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PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS vs. PORTLAND PILOTS
Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017, 7 p.m. • Chiles Center (4,852), Portland, OR
Live Streaming Video and Audio: TheW.tv
Television: NBCSNW (Xfinity channel 737)
Radio: 910 AM-ESPN Portland (Pilots broadcast)
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.com
Complete notes and stats in pdf

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THE OPENING TIP
The Portland State Vikings will open the 2017-18 season with a highlight game on the non-conference schedule, meeting crosstown rival University of Portland on Saturday night at the Chiles Center. 
           
The Vikings and Pilots will meet for the 55th time in history. The Pilots hold the all-time advantage, 36-18, but the Vikings won the most recent meeting, 77-75, last Dec. 20, also at UP. This season's annual matchup is at the Chiles Center once again due to construction of the new Viking Pavilion.
           
The game will mark the official debut of new Viking Head Coach Barret Peery. Hired last April 10, Peery will be leading his first game as a Division I head coach. Peery has six seasons experience as a junior college head coach (178-30 at College of Southern Idaho and Indian Hills (IA) Community College) and has been a Division I assistant at Santa Clara, Arizona State, Utah, Portland State and Southern Utah.
           
Peery's Vikings had an exhibition game on Sunday at their temporary home, Lewis and Clark College. They came away 122-67 winners over The Evergreen State College. The Vikings had six players in double figures, including 22 points from Deontae North and 20 from Brandon Hollins. PSU made 20 steals, forced 32 turnovers and converted them into 47 points. 
           
The Pilots won their exhibition game, 103-61, over Lewis and Clark. Five Pilots scored in double figures in that one, and UP shot .586 from the field.
           
The Vikings return two starters and eight letterwinners from the 2016-17 squad that was 15-16 overall. The Pilots return two starters and four letterwinners from their 2016-17 team. Portland was 11-22 overall last season.

The game will be televised on NBCSNW (Xfinity channel 737) in the Portland area at 7 p.m. 
 
COMING UP
The Vikings first counting home game is Nov. 14 against Willamette at Lewis and Clark. Tip-off is 8 p.m. 
           
Portland State has four home games, six road games and three neutral site games during the non-conference schedule. However, eight of the 13 non-conference games will be played within the city of Portland. 
 
HOME AWAY FROM HOME IN 2017-18
Portland State has a temporary home for 2017-18 - Lewis and Clark College's Pamplin Sports Center - as the Vikings await completion of their new $51-million Viking Pavilion for the 2018-19 season. The Vikings will have 13 home games in 2017-18 (which includes one at Memorial Coliseum). With the opener at Portland's Chiles Center, and three games in the PK80 Tournament at the Rose Quarter over Thanksgiving weekend, Portland State will play 17 of 30 regular season games in the city of Portland.
 
GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. PORTLAND
• ALL-TIME SERIES: The University of Portland leads the all-time series, 36-18. The Pilots lead 12-8 since Portland State resumed its program in 1996-97 (PSU did not have basketball from 1981-96). PSU is 3-7 in games played at the Chiles Center over that span... the Vikings won last season at the Chiles Center, 77-75.
• LAST SEASON, Dec. 20, 2016 at the Chiles Center: PSU 77, UP 75: Calaen Robinson hit a go-ahead three-pointer with 19 seconds left (75-72). Then Zach Gengler made a steal and two free throws with 4.3 seconds remaining (77-72)... Portland State led for the first 35 minutes, but UP took its first lead with 4:25 left... PSU out-rebounded the the Pilots 37-26... six Vikings scored in double figures including 12 each from Bryce Canda and Deontae North and 10 points from Traylin Farris.
• PORTLAND STATE vs. THE WEST COAST CONFERENCE: Portland State is 36-71 all-time against current members of the West Coast Conference. The Vikings were 3-1 against the WCC last season (beat Portland, Pepperdine and San Francisco, lost to Loyola Marymount). In addition to Portland, PSU plays at Loyola Marymount (Dec. 6) and Santa Clara (Dec. 9) this season.
• COACHES: Vikings Coach Barret Peery is in his first season on the Park Blocks... Pilots Head Coach Terry Porter is in his second season at Portland (11-22). It is his second season as a head coach collegiately, but he was also an NBA Head Coach of the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns. Porter is 0-1 against the Vikings.
 
