Pilots Media Coverage

In the spirit of the most important game being the next game, i am un-stickying this one.... thanks to everyone's contributions. lets hope coverage like this becomes the norm around here!

GO PILOTS! Beat USF!

Preview for next game:

http://www.oregonlive.com/pilots/index.ssf/2009/02/up_basketball_pilots_confident.html

Here's the Jim Beseda on the USF game. It looks like he has a little lovefest going on with Jared
Stohl gets creative to lift UP past USF
When I look at the box there were a couple of other reasons, too - TJ, for one

And is the rumor true that Reveno sold his soul to pick him up? If so- nice job, Rev.


The Tribunes take was that it was no big deal - we just went out and beat a team we were supossed to beat.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL: UP gets job done against weaker team
Think about that. When was the last season we were supposed to beat anybody?

I think sports writers aren't really sure what to write about us right now. They aren't any more used to us being where we are than we are...

Umm, just noticed that the Oregonian links to Pilot Nation on the left side towards the bottom of the page - very cool.

Rochin54 wrote:Umm, just noticed that the Oregonian links to Pilot Nation on the left side towards the bottom of the page - very cool.

Very nice to be noticed!

-SciFi

Found this gem in the Portland Tribune:

Right now, Oregon appears to be the fourth-best team in the state, behind the Beavers, University of Portland and Portland State.

Really? We're not as good as the Beavers?

http://www.portlandtribune.com/sports/story.php?story_id=123477118393188300

Per Pomeroy ratings:
104 - UP
109 - PSU
138 - OS(U)
156 - UO

Although we lost to two of the other in-state teams, we have improved as the season progressed, and some have regressed.

RPI from TeamRankings.com
104 - UP
138 - OS(U)
149 - PSU
161 - UO

Pretty consistent.

Someone might have posted this, but, these Sports Illustrated links are just sweet. I love the photos too:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/ncaa/men/teams/portla/

Call me crazy, but, we should have Pilot Nation listed there on the SI page.

Most of this page is great...except for the FANNATION area that confuses us with PSU.

athleticjames wrote:Someone might have posted this, but, these Sports Illustrated links are just sweet. I love the photos too:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/ncaa/men/teams/portla/

Call me crazy, but, we should have Pilot Nation listed there on the SI page.

Most of this page is great...except for the FANNATION area that confuses us with PSU.

I love the fact that they have the old logo. And yes, I'm nostalgic.

Jim Beseda called it like it was
http://www.oregonlive.com/pilots/index.ssf/2009/02/portland_pilots_dominate_peppe.html

He made a little bit of a deal that Pepperdine got more offensive rebounds than we did. I guess he was looking for something a little negative.

Umm- Jim-- when you shoot 23% from the field, you have a lot of chances for rebounds in the offensive end.

The trib weighed in with about the same story. same quotes, etc

http://www.portlandtribune.com/sports/story.php?story_id=123511194371458600

Ken Pomeroy's rankings have us up to 96.... Haha if you go purely by the RPI that puts us JUST over the edge for a berth in the NIT...

Not that it really means anything, especially with teams like Virginia below .500 and yet ranked ahead, and several teams like Iowa, WSU or Oral Roberts .500 or SLIGHTLY better and ranked ahead...

If we dont get the autobid to the NCAA... what are the odds that we end up with an NIT game vs. Oregon St.?

PilotNut wrote:If we dont get the autobid to the NCAA... what are the odds that we end up with an NIT game vs. Oregon St.?

Frankly, I think this is a really good reason to root for OSU. If both schools are looking strong for the NIT, I wouldn't be surprised if we get a first round game in Corn Valley.

DaTruRochin wrote:Ken Pomeroy's rankings have us up to 96.... Haha if you go purely by the RPI that puts us JUST over the edge for a berth in the NIT...

Not that it really means anything, especially with teams like Virginia below .500 and yet ranked ahead, and several teams like Iowa, WSU or Oral Roberts .500 or SLIGHTLY better and ranked ahead...

Yeah, that is interesting, since by NCAA rule those sub-500 teams aren't eligible for post season play.

Don't get your hope too high, though. If you'll notice, our slaughter of Pepperdine cost us about 5 RPI slots, and since not of the opponents coming up are sub-200 in the RPI, it's only going to get worse.

Wins over SMC and GU in Vegas would be quite helpful, though!

PilotNut wrote:If we dont get the autobid to the NCAA... what are the odds that we end up with an NIT game vs. Oregon St.?

The odds aren't good at all. IMO we almost have a better chance of winning the WCC tourney and going to the NCAAs than we do of going to the NIT. There is no criteria for the NIT except being a big name school that doesn't make the big dance that has fans who travel well and can fill the seats. According to other PN posters, RPI doesn't matter at all for the NIT. Barack would have to be involved for OSU to make it with their record.

athleticjames wrote:

PilotNut wrote:If we dont get the autobid to the NCAA... what are the odds that we end up with an NIT game vs. Oregon St.?

The odds aren't good at all. IMO we almost have a better chance of winning the WCC tourney and going to the NCAAs than we do of going to the NIT. There is no criteria for the NIT except being a big name school that doesn't make the big dance that has fans who travel well and can fill the seats. According to other PN posters, RPI doesn't matter at all for the NIT. Barack would have to be involved for OSU to make it with their record.

If OSU finishes above .500, I'd be really, really surprised if they didn't make the NIT. Big school, decent sized arena - they hosted Cal State Fullerton for a first round game a couple of years ago. And the NIT loves geographic proximity for their early round games.

Even if the Beavers don't make the NIT, they could still make the CBI - seriously, Cincinnati did last year with a 13-19 (!) record.

First we have to beat LMU,USD,and USF then will be going to our first post reg. season tourney-the WCC semi-final's........THEN on to postseason play.

Mesa's preference's 1)NCAA's-default reason
2)NIT's-next,was the original post-season tourney. Semi's,Final's in Maddison Square Garden-Exposure,EXPOSURE,EXPOSURE for Pilots,Vac in NYC (toilet of Earth) ...can't even see miss liberty correctly anymore.
3)CBI-It's there...

4)......

Remember how we were commenting earlier how nice it was that Oregonlive finally gave us a link on the left of their sports page?

Well, it's gone. PSU is there. Both Pac10 losing programs are there. Even such sports categories as matrimonial mishaps, and Punchy-Kicky are there -- but not UP.

Just in time for the tournament.

Found some love for the Pilots on Yahoo: Link

They start talking about the WCC around 1:30 and start talking about UP at about 1:54.

yea greg anthony!

Rochin54 wrote:yea greg anthony!

Where is he commentating from? That looks like a tough place to live. Palm trees, water, sun; who would want that?

up7587 wrote:

Rochin54 wrote:yea greg anthony!

Where is he commentating from? That looks like a tough place to live. Palm trees, water, sun; who would want that?

Pepperdine?

More Pilot love from G.A., about a week old. LINK

It looks like the same link was posted twice. All the same, it's nice to see that Anthony thinks we've got a shot at the NCAAs...