PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS at OREGON STATE BEAVERS

Tuesday, November 9, 2021, 7:30 p.m. • Gill Coliseum (9,604), Corvallis, OR
Television: Pac-12 Network • Play-by-Play: Rich Burk • Analyst: Mary Murphy
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.com

Complete notes and stats in pdf

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THE OPENING TIP

A new era of Portland State Basketball begins in 2021-22 as the college basketball world tries to get back to near normal following a COVID-impacted 2020-21 season.
     
On the Park Blocks, longtime Assistant and Associate Head Coach Jase Coburn takes over the Viking program. As the new Head Coach, he brings the knowledge of the university, the league, and a returning group of eight players back for the coming season. Coburn, making full use of the NCAA transfer portal, has brought in seven transfers with eligibility ranging from freshman to senior. Six have significant Division I experience and three were the leading scorers at their previous schools.
     
Exactly what the Vikings will look like, and who will be getting the minutes when they tip it off with Oregon State on Tuesday, is a bit of a mystery. PSU had a pair of closed door scrimmages leading into non-conference play, rather than a traditional exhibition contest.
     
Portland State played the Beavers close last season in a 67-62 loss in Corvallis on Dec. 22. PSU has never won against OSU in 15 all-time meetings. However, six of the last seven games have been decided by 4, 5, 3, 5, 6, and 5 points. The one outlier was a 101-68 loss back in 2011.
     
Coburn would like nothing better than to break that streak, and it would be a monumental opening to a collegiate head coaching career that he has waited patiently to begin.
     
PSU was 9-13 during the COVID-ravaged 2020-21 season. It was the first non-winning season for the program since 2016-17. OSU comes into Tuesday's game off one of its most successful post-season runs in school history. After finishing 10-10 in Pac-12 play last year, the Beavers rolled through the conference tournament and all the way to the Elite Eight. Oregon State was 20-13 overall.
     
Tuesday's game is the first of four non-conference road games for the Vikings. It will be televised on the Pac-12 Network with a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.
 
COMING UP
Portland State will play three straight home games beginning on Friday. PSU hosts Evergreen State at Viking Pavilion in a 7:30 p.m. game as the backend of a doubleheader with the Viking women. The home stand continues with a game against George Fox on Nov. 17, then the University of Portland on Nov. 23. Those games both begin at 7 p.m. All PSU home games and Big Sky Conference road games will be live streamed on ESPN+.
 

GAME NOTES: PORTLAND STATE vs. OREGON STATE

• ALL-TIME SERIES: Oregon State leads the all-time series, 15-0, including nine games since PSU joined the Big Sky Conference in 1996-97... 11 of the previous 15 games have been played in Corvallis.Last season, OSU took a 67-62 win in Corvallis... in 2019-20 the Beavers won 81-75 at Gill Coliseum.
• PORTLAND STATE vs. THE PAC-12 CONFERENCE: Portland State is 7-57 all-time against current members of the Pac-12 Conference... PSU has wins over Oregon (2), Arizona State (2), USC (1), Stanford (1) and Cal (1) in its history - all coming during PSU's Big Sky Conference era (7-43).
• COACHES: Vikings Coach Jase Coburn (Arizona State, 2006) is in his first season as Head Coach. He has spent eight previous seasons on the Park Blocks as an Assistant and Associate Head Coach... the Beavers are coached by Wayne Tinkle (Montana, 2005) in his eighth season. Tinkle has a 113-109 record at Oregon State and is 271-200 in 15 seasons as a collegiate coach... Tinkle is 2-0 against Portland State as an OSU coach, and was 11-6 against the Vikings in eight seasons at Montana. 

