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Portland Pilots (5-3) at Boise State Broncos (5-4)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016
Tip-off: 1:00 p.m. (PST)
Location: Boise, Idaho
Arena: Taco Bell Arena (16,644)
Video: Twitter.com and Mountain West Network
Radio: 910 ESPN-Portland
Live Audio: 910-ESPN Portland
Live Stats: PortlandPilots.com

GAME INFORMATION
The Portland men's basketball team visits the Boise State Broncos of the Mountain West Conference on Saturday for a 1 p.m. (PST) tip-off at Taco Bell Arena. The game will be aired live on Twitter and the Mountain West Network. All Pilot games will have radio coverage on 910 ESPN-Portland (KMTT) with Jason Swygard calling the action. Coverage starts 30 minutes prior to tip-off and will have a complete post-game show.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Gabe Taylor had a tip-in with 2.4 seconds left in double overtime to give the Pilots a thrilling 90-89 victory over UT Rio Grande Valley Monday night. The Pilots trailed in the closing seconds of regulation, overtime, and double overtime, but came through with clutch baskets in each sequence to pull out the win. UP trailed by 13 points with 6:53 left in regulation and were down 70-60 with three minutes remaining, but mounted a furious rally late. Alec Wintering went the length of the court and dished to Joseph Smoyer for the game-tying dunk with 0.8 seconds left to force the first OT. Jazz Johnson made a difficult layup in traffic with less than six ticks on the clock to push it to double OT. Trailing 89-88, Wintering again drove to the basket and forced the help defender over. He missed, but Taylor was there for the put-back and a desperation heave from UTRGV fell short as the Pilots pulled off the improbable comeback. Wintering set a school single-game record by playing all 50 minutes. He finished with 24 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and five steals. D'Marques Tyson finished with a season-high 21 points. Johnson added 19 points, six rebounds and five assists in 47 minutes of court action. Taylor rallied for 16 points and seven rebounds.

PILOT QUICK HITS
• Alec Wintering and Jazz Johnson comprise the No. 3 scoring backcourt in the nation (40.8) and No. 6 scoring duo overall nationally.
• Wintering is one of two players in the nation ranked Top 30 in scoring, assists, and steals per game.
• Wintering is one of three players in the nation ranked Top 20 in scoring and assists (Jon Elmore-Marshall, T.J. Williams-Northeastern).
• Wintering ranks 17th nationally in scoring (22.3) and 20th in assists per game (6.3).
• The Pilots are No. 17 in the nation in free throw percentage (.774) and 12th in defensive rebounds per game (30.5).
• Portland's three losses have come against quality competition as UCLA is ranked No. 2 nationally, while Colorado and Dayton are coming off of NCAA Tournament trips with experienced rosters.
• Portland finished the Wooden Legacy with a 1-2 record over Thanksgiving weekend. The Pilots dropped their opener on Thanksgiving night to then-No. 14 UCLA (99-77) and then fell to Dayton by an 84-74 margin on Saturday.
• Wintering and Johnson ended the Wooden Legacy as the tournament's top two scorers at 26.7 and 22.7 per game, respectively.
• First-year head coach Terry Porter took over the program in April and hired an experienced collegiate staff to support his transition in long-time Pac-12 assistants Bob Cantu (USC) and Ben Johnson (WSU).
• Porter will rely on Wintering, a preseason All-West Coast Conference selection, to lead the Pilots. Wintering earned All-WCC First Team honors as a junior after averaging 18.3 points and 4.9 assists per game last season.
• Johnson moved into the starting lineup this year and is averaging 18.5 points, while junior F Gabe Taylor is averaging 13.0 points and a team-high 6.8 rebounds.
• The Pilots return five of their top six scorers from last year's team that finished 12-20 overall and 6-12 in the WCC. League coaches picked the Pilots eighth in the WCC Preseason Poll.
• Porter welcomes five newcomers to the roster in true freshmen Andre Ferguson, Alec Monson, Malcolm Porter and Joseph Smoyer, as well as sophomore transfer Franklin Porter (Saint Mary's). Malcolm and Franklin Porter are redshirting the 2016-17 season.
•Redshirt freshman Chier Maker is expected to be eligible in mid-December.
•Portland inked four players to NLIs during the November signing period. Three incoming freshmen and a junior college transfer.
 
ABOUT BOISE STATE
The Broncos (5-4) have wins Division I wins over Western Michigan, Presbyterian, SMU and LMU, with losses against College of Charleston, Mississippi State, Oregon and Evansville. Head Coach Leon Rice is in his seventh season at Boise State and has taken the Broncos to the NCAA Tournament twice. BSU finished last season with a 20-12 record overall and were picked to finish fifth in the Mountain West Conference Preseason Poll. Chandle Hutchison (17.4 pts, 8.3 rebs) and Nick Duncan (10.4 pts) pace the Broncos in scoring this season.
 
