The 2023-24 Portland State Vikings rode a hot start in their non-conference schedule to the best overall record in four seasons at 17-15. Highlights included three last-second victories, a pair of overtime wins and a win over crosstown rival Portland as PSU had excellent success in close games.
 

2023-24 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

• Portland State completed the 2023-24 season at 17-15 overall, 8-10 and sixth place in the Big Sky Conference. The win total and winning percentage were the best in four seasons for the Viking program... PSU's 11-2 home record was also the best in four seasons. PSU's .846 home winning percentage was its best in 15 seasons (12-1 in 2008-09)... the Vikings were 11-2 at home, 5-11 on the road, 1-2 in neutral site games and 2-0 in overtime games.
• PSU's non-conference play was among its best in any season in the Big Sky Conference era (1996 to present). While level of play and quality of schedule has varied over the years, it is worth noting that the Vikings matched their best-ever five- (5-0), six- (5-1), seven- (6-1) nine- (7-2), 10- (8-2) and 12-game (9-3) records in program history. PSU's five- and six-game records were the best-ever during the Big Sky Conference era.
• SR F KJ Allen was named second team All-Big Sky Conference after leading the Vikings in scoring (13.5) and rebounding (7.4)... Allen led the team in scoring 13 times, in rebounding 16 times and had eight double-doubles... he also was named to the All-Tournament team at the Lancer Joust Invitational in November as the Vikings went 2-1.
• Portland State had three game-winning shots during the course of the season... SO G Ismail Habib buried a three-point shot from half-court at the final horn to win at California Baptist, 66-63 (11/17)... two weeks later, Habib scored at the buzzer on a drive through the lane to defeat Portland, 75-74. (11/28)... on Dec. 18, SR F KJ Allen hit a three-pointer as time expired in overtime to win at Fresno State, 75-72... in addition, JR F Isaiah Johnson made a go-ahead (game-winning) free throw with 7.5 seconds left in PSU's 94-91 win over Montana State (1/27). He put PSU up 92-91, then Allen added two more with three seconds to play... of the Vikings' 32 games played, 16 were decided by seven points or less. PSU was 10-6 in those games and 5-2 in games decided by three points or less.
• A FEW MORE TIDBITS: SR F Hunter Woods passed 1,000 career points early in the season... SR G Bobby Harvey had a streak of 31 straight games with a made three-point field goal. He finished second in three-point field goals made (2.4) in the Big Sky Conference... JR C Hayden Curtiss blocked 44 shots to rank third in the Big Sky and total the ninth-most for a season in PSU history... Academic All-Big Sky Conference selections will be made later this spring.

 

2023-24 TEAM LEADERS

Scoring: KJ Allen 13.5, Isaiah Johnson 9.3, Bobby Harvey 9.1, Ismail Habib 9.0, Jorell Saterfield 8.0
Rebounding: KJ Allen 7.4, Isaiah Johnson 4.8, Kendall Munson 4.2, Jorell Saterfield 3.7
Assists: Ismail Habib 2.8, Ismail Habib 2.2
Three-Point Field Goals: Bobby Harvey 74, Jorell Saterfield 49, Ismail Habib 48, KJ Allen 27
Field Goal Pct.: Hayden Curtiss .514, Kendall Munson .511, Isaiah Johnson .457, Isiah Kirby .451
Free Throw Pct.: Isiah Kirby .820, KJ Allen .783, Ismail Habib .750, Bobby Harvey .750
Three-Point Pct.: KJ Allen .386, Ismail Habib .366, Bobby Harvey .354, Jorell Saterfield .340
Blocked Shots: Hayden Curtiss 44, Isaiah Johnson 12, Kendall Munson 11
Steals: Isaiah Johnson 33, KJ Allen 31, Isiah Kirby 27, Bobby Harvey 24
 

KJ ALLEN NAMED SECOND TEAM ALL-BIG SKY CONFERENCE

KJ Allen came to Portland State looking for a chance to make his final collegiate basketball season memorable. He did just that in earning second team All-Big Sky Conference honors.
     
Allen, a 6-6 forward, led the Vikings in scoring (13.5 ppg) and rebounding (7.4 rpg) this season as they compiled the best record by a Portland State team in four seasons (17-15). Allen shot .442 from the field, .386 from three-point range and .783 at the free throw line. In conference games his numbers were even better, averaging 14.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and shooting .454/.357/.809.
     