SCOUTING OREGON STATE

• Oregon State is a member of the Pac-12 Conference located in Corvallis, OR.
• The Beavers were 20-13 last season, 10-10 in the Pac-12 Conference. They got hot in the post-season, winning the Pac-12 Tournament, and advancing all the way to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
• Oregon State returns four starters and eight letterwinners from last season's Elite Eight team... Junior guard Jarod Lucas is the top returner after averaging 12.7 points, with team-highs of 77 three-point field goals and an .896 free throw percentage... Senior forward Warith Alatishe returns after averaging 9.5 points and 8.6 rebounds with 46 blocked shots and a .509 shooting percentage.

FAST BREAKS

• Jase Coburn was named Portland State's new head basketball coach on April 16, 2021. He is the 14th men's basketball coach in Portland State history and the seventh since PSU joined the Big Sky Conference in 1996-97.
• SR F Khalid Thomas is the Vikings' top returning scorer (11.2) and rebounder (5.0). He also tied for the team lead with 32 three-point field goals and made 29 steals and blocked 14 shots. Thomas shot .451 from the field and .800 at the line while starting all 22 games.
• Despite averaging only 17.1 minutes per game and being a starter for less than half the season in 2020-21, SO C Jacob Eyman ranked third in the Big Sky Conference with 24 blocked shots in 20 games (1.2 bpg). In league games, he led the Big Sky Conference in blocked shots (1.6).
• JR F Gio Nelson, originally a walk-on, was presented with a scholarship from new Head Coach Jase Coburn in May.
• Portland State had five Academic All-Big Sky Conference selections in 2020-21. Four of them return to the team: Alexis Angeles, Ian Burke, Paris Dawson and Jacob Eyman.
• The Vikings have nine Division I transfers on the roster. In the off-season, Head Coach Jase Coburn signed seven transfers - six from Division I schools and one from a Division II school.
• Coach Jase Coburn signed three players that led their teams in scoring last year: JR G Michael Carter III (14.6, Long Beach State); JR G/F Marlon Ruffin (13.1, Omaha); SR G Zeke Alley (19.9, Northwest Nazarene).
• JR G/F Marlon Ruffin was the Summit League Sixth Man of the Year in 2019-20. He was named Summit League honorable mention in 2020-21.
• The Division II transfer is SR G Ezekiel Alley. In a game against the Vikings last season, Alley led his Northwest Nazarene team with 27 points. Alley was named NABC All-District, averaging 19.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game for Northwest Nazarene, winning Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Week honors five times. In two seasons at NNU, Alley shot .444 from three-point range.
• JR G Michael Carter III has a bachelor's degree in Consumer Affairs from Long Beach State... SR G Ezekiel Alley has a degree from Northwest Nazarene in Applied Sciences... SR F Khalid Thomas has completed his degree in Social Science at Portland State.
• JR G Alexis Angeles will redshirt the 2021-22 season. 

2021-22 SEASON PREVIEW

The Jase Coburn era is about to begin at Portland State, and it will be loaded with intensity. Anyone who has seen Coburn work the Viking sidelines or at practice over the past eight seasons as an assistant and associate head coach will know that. Anyone who saw his introductory press conference where he declared "I'm hungry", will know that.
     
Coburn has brought a level of intensity and excitement to everything he has done. And now he is ready to do so as the Head Coach of the Vikings.
     
"I truly believe that teams take on the personality of the head coach," said Coburn. "So one thing we're going to be is very spirited. You know we're going to be very tough. We're going to be very self-disciplined. We're going to be very competitive.
     
"I want to create adversity (in practice) for them to be able to function at a high level during those adverse times (in games). We're going to be a team that's going to function really well in adversity."
     
In early season practices that has all been apparent.
     
"The energy has been real, practice has been intense. You know the other day, it might have been the best first practice I've ever been a part of," Coburn said. "We've got a lot of competition out there for playing time and I think that this team is really starting to come together and that's been exciting to see."
     
Coburn also knows the reality of his profession, and what it's all about.
     
"One thing that I really want to focus on is I want to make sure we're always having fun. It's not easy being a student athlete with everything that you're going through. I just think it's so important to have fun when trying to reach your goals. It's really hard to reach your goals when you're not having fun so one thing I've always really wanted to do is make sure that the whole team is having a good time," he said.
 
