Daily Vanguard

March 19th, 2008

Lack of an intimidation factor

Deonte Huff is confident the Vikings can compete with Kansas Thursday morning.

Before Portland State and Kansas kick off here in Omaha, Neb. in less than three hours, there are a few factoids the Vikings should know.

Kansas has maintained a 31-3 record in a difficult Big 12 this season.

The Jayhawks are the nation’s fourth best squad entering the NCAA Tournament.

The No. 1 seed is headlined by stars Brandon Rush and Darrell Arthur, who both average 13 points and more than five rebounds a contest.

And, to add insult to injury, the school based out of Lawrence, Kansas, has already claimed a pair of national championships—victorious in 1952 and 1988—before facing Portland State in its first NCAA Tournament appearance this year.

Sounds like the Jayhawks have the credentials to force Portland State to fret, right? Well, that is not exactly the case for this Vikings club.

Despite the fact that a No. 16 seed has never beaten a No. 1 seed in NCAA Tournament history and all the other historical factors that make this matchup look like a catastrophic mismatch, Portland State is still unconvinced that defeat is in its near future.

“Personally, I think we have a pretty good chance,” said senior guard Deonte Huff. “We’ve been practicing hard all week. We’ve been working hard all year. And we’ve put ourselves into position. So we’re not coming here just to lose. So, I mean, we’re pretty confident going into the game.”

Amidst a media frenzy with which most Viking players were unfamiliar Wednesday morning, Portland State players and coaches continued to count themselves in—not out like most March Madness aficionados and so-called experts.

While Portland State praised Kansas frequently and called the Jayhawks a “great team” more than once or twice, head coach Ken Bone and his squad were quick to point out that the Vikings are Big Sky champions and also feature some talent in players like first-team stud Huff, conference MVP Jeremiah Dominguez and Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year Scott Morrison.

History and popular belief may be against the Vikings, but they are under the impression that despite the unfavorable verbal remarks Portland State can perform on the same level as Kansas.

“What we have tired to talk about is, fortunately, this is not a seven-game series or a five-game series; it’s 40 minutes. Forty minutes of basketball, and anything can happen in 40 minutes,” Bone said.

As the clock ticks closer to tip off, the Vikings remain hopeful that a Portland State victory is not an impossible feat, however, Kansas may question the team from the South Park Blocks chances.

“I mean, not really,” junior guard Mario Chalmers said about whether any aspect of Portland State’s game worries the Jayhawks. “We faced a lot of good teams. A lot of teams play just like they do. As long as we play our game and we’re focused out there—competing—it’s going to be a good game.”

Dominguez and Morrison, both draw crucial matchups in Thursday’s contest, which will kick off the 2008 version of the NCAA Tournament.

Going head to head with one of the most dangerous on-ball defenders in college basketball in Chalmers, who ranks tenth in the nation with 2.4 steals per game, Dominguez must take care of the ball and ensure he passes out of, rather than dribbles into, trouble. But, remember, Dominguez is also speedy with his hands, nabbing a solid two steals a game this season.

Dominguez, a junior point guard, actually holds the advantage in the scoring department, averaging 14.3 points to his Kansas counterpart’s 12.4 points per game. Knocking down three-pointers and blasting past Chalmers with his swift quickness will be the key for Dominguez against the Big 12 champions.

While Dominguez and Chalmers will battle primarily out on the perimeter, Morrison will have his hands full with Arthur in the low post. A senior center, Morrison lacks agility and lateral quickness, which just so happen to be two strengths of Kansas’ 6-foot-9 forward.

Compiling a Big Sky-best 1.68 blocked shots per game, Morrison will need to rely on his shot-blocking ability and two-inch height advantage to contain the dangerous Arthur in the paint. A less conventional way to shut down Arthur is drawing early fouls on the sophomore forward, as he has a tendency to commit personal fouls early and often.

Just as the Vikings were filing off the floor at the end of practice Wednesday, a fan from the stands yelled, “If someone is going to do it, why not you guys?” The fan, seated three rows from the Qwest Center Arena hardwood, was obviously alluding to the fact that a No. 1 seed has never fallen to a No. 16 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Based on the Vikings confidence and lack of intimidation of the historically-rich Jayhawks, it would not be a complete surprise if a couple of Portland State players and coaches were caught mumbling “Yeah, why not us?” in their sleep the night before the biggest game of their careers.

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