PORTLAND, Ore. - The team arrived early and is currently shooting around at Chiles
Center.
There was concern that
inclement weather was moving in, but besides a couple of raindrops during the
ride over and temperatures in the low 30s, it's really not bad out right now.
This is probably the
quickest trip the team has had, aside from nearby bus trips to places like Fort
Collins and Laramie.
Yesterday's flight landed
about 5 p.m., and if everything goes as planned today, the team will be back in
the air around 4:50 p.m., meaning just under 24 hours in Oregon.
Next time the team is on a
small plane, like the one last night, we are hoping to snap a couple of
pictures for a future blog. Seeing a guy like 6-9 Andrew Hooper shoehorned into a plane like that is interesting. I'm
not sure he would have enough leg room if you removed the seat in front of him.
Same goes for Justin Coughlin and,
truth be told, maybe even 5-10 Alex Pickert.
It's like the aerial
version of a clown car, when the flight attendant opens the door and the team
spills back out.
It was a low-key evening
last night with a team dinner in the hotel, and pregame this morning consisted
of scrambled eggs, potatoes and assorted bagels and cereals.
The University of Portland
is in the West Coast Conference, and the Pilots are expected to compete with
Gonzaga for the conference crown. The team is hoping to make the NCAA
Tournament for just the third time and the first since 1996.
The Pilots started the season
off strong with wins over Oregon, UCLA and Minnesota, but they are entering
today's game on a three-day skid.
All 4,852 seats in the
Chiles Center seem to be right on top of the court, and the arena appears to
be more purple than Coors Field.
Finally, Portland has one
player from Colorado. Freshman guard Cody Mivshek was born in Littleton
and grew up in Fort Collins. I'm told his given name is Kodiak. Not
sure why he would shorten a name like Kodiak Mivshek.
Happy Birthday:
First, we would like to apologize for not calling out birthdays for assistant
coach Jon Jordan (Nov. 25 with a win
over Wyoming) and freshman Blake Foeman
(Dec. 8 with a win over Cal State Northridge).
We would like to send out
birthday greetings for former DU center Adam Tanner, who played at Denver in 2006-08.
Tanner is somewhere near his
hometown of Melbourne, Australia, celebrating his 25th birthday.
Missed Milestone:
While we try to keep up with the milestones of the team, sometimes they
slip by us without fanfare. The Voice, Mitch Hyder, called his 300th
Denver men's basketball game against Lamar on Dec. 2.
So, here's to The Voice and hopes that his cracking voice holds up through Game No. 303.
A Time to Give:
There is still time to team up with the Pioneers to help a few worthy charities
during the holiday season.
9Cares Colorado Shares Nights are booked for the Dec. 17 men's game against Florida
International, and the Dec. 19 men's and women's doubleheader. All fans who
bring non-perishable food items to donate will receive a $2 discount on each game ticket for each donated item, good for
up to four tickets per transaction and available only at the Ritchie Center
Ticket Office. All collected food will go to the New Life Fellowship Food
Pantry.
All DU home events through
Dec. 17 will have Toys for Tots
collection boxes available. During these difficult economic times, there is an
even greater need than usual for toys. Any and all donations of new, unwrapped
toys are appreciated.
Yearly travel totals:
Total Flights
- 3
Total Mileage Flown - 1,958
Total Bus Miles
- 377
Total Number of Hotels - 3
Total Number of Different Airports - 3
Total Number of Airline Delays - 0
Total Number of Cancelled Flights - 0
Total Number of Bags Lost This Year - 0
Total Number of Records Held by Pioneers at Portland's
Chiles Center - 1 by former DU player
Adam McCanna, who had eight blocked shots against the Pilots in 1997
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Charity, Bus Rides and Bowling - 12/2/09
DENVER - The
team is back home and ready to face the Lamar Cardinals tonight after a great
win at South Dakota State last Saturday.
The team is 4-1 and feeling confident, although the coaches and players know that they have to keep working hard and improving. Head coach Joe Scott often says that games get more important - and more challenging - as the team keeps winning.
The coaches wanted to give everyone a chance to bond off the court, so the team headed to a local bowling alley on Monday afternoon. It's safe to say that nobody is likely to join the PBA anytime soon, but everyone had a good time.