PORTLAND PILOTS
• The University of Portland is a member of the West Coast Conference.
• The Pilots were 11-22 last season, the first under Head Coach Terry Porter. They were 2-16 in the WCC. This season they have been selected ninth among 10 teams in the WCC preseason coaches poll.
• Portland returns two starters, four letterwinners and two redshirts from last season.
• Senior guard D'Marques Tyson is the top returner after averaging 8.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per game last year. Tyson made a team-high 71 three-pointers and shot .410 from distance.
• The other returning starter is 7-2 center Phillip Hartwich, who averaged 1.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots.

2017-18 NCAA Men's Basketball Officiating Media/Fan Video
 
SCHEDULE
A very ambitious schedule begins at University of Portland on Nov. 11. Included are four opponents in association with the PK80 Tournament in late November and road dates at Pac-12 schools Oregon and California.
           
Most unusual though will being playing in a home-away-from-home scenario, as the Vikings will host games at Lewis and Clark College this season due to construction on the new Viking Pavilion. That $51 million venue will be ready for play for the 2018-19 season. Still, with the PK80 and Portland date, PSU will play 17 games of its 30-game regular season schedule within the city of Portland.
 
VIKINGS vs. NATIONALLY-RANKED OPPONENTS
Portland State will almost certainly play nationally-ranked opponents during the 2017-18 season. That is not always the case for the Vikings, tucked away in the northwest and members of the Big Sky Conference. Almost certainly PSU's Nov. 23 opponent, Duke, will be ranked. The Blue Devils opened the season ranked number one in the nation.Other opponents at the PK80 Tournament have a possibility of being ranked as would be 2017 Final Four participant Oregon.
• Portland State has never played a number-one ranked program but has twice played number two (Duke, 89-39 loss on Dec. 30, 1997; and UCLA, 69-48 loss on Nov. 9, 2007). 
• PSU has not played a nationally-ranked foe since a Nov. 25, 2012 game at #20 Oklahoma State (81-58 loss). 
• PSU's last win over a ranked opponent was an 86-82 victory at #25 Portland on Dec. 2, 2009. 
• The biggest win was a 77-70 victory at #7 Gonzaga on Dec. 23, 2008. 
• Since reinstating basketball for the 1996-97 season, Portland State has played 17 ranked opponents, going 2-15. 
 
VIKINGS ON TV
Portland State is scheduled to have seven games televised in the Portland area this season, including three on the ESPN Networks as part of the PK80 Tournament over Thanksgiving weekend. It will be the most televised games since 11 were televised during the 2008-09 season. Included on this season's TV schedule are: Nov. 23 vs. Duke (ESPN), Nov 24 and 26 (ESPN Networks, opponents TBA), Dec. 13 at Oregon (Pac-12), Dec. 21 at Cal (Pac-12), Jan. 6 at Idaho (Eleven Sports) and Feb. 24 at Northern Arizona (Fox College Sports Plus).
 
SUSTAINABLE AND RECYCLABLE VIKING QUICK NOTES

WINNING LINES 
• Portland State was 15-16 in 2016-17, 10-3 at home, 4-12 on the road, 1-1 at neutral sites.
• With 15 wins, PSU improved by two games over the previous year's record (13-18).
• Portland State won five straight early in the season (Dec. 13-29). It was the longest winning streak since winning six in a row late in the 2008-09 season. 
• The Vikings' longest losing streak was four games.
Home Court(s)
• PSU was 168-65 in 233 games at the Stott Center from 1996-97 to 2016-17 season. Including home games at Memorial Coliseum (12-6) and the Rose Garden (19-9), the Vikings are 199-80 at home over 21 seasons. 
• Since the start of the 2006-07 season, PSU is 112-39 at home, including 65-32 in Big Sky Conference regular season and tournament games.
• Portland State has lost only eight non-conference home games in the last 10 seasons (45-8). PSU is 25-8 against Division I schools, and 20-0 against lower division schools over that span.
Big Sky Battles
• Portland State is 175-188 all-time in all Big Sky Conference games, including the Big Sky Tournament (11-12). 
• PSU is 116-58 in home games, 54-122 in road games and 5-9 in neutral-site games.
And The Trivial
• Portland State is 27-29 all-time in overtime. 
• PSU is 2-15 against nationally-ranked opponents since joining the Big Sky Conference in 1996-97.
• Portland State is 19-47 in games televised in the Portland area since joining the Big Sky Conference in 1996-97. That includes a 9-7 home record and 10-40 road record.
 
