Freeman is an actual movement in the Portland Area nowadays!  And, no, this was not some Anarchist movement from The Northwest featuring some white guys hiding in the woods in weird coats.  The Vikings have the pleasure of having one of the most exciting players in the country on their roster.  Williams fires shots from everywhere and is as much as anyone in the country a one man scoring machine for this team from Oregon.  The sad thing is that Freeman was basically all that this team had.  Especially since the Vikings do not have a sophomore class.  And have lost quite a few upperclassmen to graduation.  The plan is to get the ball the magnificent scoring machine that is Williams and the rest of the team can sit back and watch the show.  That is not entirely true but the truth is if Williams was not coming back then the Vikings might not have a program?  Okay, so they might still have a program but the talent without Williams would nowhere be D-1.  One thing is for sure this team will be going to a ‘go-go’!  

The Vikings will almost assuredly struggle through a pretty difficult rebirth.  Not enough size will really hurt this up and coming team who has just rejoined the ranks of Division 1 (the team from the Rose city had taken a little time off for budgetary reasons but RIP city is a basketball town and only having one University is just not good enough).  The Vikings know they have an uphill battle but they think they have enough with Williams and company firing shots at will.  Bone is up against it trying to reinvent a program that was never all that to begin with once they left NAIA.  Bone did make some nice decisions (just don’t ask him to pick a President) including turning up the heat offensively as one thing this team could really do was score.   The ‘Go-Go’ offense that former coach Marion Perecin implemented while this team was in NAIA will be back for sure with Williams leading the dance party with his long-range bombs.  Those teams averaged in the high 90’s in points but will not come near that in the Big Sky but they will be running and gunning every chance they get.  Of course the kid from LA can only shoot so many times but the Vikings have a bit of a different agenda than most teams.  The outcomes of games might not be the most important thing as they try to fill up Viking Pavilion.  Bone might disagree with this as he has brought in a slew of recruits including a slew of JUCO kids.  The Vikings were given the ability to bring in some players from other programs and gain back a year of eligibility including a couple of kids Bone dragged along from UDub. 

Freeman Williams is the very definition of a shooter.  He has no conscience whatsoever and will let it fly from anywhere.  A street ball legend from LA and Manual Arts High School is it kind of weird that he ended up in RIP City but man does that moniker fit his game.  At six four and with great hops and perfect form Williams is one of the best jump shooters in the world.  He can catch and shoot or he can dribble and shoot just as effectively which is a rare quality in a basketball skill set.  He loves to isolate and either go to the hoop with a variety of spin moves and dribble penetration or take two dribbles and pop.  He will also finish with a flush when he wants to show his manhood.  As good as he is at penetrating Williams is not a good passer but nobody every asked this Freeman to share the ball.  They want him to score and that he does.  In large quantities!  Williams and Larry Bird are the best two scorers on bad teams in the country and though there averages might be a bit inflated as they are asked to carry the offensive burden so much you also have to remember how many double (and triple) teams they have to face.  As a matter of fact Williams favorite move is cutting through a double team with a couple of quick dribbles on the way to the hoop and then scoring with whatever shot he comes up with over the big man coming to help out.  Williams might not be the most complete player (nobody ever asked me to play defense) but he is without question the best offensive player in this conference and arguably on the West Coast! 

The theme song for the rest of the team might as well be ‘We Are Family’ with not one but three sets of brothers on the returning roster.  Keeping it all in the family definitely made it easier to bring back the pairs as Bone looked like Noah getting the team back on the Ark.  Foremost of these is Portland royalty and their last name is Stoudamire. The Stoudamire brothers give the Vikings the type of open court game that the fans love.  These brothers grew up in the Go-Go style and were the go to guys before Williams got to town.  Willie Stoudamire plays second fiddle to Williams in the scoring column and also is the Vikings primary distributor.  The junior is a good penetrator and scorer and hit some big shots and plays well against better competition.  Brother Charlie is more of a board and score guy and is a tremendous all-around athlete.  Good Time Charlie does not have the blues as he moonlights as a wide receiver on the football squad and led that team in All-Purpose yardage.  This senior stud can do just about anything he wants (except keep his kid in town) but Bone needs him to emphasize basketball a bit more as he is probably the best athlete on the team.  The Stoudamire legendary in Oregon and from what I hear there are more great players to come if they stay around Portland (obviously Damon did not).  