DYNAMIC BACKCOURT DUO
Alec Wintering and Jazz Johnson have produced at an elite rate early in the season. The pair combined for 62 points in a over CSUN, the most points by Pilot teammates in the same game in school history. They were the top two scorers at the elite Wooden Legacy tournament over Thanksgiving weekend as Wintering averaged 26.7 and Johnson averaged 22.7 points per game. The pair also ranks as the sixth highest scoring duo in the nation and No. 3 backcourt combination nationally:
Top Scoring Tandems in the Nation

1. Marcus Keene (G)/Braylon Rayson (G), Central Michigan	49.0
2. Matt Mobley (G)/Jalen Adams (G), St. Bonaventure	44.4
3. Jack Gibbs (G)/Peyton Aldridge (F), Davidson	44.3
4. Marcus Evans (G)/Egor Koulechov (F), Rice	42.2
5. Michael Young (F)/Jamel Artis (F), Pittsburgh	41.6
6. Alec Wintering (G)/Jazz Johnson (G), Portland	40.8

WINTERING IN RARE COMPANY
Alec Wintering and Jaylen Adams of St. Boneventure are the only two players in the nation ranked Top 30 in scoring, assists, and steals per game. Wintering is one of three players in the nation ranked Top 20 in both scoring and assists (Jon Elmore-Marshall, T.J. Williams-Northeastern). The Charlotte, N.C. native tops the WCC in both scoring (22.3) and steals per game (2.4). He also is rapidly climbing a variety of UP career lists and set a school single-game record by playing all 50 minutes in Monday's win. Wintering earned All-WCC First Team recognition last year after scoring the second most points in single-season Portland history (584). He became the first Pilot in history to record consecutive 30-point games (34 points vs. Pepperdine on Dec. 23, 31 at San Francisco on Dec. 31) and then accomplished the feat a second team earlier this year at the Wooden Legacy (31 vs. Dayton, 36 vs. CSUN).

TYSON ERUPTS IN FIRST START OF SEASON
Junior G D'Marques Tyson earned his first start of the 2016-17 season on Monday and made the most of the opportunity. The 6-5 shooter drilled 7-of-15 three-pointers and recorded season highs of 21 points, five rebounds and three assists. Tyson has erupted for 20-or-more points in six games throughout his career and has hit at least one three-pointer in 21 consecutive games dating back to last season. He ranks seventh in school history in career three-point percentage (.407) and has moved into eighth place in school history with 142 career three-pointers made.

SMOYER BREAKS OUT
Freshman C Joseph Smoyer earned his first significant playing time in Monday's win over UTRGV. He came up big playing the games final 23 minutes, forcing overtime with a dunk with 0.8 seconds left in regulation, and recording season highs of eight points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots. Smoyer is a Portland native that attended Franklin High School and is enrolled in the UP Honors Program.

TAYLOR PLAYING BIG
Junior F Gabe Taylor had the game-winning putback on Monday versus UTRGV and has taken a liking to the new system that Coach Porter has brought to the Pilots. Taylor erupted for a career-high 24 points at San Jose State on Nov. 15, including 4-of-8 from three-point range. Taylor also matched his career-best of nine rebounds, while playing all 40 minutes. Through eight games, Taylor is averaging 13.0 points and a team-high 6.8 rebounds per game. He is playing a career-high 34.1 minutes per game and has logged all 40 minutes against San Jose State and Dayton.
 
JOHNSON THRIVING IN STARTING ROLE
Sophomore G Jazz Johnson played primarily the backup point guard role last year, but this season is starting alongside Alec Wintering and has thrived. He is second on the team in scoring (18.5) and shooting 53 percent from the field, 49 percent from three-point range and 85 percent at the foul line. The Portland native also logged career-highs of six rebounds and five assists on Monday against UTRGV. Johnson was an elite prep scorer at Lake Oswego High School, setting the prestigious Les Schwab Invitational scoring record after averaging 35.5 points per game at the tournament his senior season.

WINTERING PASSES SPOELSTRA, CONTINUES ASSAULT ON UP CHARTS
Alec Wintering moved past former Pilot and current Miami HEAT head coach Erik Spoelstra into third place on the UP all-time assists chart during a Nov. 18 win over Lewis & Clark. Wintering now has 517 and is on pace to pass Pilot Hall of Fame member and eight-year NBA veteran Darwin Cook for the school record. Wintering currently ranks No. 2 all-time for UP in free throws made (448), No. 3 in assists (517) , tied for third in steals (160), No. 6 in three-point percentage (.409) and is on pace to break the record for games started. Wintering's 1,375 points rank ninth in Portland history, 11 shy of former teammate Kevin Bailey (2011-15).

TOUGH SCHEDULE
Portland plays a challenging 2016-17 schedule that includes three Pac-12 opponents. The Pilots already faced current No. 2 UCLA and NCAA participants Dayton and Colorado. Portland will take on Oregon State at the Moda Center on Dec. 18. Other key non-conference matchups are at Boise State on Dec. 10 and at home versus Portland State on Dec. 20.
 
