Vikings start to make wish list

On College Hoops

By jason vondersmith

The Portland Tribune, Mar 25, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009

One of three returning starters for Portland State, small forward Kyle Coston — shown driving against Kansas last week — could work on strength and rebounding, according to coach Ken Bone’s end-of-season assessment.

JAMIE SQUIRE / GETTY IMAGES

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What does Portland State need to get back to the Big Dance, be a more competitive team or maybe win a game?

In short, coach Ken Bone has the answers: more bigger, longer and faster players, and an NBA-level go-to guy.

Easier said than done, but Bone feels the Vikings could be more prepared for the NCAA tourney next year. PSU is likely to be the preseason Big Sky Conference favorite, with point guard Jeremiah Dominguez among seven players coming back, and three impact players coming off the redshirt list, including forward Phil Nelson.

The Big Sky champion has won only two NCAA games in the past 26 years, so it isn’t likely an NCAA champ will come out of the league anytime soon.

But the Vikings feel they put themselves on the map with their 23-victory, Big Sky-winning season. And now they think they have a road map for success at the midmajor level.

“One thing that would help is having a Rodney Stuckey-type who can compete with kids from Kansas,” says Bone, referring to the ex-Eastern Washington and current Detroit Piston guard. “Kansas has five (of those) players on the court at one time.”

With a superstar, “you can isolate guys and do some things,” Bone adds. “We didn’t have an NBA guy on our team, but going into next year, a guy like Phil Nelson, 6-7 or 6-8 and can shoot from anywhere … I won’t say he will take over games, but he’s the type of guy who can help us out in a lot of different ways.”

The length of 6-7 Jamie Jones will help in the middle, and 6-1 guard Dominic Waters will contribute alongside Dominguez and Andre Murray.

In the meantime, Dominguez and others can improve, Bone says. The coach’s take on his three returning starters:

Dominguez — “He needs to improve on the defensive end, where he can give us more solid possessions and not just look for steals.”

Murray — “I’d like to see him improve on his ballhandling. Overall ballhandling and decision-making with the ball are areas we can improve and work on.”

Small forward Kyle Coston — “He needs to get stronger, because he goes against bigger and stronger kids. And he needs to get better at rebounding.”

• Bone says Oregon State’s coaching search firm has contacted him.

But he says he doesn’t feel he would be a top candidate, and “it’s not something I want to chase after. … I love the situation I’m in right here.”

• Julius Thomas, Tyrell Mara and Alex Tiefenthaler also will be in the frontcourt mix next season.

The 6-6 Mara has had injuries but plays aggressively, rebounds and shoots well. “He’s a better player than what he showed,” Bone says. “He played good ball early, and it’d be nice for him to get back to that kind of basketball.”

Thomas is a 6-5, athletic forward, and the 6-9 Tiefenthaler can shoot –he had 10 points in eight minutes against Kansas. “If I would have played him 40 minutes, he would have scored 50,” Bone says.

• Justynn Hammond, a nonscholarship player, will not return. Bone says the 6-5 freshman plans to move to California with his girlfriend.

• Backup point guard Mickey Polis will have to fight for minutes next year with Dominguez, Waters and Murray in the mix.

• The Viks have Gonzaga, Washington and Cal State Fullerton (at home) on the 2008-09 schedule, and “we’ll play at least one other high-caliber team,” Bone says.

• Five seniors have wrapped up their Viking careers – post Scott Morrison; guards Deonte Huff, Dupree Lucas and Brian Curtis; and forward J.R. Moore.

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