Senior Hal Dohling sued to be the starter and loves the fast paced style.  A good scorer the 6’2 guard can also set up teammates though at times he looked like he would rather be shooting.  He bowed out of his starting role when Williams arrived and is coming back but will be challenged for minutes with the upcoming recruits.  Willie got most of the minutes but he is better suited as a scorer and Bone wants his new players to start to take over so many of the veterans are in jeopardy of losing time. There is no clear advantage heading into next year but Bone at least has some options but the money is still on Willie running the show in Portland.  Fellow senior Peter Ness, (no he is not a secret agent) who can score from the wings, is also in the mix in the back court.

The biggest weakness for the Vikings is the lack of a front court.  Upperclassmen Bill Wilkinson and John Nelson are serviceable but really don’t have the size or talent to compete at this level.  Wilkinson is your basic score and board guy who gives it all down on the blocks trying to match up with guys five or six inches bigger than him.  Give this Senior an A for effort but Bone will almost assuredly slowly phase the big man out to get younger and bigger bodies on the court.  Nelson is more of a wing who can score and helps out around the basket.  He is not a terrific athlete and is not big but he was the main scoring option for about two minutes until Williams took over.  His brother Jim is also back and is tough on the boards but not much else and will be struggling to stay on the court especially since their Dad, Sharkey, is no longer coaching here.  Another Senior, John Winters, is also in the mix and is relentless going to the hoop.  He like his sidekicks is nowhere big enough to play at this level.  Junior Bob Sisul was also in the mix and is a workman like big man who can score a little and sets screens but is not the future though he has been productive in limited minutes.  Especially on the boards!  He is only 6’6 but is one of the bigger guys on the returning roster.  Senior Leon Edmonds is the one upperclassmen inside who could really compete at this level. At 6’7 he can bang inside and has a nice jump shot out to about 15 feet.  Not a banger, Edmonds has all the right moves inside and can score against anybody.  The only question is whether or not he is coming back?  Apparently Edmonds is in Maryland and started a Dojo for martial arts and this John Kreese wanna be might not want to come back to the Rose City no matter how much they offer him for the TV sequel.  Other Vikings in the same boat as Edmonds who Bone is trying to bring back include Seniors Paul Poetsch, Jack Parker, Bill Turner and Larry Franz plus Larry’s other brother Leo who is a junior as well as fellow juniors Derrick Brooks (not the linebacker) and Chucky Smith.  The Franz brothers bring the running total to 3 sets of siblings who could be on the opening day roster in this Sister Sledge themed team.  Leo is the main get here as he is a 6’7 inside beast who can board and score down low.  He would push for a starting role if he comes back but the rest of these dudes would be struggling to find some time on the court if any of the new recruits can actually play?  Brooks, though, is interesting and not due to his namesake as he goes 6’6 and showed potential on the blocks.  He and Smith played together a year in an NAIA school near Portland and were dominant but we shall see if they even want to come back and compete for minutes for the Vikings!

The rebirth of the Portland State Vikings back into the City of Roses will not be the second coming of the 77 Blazers but they will entertain.  New Coach Ken Bone plans to keep the tempo up and the basketballs flying towards the hoop as the Vikings enter the mighty Big Sky.  Bone has brought in a boatload of recruits and will combine them with some carryover upperclassmen who are used to the fast paced tempo from PSU’s NAIA days.  Even Bone does not know how this will all work out with the season missed due to financial cutbacks.  The only thing that is sure for next season is that superstar Freeman Williams will be firing it up from far away and the fans from Portland will be ooohing and aahing every time the nets RIP.  Now if the Vikings can just find a consistent group of post players to complement their perimeter game.  And of course somebody needs to play some defense once in awhile.