UP's 6-foot-11 Kevin Field helps fill out a roster anchored by returning guards Pooh Jeter and Darren Cooper
The biggest difference between the Portland Pilots of last season and the Portland Pilots of this season is the biggest difference in the starting lineup: 6-foot-11 center Kevin Field.
"He's a big guy in a program that needed big guys," UP coach Michael Holton said.
A big guy in a program hoping to have a big season, a breakthrough season. A season that begins today in Lubbock, Texas, against Georgia Southern, a game that is part of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. Win and the Pilots probably will face Bob Knight's Texas Tech team Friday.
Basically, it's an early chance to see what Portland has. Holton thinks what he's got is pretty good. He thinks this is the team he's been building toward since he took the job in 2001.
"Our main goal is to win, and to win you have to win early and continue to win and continue to win to build on that confidence to get us ready for league," senior guard Pooh Jeter said.
Of course, that's what the Pilots did last season, starting 11-4 before finishing 15-15. Which brings this back to the difference between this season and last.
Experience, for one. The Pilots guards -- one of the best collections in the West Coast Conference -- are a year older and Jeter leads the way there.
Then there is Field, a redshirt last season after transferring from Oregon State, which he left for the simplest of reasons. "Just because I didn't play that much," Field said. "And I felt like I deserved to play."
Holton said he'd have that opportunity at Portland, and now the Pilots have a true center to go with 6-10 junior Ben Sullivan, who started 17 games last season and was third on the team in rebounding.
"They've never really had a legitimate big man," Field said. "I'm the guy that's 6-11, 280, can bang against the biggest guys in the league."
The key early, Holton said, is the team learning to play with Field. Holton wants the Pilots to play up-and-down, high-tempo basketball -- but not too fast.
"You want to make sure he gets his touches," Holton said of Field, "and to collapse the defense around him."
Holton figures all of this might take some time, so he and his coaches will be watching it closely, he said. Whether it takes time mostly will be up to those guards, and the two top returning shooters (Jeter and Darren Cooper) said they see only advantages.
"He makes it so much easier because we're finding ourselves so much more open," said Cooper, who averaged 11.4 points last season.
It's the whole inside-out game.
"Just get in the post," said Jeter, who averaged 15.2 points last season. "They'll kick it right back out. I love it. I've got to feed my dogs, and those are my big dogs right there. I've got to give them a steak and some bones sometimes."
Guess that means sharing the ball won't be a problem then. As for Georgia Southern, well, who knows? The Eagles like to push the ball and trap and do the kinds of things the Pilots want to do, but an opening game is an opening game.
"It's hard to feel ready to play a game in November," Holton said. "But the season is here, and we've worked hard."
The players want to win. Holton wants to win. But Holton also understands it's a long season -- an important season, and it's not going to be made or ruined with a single trip to Texas.
"I think it's important to play hard," he said. "I think it's important to play together."
If the team is set up the way he thinks it is, doing that should mean some wins.
The biggest difference between the Portland Pilots of last season and the Portland Pilots of this season is the biggest difference in the starting lineup: 6-foot-11 center Kevin Field.
"He's a big guy in a program that needed big guys," UP coach Michael Holton said.
A big guy in a program hoping to have a big season, a breakthrough season. A season that begins today in Lubbock, Texas, against Georgia Southern, a game that is part of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. Win and the Pilots probably will face Bob Knight's Texas Tech team Friday.
Basically, it's an early chance to see what Portland has. Holton thinks what he's got is pretty good. He thinks this is the team he's been building toward since he took the job in 2001.
"Our main goal is to win, and to win you have to win early and continue to win and continue to win to build on that confidence to get us ready for league," senior guard Pooh Jeter said.
Of course, that's what the Pilots did last season, starting 11-4 before finishing 15-15. Which brings this back to the difference between this season and last.
Experience, for one. The Pilots guards -- one of the best collections in the West Coast Conference -- are a year older and Jeter leads the way there.
Then there is Field, a redshirt last season after transferring from Oregon State, which he left for the simplest of reasons. "Just because I didn't play that much," Field said. "And I felt like I deserved to play."
Holton said he'd have that opportunity at Portland, and now the Pilots have a true center to go with 6-10 junior Ben Sullivan, who started 17 games last season and was third on the team in rebounding.
"They've never really had a legitimate big man," Field said. "I'm the guy that's 6-11, 280, can bang against the biggest guys in the league."
The key early, Holton said, is the team learning to play with Field. Holton wants the Pilots to play up-and-down, high-tempo basketball -- but not too fast.
"You want to make sure he gets his touches," Holton said of Field, "and to collapse the defense around him."
Holton figures all of this might take some time, so he and his coaches will be watching it closely, he said. Whether it takes time mostly will be up to those guards, and the two top returning shooters (Jeter and Darren Cooper) said they see only advantages.
"He makes it so much easier because we're finding ourselves so much more open," said Cooper, who averaged 11.4 points last season.
It's the whole inside-out game.
"Just get in the post," said Jeter, who averaged 15.2 points last season. "They'll kick it right back out. I love it. I've got to feed my dogs, and those are my big dogs right there. I've got to give them a steak and some bones sometimes."
Guess that means sharing the ball won't be a problem then. As for Georgia Southern, well, who knows? The Eagles like to push the ball and trap and do the kinds of things the Pilots want to do, but an opening game is an opening game.
"It's hard to feel ready to play a game in November," Holton said. "But the season is here, and we've worked hard."
The players want to win. Holton wants to win. But Holton also understands it's a long season -- an important season, and it's not going to be made or ruined with a single trip to Texas.
"I think it's important to play hard," he said. "I think it's important to play together."
If the team is set up the way he thinks it is, doing that should mean some wins.
