After finishing No. 8 last season in the West Coast Conference (WCC), with a 12-20 overall record, men’s basketball was selected to finish last in the conference by the WCC Coaches Preseason poll on Oct. 23.
This year they are motivated to exceed expectations and prove the doubters wrong, according to senior forward Matúš Hronský.
“It doesn't matter what you [were] picked in preseason,” Hronský said. “I feel like it drives us because we know how good we can be.”
Portland opened their season with a 120-83 win over Willamette on Nov. 3 and followed with a 83-74 win against Arkansas on Nov. 6. They continued with a 67-63 win over U.C. Davis on Nov. 9, supported by 23 points from freshman point guard Joel Foxwell.
Foxwell has scored in double figures every game so far, which has contributed to the Pilots’ 3-0 start on the season. As a result of his impact, Foxwell was named WCC Freshman of the Week on Nov. 10.
After last year’s finish, head coach Shantay Legans is strategizing ways to improve the team's overall record in his fourth year at UP.
“[We] want to make sure that [we’re] defending this year, we want to play fast and score the ball,” Legans said. “That's what everybody likes to see. It's entertainment at the end of the day.”
Legans plans to use the players’ different skill levels to his advantage. To some, the influx of nine new players could be concerning, but Legans believes their variety alongside returning players will be a strength.
“Getting an older group that's really hungry and having some younger guys that can push the older guys, I think that'll help us get to where we're trying to get.” Legans said.
To supplement Legans’ coaching, there are multiple returning players and transfers who will lead the team, such as Hronský, senior guard Riley Parker and senior center Jermaine Ballisager Webb.
Two new transfers, junior forward Cameron Williams and junior guard Garrett Nuckolls, both joined Portland from Trinity Valley, where they won the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I title last year. Together, they bring a history of winning to the Pilots.
While statistics show a large part of what makes a team, there is a lot more that contributes to success on the court. A big difference in this year’s team from last season is the camaraderie they have off the court.
“From that first instance, we all clicked,” Parker said. We're all from different backgrounds and different areas, but we all get along. We're all open with each other, and it's a tight, connected group.”
The players’ off-court connection with each other manifests on the court, where they’re motivated to play their hardest.
“If not for yourself, you're doing it for the guy next to you because you like him,” Webb said.
Going forward, Portland will hit the road against Wyoming on Nov. 15 before returning home to face CSU Fullerton on Nov. 21.
Audrey Day is a sports reporter for The Beacon. She can be reached at daya28@up.edu.
