Oregon State is Rising

What a difference a Coach makes. From the cellar to a 20-13 overall record and 9-9 in the Pac 12. Scott Rueck returns for his 3rd season after guiding the Beavers to only their 2nd 20 win season in 17 years. Rueck spent 14 years at George Fox winning 77% of his games. Now with really fine recruiting Oregon State is in the mix for a high Pac 12 finish.

As to assistants, Mark Campbell returns for his 3rd season with his Oregon roots. Megan Dickinson returns for her 2nd season having coached with Rueck at George Fox. Eric Ely returns for his 3rd season.


THE SCHEDULE: Mississippi State, Texas Tech and Michigan State are the hardest by a bit. In League play the Beavers don’t play in LA and the Arizona schools don’t come to Corvallis. So that’s a schedule break for the Beavers.


LOSSES: Leading scorer and rebounder Earlysia Marchbanks graduated. She scored 12.5 points and had 7.5 rebounds per game. Alexis Bostick is no longer on the team. Bostick was a back up Guard who averaged 3 points in 14 minutes of play.


THE RETURNEES: While Marchbanks started every game she was just one of five who did so and the other four do return along with three of the top four subs.

Ali Gibson is a 5-11 Soph Guard who was a huge surprise for the Beavers last season. Gibson was their # 2 scorer at 12 points per game and had the most threes, 56 at 35%. She scored over 20 points three times.

Sage Indendi returns as the Point Guard. Sage is a 5-9 Sr who played at George Fox as a frosh. She scored 8 points per game and made 46 threes at 28%. She was All Tournament as a Frosh at George Fox in the NCAA Division 3 final four.

Patricia Bright is a 6-4 Sr and the returning Center. Bright averaged 9 points and 5 rebounds per game and blocked an amazing 115 shots. Bright is from Arizona but went to a Florida JC.

Alyssa Martin returns at Forward. She is a 6-0 Jr. Last season Martin 8 points and 4 rebounds per game. Martin’s Father played at Oregon State. She is a Biology Major.

Thais Pinto is a 6-7 Sr Center who averaged 6 points and 4 rebounds in only 14 minutes per game. Pinto is a Brazilian who transferred a year ago from a Nebraska JC.

ShaKiana Edwards-Teasley is a 6-2 Sr Forward. She averaged 3 points and 4 rebounds in 15 minutes per game. Dad James Edwards was a Basketball star at Washington and played 19 NBA seasons.

Mollee Schwegler is a 5-6 Sr Guard who averaged 4 points in 11 minutes per game. An All State player in High School in Oregon, she averaged 17 points per game in JC.


THE NEWCOMERS: Jamie Weisner lite of the End of Trail Tournament after her JR year and was the # 41 player as a Sr in High School. She is a 5-10 frosh who will see a lot of action and will probably start. A tremendous High School player scoring 33 points in the State of Washington 2A Championship game. If she participates, will be a favorite to place in the Pac 12 Javelin.

Samantha Siegner is a 6-3 Frosh Forward, ranked # 91 in High School. She was All State in Oregon.

Khadidja Tourne is a 5-8 Frosh Guard. All State, 3A in Washington, she scored 48 in a game last season in High School. Parents are both College professors. # 94 PG in High School.

Deven Hunter is a 6-3 Frosh Forward, ranked # 229.

Ruth Hamblin is a 6-6 Frosh Center from British Columbia. As a Sr averaged 27 points, 13 rebounds and an amazing 11 blocks per game. She played on Canada’s 18U team this past season and the 17U team in 2011.


OUTLOOK: The Beavers return 4 starters from a team that won 20, 2 in the WNIT. Then they add several promising and one outstanding frosh. I really like Weisner. This could possibly be an NCAA team. Wow I’m now on a limb.