Readers ask questions about Oregon State athletics, and The Oregonian/OregonLive’s Nick Daschel gives an answer
Another edition of the Oregon State mailbag, where readers ask questions and The Oregonian/OregonLive’s Nick Daschel answers.
Here goes:
A Scott Rueck interview would be nice as well as an interview with some of the returning players for WBB. Thanks. — @LionBenny1010
I agree. But so far, interview requests have been declined. I get it, and there may be reasons. But if one is the belief that in time this will go away, it won’t.
Am I crazy to think Oregon State might have something to watch in men’s basketball next season? John D
Quietly, coach Wayne Tinkle is making headway in the transfer portal. The Beavers lost eight players to the transfer portal, but quickly went to work and secured six commitments, include five transfers. While none of the players appear to be at the level of Texas-bound Jordan Pope, there’s reason for optimism from the collective group. College basketball has become an old man’s game in recent years because of the pandemic-aided free year of eligibility. The Beavers add two senior guards who are tough, have scoring ability and in the case of Tyler Cochran, is a conference defensive player of the year. The 2024-25 Beavers, on paper, have some size, ability to defend and score inside. We’re six months from season, and a lot can happen, but Oregon State should have a men’s basketball team worth following as it heads into the WCC.
I talked to Tinkle earlier this week and I’ll have a story about the state of men’s basketball posting soon to OregonLive.
How do you think the women’s basketball players that went into the transfer portal will do? – Joe D
I’m not a coach, but my gut says a couple will thrive, a few others will do OK, and the others will wish they hadn’t left OSU. I’m told by several sources that the main reasons players left had to do with the breakup of the Pac-12. Name, image and likeness earning potential also played a secondary role for some, and opportunity for others. The competition reason falls flat. While Oregon State is headed for the West Coast Conference – a decidedly weaker league than the Pac-12 – there were plans to play a top-drawer nonconference schedule that was to include multiple preseason top 10 opponents. It’s inarguable that had the Beavers stayed intact, they would have been preseason top 5, and perhaps higher.
Is Rueck the best women’s coach in America? That’s your call. But he’s probably among the top 12. You hope that those giving advice to the departing players offered the idea that Rueck and his staff emphasized the player’s strengths, put them in positions to succeed, and often covered up their weaknesses. A player like Raegan Beers, for example, won’t find many coaches who want to pound the ball into the post like Rueck. And that inside presence opened three-point shooting opportunities for behind-the-arc specialists.
We need Beaver Banter back – Luke H
Multiple requests for this. The podcast will return next week.
While the WBB (2016) Final Four team will always be welcome and honored on campus, how do you think the 2023-24 team will be recognized? – Jeffrey W
The 2023-24 team should be considered as one of the school’s greats in women’s basketball. But whether there will are fond memories from fans years from now is unknown. There’s no question fans believe the transfer portal scuttled to the possibly of a Final Four or better team in 2024-25. Whether those thoughts fade over time is hard to say.
If a player enters the portal but does not get picked up by another school – or school of their choice – can they return to their original school? I don’t blame a player for wanting to transfer. I blame the idiots who implemented the transfer portal in the first place. It’s all about the money. – Kerry A
Once a player enters the portal, the school is under no obligation to take them back. That’s the risk for going in the portal.
New uniforms for football? – Becky P
That’s the plan for 2024. The school keeps details under tight wraps because they like to make the reveal on their social media platforms.
What is the status of Alton Julian? Is he fully healthy? Do you expect him to start or at least have a significant role this fall? Carson D
There have been so many starts and stops to Julian’s career that I haven’t asked in a while. Julian, who hasn’t played in nearly three years since sustaining an ACL tear during the 2021 season, hasn’t given up his college career. So, there’s always a chance. Let’s check back in August and see.
Is anyone else sick of the “Everything is Fine” attitude from OSU? As an OSU alum, I’m sick of hearing how I have to support this team after it’s been gutted & left to die. If this school can’t get to a major conference, then end the program and save us all the embarrassment. — @AngryBeav0.97
Can you introduce me to this person at Oregon State who has an “Everything is Fine” attitude? Look, has the school made mistakes along the way? Of course, but what school hasn’t? Do you honestly believe Oregon State hasn’t tried to get into one of the four power conferences, short of selling its soul like Stanford and California did in going to the ACC? I don’t know how this is going to end. It’s a two-year journey, and it may well end with OSU reuniting with some of its Pac-12 schools. Might also end with the Beavers becoming a Group of 5. What won’t happen is ending athletics. That’s the ultimate embarrassment.
You are put in charge of 200 Million donation towards Sports at OSU… How do you allocate that Money? You can have Bill answer for you if opinion answers like this are out of your wheelhouse. – Max C
Let’s not put Bill Oram in charge of doling out $200 million, OK? Or me for that matter. But since you insist on a world of fantasy, I’d probably take half of it and launch an all-out national branding campaign. Make sure every college sports fan in America knows and/or doesn’t forget Oregon State. I’d probably dump a sizable sum into hiring more support staff for the school’s most prominent programs: football, basketball, baseball. The rest? I’d save because in order to stay in the Power 4/5 game, the costs will soon rocket to retain athletes.
It would be interesting to know whether I am the only one that thinks we definitely need to look into getting a new pitching coach, who knows his staff, and can continue improving the quality and consistency of their pitching. I have failed to see “Dors” do either of these two things. I feel if Canham doesn’t make the change at least at the end of the season he is signing his fate, and the Transfer Portal will be filled with Offensive talent leaving the Beavers for programs, where scoring 7 runs wins games. – Tony C
Oregon State used to be the place where fans lined up wanting to fire the defensive coordinator. Now, it’s the pitching coach. How about we let the season play out and see how the pitching performs? Players may leave for the transfer portal, but I don’t think it’s because of Rich Dorman. It’s because players came to Oregon State to play a Pac-12 schedule, and that’s no longer possible.
If Beavers baseball don’t make Omaha this year, is (Mitch) Canham on the hot seat? – @2024SportsGuy
When did the SEC mentality creep into the minds of Oregon State sports fans?
Is there a strong case that student athletes, on balance, are benefiting from transferring (bigger NIL $, more playing time, better prospects of making it into the pros)? Or is all of the transferring more like shuffling patio chairs? I realize this trend is still ramping up so we might not have enough data to answer the question just yet, but I imagine it will become clear in another few years if transferring is helpful for a player or not. – Kevin H
Has NIL and the transfer portal been a positive for college athletics? A net positive, yes. But it’s impossible to say there’s a strong case.
We’re just in the early innings of this latest iteration of college athletics. Soon schools will have control of where NIL dollars are headed, not to mention direct compensation to athletes. For some, it’s been great. Some athletes can provide for families that desperately need financial support. Others, who probably don’t have a professional sports future, can make a princely sum toward the end of their college career and get a jump on life. But a case can be made that the main reason for college athletics has been lost. The chase for money has become so great that winning and competition is no longer the most important reason in college athletics. The risk is, at some point, fans may lose interest. When you lose fans, the money will follow them.
Nick Daschel covers Oregon State athletics, in particular football and basketball, and can be reached at 360-607-4824, [email protected] or @nickdaschel.
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