Oregon State announced the hiring of Scott Rueck as their new Head Coach today. Rueck comes from George Fox University, a Division 3 school in the Portland , Oregon area.
Rueck graduated and also has a Masters from Oregon State. He started as an assistant at George Fox under Sherri Murrell the former Washington State and current Portland State Coach. He has been the Head Coach at George Fox for the past 14 seasons, with a .766 winning percentage over that time. In those 14 seasons George Fox has won 7 league championships, gone to six D13Sweet Sixteen’s and three Elite Eights. He was the D 3 National Coach of the Year two seasons ago and has been the western D 3 Coach of the Year three straight seasons. Last season George Fox was 28-3 overall and 16-0 in league play.
Rueck is 40 and his wife played at George Fox, his sister also played at George Fox and his father was a High School coach.
What happens next? Well he has one assistant and I’d guess she may not be staying, so he can easily hire his own staff. Interestingly his wife Kerry was an Assistant with Rueck at George Fox, retiring several years ago. I would imagine he has been thinking about possible assistants for some time, and might be close to hiring 1-2 of the three possible soon. In my mind he needs someone with California coaching experience for recruiting purposes. Another assistant should have strong knowledge of the northwest high school and travel scene. The Coach at Southridge High School in Beaverton, JJ Hones’ high school, would be a possible choice.
Of course he really needs players, he starts with 6, so he needs to find 4-6 more who can contribute right away. Last season Oregon State went 2-16 in Pac 10 play and 9-4 playing a very weak non conference schedule. Since the schedule is probably pretty much set (hmm or ignored by the previous staff), I suspect the non conference part will be very weak. This will give time for all the players to get used to college play and get some experience.
Keep in mind that Oregon restarted their baseball team 2 years ago after being dormant for almost 20 years. In their second season, the Ducks had a very good baseball team. Of course they had 2 years to plan for their first season, but the blueprint is there for re-starting a program.
Two of last year’s 13 players return. Three graduated and eight transferred or will not play basketball at Oregon State. Now some could change their minds, and if they haven’t signed with other schools or started at another school, they might decide to participate in this fresh start. Seems a bit doubtful, as three of those eight announced their intentions just in the past week of not playing at Oregon State, but playing elsewhere.
Returning are 6-2 post El Sara Greer who started every game and averaged 4.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. She was 5th in scoring and 2nd in rebounds on the team. Also 5-7 guard Brittany Kennedy who averaged 2.7 points in 22 minutes per games is returning. Kennedy was 2nd on the team is assists and had the only positive assist to turnover ratio on the team.
Incoming recruits include guard Classye James from Mitty High School who was rated the # 20 player in Northern California, and not rated by HoopGurlz. Alyssa Martin is a 6-0 guard is who rated as the # 72 guard in the US by HoopGurlz. Both were signed during the Fall signing period. Wagner also signed 5-9 guard Alexis Bostick from Oakland’s Bishop O’Dowd High School in April. Bostick is not rated.
This week it was announced that JC player 5-11 Anna Marchbanks had signed with the Beavers. She was All State as a high school Sr in Oregon, but didn’t qualify academically for college. After two years at two different JCs she may be a contributor. She was at a good JC, a team mate signed with Washington State. Marchbanks averaged 20 points and 9 rebounds this past JC season.
A long way to go for the new Beavers. And this incoming frosh class is poor by Pac 10 standards. Still they are finally on the right path.
June 30, 2010
June 24, 2010
Pac 10 Updates
The search for a Head Coach at Oregon State continues very slowly. Last week in an interview the Oregon State Athletic Director claimed 10-12 candidates and that the interviews would be soon. Well this past weekend Kristen Tilleman, one of the two best Beaver players this past season announced that she would be transferring to UCSB after spending another year at Oregon State, not playing but graduating. Here’s the story, Tilleman asked for her release 2 months or so ago, but said she would stay at Oregon State one more year and not play basketball. She is about to start her Jr year and will graduate at the end of the year. At the time it was thought that maybe with a new coach she might play. But her new announcement indicates she is not playing this year. That’s quite a slap in the face of the Athletic Department who slept thru the whole Wagner mess.
Just announced today by Oregon State, Angela Misa a forward who just finished her frosh year, has asked for and been given her release. Now there are only 3 returning players from this past season for the Beavers.
Meanwhile there is no news I can find on who might be interviewing. One possible candidate, former USC coach Mark Trakh, was hired as the Associate Head Coach by Beth Burns at San Diego State.
Shoni Schimmel committed to Louisville. Oregon seemed to fill all their scholarships in April, so it’s unclear where they stood in the recruiting battle after that.