Allen led the Vikings in scoring 13 times this season, in rebounding 16 times and in assists four times. He had eight double-doubles, which ranks as fifth-most in Portland State's Big Sky era (28 seasons).
 
Allen's season highlights include:
• Named to Lancer Joust All-Tournament team as PSU went 2-1 in the in-season tournament (11/19).
• A game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer in overtime to beat Fresno State (12/18).
• 13 points, 14 rebounds and three assists in a win over Weber State (1/13).
• A 26-point performance in a win over Montana State (1/27).
• A 27-point, nine-rebound game in a win over Northern Arizona (2/17).
• A 27-point, 10-rebound effort in a win over Idaho (3/4).
• A 28-point, 15-rebound game against Montana in the Big Sky Tournament (3/11)
 
Originally from Los Angeles and Westchester High School, Allen attended East Los Angeles College. He was part of a team featured on the Netflix show Last Chance U, and became a well-known figure, boasting more than 130,000 followers on Instagram. Allen then attended Texas Tech, where he played two seasons, competing in 45 games. He transferred to Portland State prior to the 2023-24 season.
     
"He is so talented and he can do so many different things," said Vikings Coach Jase Coburn. "I will never forget the first week last summer when he showed up, I was like, 'whoa!', he can pass, he can dribble, he can shoot. Fortunately for us, he has been able to unlock that and show what he can do on the court. For as talented as he is and the things he can do, he is an even better person and teammate. That is the highest compliment I can give somebody."
 
2023-24 Big Sky Conference Post-Season Honors
Most Valuable Player: Dillon Jones, Weber State
Newcomer of the Year: Saint Thomas, Northern Colorado
Defensive Player of the Year: Robert Ford III, Montana State
Top Reserve: Dejour Reaves, Northern Colorado
Freshman of the Year: LeJuan Watts, Eastern Washington
Co-Coach of the Year: David Riley, Eastern Washington & Steve Smiley, Northern Colorado
 
First Team All-Conference: Dillon Jones, Weber State; Cedric Coward, Eastern Washington; Aanen Moody, Montana; Saint Thomas, Northern Colorado; Robert Ford III, Montana State; Brayden Parker, Idaho State; Trenton McLaughlin, Northern Arizona
 
Second Team All-Conference: KJ Allen, Portland State; Ethan Price, Eastern Washington; Dischon Thomas, Montana; Casey Jones, Eastern Washington; Carson Basham, Northern Arizona; Dejour Reaves, Northern Colorado
 
Honorable Mention All-Big Sky: Steven Verplancken, Weber State; Maleek Arington, Idaho State; Brandon Whitney, Montana; Brandon Walker, Montana State; Jaron Rillie, Northern Colorado; Zee Hamoda, Sacramento State
 
All-Defensive Team: Robert Ford III, Montana State; Maleek Arington, Idaho State; Carson Basham, Northern Arizona; Casey Jones, Eastern Washington; Julius Mims, Idaho; Alex Tew, Weber State
 

GAME WINNERS

Portland State had three game-winning shots on the season. This comes after the Vikings had three late-game-winners last season - twice at the buzzer and one with eight seconds left.

• Four of the six game-winning shots flipped the lead, while two broke a tie.
• Notably, the Vikings also scored in the flow of the game in four of the six contests, not calling a timeout to set up a last-second play as is common, including both of this season's last-second winners.
• In addition, the Vikings' Isaiah Johnson made a go-ahead (game-winning) free throw with 7.5 seconds left in PSU's 94-91 win over Montana State (1/27). He put PSU up 92-91, then KJ Allen added two more with three seconds to play. The Vikings had not led since 8:28 of the first half.
• HABIB'S HEAVENLY HEAVE: SO G Ismail Habib banked home a half-court heave at the buzzer to beat California Baptist, 66-63 (11/17). It was part of a 14-point comeback in the final nine minutes of the game. The Vikings had trailed, 58-44, but went on a 22-5 run down the stretch. PSU took a 63-61 lead with 30 seconds left on a JR F Isaiah Johnson spin move inside. The Lancers tied it with 2.4 seconds left on a short jumper. Johnson inbounded to Habib who raced up court and let the shot go just before the buzzer. Johnson, Habib and SR F KJ Allen led the Vikings comeback.
• LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE: As cool as could be, SO G Ismail Habib put the ball between his legs, sized up the defense, then sliced through four Portland Pilot defenders to the basket for a game-winning lay-in with 0.8 seconds on the clock. And for the second time in two weeks, Habib delivered his Portland State team the deciding basket at the end. The Vikings came away with a thrilling, come-from-behind 75-74 victory in the crosstown rivalry game at Viking Pavilion (11/28). Big contributions in a comeback from 12 points down came from SR G Bobby Harvey (13 points in the second half), JR F Isaiah Johnson (12 points, six rebounds in the second half) and Habib, who hit a pair of three-point field goals in the final two minutes before his scramble to the rim for the game-winner.
• KJ MAKES ALL THE PLAYS: SR F KJ Allen's gamer capped a 10-point run in overtime for another comeback win, 75-72, over Fresno State. Allen came alive in overtime, scoring eight of the Vikings' 10 points on 3-3 shooting, and grabbing a key offensive rebound with 20 seconds left to set up the game winner. Down 72-65, Allen hit a three-point field goal with 2:05 left. After a Bulldogs miss, Allen scored again on a turnaround jump shot with 1:25 to play. After another Fresno State miss, JR F Isaiah Johnson scored inside and was fouled with 20 seconds left. With the game tied at 72-72, Johnson missed the go-ahead free throw. The ball was tipped around and Allen came up with it. PSU called timeout and set up a pick-and-roll play with SO G Ismail Habib and Allen. Allen screened, flared to the wing in front of the Viking bench, took a Habib pass and drilled a three-pointer with 0.2 seconds to play.

