Complete Game Notes for Portland State vs. Western Oregon

Portland State basketball fans will get a first look at their Vikings under the direction of new Head Coach Tyler Geving this Wednesday when they host Western Oregon in an exhibition game at the Peter W. Stott Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. and the game can be heard on 800 AM KPDQ.

The Vikings are coming off a second straight 23-10 season and second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. Now in his fifth season on the Park Blocks, Geving moves over one seat on the Viking bench in 2009-10, from associate head coach to head coach. He replaces the departed Ken Bone, who is now the head coach at Washington State.

Western Oregon, a Division II member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, was 10-17 last season. The Wolves and Vikings meet for the second year in a row in a non-counting exhibition game. The Vikings won 101-78 in last year’s game behind 19 points from Phil Nelson.

The Vikings will open the regular season at the Athletes In Action Basketball Classic, hosted by the University of Washington, Nov. 13-15. The Nov. 13 game is against Belmont of the Atlantic Sun Conference. The Nov. 14 contest is against Wright State of the Horizon League. Both of those games begin at 4:30 p.m. On Nov. 15, the Vikings take on Washington in a 7 p.m. game televised by Fox Sports Net Northwest.

PSU’s home opener is Nov. 21 against Cal Poly. Tip-off is 7:05 p.m. at the Stott Center.

A QUICK LOOK AT THE VIKINGS
Geving welcomes back five letterwinners and two starters from last year’s team. Four of the five returners saw significant action in 2008-09, including SR F Jamie Jones (9.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 59% FG), SR F Julius Thomas (6.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 64% FG), SR G Dominic Waters (11.4 ppg, 2.9 apg, 60 3-pt FG, 2nd team All-Big Sky Conference), and JR F Phil Nelson (10.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 57 3-pt FG). Also returning is JR G/F Paul Guede, who was expected to be a big contributor last year, but played in only two games due to a broken foot.

Jones and Nelson are the returning starters and expected to be even more productive than last year. Waters and Thomas served as the sixth and seventh men off the bench, but played starter minutes and produced big for the Vikings. Those two, expected to start in 2009-10, will also serve as team captains.

A talented recruiting class brought in by Geving - who has been in charge of recruiting since coming to PSU in 2005 - includes JR Gs Melvin Jones (5-10) and Alonzo Brandon (6-1), JR F Philip Thomas (6-8) and FR G Chris Harriel (6-4).

NEW HEAD COACH TYLER GEVING
Tyler Geving takes over as Head Coach of the Portland State basketball program after being an assistant and associate head coach at Portland State for the past four years. Geving played a major role in the Vikings’ climb to two straight trips to the NCAA tournament over the past two seasons. The Vikings have compiled a 77-49 record over the last four seasons. Geving’s primary duties as first assistant under former Coach Ken Bone were as recruiting coordinator and running the team defense.

Geving has been in collegiate coaching for 15 seasons, but his new position with Portland State is his first head coaching job. He is a 1996 graduate of Central Washington.

VIKINGS ADD FOURTH TELEVISED GAME
Portland State’s Dec. 19 game against Washington State in Kennewick, WA will be televised on Fox Sports Net Northwest at 4:30 p.m. in the Portland area. The recent announcement increases the number of Viking games televised in the regular season to four.

The game is certain to have regional interest as new Viking Head Coach Tyler Geving will take on former Portland State Coach Ken Bone. After leading PSU to 46 wins and two trips to the NCAA Tournament the past two years, Bone left the Park Blocks in the off-season to take the head coaching position at Washington State. Geving was a Bone assistant the last four years at Portland State as well as 2000-01 at Seattle Pacific.

Although a neutral site game, Washington State is the host institution. The game will take place at the Toyota Center in Kennewick.

GAME WEEK ACTIVITIES
VIKINGS ON RADIO: All Portland State basketball games can be heard on 800 AM KPDQ and www.kpdq-am.com.The Viking Pregame Show begins one-half hour prior to kickoff each week with Tom Hewitt calling all the action.
VIKINGS ON TV: Portland State has four regular season games scheduled to be televised in the Portland area: Nov. 15 @ Washington, Dec. 19 vs. Washington State (FSN-channel 34 in Portland); Jan. 17 vs. Northern Arizona, Feb. 28 vs. Weber State (CSN-channel 37 in Portland).
INTERNET STREAMING: Live streaming video of all Portland State home and Big Sky Conference games can be seen free at www.BigSkyTV.org. Live stats for Portland State home games are at www.GoViks.com.
TYLER GEVING ON WHEELS AT WORK WEEKLY: Portland State Basketball Coach Tyler Geving will be a weekly guest on The Wheels at Work Show on 95.5 FM The Game in Portland. Geving will talk Viking basketball and more with hosts Brian Wheeler, Kenny Vance and Jay Allen every Tuesday at 1:35 p.m. beginning on November 10.
TICKETS: Tickets for all home games can be purchased in prices ranging from $10 to $15, with youth prices as low as $7. To purchase tickets by phone, call 1.888.VIK.TIKS or 503.725.3307. Special group ticket pricing and season tickets are available by calling Scott Boyd at 503.725.5627. Tickets are on sale at the PSU Ticket Office, located in Smith Memorial Student Union, 1825 SW Broadway. You can also purchase tickets on-line at www.GoViks.com, www.TicketMaster.com or at all TicketMaster outlets. 
VIKINGS BASKETBALL BREAKFAST SERIES: The Viking Basketball Breakfast Series takes place on five dates during the course of the basketball season. Head Coach Tyler Geving will speak about Viking basketball at each breakfast event. Details are still being finalized on dates and location.