Portland State Beats Eastern Washington To Keep Their Season Alive

If the game had gone as expected, Eastern Washington would now be 9-7 and be close to locking up a Big Sky tournament spot, and Portland State would be just about eliminated from tournament contention. Instead, after an upset win, Portland State and EWU are now part of a four-way tie for sixth place, and with each team having a difficult schedule down the stretch, they each have some work to do.

Portland State couldn't be stopped in this game, as they scored 87 points on 1.24 PPP, getting buckets however they wanted. They shot 19/37 inside the arc, 11/25 outside it, and shop 21 free throws. While Eastern Washington uncharacteristically struggled from the outside (4/15 threes), scoring 1.09 PPP should be enough to win most home games.

PSU was led by senior Kyle Richardson, who has been excellent from about the midpoint of the season on. In this game, he was their only big man that played more than two minutes, and he responded with 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks, against a good EWU frontline. Richardson was far from the only star for the Vikings, however, as four other guys were in double figures, with a fifth scoring nine points. It was a balanced effort for PSU in this season-saving game.

Going forward, each team has the same schedule, so we'll see who can rise above.

At North Dakota and North Colorado
Home against Weber State and Idaho State

Neither team will be favored more than once the rest of the way, meaning they'll need to pull at least a little bit of an upset to increase their odds, if indeed 10 is the magic number.

The other big winners, in addition to PSU, is the other main contenders for the final spots in the tournament - Northern Arizona, Montana State, and Idaho State, because it now seems that everyone will be fighting for the final two spots rather than the final one spot.

The lesson, as always, you never know what to expect in the Big Sky this season, and things are always interesting.

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Who Will Join Aaron Moore in Portland State's Frontcourt?

Last season, Aaron Moore was a revelation for Portland State, as one of the best newcomers in the Big Sky. He was an efficient offensive player and one of the best rebounders in the conference. Clearly, he is the centerpiece of what the Vikings will try to do in the frontcourt this season.

But who will join him upfront? Let's take a quick look at the other pieces that PSU in the frontcourt.

I think the most likely to start might be newcomer Tiegbe Bamba. Bamba is 6'6'', an undersized but athletic four man in the mold of many guys that Tyler Geving has had over the past few years. Last year at Midland College, he averaged over 11 points and 7 rebounds per game. He is said to play above the rim, and is a high energy guy. While not an overly skilled offensive player, I think he has a chance to make a big impact.

Another newcomer is Kyle Richardson, a transfer from Long Beach State. While he put underwhelming numbers last season, he did start five games for a good team last year. He is eligible to play right away after completing his degree at LBSU. He should provide nice depth for the Vikings, and it wouldn't be a shock to see him start with his experience.

Lamont Prosser will be a senior this year, but had a disappointing first season with PSU. He is 6'8'' and 275 pounds, with bulk that not a lot of guys in the conference have. He needs to get into better shape, and he could have a chance to start. Even though he didn't always show it last year, he has some good offensive skills and has the talent to be a good contributor.

The other returnee is Brandon Cataldo, who is a junior in his fourth year in the program (He broke his leg in his senior year of high school which caused him to redshirt his first year). He is starting to get back full movement and dexterity, and should get better. He is a skilled player with a solid post game and good passing skills, but he also struggles with some conditioning. He has the potential to be a solid starter, but I'm not sure if he will ever get there consistently or not.

The other possible contributor is freshman Kyle Benton, who should contribute right away. He has inside/outside versatility, and can step out and hit the three ball. He put up big numbers in high school (over 12 rebounds per game), and should be a very good player in time. He might not start this year, but he could be their next frontcourt star.

Any thoughts on the Vikings frontcourt?

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Portland State Signs Four Players

Last week, Portland State picked up four commitments for their recruiting class this year. Here is a quick rundown for the four, none of which will be freshmen:

- G DeShaun Wiggins - He is a 6'2'' guard who will be a junior, and PSU going the JUCO route is not something anyone should be surprised by. He originally committed to Seton Hall out of high school, but instead spent one year at the College of Eastern Utah (where he averaged 17.8 points) and one year at Howard Junior College (he averaged 8.2 PPG, but for a very good team). "DeShaun is an athletic wing and scorer who really has a knack for putting the ball in the basket," said Geving. "He fits our up-tempo style with the way he gets up and down the court. He is a guy that knows how to score and we need that."

- G Sebastian Suarez - He played the last two seasons at Western Nebraska Community College, and has a nice shooting stroke. As a freshman he averaged over 10 PPG, shooting 36% from downtown. His sophomore year, he played just half the season (because he fractured both wrists early in the year), but averaged 11 PPG and shot 32% from the three-point mark. "With the loss of (three-point specialist) Michael Harthun (to graduation), we felt we needed another shooter. Sebastian is a 6-4 kid that can rise up and knock down jump shots," said Geving. "We thought that was a missing piece that we needed as we move forward. The other thing we like about Sebastian is his athleticism. He can get above the rim and should flourish in our up-tempo style."

- F Tiegbe Bamba - Bamba is originally from France, and he will be a junior as well. He is 6'6'', and will be recovering from a torn Achilles that he suffered last year. Before the injury, he averaged 11.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per gamef or Midland College, after averaging 11.5 and 7.1 his freshman year at Snow College in Utah. He is a small power forward with excellent rebounding skills, and that type of players tends to do very well in the Big Sky. "Tiegbe is athletic and really plays above the rim. He is big-time rebounder who is a high-energy, high-motor guy. He can guard a lot of different positions and is a pure athlete. He has length at 6-6, and finding a guy like that at our level, he can be pretty special."

- F Kyle Richardson - Richardson is a transfer from Long Beach State, and he will have one year of eligibility remaining. Last year, he playing in 31 games, starting five, and he averaged 2.2 points and 1.4 rebounds per game. He shot 41% from the field, and had poor rebounding numbers, though he did some some potential as an offensive rebounder in his sophomore year. He is 6'7'', and was high school teammates with Tim Douglas, who plays for the Vikings.

These four are added to recruits Kyle Benton and Zach Gengler.

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