THE TEAM
Portland State returns eight letterwinners, including four players who started at least 10 of the 22 games in PSU's abbreviated 2020-21 season.
     
Of the seven newcomers, all are transfers. Six come from Division I schools and one from a Division II school. All have impressive resumes, including three who were leading scorers for their teams and five who were starters.
     
Also apparent on the roster is the range in size, class structure and skills brought to the table.
     
"We have a lot of depth," said Coburn. "The thing I wanted to make sure when we were recruiting is that we didn't recruit the same exact types of players. Everybody on this team from one to 15 brings something absolutely different than everybody else on the team, and I wanted it to be that way.
     
"Guys can see how they can get on the floor and contribute, not necessarily looking at the guy who's starting in front of them and saying, Man, I'm never going to play. It will be 'I bring something different and that's my path to get on to the floor.'"
     
The Vikings' top returner is senior forward Khalid Thomas. A rangy 6-10, Thomas averaged 11.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, shooting .451 from the field and .800 at the line.
     
"Khalid allows us to be able to do a lot of different things defensively, He's definitely a pick and pop threat as a shooter. He can put it on the floor. He can do lot of things offensively because he's just so versatile," said Coburn.
     
Also back is freshman Paris Dawson (6-2), a starter in 16 games (all players were given a one-season eligibility waiver due to COVID-19). Dawson averaged 8.4 points, with team-highs of 32 three-point field goals and a .372 percentage.
     
"Paris is outstanding," said Coburn. "He is going to be an unbelievable player here at Portland State. The sky's the limit for Paris and he works like crazy. This dude has a different mindset, a different mentality than most players. He's in the gym all the time working on his own."
     
Veteran wing Ian Burke (6-5) begins his third season at PSU and has played the most games of anyone on the team. Burke made 18 starts, averaging 5.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
     
"I think Ian's experience level is really good. Ian has been here and has worked for every single thing that he's got. He came here as a walk on and earned a scholarship. He understands what we're trying to do, he understands what every position on the floor is doing and is a guy that you can completely trust and know that he's going to be in the right spot every single time."
     
Big man Jacob Eyman (6-10) took over in the post at mid-season last year and ended up as the Big Sky Conference's leading shot-blocker in league games.
     
"Jake proved last year that he can play at a very, very high level for us. He's really worked on his game and he's very tough," said Coburn.
     
Also back for a third season is 6-8 sophomore forward Trey Wood. He has battled injuries and the depth chart early in his career, but Wood is ready to break out in 2021-22. Coburn loves Wood's contribution to the team aspect.
     
"He is one of the best teammates that there is. His teammates would tell you that, and I think that that's one of the highest compliments you can give a player."
     
Gio Nelson (6-5), a junior wing, saw his role expand as last season went on. He was expected to defend, but will be counted on for a lot more this season.
     
"Gio plays as hard as any kid I've ever coached and I know he is going to do whatever it is that the team needs him to do," said Coburn.
     
A pair of guards who saw limited time last season, Kiimani Holt (6-4) and Alexis Angeles (6-2) also return. Holt is a freshman, while Angeles is a junior.
     
Among the newcomers are guards Damion Squire, Ezekiel Alley and Mikal Starks.
     
Squire, a 6-1 junior transfer from UC Davis, averaged 11.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists last season for the Aggies. He also had a .475/.382/.844 shooting slash line. Squire started 51 of the 68 career games he played at UCD.
     
"Damien brings a lot of maturity to the table," said Coburn.
     
Alley, a 6-1 senior transfer from Northwest Nazarene, was an NABC All-District player at the Division II level after averaging 19.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists. He shot .455 from three-point range.
     
"Zeke Alley was really really good at Northwest Nazarene last year and I'm really excited for him to be able to prove to everybody that he belongs in Division I," Coburn said.
     
