this season. Junior transfer Darren Cooper worked his way into the starting lineup after four games and has proven to be a force at both ends of the court as Portland's second leading scorer (10.3) and an aggressive defensive stopper. Freshman forward Marcus Lewis has transitioned nicely, and is third on the team in points (8.8) and second in rebounds per game (4.9), while showing flashes of dominance in the paint. Lewis has a solid back-to-the-basket game, in addition to soft hands and interior passing abilities. Portland's energizer comes in the form of 5-foot-6 freshman guard Jeremiah Dominguez (7.1 ppg), the 2004 Oregon State Player of the Year. Dominguez's ability to create, flashy passing and aggressive on-ball defense have made him a fan-favorite already. Sophomore transfer Ben Sullivan is also making his mark, breaking out with a 12 point, four rebound performance in the Pilots' win over Portland State. Sullivan is averaging 6.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in 18.3 minutes per game.

UP CAREER CHARTS: Junior Pooh Jeter is currently tied for third all-time in three-point field goal percentage (.398) with former Pilot Matt Houle and is tied for third all-time in free-throw percentage (.826) with former Pilot Adam Quick. He has amassed 930 career points and is currently 283 points shy of the top 10 in points and 70 points away from becoming Portland's 28th 1,000-point scorer. Jeter is currently No. 18 in career scoring average (13.7) at Portland, tied for ninth in three-pointers made (115), tied for 13th in assists per game (3.1) and tied for 20th in steals (94). Sophomore Dreshawn Vance has 47 career blocked shots to date and tied with former Pilot Darwin Cook for seventh all-time, while junior Donald Wilson, who has recorded 94 career steals (21st all-time), needs just 20 more to crack the top 10.

WCC STATISTICAL LEADERS: Portland, as a team is second in the WCC in scoring defense (64.1) and field goal percentage (.463). UP is third in field goal percentage defense (.419), three-point field goal percentage defense (.341) and turnover margin (+3.83). The Pilots are fourth in rebounding defense (32.6) and scoring margin (+7.6).

Individually, Portland has five players among the WCC statistical leaders.

CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS: The Pilots might be sixth as a team in the WCC statistical leaders for free-throw percentage (.693), but currently have the most individuals ranked in the top 10 at the stripe. Freshman Jeremiah Dominguez is third in free-throw percentage, connecting on 26-of-29 (.897) at the line. Junior Darren Cooper ranks in at No. 4, hitting 36-of-41 (.878), while Pooh Jeter is ninth (46-55, .836).

EL' CAPTAIN: Junior co-captain Pooh Jeter has taken on the role of team leader very seriously this year. Always with a smile on his face, Jeter leads by example and has proven that both on and off the court. A 2004 first team all-WCC selection, Jeter enters his junior year leading the team in scoring (17.9), assists (47) and three-point field goal percentage (.473). He is also among the WCC statistical leaders in six categories and has posted double-figure scoring in all but two games thus far. Jeter is also climbing the Pilot career charts in three categories and is also on track to become the 28th player to break 1,000 points.

PILOTS AD-VANCE: Sophomore Dreshawn Vance didn't just pack on 17 pounds of muscle over the summer, he fine tuned his skills to become more of a presence in the paint this season. And he just keeps getting better. Vance, who leads the team in rebounding (6.8), is also fifth on the team in points per game (7.4). He entered the week third in the WCC in offensive rebounds (3.17) and is among the WCC statistical leaders in blocked shots (3rd) and rebounding (9th). For his career, Vance has posted two double-doubles, both during the 2004-05 campaign. He has also posted double-figure scoring in four games this year.

PILOT PICK-POCKETS: As a team, Portland is fourth in the WCC in steals (7.83), but freshman Jeremiah Dominguez leads the team with 19 and is ninth in the WCC. Juniors Pooh Jeter and Donald Wilson have collected 18 and 15 steals, respectively. Both Jeter and Wilson are just shy of cracking the top 20 on Portland's all-time steals chart.

ALASKAN HARDWARE: Junior Co-Captain Pooh Jeter was named to the 2004 Top of the World Classic all-tourney team. Jeter finished the tournament, averaging 14.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Jeter also shot 41 percent from the floor, 36 percent from long range and 74 percent from the free-throw line for the tournament.

PILOTS ON TOP OF THE WORLD: The 2004 Top of the World Classic statistical leaders were highlighted by eight Pilot players. Pooh Jeter led his team throughout the tournament, ranking in four different statistical categories. Jeter was fourth in scoring, ninth in steals, 10th in three-point field goal percentage and 16th in rebounding. Dreshawn Vance was seventh in blocks, ninth in free-throw percentage, 12th in rebounding and 20th in scoring. Marcus Lewis was second in rebounding, fifth in steals, and 10th in blocks. Darren Cooper led the tournament field in free-throw percentage, while senior Andreas Gahlmann ranked first in field goal percentage. Junior Donald Wilson was second in steals, sophomore Ben Sullivan was fifth in field goal percentage and Jeremiah Dominguez was sixth in free-throw percentage.

RECAPPING THE TOP OF THE WORLD CLASSIC: The Pilots went 2-1 at the Top of the World Classic, claiming the consolation championship and fourth-place finish overall. Portland lost at the buzzer to Northwestern, 56-53 and then defeated Western Michigan, 67-64 and Georgia Southern, 74-60. Pooh Jeter was named to the 2004 all-tournament team after impressive performances in all three games and ranking in four statistical categories. Seven other players on the Pilot team found their way into the stat leaders list as the team outscored its opponents by 4.7 points per game and out rebounded its opponents by 4.0 boards per game.

WCC AMONG THE NATION'S FINEST: The West Coast Conference emerged as a mid-major basketball power in the early 1950's and has continued the trend to present day. Currently, the WCC has four member institutions ranked or receiving votes in the national polls. Gonzaga is currently No. 13 in the Associated Press Poll and No. 23 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll, while Santa Clara received one vote in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll. Gonzaga received a No. 1 ranking in the most recent CollegeInsider.com poll, while Saint Mary's is ranked No. 10, Pepperdine is 12th and Santa Clara garnered 56 votes. The Pilots received 45 votes in this week's CollegeInsider.com poll. West Coast Conference teams have recorded 59 NCAA Tournament appearances since 1952 and post a 56-61 (.479) combined NCAA Tournament record.

STATISTICALLY, WHAT THE PILOTS RETURN: Portland returns three starters and eight of the 14 letterwinners from last season. Here is a statistical breakdown of what the Pilots return in 2004-05.

Points: 55 percent, rebounds: 54 percent, three-point field goals: 51 percent, assists: 39 percent, steals: 55 percent, blocks: 48 percent, free-throws: 57 percent and minutes played: 49 percent.

PILOTS ON THE INTERNET: The University of Portland men's basketball team will have live stats via the internet for all home games. Check out the Pilot matches at: http://www.portlandpilots.com/livestats/mbball/xlive.htm.

WCC PRESEASON POLL: The West Coast Conference released its preseason men's basketball coaches' poll on Oct. 11, 2004. The University of Portland, which received 18 votes in the poll, is picked to finish eighth. The Gonzaga University Bulldogs were picked by the WCC league coaches as the favorite to capture their fifth consecutive regular season West Coast Conference crown. The Zags tallied 60 points, receiving five first place votes to edge the Saint Mary's Gaels, who collected three first place votes and 56 points. The Pepperdine Waves are picked third in this year's poll, just behind Gonzaga and Saint Mary's with 51 points. Santa Clara is selected fourth with 36 points, followed by San Francisco (28), San Diego (20), Loyola Marymount (19), and Portland (18), respectively.