Rumor has it that The Voice, Mitch Hyder, took home the unofficial title, although Andrew Hooper was right on his heels. Travis Hallam, who bowled quite a bit throughout his youth, came ready to go with his own bowling ball and shoes. Hallam will be the first to admit that his bowling skills have deteriorated a bit, but it's hard to fault him since he can't get much practice in between school and basketball.
Another One Rides the Bus: There are still a limited number of seats available for a (roundtrip) bus ride from Denver to Fort Collins for the Colorado State game this Saturday. For just $25, fans can have a seat on the bus, game ticket, food and beverages during the ride.
Space on the bus is limited, and reservations must be made by Thurs., Dec. 3 at 5 p.m. To purchase tickets, please contact Dan Wesolowski at 303-871-3682 or daniel.wesolowski@du.edu.
A Time to Give: With the holidays upon us, DU is partnering up with a few charitable donations and encouraging fans to help those less fortunate.
All DU home events through Dec. 17 will have Toys for Tots collection boxes available. During these difficult economic times, there is an even greater need than usual for toys. Any and all donations of new, unwrapped toys are appreciated.
9Cares Colorado Shares Nights are booked for the Dec. 17 men's game against Florida International, and the Dec. 19 men's and women's doubleheader. All fans who bring non-perishable food items to donate will receive a $2 discount on each game ticket for each donated item, good for up to four tickets per transaction and available only at the Ritchie Center Ticket Office. All collected food will go to the New Life Fellowship Food Pantry.
Yearly travel totals:
Total Flights - 2
Total Mileage Flown - 966
Total Bus Miles - 188
Total Number of Hotels - 1
Total Number of Different Airports - 2
Total Number of Airline Delays - 0
Total Number of Cancelled Flights - 0
Total Number of Bags Lost This Year - 0
Total Number of Players Who Own Bowling Shoes - 1
The team is 4-1 and feeling confident, although the coaches and players know that they have to keep working hard and improving. Head coach Joe Scott often says that games get more important - and more challenging - as the team keeps winning.
The coaches wanted to give everyone a chance to bond off the court, so the team headed to a local bowling alley on Monday afternoon. It's safe to say that nobody is likely to join the PBA anytime soon, but everyone had a good time.
Rumor has it that The Voice, Mitch Hyder, took home the unofficial title, although Andrew Hooper was right on his heels. Travis Hallam, who bowled quite a bit throughout his youth, came ready to go with his own bowling ball and shoes. Hallam will be the first to admit that his bowling skills have deteriorated a bit, but it's hard to fault him since he can't get much practice in between school and basketball.
Another One Rides the Bus: There are still a limited number of seats available for a (roundtrip) bus ride from Denver to Fort Collins for the Colorado State game this Saturday. For just $25, fans can have a seat on the bus, game ticket, food and beverages during the ride.
Space on the bus is limited, and reservations must be made by Thurs., Dec. 3 at 5 p.m. To purchase tickets, please contact Dan Wesolowski at 303-871-3682 or daniel.wesolowski@du.edu.
A Time to Give: With the holidays upon us, DU is partnering up with a few charitable donations and encouraging fans to help those less fortunate.
All DU home events through Dec. 17 will have Toys for Tots collection boxes available. During these difficult economic times, there is an even greater need than usual for toys. Any and all donations of new, unwrapped toys are appreciated.
9Cares Colorado Shares Nights are booked for the Dec. 17 men's game against Florida International, and the Dec. 19 men's and women's doubleheader. All fans who bring non-perishable food items to donate will receive a $2 discount on each game ticket for each donated item, good for up to four tickets per transaction and available only at the Ritchie Center Ticket Office. All collected food will go to the New Life Fellowship Food Pantry.
Yearly travel totals:
Total Flights - 2
Total Mileage Flown - 966
Total Bus Miles - 188
Total Number of Hotels - 1
Total Number of Different Airports - 2
Total Number of Airline Delays - 0
Total Number of Cancelled Flights - 0
Total Number of Bags Lost This Year - 0
Total Number of Players Who Own Bowling Shoes - 1
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