Starks, a 6-1 junior transfer from Georgia, played in 18 games for the Bulldogs last year. He averaged nearly four assists per game in two seasons of junior college ball at Eastern Florida.
     
"Mikal Starks is a tough dude," said Coburn. "He's gonna get after it. I'm really excited that we ended up getting him late in the summer. He came in, had a great attitude and has fit into our team perfectly."
     
On the perimeter, Coburn brought in two players with size and great resumes.
     
Michael Carter III is a 6-5 junior guard transfer from Long Beach State. He started all 13 games he played last season, averaging a team-high 14.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists. Carter averaged 12.4 points as a sophomore after playing his freshman season at University of Washington.
     
Marlon Ruffin, a 6-5 junior guard transfer from Omaha, also led his team in scoring last season. Ruffin averaged 13.1 points and 3.4 rebounds. Ruffin was the Summit League Sixth Man of the Year in 2019-20.
     
A pair of big men have also been added to the roster, and both will have a unique impact.
     
James Jean-Marie is a 6-8 senior forward who played at Hawai'i last season. He averaged 12.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and shot .543 from the field. Though he can play in the post, Jean-Marie often goes outside and shot .448 from three-point range as well.
     
"James is a matchup nightmare," Coburn said. "It's going to be very interesting to see how people are going to guard him, because he can do a lot of different things. He can shoot the three. He can score on the block. He can drive it. James is a big time talent."
     
Hayden Curtiss, a 6-9 post transfer from University of Portland, maintains his freshman eligibility even though he played in all 21 games last season, starting three. In just 11 minutes per game, Curtiss led the Pilots in blocked shots.
     
"With Jacob Eyman and Hayden Curtiss, those are two guys who can change any shot, in any conference, anywhere. So we've got two guys who are unbelievable shot blockers. With Hayden being younger we're really excited about his future at Portland State," said Coburn.
 

THE 2021-22 SCHEDULE

PSU will have a balanced slate of 14 home games and 14 road games with the Big Sky Conference Tournament at the end of the season. Included in non-conference play are two games with Big West opponents, and one game each against the Pac-12, Big 12, Mountain West and West Coast Conferences. The Big Sky Conference will return to normal scheduling this season with the home-and-home, 20-game round robin format.   
 
The Vikings will play four at home and four on the road during the non-conference portion in November and December. PSU opens with Oregon State on the road on Nov. 9. The Vikings and Beavers played a game decided in the final seconds last season as OSU came away with a 67-62 win in Corvallis. The Beavers went on to reach the Elite 8 in the NCAA Tournament.
     
PSU then hosts three straight games at home through mid-November. The Vikings will play lower-division opponents Evergreen State (Nov. 12) and George Fox (Nov. 17) in their first two games at Viking Pavilion.
     
The big non-conference home game is the annual meet-up with crosstown rival University of Portland. The Vikings host the Pilots on Nov. 23. UP beat PSU 86-73 last season at the Chiles Center.
     
Portland State will have a first-ever meeting with Iowa on Nov. 26.
     
After an early start to Big Sky Conference play on the road, Dec. 2 and 4, PSU returns to non-conference play, hosting Cal Poly of the Big West Conference on Dec. 11.
     
The Vikings also play at CSUN of the Big West (Dec. 18) and Utah State of the Mountain West (Dec. 21) just before Christmas.
     
The opening weekend of Big Sky play includes road games at Idaho State and Weber State on Dec. 2 and 4. The Vikings do not return to league play until Dec. 30. At that point, they play six of eight conference games at home through Jan. 27. A four-out-of-five stretch on the road runs through mid-February, then the Vikings finish Big Sky play with three of the last five at home.
     
Once again, the Big Sky Conference Championship Tournament will take place in Boise, ID at Idaho Central Arena.
     
Portland State will have five Thursday home games, four Saturday home games and one Monday home game in the Big Sky schedule.