The Portland Pilots men’s basketball team got off to a slow start in their exhibition opener against Multnomah University on Saturday night. First game jitters were apparent in the players’ inability to capitalize on offense.
Wide-open jumpers from all corners of the Chiles Center court clanked off the rim. But late in the first half, the Pilots flipped the switch. Senior guard Alec Wintering began looking like his old self, getting to the rim at will off steals. Junior forward Gabe Taylor hammered down an alley-oop pass with under nine minutes left in the game bringing the crowd to a roar, sealing the Lions’ fate.
Portland ran away with the contest, defeating Multnomah 87-57 in Terry Porter’s first game as head coach. As they were supposed to. The Lions are an NAIA team that, in all fairness, shouldn’t have been able to hold on for as long as they did. The Pilots couldn't sustain a double digit lead until under the three minute mark in the first half.
Rebounding and outside shooting will need to be fine-tuned heading into the 2016-17 regular season.
But Wintering, a first-team West Coast Conference selection a year ago, appeared to be in midseason form. He shook off a slow start in the opening minutes to erupt for 19 points before the break. He led the Pilots with 29 points, five rebounds, four assists and five steals.
With second team all-conference performer Bryce Pressley graduated, he’s the undisputed leader of the team. And his performance showed that he’s ready to step up to the plate.
“We expect [Alec] to take his game to another level,” Porter said. “For a stretch there [in the game] it was all by him and his ability to get to the rim.”
But there’s still a gaping hole left by Pressley’s nearly 15 points per contest. The question is: Who’s going to fill the void?
Jazz Johnson appears to be an answer in the backcourt. Pilot fans got a glimpse of a new-and-improved version of him. Johnson has visibly trimmed down and added a few pounds of muscle. He dropped 12 points in 22 minutes against Multnomah.
There’s no doubting the firepower of a Wintering-Johnson duo in the backcourt. Both players are adept at creating their own shot and making plays for others. The concern comes on the defensive end. Both Wintering and Johnson are under six feet and that could pose problems for Portland when they face teams with bigger guards in conference play. Nonetheless, expect Porter to play the two together a lot in during the season. It’s a potent 1-2 offensive punch that Portland has at their disposal.
As critical as guard play will be for the team’s success, the big man situation may be the most intriguing story for the Pilots heading into this season.
At times, there will be no need for either senior Ray Barreno or junior Philipp Hartwich to play. With a guard-oriented roster, Porter may choose to play small ball. Fans saw a little of this on Saturday with Taylor at the five and Jarrel Marshall at the four. But still, against teams like Gonzaga who have a clear size advantage, Porter will be forced to put in a big guy. The question becomes, will he choose a someone who can alter shots like Hartwich or a bruiser like Barreno?
Only time will tell but it is clear that Barreno wants it. He trimmed down over the summer and is hungry for touches when he is in the game. He appeared to play with a greater sense of urgency than Hartwich on Saturday night.
“I’m not gonna lie, who doesn’t want to start?” Barreno said. “At the end of the day, I’m playing so that’s what matters.”
There are clear improvements with players like Johnson and Barreno. Taylor looked ready to step into a bigger role as an upperclassmen too, scoring 15 points and grabbing seven rebounds in the exhibition. Wintering showed that he is capable of staying efficient even as the dominant scorer. He shot 11-of-15 from the field Saturday night.
But Portland will only be as good as their ability to defend and protect the glass. And through one exhibition game, that looks like a challenge.
The Pilots will have one more tune up before the regular season starts.
They face Evergreen State on Nov. 4 before their season opener against UC Riverside on Nov. 11.