 

HOT SHOTS

• DOUBLING UP WITH KJ: SR F KJ Allen matched his career-high with 27 points (10-18 FG, 1-3 3-pt, 6-6 FT) and grabbed 10 rebounds in the season finale win over Idaho. He followed that with career-highs of 28 points (12-20 FG, 3-5 3-pt, 1-3 FT) and 15 rebounds against Montana in the Big Sky Tournament. His eight double-double for the season ties for fifth-most by a Viking in a season in the Big Sky Conference era... Allen led the Vikings in scoring (13.5) and rebounding (7.4). In Big Sky games, he averaged 14.7 points and 7.7 rebounds.
• BOBBY 3-BALL: SR G Bobby Harvey ranked second in the Big Sky in three-point field goals made per game (2.4)... with 74 three-pointers made, he ranks eighth all-time for a season at Portland State... his 131 career three-pointers ranks 11th all-time.
• ON THE BLOCK: JR C Hayden Curtiss had 44 blocked shots to rank ninth for a season in PSU history. He was third in the Big Sky Conference (1.5)... Curtiss' 64 career blocks at PSU ranks in seventh place all-time.
• WINNERS: Portland State's 17 wins marks the most wins of Jase Coburn's three seasons as a head coach. It also marks the most wins since PSU was 18-14 in 2019-20. The 11 home wins is also the most since 2019-20 (11-3)... PSU's .846 home winning percentage is its best in 15 seasons (12-1 in 2008-09).
• THE BENCH BUNCH: Continuing the trend of last season, Head Coach Jase Coburn went deep into his bench. The Vikings had 2,380 bench minutes out of 6450 total minutes, getting 854 points and 417 rebounds from the backups. PSU got 37% of its points and 35% of its rebounds off the bench... the Vikings averaged 26.7 points off the bench to lead the Big Sky and rank 31st in the nation... last year, the Vikings averaged 27.9 points per game off the bench to rank 12th in the nation.
• NOT HOT... BUT INTERESTING: For the first time in NINE seasons, Portland State did NOT lead the Big Sky Conference in steals. The Vikings average 7.2 steals to rank second behind Montana State. Last season, PSU led the Big Sky with 7.1 spg. Here are the eight previous seasons when PSU DID lead the Big Sky: 2015-16: 8.5; 2016-17: 9.9, individual: Calaen Robinson, 2.35; 2017-18: 9.8; 2018-19: 8.3; 2019-20: 8.7, individual: Holland Woods, 2.06; 2020-21: 8.2; 2021-22: 9.3; 2022-23: 7.1.
• STRONG INDICATORS: Portland State was 11-2 when playing at home... 11-3 when leading at halftime... 10-5 when out-rebounding an opponent... 9-2 when out-shooting an opponent or shooting is even... 13-5 when scoring 70 or more points... 10-4 when starting a new lineup.
• LATE GAME HEROICS: Once again this season Portland State had numerous close games and game-winning shots. in 32 games, 16 were decided by seven points or less. The Vikings were 10-6 in those games. PSU is 5-2 in games decided by three points or less and has won twice in overtime.
• LINEUPS: Head Coach Jase Coburn started 11 of the 12 players on the active roster at some point during the season... there were 14 different starting lineups... the Vikings are 10-4 each time they start a different lineup.

