Pilots vs Villanova, Nov. 25th, Noon PT (ESPN2)

After giving the Tarheels all they wanted, the Pilots get Villanova (#33 Kenpom), who lost by 2 points in OT to Iowa St. The Wildcats do not have the height of UNC, but they are lead by two 6'8" forwards, Eric Dixon and Brandon Slater. Villanova is 2-3 on the season, with consecutive 2 point losses their last two games. Hopefully the Pilots can continue their strong team play, make a few more shots at the end of the game, and get a couple more calls.

This game is listed on the UP website as being televised on ESPNU, but the announcers have been saying it will be on ESPN2...and so far, that is what the tv listing is telling us.    So be alert if you are planning to watch the game on the tv.

I doubt I was the only one rooting for Iowa St. today so the Pilots could get a chance at revenge against Villanova for the 92-58 drubbing they gave the Pilots in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament in the Bradley Center in Milwaukee in 1996. Villanova was the #3 seed while UP was a #14 seed, but the Pilots must have worn them down because Villanova lost to #6 seed Louisville two days later.

The Pilots game was on national TV, but the beatdown was bad causing the network to break away to another game before halftime and the Pilots were immediately whisked out of town after the game after spending the previous night in Milwaukee's seemingly crappiest hotel.

This picture of some of the 1996 Pilots was taken many, many years later, but they've still got their good looks...

DoubleDipper wrote:This game is listed on the UP website as being televised on ESPNU, but the announcers have been saying it will be on ESPN2...and so far, that is what the tv listing is telling us.    So be alert if you are planning to watch the game on the tv.

ESPN2 is what the ESPN web site says.

UConn and Alabama won on the other side so the Pilots will get either Oregon or Michigan State at Chiles on Sunday.

I’m hoping for Oregon, an in-season home and home with the Ducks would be fun.

Dean Murdoch wrote:UConn and Alabama won on the other side so the Pilots will get either Oregon or Michigan State at Chiles on Sunday.

I’m hoping for Oregon, an in-season home and home with the Ducks would be fun.

I am rooting for UP playing Michigan St. and Coach Tom Izzo...much wider coverage of the game and it's a much more prestigious program, IMO.

This morning's KenPom:
#26 Michigan St.
#34 Villanova
#52 Oregon
#123 Portland

HOLY CRAP!

Rob's Jacket wrote:HOLY CRAP!

HELL YEAH PILOTS!!!

KERRY KITTLES CANNOT SAVE YOU NOW

Post game radio with V: https://vocaroo.com/1nd9UJwU1Ucw

I’m a happy Pilot! It’s strange seeing the media and random fans online so high on us.

There’s no way we can keep Legans is there?

Pilots continued to shoot well, 11-24 on 3P tries and 16-24 on 2P tries. Villanova struggled. They had 21 more shot attempts than the Pilots, but were only 9-41 on 3P and 14-28 on 2P attempts. Rebounding was equal, but only because the Wildcats went crazy on the offensive boards in the 2nd half. They had 18 ORebs and 19 DRebs. Pilots had 4 ORebs and 33 DRebs. Pilots had 19 assists to 9 for 'Nova. And 14 TOs to 8 for 'Nova. could have been fewer TOs except for a couple inexplicable ones by Tyler late in the game. Free throws were pretty equal, 18-23 for UP versus 16-21 for Villanova.

Vucinic had a sneaky 10 points on 4-5 shooting and 2-2 FTs. Really helpful as St. Pierre had early fouls and never got his game going. Applewhite was clutch, playing 12 minutes, helping handle the ball against the late press, and going 6-6 on FTs at the end. Robertson was again a facilitator with 8 assists to go with his 15 points. And he only got three FT attempts.

My concern was that they might come out flat having lost the first one to North Carolina but no way the energy and intensity carried over to today and while it’s easy to say now the game was never seriously and out until about halfway through the second half when Villanova made a run. I thought we did a solid job on breaking their press.
As always they were marginal calls both ways but the one that really upset me was hanging on the railing against the pilots. Not close not even

Portland Pilots have jumped up to 108 on KenPom after the last two days. It’s their highest ranking since January of 2014.

https://twitter.com/SKarrG0/status/1596313232016543745

Watching the replay, I hear a lot of talk about Villanova missing two players. Have only heard once about Pilots missing Chris Austin and nothing about missing Mike Meadows.

up7587 wrote:Watching the replay, I hear a lot of talk about Villanova missing two players.  Have only heard once about Pilots missing Chris Austin and nothing about missing Mike Meadows.

