Portland - Western Oregon Tip-Off Season Halloween Night

As part of the Halloween theme, there will be free trick-or-treating in all the Residence Halls on campus.

Forward Sherrard Watson is the lone senior on the UP roster and is the team’s leading returning scorer at 9.0 points per game last season.

PORTLAND, Ore. - The University of Portland men’s basketball team tips off its 2007-08 season on Wednesday against the Western Oregon Wolves at 7 p.m. at the Chiles Center.

The Halloween exhibition game will be the first chance for fans to see head coach Eric Reveno’s new roster, which features six freshmen and eight players new to the Division I game.

As part of the Halloween theme, there will be free trick-or-treating in all the Residence Halls on campus. Kids 6th-grade and under must check-in in advance at the Chiles Center starting at 5:30 p.m.

After making their rounds on campus, the trick-or-treaters and their families will receive free admission to the basketball game. A costume parade is scheduled during halftime.

ABOUT PORTLAND:

The Pilots return two starters and five lettermen from last year’s team which finished 9-23 overall, 4-10 in the West Coast Conference.

Forward Sherrard Watson is the lone senior on the roster and is the team’s leading returning scorer at 9.0 points per game last season. Watson started 29 of Portland’s 32 games and finished the season by averaging 16.8 points in the final four games.

Sophomore point guard Taishi Ito returns with loads of experience after starting the final 17 games of the regular season. Ito, an All-WCC Freshman Team pick, led all WCC freshmen in assists (3.8), free throw percentage (.775), 3-point percentage (.364), 3-pointers made (1.4), assist/turnover ratio (1.5), minutes per game (35.6) and was second in scoring (8.4) during league games.

Juniors Walter Thompson and Marcus Carter return in the backcourt as well. Thompson started nine games last season, while Carter appeared in 27 games and played all three backcourt positions. Sophomore 6-foot-6 utility man Ethan Niedermeyer made seven starts and appeared in 29 games as a freshman. He could see playing time at the wing or in the post this season.

Sophomore forward Robin Smeulders is back after sitting out last season due to NCAA regulations.

Smeulders practiced with the team and will get his first taste of Division I hoops on Wednesday. He is no stranger to high level competition after competing the last three years in the European Championships for the Dutch under-18 and under-20 National Teams. His play last summer earned him a roster spot on the Senior Dutch National team this fall.

A slew of newcomers join the Pilots’ roster, highlighted by six freshmen and sophomore junior college transfer Nik Raivio.

Raivio, the son of UP Basketball Hall of Famer Rick Raivio, sat out last season after breaking his collarbone at Santa Rosa JC. The previous season, he led Northeastern JC (Colorado) to a top 10 national ranking and averaged 10.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game.

Another recruit with name recognition is 6-foot-8 forward Luke Sikma, son of former NBA All-Star Jack Sikma.

The younger Sikma comes into the program with the opportunity to play a lot of minutes, as Portland has just four true post players on the roster, none with Division I playing experience. Sikma possesses a wide range of offensive skills and had a breakout senior season at Bellevue High School (Bellevue, Wash.), averaging 16.2 points, 12.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists and three blocks per game.

Forward/Center Kramer Knutson (6-9) is another promising freshman for Reveno. Knutson averaged 13.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game as a senior at Dobson High (Mesa, Ariz.) and led a very good East Valley League in blocked shots (69) and field goal percentage (.580).

The biggest of the new big men for Coach Reveno is 6-foot-10, 295-pound Jasonn Hannibal from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Hannibal is a strong presence in the paint for the Pilots and improving on a daily basis. In addition to his basketball abilities, Hannibal was a standout discuss thrower, taking the Bronze medal at the 2007 Ontario/OFSAA Championships with a throw of 46.21 meters.

Portland plucked a shooter from the state of Washington by signing 6-foot-2 deadeye Jared Stohl from Marysville-Pilchuck High School in Marysville, Wash. Stohl was a four-time all-league and three-time all-area selection, the school’s all-time leading scorer, and averaged over 20 points per game both his junior and senior seasons.

Athletic swingman B.J. Porter is a proven winner after leading Layton Christian Academy to the Utah State 1A Championship last season and earning State Player of the Year honors. Porter averaged 22.2 points, 9.6 assists and 6.2 rebounds per game as a senior. He also posted a 6-foot, 10-inch mark in the high jump on three occasions.

Guard Shane Moser will provide depth at both guard positions for the Pilots. The 5-foot-11 walk-on was the class Valedictorian at Lewiston High School in Lewiston, Idaho. Moser was a two-time all-state selection and named the Most Valuable Player of the Inland Empire League (5A) as a senior after leading the conference in scoring. He also won the slam dunk contest at the 2007 Idaho All-Star Game.

ABOUT WESTERN OREGON:

The Wolves are a member of the NCAA Division II Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

Last year, the Wolves finished 10-17 overall and 5-11 in the conference.

Western Oregon has some size in 7-foot-3 Oregon State transfer Liam Hughes and 6-foot-11 Adonal Arrington in the post.

Ryan Schmidt is the team’s leading returning scorer after averaging 12.1 points last year. Travis Kuhns averaged 10.3 points and also returns, while Stanley Ratcliff, Jr., who missed all of last season after surgery on his Achilles, averaged 11.5 points and 6.0 rebounds a game two years ago.

Third year head coach Craig Stanger returns three starters and eight lettermen total.

KBNP 1410 NEW FLAGSHIP STATION:

The Portland Pilots have agreed to terms with KBNP 1410 AM to be the flagship radio station for the 2007-08 men’s basketball season.

A majority of Portland’s games will be broadcast on the station, while all Pilots’ games will be streamed for free online at www.portlandpilots.com. Tom Kolker will be providing the play-by-play commentary for all Portland games.

Source: UP Athletics

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