Men’s Hoops Inks Two During Late Signing Period

Posted at 2:57 PM, Jun. 1, 2006

The University of Portland men’s basketball team has signed Taishi Ito and Robin Smeulders to National Letters of Intent, first-year head coach Eric Reveno announced on Thursday. Ito and Smeulders will join the Pilots’ roster for the 2006-07 season along with previously signed junior college transfer Walter Thompson. Justin Johnson, who was signed during the early signing period in November, has been released from his letter of intent and will pursue other educational opportunities.

Taishi Ito (6-0, 170) comes to The Bluff from one of the most successful high school basketball programs in the country, Montrose Christian School in Rockville, Md. A native of Japan, Ito came to attend high school in the United States and earned the starting point guard position as a sophomore for the Mustangs. He was a three-year starter under two-time national high school coach of the year Stu Vetter.

Montrose was the USA Today preseason No. 1 team in the nation entering the 2005-06 season and finished ranked No. 9 with a 20-2 overall record. During Ito’s three seasons, Montrose compiled a 68-9 overall record, was nationally ranked all three years, and played in numerous elite national tournaments. The team competed in the Iolani Classic (Honolulu, Hawaii), the Les Schwab Invitational (Portland, Ore.), and played multiple nationally recognized prep teams in the Washington D.C. area. Ito and Montrose dealt then-No. 1 Oak Hill Academy its only loss of the season, a 74-72 victory to end the regular season in March.

Ito was named a Washington D.C. area top 22 prospect among the class of 2006 according to the Washington Post and also earned All-Metro and all-league status from the Post as a senior. He averaged 10.1 points and 6.5 assists as a junior and 6.6 points and 4.9 assists his senior year, earning an invitation to the 2006 Capital Classic High School All Star Game. He has been rated as high as the No. 170 national recruit according to Galaxy of Stars’ Prep Basketball Magazine.

"Taishi is a versatile point guard who has unmatched high school experience playing for Montrose Christian and Coach Vetter," Reveno said. "He has played at and won at the highest level of prep competition and will bring a pedigree of toughness and hard work to our program. Combine that with his high level of achievement in the classroom and he is a perfect for for the University of Portland."

Robin Smeulders (6-9, 200) is a versatile athlete who can play either of the forward positions. Smeulders is a native of the Netherlands and has played club basketball for SG Braunschweig in the 2.Bundesliga (German Second Division) the last two seasons. He is a member of the Under-20 Dutch National Team and also played with the U-18 Dutch National Team.

Smeulders was the third youngest member of Braunschweig during the 2005-06 season, yet played nearly 19 minutes per game and averaged 5.8 points and 4.1 rebounds. He posted season-highs of 19 points, eight rebounds, and four blocks for Braunschweig. For the season, Smeulders shot 49 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point range and 71 percent from the foul line.

"Robin has a very strong love for basketball and has a lot of motivation to become a good player," Braunschweig head coach Liviu Calin said. "Every year he has progressed more than other players and is one of the biggest talents in Germany for his age."

During the 2003-04 season, Smeulders took part in a study abroad program and spent the school year at Ka’ahumanu Hou High School in Maui, Hawai’i.

"Robin is quality athlete who has played against tough competition with both his German club program and Dutch national teams," Reveno said. "His international experiences have prepared him well to make the transition to college basketball and we are excited about his potential."

 

Portland Announces Departure of Head Men’s Basketball Coach Michael Holton

Posted at 10:51 AM, Apr. 3, 2006

The University of Portland lines announced Friday the departure of head ncaa basketball coach Michael Holton.

University athletics director Larry Williams said that he had expressed to Holton the University’s gratitude for the leadership that Holton brought to the team during the past five seasons.

“Coach Holton is a man of great character and integrity and it has been my pleasure to work with him,” Williams said. “He is an extremely talented human being and it is hard for me to see him go. We all offer him our sincere best wishes for the future.”

Holton’s record at the University was 54-91 in five seasons, including 20-50 in the West Coast Conference.

Williams said that a search would begin immediately for the University’s new head basketball coach.

 

Santa Clara beats U of Portland, 72-68

Posted at 10:36 AM, Mar. 15, 2006

Travis Niesen scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds Friday night as Santa Clara beat Portland 72-68 in the first round of the West Coast Conference basketball tournament at Gonzaga.

 

Santa Clara (13-15), the sixth seed, will play third-seeded Saint Mary's on Saturday.

Pooh Jeter had 26 points for seventh-seeded Portland (11-18). Portland coach Michael Holton fell to 0-5 in WCC tournament games.

Brody Angley added 17 points for Santa Clara, which shot 44 percent in the game, but made 26 of 32 free throws.

Portland was hampered by 37 percent shooting. Jeter made 7 of 16, but sank all 10 of his free throws. Donald Wilson added 13 for the Pilots.

After a close first half in which Portland led by a point, the teams swapped the lead numerous times through the second.

After Wilson tied the score at 51 for Portland, Santa Clara scored the next nine points - including a 3-pointer and two free throws by Mitch Henke - to take a 60-51 lead with 3:54 left.

But Portland made four consecutive free throws, two after a technical foul on Niesen for contact, and Darren Cooper also scored when the Pilots received the ball after the foul shots. That cut the Broncos' lead to 60-57.

But Niesen hit a free throw and Sean Denison and Henke slipped inside for dunks as Santa Clara rebuilt a 65-59 lead.

The teams exchanged free throws in the final minute.

In the first half, Jeter scored 10 points as Portland jumped to an 18-15 lead.

The teams swapped the lead five times in the final 2:30 of the half, and Wilson's jumper gave Portland a 33-32 halftime lead.

 

Portland knows Wilson's smile goes a long way

Posted at 11:04 AM, Mar. 3, 2006

At the lowest point of the University of Portland's basketball season, Donald Wilson figures, he spent at least an hour sitting in the locker room talking with Pooh Jeter about what had to come next.

Finally, Wilson got up, went home and went to bed.

When he woke up, it was a new day. He went back to work as if nothing had happened.

I try not to let a lot of things get to me," Wilson said.

And if that 24-point loss at the Chiles Center to Santa Clara on Feb. 6, a loss that felt more like 42 points, didn't get to Wilson, probably not much can.

There were five games left in the regular season at the time, but the Pilots looked done. The thing is, Wilson doesn't believe in done. He doesn't even believe in frustrated. He believes in work and lessons learned and fun.

As the Pilots head to Spokane for tonight's first-round West Coast Conference tournament game against -- look at that -- Santa Clara, they've won three of four, and Wilson has led the way in the way that he does. He scores. He rebounds. He makes big defensive plays -- against the other team's best players.

"We ask for everything from him," UP coach Michael Holton said.

For that reason, Wilson might be the hardest player on the roster to replace next season. There have been times in Wilson's career -- and certainly this season -- when he has been overshadowed by not only the offensive pyrotechnics of Jeter, but those of Darren Cooper, too.

Wilson averaged 11.9 points his freshman season and 12.8 as a sophomore and has never matched that. Jeter said he's always telling Wilson to shoot more, a statement Wilson backs up.