 

SEASON HIGHLIGHT REEL

• Saterfield Gets Preseason Honors: SR G Jorell Saterfield was picked to the six-man Preseason All-Big Sky Conference team. Saterfield averaged 13.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and made 65 three-point field goals last season.
• Nov. 6, PSU 62, Air Force 55: The Vikings opened the season with a seven-point win on the road, beating Air Force for the second straight season. The Vikings out-rebounded the Falcons, 41-34, including 14 on the offensive glass for 16 second-chance points. SR G Jorell Saterfield had 10 points and seven rebounds. JR F Isaiah Johnson grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds.
• Nov. 9, PSU 82, UC Santa Barbara 76: Portland State knocked off defending Big West Conference Champion and preseason favorite UC Santa Barbara. After a close first half, the Vikings led for virtually the entire second half. Five players scored in double figures as PSU got 48 points in the paint and 22 on the fast break. The Vikings made 12 steals, forcing 18 turnovers.
• Nov. 12, PSU 70, Linfield 53: SR F KJ Allen sparked a sluggish Vikings team in the first half with back-to-back three-point plays and went on to lead the team to its third straight win. Allen had 18 points (6-8 FG, 6-7 FT), seven rebounds and five steals in the game. PSU made 12 steals and blocked seven shots in holding Linfield to 53 points.
• Woods Gets 1,000: SR F Hunter Woods reached 1,000 points in his collegiate career in the win over Linfield (11/12). Woods scored nine points in the game on three three-point field goals giving him 327 points in 34 games at Portland State and 676 points in 84 games at Elon.
• Nov. 17, PSU 66, California Baptist 63: SO G Ismail Habib buried a half-court shot at the buzzer to give the Vikings their fourth straight win to open the season. It was part of a 14-point comeback in the final nine minutes of the game. PSU took a 63-61 lead with 30 seconds left on a JR F Isaiah Johnson spin move inside. The Lancers tied it with 2.4 seconds left on a short jumper. Johnson inbounded to Habib who raced up court and let the shot go just before the buzzer. Johnson led the Vikings with 16 points (7-10 FG, 2-4 FT) as he, Habib and SR F KJ Allen sparked a 22-5 rally down the stretch.
• Nov. 18, PSU 73, Cal Poly 57: Portland State won its fifth game in a row for the best start in the Big Sky era and matching the best start ever for the program (5-0). The Vikings jumped to a double-digit lead early, pushed it as high as 25 in the second half and cruised to the win. SR F KJ Allen had the first double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds. PSU out-rebounded the Mustangs, 43-31, and held them to .373 shooting.
• Allen Named Lancer Joust All-Tournament: SR F KJ Allen was named to the Lancer Joust All-Tournament team on Sunday. He averaged 12.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists while shooting .458/.556/.667 as the Vikings won two of three games.
• Nov. 28, PSU 75, Portland 74: SO G Ismail Habib made a driving lay-in with 0.8 seconds on the clock to complete a 12-point comeback by the Vikings. Habib also hit a pair of three-pointers in the final two minutes as the Vikings improved to 6-1 - matching their best seven-game start in school history. Habib had 18 points (6-11 FG, 5-9 3-pt) and four assists, while JR F Isaiah Johnson added a career-high 18 points (7-12 FG, 4-5 FT) and 10 rebounds.
• Dec. 6, PSU 106, Lewis & Clark 60: The Vikings shot a season-high .581 from the field and posted a season scoring high in an easy win over the Division III Pioneers. The Vikings out-rebound LC 49-34 and commit only seven turnovers. JR C Hayden Curtiss set a new career-highs with 19 points (8-10 FG, 1-1 3-pt, 2-2 FG) and seven rebounds while blocking five shots. SR G Keshaun Saunders added 15 points (6-10 FG, 2-3 3-pt, 1-1 FT) and three steals in 18 minutes off the bench.
• Dec. 9, PSU 83, George Fox 77: SR G Jorell Saterfield had a near triple-double with 25 points (8-15 FG, 4-9 3-pt, 5-6 FT) and career-highs of 10 rebounds and eight assists to lead PSU to the win. JR C Hayden Curtiss (14 pts, 10 reb) and SR F Hunter Woods (12 pts, 11 reb) also had double-doubles.The Vikings were up 20 in the second half, but had to hang on for the victory. PSU out-rebounded the Bruins, 49-31.
