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LOCATION: Portland, OR
CONFERENCE: West Coast
LAST SEASON: 9-18 (.333)
CONFERENCE RECORD: 3-11 (8th)
STARTERS LOST/RETURNING: 1/4
NICKNAME: Pilots
COLORS: Purple & White
HOMECOURT: Chiles Center (5,000)
COACH: Rob Chavez (Mesa College '80)
record at school 72-68 (5 years)
career record 100-95 (7 years)
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ASSISTANTS: Tony Marcopulos (Stanislaus St. '87)
Jason Levy (Cal State-Northridge '93)
Kirk Crawford (Western State '78)
TEAM WINS: (last 5 years) 21-19-9-14-9
RPI (last 5 years) 100-85-246-187-246
1998-99 FINISH: Lost in conference quarterfinal.
ESPN.com Clubhouse
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Two years of injuries to key personnel took a toll on the Portland program under talented young coach Rob Chavez. The Pilots were the youngest team in the league last season, and they finished in last place, bowing out in the first round of the conference tournament for the third straight year. Chavez isn't one to look back and point fingers, but it's safe to say no one on the Bluff will get teary-eyed remembering the highs and lows of the perplexing 1998-99 team that seemed to get worse instead of better as the season progressed. Good riddance, reasons Chavez. "One of the big keys for us will be how we recover from that," he said. Was the loss of point guard Dionn Holton that devastating? If it was, there's help on the way in 6-foot freshman Kevin Woodberry. Woodberry, who played at Trevor Browne High in Phoenix, joins a team that returns 6-3 sophomore point guard Ryan Jones (10.4 ppg 2.2 rpg, 59 assists, 50 steals), 6-3 junior point guard Travis Andrews (9.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 105 assists, 43 steals), 6-6 senior forward Troy Collins (8.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 46 assists, 25 steals) and 6-11 senior center Chukwuma Neboh (3.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 29 blocked shots).
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Blue Ribbon Analysis |
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BACKCOURT C BENCH/DEPTH D
FRONTCOURT D INTANGIBLES C+
Coach Rob Chavez is finding out that keeping the Portland program at contender level is a nearly impossible task. The school's high academic requirements often mean he can't go after a player that another WCC school can. The UP campus doesn't have the attractions that Pepperdine, USF, or San Diego can offer. But this isn't a guy who complains about what he doesn't have. His always-positive attitude is contagious. Take away the crippling injuries that have struck down key players, and the Pilots are more than respectable. But it's hard to disagree with the preseason pick of eighth place. The rest of the league looks too tough. |
The other key returnees include 6-9 junior Philip Dejworek (5.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg) and 6-5 senior forward Brian Jackson (5.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg). Portland's key losses were 6-6 forward Jimmie Rainwater (12.1 ppg) and 6-4 guard Jason Franklin (10.3 ppg). Jones was the WCC's Freshman of the Year. He was only the second freshman in league history to top the conference in steals (50, 1.9 spg). Andrews was the first UP player to lead the league in three-point percentage, making .514 from three-point range in WCC play. Jones and Andrews split time at the point last season, trying to make up for the absence of Holton, a highly-decorated four-year starter. It was clear both players were off guards, with off-guard mentality and skills. It crippled the UP attack at times, so the Pilots had to once again rely heavily on their defense. Chavez knows his team is picked to finish last again. If everything breaks right, it won't happen. The key may be Woodberry, the 5A Player of the Year in Arizona last year. "He's very quick and athletic and he can really push the ball," Chavez said. "Last year, we didn't have the little point guard that we had in the past. Woodberry will give us a dimension at the offensive and defensive end we did not have last year. But he's a freshman, so there will be some growing to do." Chavez refused to join the chorus of critics who said Andrews was miscast at the point. "I thought he did a really good job as time went on," Chavez said. "But he's also a very good off-guard. Playing the point took away some of the things he likes to do. Having Kevin will give Travis the opportunity to play some wing." One player who will be making an impact this season is 6-7 redshirt freshman guard Bryan Mills, who came from nearby Sheldon High in Eugene, Ore. Inside, as usual, the situation is muddled. Eric Sandrin, a 6-9 junior forward, had major knee surgery at the end of the season and his status is uncertain. Neboh is recovering from a stress fracture. Both players could be available for the start of conference play. "But obviously, that affects our depth inside," Chavez said. Adding the element of the unknown is the late addition of 6-8, 220-pound freshman Diaby Kamara, who played club ball in Paris. That's Paris, France. He's 21 years old and did basically nothing last year. The Pilots learned about him through new assistant coach Tony Marcopulos. "He has a chance to step in and play a lot for us," Chavez said. The Pilots will probably redshirt 6-10 freshman center Tim Frost (Henley HS/Klamath Falls, Ore.). Chavez doesn't want to put too much pressure on Jackson, but he said flatly, "he's got to have a good year for us." Dejworek was a major disappointment as a sophomore. Chavez is willing to be patient. "I think he can rebound and have a good junior year," Chavez said. "He's gotten stronger and improved his game." This has been a M*A*S*H unit inside. On paper, Portland has no prayer of stopping the likes of St. Mary's Brian Millard, unless 6-9, 230-pound junior Hans Rasmussen, a Notre Dame transfer, can do the job. That should make the X's and O's interesting for Chavez. He is facing another big challenge. "We've had a lot of injuries the last two years, especially to the front line" Chavez said. "We're going to be somewhat small there, so we'll have to rely on our quickness and athleticism. "Defensively, I think we could be much better than we were last year, and last year we were decent. Woodberry allows us the luxury of being able to pick people up fullcourt. That could make a difference. "The big key for us will be how we defend the post. We're not going to be real big." Chavez doesn't have any problem with placing Gonzaga, Santa Clara, San Francisco, St. Mary's and Pepperdine in the championship hunt. However, he isn't sure there's a lot of difference between second, third, fourth, and fifth. And maybe his Pilots can get there. "The teams that play with confidence and win their home games, the teams that can stay away from injuries, they'll have the most success," he said. "But last year, there was no difference (in the tournament) between No. 2 and No. 8. We finished eighth last year, and we go down to Pepperdine and beat them on their floor. The margin is very small, and that's what makes it exciting. "I know Gonzaga is No. 1 on paper, but I don't think anybody is ready to concede." Chavez is proud of the improvement the WCC has made in the power ratings. He was tickled to death watching Gonzaga become the upset darling of the NCAA Tournament. "We were ahead of the WAC last year in the power rankings," Chavez said. "Hey, don't sell us short. Now, if we only had a TV contract."
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