GETTING DEFENSIVE
Head coach Terry Porter and assistant Ben Johnson came from the Dick Bennett coaching tree and defense has been one of the main points of emphasis as Porter has taken over the Portland program. The early returns have been better relative to last season in a variety of defensive categories:

Stat	2015-16 (Nat'l Rank)	2016-17 (Nat'l Rank)
Scoring Margin	-2.2 (233)	+6.1 (122)
FG Pct. Defense	.452 (269)	.409 (97)
3-Pt FG Defense	.381 (326)	.338 (161)
Defensive Rebounding	23.8 (284)	30.5 (12)

TERRY PORTER ERA ARRIVES
Porter, a 17-year NBA veteran and two-time NBA All-Star, spent most of his pro career with the Trail Blazers where he helped lead Portland to a pair of NBA Finals and had his jersey retired. Porter also served as head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns, in addition to various assistant coaching positions throughout the league. He was named head coach of the Pilots on April 1, 2016. Porter has hired an experienced coaching staff to support him, including long-time Pac-12 Assistant Coaches Bob Cantu (USC) and Ben Johnson (Washington State), along with former Pilot four-year starting center Kramer Knutson (2007-11).
 
PORTER INKS FOUR DURING EARLY SIGNING PERIOD
Portland signed four prospects during the early signing period, three incoming freshmen and a junior college transfer:
- JoJo Walker (Santa Maria, Calif./St. Joseph HS). The 6-1, 170-pound point guard was the CIF Southern Section Division 5A Most Valuable Player after leading St. Joseph High School to the 2016 CIF title. He earned All-Area MVP honors while averaging 18.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.3 steals per game.
- Taki Fahrensohn (Auckland, New Zealand/Auckland Grammar School). A 6-5, 180-pound combo guard, Fahrensohn averaged 33.6 points over seven games at the 2016 New Zealand Secondary Schools Basketball National Championships. He is a member of the New Zealand Junior Tall Blacks, the country's national youth team.
- Tahirou Diabate (Niigate, Japan/Teikyo Nagaoka HS). At 6-10, 215 pounds he averaged 31 points and 18 rebounds per game last season and helped lead his team to the Okinawa Cup, Japan's High School National Championships. He and was named the Most Valuable Player of the event after leading the tournament in points and rebounds.
- Austin Stone (Lake Wylie, S.C./Clover HS/USC Salkehatchie). The 6-9, 225-pound post was a late bloomer to the game and has become a force down low at the Junior College level. Stone will enroll as a junior next fall.
 
EXPERIENCED STAFF
Terry Porter indicated his desire to find an experienced coaching staff to help support his transition to the college game and he loaded up with a pair of big name assistants. Bob Cantu, a former USC interim head coach, associate head coach and long-time assistant coach with the Trojans and UTEP, has more than 20 years collegiate coaching experience at various levels. He has coached under four NBA Coaches, coached 14 NBA players and five NBA First Round Draft picks, while helping five teams reach the NCAA Tournament. Considered one of the top recruiters in the nation, Cantu helped land the No. 1 overall class in 2007 at USC. Ben Johnson also has extensive Pac-12 coaching experience and 24 years working the sidelines during his coaching career. Johnson was with Dick and Tony Bennett at Washington State during the program's most winning years. He has coached and recruited four NBA players, including NBA Lottery Pick Klay Thompson. Johnson also brought a pair of Australian National Team players to Wazzu in Brock Motum and Aron Baynes. He helped WSU to the Sweet 16 in 2008 and was also a standout player for Dick Bennett at UW-Green Bay. He helped the Phoenix to the 1991 NCAA Tournament and a pair of NIT appearances. Porter rounded out his coaching staff with a familiar face to Pilot fans in Kramer Knutson. A four-year starter for Portland from 2007-11, Knutson led the Pilots to a top-25 ranking and a program-best 60 wins over his final three seasons. Knutson served as Director of Basketball Operations for Portland last year after a four-year professional playing career in Europe.
 
HARTWICH BREAKS OUT
Junior C Philipp Hartwich matched his career-high with seven points and also grabbed nine rebounds in 25 productive minutes versus CSUN on Nov. 27. Hartwich has earned the starting center position this season and his athleticism resulted in three dunks against the Matadors. Hartwich was previously a standout Team Handball player and member of the German Youth National Team before taking up basketball.

RADIO-TELEVISION
Portland will once again have an extensive TV package with games on ESPN, ROOT Sports, and CSN Northwest. The complete broadcast schedule is available at PortlandPilots.com. All Pilot Basketball games will be on the radio on 910 ESPN-Portland with Jason Swygard calling the action. The Terry Porter Radio Show will air on 1080 The Fan each Monday night (barring travel/game conflicts).

A FAMILY AFFAIR
Terry Porter isn't the only Porter joining the Pilots for the 2016-17 season. His two sons, Franklin and Malcolm, have joined Terry on The Bluff. Franklin played last season at conference rival Saint Mary's and will redshirt this season due to NCAA transfer rules. Malcolm was a two-time all-state player at Jesuit High School and is also expected to redshirt this season.