• Dec. 18, PSU 75, Fresno State 72 (ot): SR F KJ Allen continued the buzzer-beating madness for Portland State, but hitting a three-point field goal on the final play of overtime to decide it. Allen scored eight points in a 10-point rally by the Vikings to close out the game. He had 15 points (4-10 FG, 3-3 3-pt, 4-4 FT) and eight rebounds. It marked the third buzzer-beater of the season for the Vikings as they improved to 9-3, matching a best-ever record in program history.
• Dec. 30, PSU 77, Idaho 72: The Vikings trailed by 11 in the first half and eight at halftime, but came back to win on the road again. SR F KJ Allen had a big game with 16 points (4-7 FG, 8-9 FT) and 11 rebounds to lead the way.  The Vikings out-rebounded Idaho, 41-35, forced 14 turnovers and were 22-29 at the free throw line. It was PSU's fourth straight win over Idaho, seventh in the last eight games, and ninth in the last 11.
• Jan. 11, PSU 69, Weber State 66: A mid-game 25-3 run by the Vikings pushed their lead over the Wildcats to 24 points in the second half. A five-minute scoring drought late in the game allowed the Weber State to catch up but PSU held on. SR G Isiah Kirby had a season-high 14 points (7-8), while SR F KJ Allen had his fourth double-double of the season with 13 points and a career-high 14 rebounds.
• Jan. 25, PSU 72, Montana 46: The Vikings did everything right in their biggest win over Montana in 15 seasons. A full-court press held the Griz 33 points under their season average and held them to 31% shooting. On the other end, PSU shot 49%, matched their season-high with 12 three-point field goals and had a season-low four turnovers. SO G Ismail Habib tallied a career-high 19 points (7-12 FG, 4-7 3-pt, 1-2 FT) with six assists.
• Jan. 27, PSU 94, Montana State 91: In one of the great comebacks in program history, PSU rallied from 15 points down with 4:25 to play. The Vikings were down 12 with 2:01 left and eight with 1:06 to play. PSU went on a 24-6 run to close out the game, including 11-0 in the final minute. SR F KJ Allen had a career-high 26 points (7-12 FG, 4-4 3-pt, 8-10 FT) with seven rebounds. SR G Isiah Kirby went for a career-high 20 points (6-11 FG, 3-4 3-pt, 5-6 FT) and SR G Bobby Harvey scored a season-high 17 points (6-10 FG, 4-7 3-pt, 1-2 FT). The Vikings made a season-high 14-25 three-point field goals (.560).
• Feb. 3, PSU 58, Sacramento State 51: Four blocked shots in a span of 77 seconds by JR C Hayden Curtiss sparked a 20-4 second-half run for Portland State as it won its third game in a row. Curtiss had a career-high six blocks - one off the school record - in the game. SR F KJ Allen and SR G Jorell Saterfield came off the bench to score 15 points each as PSU improved to 8-1 at home.
• Feb. 15, PSU 82, Northern Colorado 72 (ot): Portland State gave up a 21-point second half lead, but made key plays in the final minute and ran away with the game in overtime. SR G Bobby Harvey had career-highs of 26 points, eight rebounds and six three-point field goals. The Vikings ended a three-game losing streak and improved to 9-2 at home.
• Feb. 17, PSU 83, Northern Arizona 68: SR F KJ Allen led the Vikings to their second straight home win and 10th home victory of the season with a career-high 27 points (8-12 FG, 11-13 FT) and nine rebounds. PSU led the game wire-to-wire while shooting .500 from the field, out-rebounding the Lumberjacks, 36-29, and making 12 steals.
• Mar. 4, PSU 72, Idaho 57: SR F KJ Allen matched his career-high with 27 points (10-18 FG, 1-3 3-pt, 6-6 FT) and grabbed 10 rebounds in leading the Vikings to their 17th win of the season. PSU also went to 11-2 at home. The Vikings forced 18 turnovers for 19 points and out-rebounded the Vandals, 39-25.
• Allen Named 2nd Team All-Big Sky Conference: SR F KJ Allen,was named second team All-Big Sky Conference at the conclusion of the season. He led the Vikings in scoring (13.5 ppg) and rebounding (7.4 rpg) shooting .442 from the field, .386 from three-point range and .783 at the free throw line. In conference games his numbers were even better, averaging 14.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and shooting .454/.357/.809.