With three returning starters, Vikings are a threat

Submitted by Tom Myrick
Phone: 907-474-6805
11/14/07

Last season was productive, like one of the finest in Portland State’s history, but with four starters returning, this year may be even more so for third-year coach Ken Bone’s Vikings.

All the pieces seem to be in place for Portland State to be in line for perhaps their first 20-win season in its history as a Division I entry.

Bone, who took over at Portland after a superb 12-year run at Seattle Pacific, is accustomed to having his clubs reach the magical 20-win plateau. In his 12 years prior to taking over at Portland State, Seattle Pacific reached or bettered 20 wins eight times and never failed to top the .500 mark.

One of his toughest problems this year may be finding adequate playing time for his unusually large number of returning veterans, plus having four experienced redshirts regaining eligibility.

Expect the Vikings to be a major factor in the 2007 BP Top of the World Classic, even though they’re in the difficult bottom bracket with two other top entries.

Last season: The Vikings won 19 of 32 games overall and finished fourth in the Big Sky Conference with a 9-7 mark, which was good for a fourth-place spot in final standings. And, interestingly enough, three of Portland State’s 13 losses were administered by Weber State following the Wildcats’ second-place finish in the 2006 TOWC. Two of the three losses to Weber State were by a single field goal, by two points (64-62) at home and by an outside 3-pointer, 77-74, in the Big Sky’s post-season tournament on the victor’s court.

Key personnel losses: The Vikings will be minus two mainstays: starter Juma Kamara and top-line reserve Paul Hafford. Kamara was Portland State’s No. 2 scorer last season as he finished with a 12.6 ppg average after posting superb shooting percentages from the field, .458 overall and an even more impressive .404 from long range. Hafford was the club’s fifth-leading scorer (10.0 ppg) although he started only four contests and averaged just 19.5 minutes per game.

Key returning players: Starters Dupree Lucas, Scott Morrison and Deonte Huff are returning and providing the Vikings with perhaps the most experienced entry in the 2007 TOWC field. Lucas, the team’s scoring leader last season with a 13.2 average, was the Big Sky Conference’s "newcomer of the year". The 6-1 guard had red-shirted at Portland after having transferred in the previous year from Xavier University.

Morrison, a 6-11 center, received second-team, all-conference honors after having established new school records for blocked shots in a season (70) and career (134). The big guy also carried a neat 11.2-per-game scoring average which was just ahead of Huff’s 10.7. Other returning lettermen include Julius Thomas (5.1 ppg), Kyle Coston (3.0) and Brian Curtis (1.5).

Key newcomers: Four redshirts -- Tyrell Mara, Jeremiah Dominguez and J.R. Moore -- will all be bidding for playing time despite Portland State’s veteran returning squad. All have at least one year of playing experience at the Division I level and will unquestionably assure coach Ken Bone of spirited practice sessions. Two of the three have size as Moore is listed at 6-8 and Mara at 6-6.

What the experts are saying: The Blue Ribbon Yearbook said: "Could this be the year Portland State wins its first-ever Big Sky Conference Tournament and goes to the NCAA? Possibly. Three starters are proven upper-level players in the conference, the coach is excellent, and there appears to be depth. Things will have to fall into place for PSU though as Weber State and Montana look formidable."