USC has hired two new assistant coaches, both old friends of Coach Michael Cooper. One is actually his son, the other he coached with in the past. Laura Beeman has coached for the past 15 seasons as the Head Coach at Mt Sac JC, where she was very successful. She also coached for Cooper with the LA Sparks in 2008. Michael Cooper II does not have coaching experience, but has scouted.
It’s interesting that Cooper let go two of the three coaches who “held down the fort” as he coached the Sparks, and they recruited. And they recruited a fine class for this upcoming season. Cassie Harberts is a 6-2 Power Forward who really goes all out, tremendous desire and ranked # 11 in the country and the # 2 Power forward by HoopGurlz. Desiree Bradley is a 6-1 forward, ranked # 35 overall by HoopGurlz. The 3rd Top 100 recruit is at #99, 6-4 Thaddesia Southall. Three top prospects coming in to see action right away in November.
Also entering USC are Len’Nique Brown a 5-5 guard, the # 54 Point Guard and 6-4 Lauren White, ranked as the # 61 Center.
USC graduated Hailey Dunham, Heather Oliver and Aarika Hughes, three players who saw a lot of playing time last season.
UCLA lost Erica Tukiainen and Moniquee Alexander, but will gain three frosh for this coming season. The new players are Rhema Gardner a 6-1 forward/wing, Thea Lemberger a 5-6 point guard and Corinne Costa a 6-4 center. Interestingly none are top 100 players but they are close. Gardner is the # 22 small forward, Lemberger is the # 35point guard and Costa is the # 32 center. The biggest addition will be the return of Atonye Nyingifa a 5-11 wing who had a great frosh year before missing this past season with an injury. Atonye was the # 19 player out of High School.
Washington has two new assistant coaches. Kyle Locke comes from Coppin State where he was an assistant for 9 years. Also new is Greg Nared who coached High School in the Portland area and before that worked for the William Morris Agency.
Just announced today by Oregon State, Angela Misa a forward who just finished her frosh year, has asked for and been given her release. Now there are only 3 returning players from this past season for the Beavers.
Meanwhile there is no news I can find on who might be interviewing. One possible candidate, former USC coach Mark Trakh, was hired as the Associate Head Coach by Beth Burns at San Diego State.
Shoni Schimmel committed to Louisville. Oregon seemed to fill all their scholarships in April, so it’s unclear where they stood in the recruiting battle after that.
USC has hired two new assistant coaches, both old friends of Coach Michael Cooper. One is actually his son, the other he coached with in the past. Laura Beeman has coached for the past 15 seasons as the Head Coach at Mt Sac JC, where she was very successful. She also coached for Cooper with the LA Sparks in 2008. Michael Cooper II does not have coaching experience, but has scouted.
It’s interesting that Cooper let go two of the three coaches who “held down the fort” as he coached the Sparks, and they recruited. And they recruited a fine class for this upcoming season. Cassie Harberts is a 6-2 Power Forward who really goes all out, tremendous desire and ranked # 11 in the country and the # 2 Power forward by HoopGurlz. Desiree Bradley is a 6-1 forward, ranked # 35 overall by HoopGurlz. The 3rd Top 100 recruit is at #99, 6-4 Thaddesia Southall. Three top prospects coming in to see action right away in November.
Also entering USC are Len’Nique Brown a 5-5 guard, the # 54 Point Guard and 6-4 Lauren White, ranked as the # 61 Center.
USC graduated Hailey Dunham, Heather Oliver and Aarika Hughes, three players who saw a lot of playing time last season.
UCLA lost Erica Tukiainen and Moniquee Alexander, but will gain three frosh for this coming season. The new players are Rhema Gardner a 6-1 forward/wing, Thea Lemberger a 5-6 point guard and Corinne Costa a 6-4 center. Interestingly none are top 100 players but they are close. Gardner is the # 22 small forward, Lemberger is the # 35point guard and Costa is the # 32 center. The biggest addition will be the return of Atonye Nyingifa a 5-11 wing who had a great frosh year before missing this past season with an injury. Atonye was the # 19 player out of High School.
Washington has two new assistant coaches. Kyle Locke comes from Coppin State where he was an assistant for 9 years. Also new is Greg Nared who coached High School in the Portland area and before that worked for the William Morris Agency.
June 17, 2010
Pac 10/11/12 Updates
Well we are now the Pac 12 as Colorado was added last week and today Utah was added. A whole new world begins August 2011 when Women’s Volleyball and Football will see new schedules, soon followed by Women’s Basketball. Right now all reports indicate the following 2 divisions:
North:
Stanford
Cal
Oregon
Oregon State
Washington
Washington State
South:
USC
UCLA
Arizona State
Arizona
Colorado
Utah
It seems that Colorado was told if they move west they would be in the same division as the LA schools. Hard for me to believe that the Bay Area schools would kowtow to this, but this is what the media is reporting.