VIKING ONE-LINERS (and sometimes two)
• Head Coach Barret Peery retained two assistant coaches when he was hired last April. Peery has known Jase Coburn among the coaching ranks for a decade. Chris Skinkis was one of Peery's assistants at Indian Hills (IA) Community College (2011-14). Added later in the spring was assistant coach Kahil Fennell and director of basketball operations Ron Fudala.
• Portland State was 15-16 on the season, two games better than the 13-18 mark of the previous year. Portland State went 10-3 in its final season at the Stott Center. Portland State averaged 85.3 points per game (9th in the nation), the most by a Viking team since 1976-77 (91.0). The Vikings set a new school record for steals in a season (307) and ranked second in the nation overall at 9.9 per game. The Vikings led the Big Sky Conference in scoring (85.3), assists (15.8), steals (9.9), turnovers forced (17.0) and turnover margin (4.9).
• Portland State is in its 22nd season as a member of the Big Sky Conference and Division I. PSU played basketball from 1946-1981 before discontinuing the program. Basketball was reinstated for the 1996-97 season. Portland State won Big Sky Conference regular season titles in 2004-05 and 2007-08. The Vikings won Big Sky Conference Tournament titles in 2007-08 and 2008-09, advancing to the NCAA Tournament.
• Construction of the new The Viking Pavilion began in April 2016. The Pavilion will consist of an upgraded Stott Center facility, including a new arena for Viking basketball, a new practice gym, as well as athletic training enhancements, classrooms, academic upgrades and overall facility enhancements. The Viking Pavilion will more than double the capacity of PSU's home court (to be situated on the east side of the building) to approximately 3,000 seats. The arena will be completed in March 2018 with basketball beginning in November 2018. The Vikings will play home games at Lewis and Clark College in 2017-18. 
• PSU has three players that competed for other Division I schools: Deontae North (Long Beach State), Traylin Farris (Incarnate Word) and Ryan Edwards (Gonzaga).
• SR C Ryan Edwards, a 7-1 transfer from Gonzaga, becomes the tallest Viking basketball player ever.
• Former Viking Ime Udoka played seven seasons in the NBA. He started 75 games for the Portland Trail Blazers in 2006-07. Udoka is now an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs, and won an NBA title with the team in 2013-14.
• Julius Thomas (2006-10), who holds Portland State records for games played (121), field goal percentage in a season and career (.671/.663), and career wins (78), was a two-time Pro Bowler for the NFL's Denver Broncos. Thomas played on two Big Sky Conference Championship/NCAA Tournament teams (2007-08, 2008-09) at PSU. He went on to play one season of football at PSU (2010). Thomas competed in Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014. Thomas signed a free agent contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2015 making him the highest paid tight end in the NFL. He is now with the Miami Dolphins.
• Portland State's biggest star was Freeman Williams (1974-78), who still ranks as the second all-time leading scorer in college basketball history behind Pete Maravich. Williams, a Division I All-American in 1978, scored 3,249 points in his career.
 
THE VIKING PAVILION PROJECT
Portland State University broke ground on the new Viking Pavilion during the spring of 2016. It marked the beginning of a $50 million renovation of the outdated Peter W. Stott athletics facility. Construction will be completed in March 2018.
           
The building will become a lively center for academics, athletics, the arts and community events. The Viking Pavilion will have a new entrance and glass windows that open onto the South Park Blocks, as well as an energy-efficient design and construction that demonstrate PSU's commitment to sustainability. 
           
The renovated building will include 15,000 square feet for studying, tutoring and advising. The new 3,000-seat arena will fill Portland's need for a mid-size public venue and attract an estimated 220,000 people to PSU campus. Visitor spending of $6.8 million will add to PSU's $1.44 billion in annual regional economic impact. 
           
The design of the new facility was created by Portland's Woofter Architecture and Sink Combs Dethlefs Architects with Fortis Construction contracted to build it. 
           
The renovation is funded through state bonds, private donors, OHSU, and student fees. Funding does not come from general operating funds or tuition dollars. 
 
• $24 million in state bonds 
• $17 million in private gifts 
• $7.5 million from OHSU 
• $1.5 million from student fees 
 
As a basketball venue, the Viking Pavilion has the potential to transform how Portland State Basketball is viewed. PSU will no longer have to compete in the cramped 1,500-seat main gym of the Peter W. Stott Center. That will allow the Viking program to be a more attractive scheduling opportunity for teams from prestigious conferences. It will also be a more attractive recruiting tool for Viking coaches as PSU will have a first-class Division I venue in which to compete.