Portland State brings familiar faces to UW

SEATTLE – Lorenzo Romar knows the kind of return Portland State’s Phil Nelson would like to have tonight.

“I guarantee you he would like to get 40 (points) when they play us,” the Washington coach said this week.

Nelson, Portland State’s starting forward, is one of three former Huskies who will head north for the Vikings’ game here.

Portland State coach Ken Bone was on Romar’s staff from 2002-2005, and Vikings assistant coach Curtis Allen played for Washington from 2001-04.

But it’s Nelson’s return that might be the most highly anticipated. He was part of a decorated recruiting class that Romar landed back in 2005, along with 7-footer Spencer Hawes, guard Adrian Oliver and swingman Quincy Pondexter.

Hawes is now in the NBA with the Sacramento Kings after a one-year stint at Washington. Nelson is at Portland State and Oliver is about to become eligible after transferring to San Jose State. The only one left in Seattle is Pondexter.

“Phil really worked his tail off his freshman year. He worked harder than he had ever worked before and when it was all said and done it still wasn’t in stone that he was going to be a starter,” Romar said. “Phil was honest about it; just said he might want to look elsewhere where he was more sure he would play more.”

Nelson is averaging 11 points per game for the Vikings, who were picked to win the Big Sky Conference this season and are off to a 6-1 start against a mostly pedestrian schedule.

As for facing a former assistant coach, Romar has never been a fan of those matchups. But with Portland State so close, the scheduling arrangement makes sense. The two schools will play again next year in Seattle.

“I’ve never liked it. If I had my choice I would never do it,” Romar said.