On the other hand, this could mean in Football, Stanford plays the 5 schools in their division every year, USC and UCLA every year, and 2 more conference game every other year.
I mention Football first because it would, well could, have the same affect on the Women’s (and Men’s) basketball schedule. First let’s talk why this is being done: Money. This is from ESPN on Conference TV contracts:
Conference Amount of contract
Big Ten $242 million
SEC $205 million
Big 12 $78 million
ACC $67 million
Pacific-10 $58 million
Big East $33 million
If the new Pac 12 can form its own TV network, something in the works, and if the Pac 12 can up its price for one or more TV networks, Fox, ESPN or Comcast, then the real possibility of closer to $100M could be realized. This means each Pac 12 school would get closer to $8M up from about $ 6M. Now some like to think the money would go to Football, but we who are Stanford fans know, from the 35 sports Stanford supports, that the money would go mostly to the other 34 sports, including Women’s Basketball. The fact that in sports Title IX is supported by Football may be the irony of all ironies but it’s factual.
A Pac 12 TV network would also mean more Women’s basketball games on TV (I would be on the horn with the Pac 12 to bring back Jake Kelman as a prime time announcer) So the end result should be and I believe will be for the good of all sports, especially at Stanford.
Now back to the divisional alignment. Let’s say Stanford plays the other 5 teams home and away, that’s 10 games. Then we keep our rival USC and UCLA home and away, and as important, they keep us. That’s 14 conference games. Then we do like the Football schedule I suggested, home and away with 2 of the other 4 Pac 12 teams, ASU, Arizona, Colorado and Utah every other year. Back to the present 18 conference games.
Some may think we should have more games against top non conference teams but those games are hard to get. It means someone has to travel west and that might require a partner, like playing both Stanford and Cal. Very hard to do this. Plus we still have 11 non conference games under the Plan presented above.
As to the Conference Tournament, it would remain pretty much as is. And for sure its here to stay.
Utah just signed their contract with the Pac 10, it’s now officially a 12 team conference.
North:
Stanford
Cal
Oregon
Oregon State
Washington
Washington State
South:
USC
UCLA
Arizona State
Arizona
Colorado
Utah
It seems that Colorado was told if they move west they would be in the same division as the LA schools. Hard for me to believe that the Bay Area schools would kowtow to this, but this is what the media is reporting.
On the other hand, this could mean in Football, Stanford plays the 5 schools in their division every year, USC and UCLA every year, and 2 more conference game every other year.
I mention Football first because it would, well could, have the same affect on the Women’s (and Men’s) basketball schedule. First let’s talk why this is being done: Money. This is from ESPN on Conference TV contracts:
Conference Amount of contract
Big Ten $242 million
SEC $205 million
Big 12 $78 million
ACC $67 million
Pacific-10 $58 million
Big East $33 million
If the new Pac 12 can form its own TV network, something in the works, and if the Pac 12 can up its price for one or more TV networks, Fox, ESPN or Comcast, then the real possibility of closer to $100M could be realized. This means each Pac 12 school would get closer to $8M up from about $ 6M. Now some like to think the money would go to Football, but we who are Stanford fans know, from the 35 sports Stanford supports, that the money would go mostly to the other 34 sports, including Women’s Basketball. The fact that in sports Title IX is supported by Football may be the irony of all ironies but it’s factual.
A Pac 12 TV network would also mean more Women’s basketball games on TV (I would be on the horn with the Pac 12 to bring back Jake Kelman as a prime time announcer) So the end result should be and I believe will be for the good of all sports, especially at Stanford.
Now back to the divisional alignment. Let’s say Stanford plays the other 5 teams home and away, that’s 10 games. Then we keep our rival USC and UCLA home and away, and as important, they keep us. That’s 14 conference games. Then we do like the Football schedule I suggested, home and away with 2 of the other 4 Pac 12 teams, ASU, Arizona, Colorado and Utah every other year. Back to the present 18 conference games.
Some may think we should have more games against top non conference teams but those games are hard to get. It means someone has to travel west and that might require a partner, like playing both Stanford and Cal. Very hard to do this. Plus we still have 11 non conference games under the Plan presented above.
As to the Conference Tournament, it would remain pretty much as is. And for sure its here to stay.
Utah just signed their contract with the Pac 10, it’s now officially a 12 team conference.
June 1, 2010
The Big Change at Oregon State
LaVonda Wagner is no longer the Coach at Oregon State. It will be very interesting what happens next.
Here's is the story:
http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindbeaversbeat/2010/06/oregon_state_fires_lavonda_wag.html
Here's is the story:
http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindbeaversbeat/2010/06/oregon_state_fires_lavonda_wag.html
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