Let's hope UP won't be missing Moses Wood...that was a helluva hit he took.

About 5 minutes after everyone left the court after the final whistle, Kristian came back to be with Moses and walk with him to the locker room.

Sound Voltex wrote:KERRY KITTLES CANNOT SAVE YOU NOW

Kittles was like a man among boys out there in 1996.

I was watching that game at a bar in LA, and although Kittles scored "only" 19 points, he was very effective at blowing out the Pilots early by hitting 3/4 from beyond arc in 25 minutes of play.

Sound Voltex wrote:

Portland Pilots have jumped up to 108 on KenPom after the last two days. It’s their highest ranking since January of 2014.

https://twitter.com/SKarrG0/status/1596313232016543745

Villanova dropped from #33 to #46.
UNC plummeted to #22.

up7587 wrote:Watching the replay, I hear a lot of talk about Villanova missing two players.  Have only heard once about Pilots missing Chris Austin and nothing about missing Mike Meadows.

Even before the game the talking heads were setting up all the woes of Villanova. One was able to name every point guard they have had since Kittles played.

I suspect they didn’t know Mike is on the roster.

DoubleDipper wrote:I am rooting for UP playing Michigan St. and Coach Tom Izzo...much wider coverage of the game and it's a much more prestigious program, IMO.

I get the feeling Bill Walton will always call the games with PAC-12 teams in it, so MSU for me as well.

up7587 wrote:Watching the replay, I hear a lot of talk about Villanova missing two players. Have only heard once about Pilots missing Chris Austin and nothing about missing Mike Meadows.

ESPN research was probably told to only do the bare minimum on Portland because we're not Gonzaga or a major program.

I'm surprised we haven't gotten a "Legans says Sjolund is the best shooter he's ever coached", though Perry's nicknames and the story of Gorosito being described as a hot headed trash talking guard in a newsletter (or something like that) have been brought up more than once.

Sound Voltex wrote:I get the feeling Bill Walton will always call the games with PAC-12 teams in it, so MSU for me as well.

Well whoever it is, I hope the Pilots don't get caught looking ahead to the big Multnomah game on Wednesday.

Portland men's basketball sinks Villanova at Phil Knight Invitational

https://pamplinmedia.com/pt/12-sports/564616-452339-portland-pilots-sink-villanova-at-phil-knight-invitational
https://archive.ph/irD1l

Aided by three ex-EWU players, Shantay Legans’ rebuild at Portland now includes marquee upset of Villanova

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/nov/25/aided-by-three-ex-ewu-players-shantay-legans-rebui/

Sound Voltex wrote:I get the feeling Bill Walton will always call the games with PAC-12 teams in it, so MSU for me as well.

To his credit, with about two minutes left in the Oregon/Michigan State game, Walton went on an extended rant about the NCAA's hypocrisy in denying Vukasin Masic's waiver to play for the Pilots this year.

up7587 wrote:Watching the replay, I hear a lot of talk about Villanova missing two players.  Have only heard once about Pilots missing Chris Austin and nothing about missing Mike Meadows.

Thanks for this. I'm sure Cameron Whitmore will be brilliant when he suits up for Nova, but what the Pilots have done without Meadows this weekend is also noteworthy. It's incredibly tough to be a broadcaster with every word you say scrutinized, but you'd think a starting PG that gets 30 mins per game being out of the lineup would be a major talking point about the Pilots for the crew.

Rob's Jacket wrote:

Sound Voltex wrote:I get the feeling Bill Walton will always call the games with PAC-12 teams in it, so MSU for me as well.

To his credit, with about two minutes left in the Oregon/Michigan State game, Walton went on an extended rant about the NCAA's hypocrisy in denying Vukasin Masic's waiver to play for the Pilots this year.

Thanks, I was half following the commentary, and couldn't figure out what he was talking about.

up7587 wrote:Thanks, I was half following the commentary, and couldn't figure out what he was talking about.

I mute all the games that Walton calls...I will have to do a little rewind on my Beta Max and take a listen tomorrow.

It sounded like at the end he wasn't going to be calling any of the Chiles Center games even if we did up playing Oregon.

Glad Michigan State held on though. Should be a fun match on Sunday.