Nik Raivio will have three years of eligibility for the Pilots beginning this season
University of Portland guard Nik Raivio (pronounced RYE-veo) took a circuitous route from nearby Vancouver, Wash. before accepting a scholarship offer from the Pilots and returning to the Northwest.
After graduating from Mountain View High School in 2005 as only the second player in school history with 1,000 points and 200 assists, Raivio took a year off in hopes of getting bigger and stronger for Division I ball. He then had a successful freshman season at one of the top junior colleges in the country in Colorado, before enrolling at Santa Rosa JC in California last season. A broken collar bone during the preseason forced him to miss the year, but Portland reaped the benefits when he signed a letter of intent with the Pilots in April. Raivio will have three years of eligibility on The Bluff and is eager to get back in the flow.
Raivio, who is currently attending Portland’s second session summer school along with the team’s five other newcomers, took some time to answer a few questions about his journey to Portland, playing at the same school where his father was named to the Hall of Fame, his new teammates, and what fans can expect when he puts on a Pilots uniform.
When did you decide that you were going to be a Pilot and why did you choose Portland?
I decided I was coming to Portland around Christmas break of this year. I never really thought Portland would have been an option, but after the new coaching staff came and with some players transferring out in my position everything seemed to fit in right. So far it’s been a good fit.
What other schools offered you scholarships?
Oregon, Colorado State, College of Charleston, Texas San Antonio, Montana State and Portland State made offers, while Gonzaga, Utah State and San Diego State were talking to me but hadn’t offered me anything yet.
Why did you decide to grey-shirt coming out of high school?
I was a real late bloomer and wanted to fill out and still get recruited. I was originally planning on going to a prep school on the east coast for a post-grad year. The prep school was through a college, but the plan fell through and it didn’t work out, so I sat out and worked on my game and continued to fill out. I took a few part time classes so my eligibility clock wouldn’t start but it was good to have a year off like that to focus on improving. I was talking with Gonzaga some through that spring and they had recommended me to go to a JC in Colorado (Northeastern) where they had recruited some players and I ended up doing that the following year.
Talk about your experience playing for Northeastern JC, one of the best junior college programs in the nation?
It was a good experience being a part of a team that won 30 games and having a lot of Division I players on the roster. Most people think junior colleges as a whole aren’t very competitive, but I honestly think our team in Colorado could beat some lower level Division I schools. At times it was frustrating, I had never played on a team with a 15 player rotation but at the same time we were beating teams by as much as 60 points. Being on a team so deep made it tough to show what you could do, but looking back on my experience and what I went through I wouldn’t change a thing. I improved a lot, although the numbers don’t really show it, and it made me that much more hungry to get to the next level.
Was it difficult for you to sit out last year?
Yeah, it was really tough because I had already sat out one year. My coach from Northeastern JC had left to Colorado State and I had some other options, but I felt like I had to still prove myself and just go somewhere where I could play. I went out to Santa Rosa JC in Northern California and I loved it, everything was going well and I was pumped for the season to start. About a week before our first game we were playing a full court scrimmage at practice and I was undercut going for an offensive rebound. I separated my collar bone joint and had to sit out for a while. It was pretty depressing having to sit out again, but my coach out there, Craig MacMillan, was really supportive and let me make sure I was healthy before I came back and was real good about the whole situation. When I was sitting out I watched almost every college game on ESPN and ESPN2 and just tried to study certain players’ games and learn from them. It was hard having to sit out again but I just used it as time to continue learning and improving. The best part of it is that I now have three years to get to the NCAA Tournament rather than just two.
Do you expect a large group of fans from Vancouver to come out to Pilot games?
Yeah, the only problem is I don’t know how I’m going to get everyone in to the games.
How do you feel about playing at the same school where father was a Hall of Fame player?
When I was thinking about Portland, the fact that my Dad played here, honestly, never really crossed my mind. I wanted to go somewhere that seemed best for me, and it just happened to be the same school my Dad played at. I don’t think I have any pressure on me at all, I know what I can do as a player and I’m confident with my abilities. It will be a good thing though playing at the same school as my Dad. I’ve already met a lot of people he knew while he was here and plus my whole family is only 25 minutes away from every home game, so it’s a plus.
Has seeing how successful your brother, Derek, was at Gonzaga motivated you in any way?
Yes. For sure. It’s cool just seeing the person who you grew up playing with and against everyday getting MVP of their Division I league and now being an NBA prospect, it’s definitely motivating. We are different players but we have a lot of the same attributes. I’ve grown a lot and have improved a lot as a player since he has last seen me play in high school so hopefully he can catch some UP games as well. Seeing Gonzaga win the league and get to the tourney all four of his years is definitely motivating and is hopefully something we can accomplish in my time in Portland.
What do you see as your biggest strengths as a basketball player?
I would say my biggest strengths are just knowing the game and having a basketball IQ and just trying to do a little bit of everything on the court. I grew up always playing point guard and then once I got my big growth spurt I started bouncing back and forth between the point and shooting guard positions. So I try to just take whatever I learn from whatever position I play and put it all together and just make good basketball plays.
What do you need to improve at most on the court?
Being older and having a lot of young guys on the team, I think I will be looked upon to be more of a leader. I think that I need to get more vocal at times and just continue trying to be a positive leader on the court.
Do you have any individual goals for next year, and ultimately your career as a Pilot?
The only individual goals I have for next year are to just play hard and smart and to keep improving, and I know if I do those things then everything will work out fine. As for my career as a Pilot, my goals are to win the WCC tourney and to get to the NCAA Tournament and upset some teams in the tourney. That would be a dream come true.
The team will be young with just one senior and two juniors on the roster; do you anticipate some growing pains collectively?
The team will be young and I’m sure there will be some growing pains along the way, but so far the group of guys coming in and the returning players are gelling really well together and I think we should definitely be able to build on last year.
Talk about coming here for summer school and the experiences you have had thus far on The Bluff?
So far everything is going well on and off the court, I don’t have any complaints. The housing, food, and teammates are perfect, everything is going well.
Are you getting to know your teammates, as all six of you guys are sharing a row house?
Yeah, I would say everyone knows each other pretty well already. All of the guys are fun to be around, the only negative thing I can think about is just that the kitchen is a disaster.
Are there any funny stories about any of your teammates so far?
There have been a lot of funny moments, but I can’t think of a story right now. I’m sure by the end of summer school I’ll have plenty of stories.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not playing basketball?
When I’m not playing basketball I like to go back to my hometown, Vancouver, Wash., and spend time with friends and family, watch movies, swim and just try to stay active.
How would your best friend describe your personality?
My best friend would probably describe me as a person who appears to be kind of quiet and observant at first, but then once you get to know me I’m a real laid back and friendly person.
Why should fans come out and watch the 2007-08 Portland Pilots men’s basketball team?
Fans should come out and watch us because it will be a whole new program and it is the first full year the coaching staff has had to develop the program and bring in new players. There are going to be changes to the school logo and the gym floor as well, so the school is excited and working hard to start winning again in Portland.
