Portland State Vikings in CIT tournament

By Gregory Crawford, Managing Editor of the East West Hoops

Congrats to the Portland State Vikings for making the CIT tournament. The Vikings will match-up in the first round on Tuesday, March 18th against the San Diego Toreros of the West Coast Conference. 

The winner of the Tuesday night contest in San Diego, will take on the the winner of the Pacific Tigers/Grand Canyon game.

Some sources have indicated to the East West Hoops, that instead of playing San Diego on Tuesday night, the Vikings more than likely would have been playing U of Portland, but the Pilots finished the season one game below .500 and CIT rules are that a team to be eligible for the CIT needs to have at least a .500 or better record for the year.

What a match-up that would have been in Portland, Oregon, Vikings/Pilots in postseason. It would have created quite the buzz.

Sigh of relief in Portland, Oregon

By Gregory Crawford, Managing Editor of the East West Hoops

A big sigh of relief went over Portland, Oregon and beyond on Friday night, when the Blazers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans.

Not only was it a great come from behind road win, but it also stopped the Blazers' losing streak, counting four straight on the road. The win comes at the end of the Blazers' five game road trip, they now come home for three straight starting on Sunday. After that, it is no road rest as Portland heads out on their final long road trip of the year, another five game trip

Since we always love to hear from our readers, where do you think Portland will wind up as a seed in the Western Conference and how far will they advance in the playoffs?

Portland State ends regular season tonight

By Gregory Crawford, Managing Editor of the East West Hoops

Portland State will end its regular season tonight with a home game at 7:00 pm against Idaho State. It has been an up and down season for the Vikings, but it is for sure ending on a high note. Winners of 4 of last 5, with a really good chance to make the Big Sky playoffs and  finishing in the top seven in league.

As a matter of fact if the Vikings win tonight, they will finish at least in fifth spot, a position they are tied with at present with  Eastern Washington and Northern Colorado, but hold the tiebreaker over both of those teams.

Tyler Geving and his wonderful staff, will never get the credit they deserve this year for the coaching job they have done. After Geving dismissed his best player in early January, almost everyone wrote off Geving and his team, except people that know basketball and know what a good coach he is indeed.

It is thought that Geving is in the last year of his contract and it was the total sentiment going around the Stott Center last Thursday night, that Portland State should give Geving an extension even before tonight's game, as a strong statement for the job he has done. I am convinced he will get that extension, but it can't come soon enough.

One of the best coaching jobs on the west coast was done right here in Portland, Oregon, at Portland State University.

Your thoughts?

Huge Two Games For Portland State Vikings

By Gregory Crawford, Managing Editor of the East West Hoops

It will be a huge two nights, starting tonight and ending on Saturday for the Portland State Vikings, as they battle for a playoff spot in the ever competitive Big Sky Conference.

It all gets underway tonight when the Vikings entertain already league champion Weber State at 7:00 p.m., with the same game time on Saturday night against Idaho State.

In earlier meetings this season, the Vikings lost to both teams. At present Portland State is playing some of the best basketball of their season, winning three of four, all on the road.

Portland, Oregon Basketball

By Gregory Crawford, Managing Editor of the Alford/Crawford East West Hoops

Each week, or even more, myself and our senior editor Jovan Alford will try to give you a little flavor of our hometowns, Portland, Oregon and Philadelphia, as per the basketball scene. Of course Philadelphia and Portland will forever be joined at the hip, as per the dramatic NBA Finals of 1977, when the heavily favored 76ers, lost four straight in the NBA Finals to the a Bill Walton led Trail Blazer team, still to this day, one of the great Finals in NBA history and forever changed basketball in Rip City. Enjoy.

Trail Blazers----In the midst of a five game winning streak, the Blazers have to endure two five game road trips in the month of March. Terry Stotts is proving that he is a wonderful NBA coach, as many people have said for a long time.

Of course it does not hurt to have two NBA super-stars in the starting line-up, with Lillard and Aldridge. With the tough road schedule, the Blazers need to fight like crazy in March to maintain fourth or higher in the western conference and gain the first round home court advantage.

Portland State----After two mid-February losses at home to Northern Arizona and Sacramento State, everyone wrote off the Vikings. But with Tyler Geving as head coach, you are going to see a team that plays hard every single night. The Vikings over the weekend, ended a four game road stretch, winning 3 of 4 and are now very much back in the playoff hunt for a Big Sky playoff berth.

Portland State will close out the regular season this week, with games against Weber State and Idaho State. Both winnable and almost must wins if the playoffs are going to come calling in 2014.

U of Portland----It was a much better season for the Pilots on the court in 2013-14 as compared to 2012-13, as the Pilots finished the year at 15-15.

The Pilots had to overcome one of the most brutal league schedules ever given any team in the history of sports. The first five WCC league games were played home, with no students in attendance and also meaning 55 percent of the league home schedule was over by January 9th.

With all those home games, U of Portland finished the regular season losing four straight on the road and needs to re-gather some momentum for the WCC tournament which opens this week, as the Pilots being the 7th seed, match up with 10, Loyola Marymount.