Gonzaga opponent preview: Is Oregon State a WCC title contender?

There's hope for a brighter future in Corvallis, Oregon, as part of the reimagined Pac-12 conference, though first the Beavers must navigate the West Coast Conference landscape
Oregon State Beavers coach Wayne Tinkle.
Oregon State Beavers coach Wayne Tinkle. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

For much of 2024, Oregon State was collateral damage in a tsunami wave of changes that reshaped the college sports world over the last few years.

Nearly OSU’s entire conference left the school and Washington State behind for more TV money and exposure in the Big 12, Big Ten and ACC of all places. Without a power conference to latch onto, the Beavers and Cougars sought a temporary home in the West Coast Conference, as the schools agreed to join the league as affiliate members for two seasons. But without a stable home for their football programs, WSU and OSU’s stay in the WCC was to be a short visit from the get-go.

On the court, head coach Wayne Tinkle and company finished below .500 for the third consecutive season since their Cinderella run to the Elite Eight in 2021. The Beavers finished last place in the final year of the legacy Pac-12, then lost five of their top six scorers to the transfer portal in the offseason. Coach Tinkle was all of a sudden left alone in a very unforgiving landscape.

It was only a matter of time, however, before the tables began to turn in favor of OSU. As the school prepared for its first season in the WCC, the Pac-12’s leaders worked behind the scenes to put the once proud conference back together, recruiting five Mountain West schools — Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State — plus basketball power Gonzaga to create a new formidable league out West. 

The future looks brighter in Corvallis, Oregon, than it did around this time a year ago. Until July 2026 rolls around, however, the Beavers have two seasons to build some momentum before embarking on another new journey in a new conference. The WCC’s coaches voted OSU to finish seventh in the league’s preseason poll; with a roster full of new faces, time will tell if the Beavers can compete against the league’s upper echelon.  

Here’s a breakdown of coach Tinkle’s 2024-25 roster.

GUARDS:

There’s likely no one-for-one replacement for a player like Jordan Pope, a 6-foot-2 guard who transferred to Texas after leading the Beavers in scoring last season. SIU-Edwardsville transfer Damarco Minor has stepped into the starting point guard role admirably, though, as the Chicago native has put up 9.5 points and 5.4 assists per game in 18 starts so far with his new team. He also collects 1.2 steals per contest.

Josiah Lake II helps take some of the workload off Minor's plate as Oregon State's unofficial sixth man off the bench. The Tualatin, Oregon, native logs 21.3 minutes per contest and scores 6.6 points on 52.8% from the field, including 38.5% from 3-point range.

Nate Kingz, a 6-foot-5 redshirt junior who missed all of the 2023-24 season with an ACL injury, is third on the team in scoring and has been efficient from downtown to start the 2024-25 campaign. He's putting up 11.4 points per game on 49.3% (35-of-71) from 3-point range.

WINGS:

Much of Oregon State's offense has revolved around 6-foot-9 junior Michael Rataj. The Augsburg, Germany, native played an integral part in the Beavers’ attack his sophomore year, and as the most impactful returner to the roster, he's picked up right where he left off and then some.

Rataj is averaging 16.6 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.1 steals per game, all career-highs. He's tied with a handful of other players for the fifth-most double-doubles in the country (eight) and is knocking down 35.7% of his 3-point attempts.

Isiah Sy, a 6-foot-7 sophomore from Cloud County Community College, was an all-conference honorable mention at the JUCO level. The French wing has logged meaningful minutes on the wing in his first year of Division I hoops, even making five starts while playing 19.1 minutes per game.

Oregon State brought in four freshmen over the offseason, including Red Rock Academy (Nevada) product JaQuavis Williford. The 6-foot-7 wing was a three-star recruit and a top-50 small forward in the country according to 247Sports. Liutauras Lelevicius was a recruit from Lithuania, and so far the 6-foot-7 freshman has stepped up to start 13 of the Beavers' first 18 games.

FORWARDS/CENTERS:

Parsa Fallah helps establish Oregon State's identity on offense as a 6-foot-9, 260-pound redshirt junior who's not afraid of contact around the rim. The Southern Utah transfer scores 12.3 points per game on 64.4% from the field.

Matthew Marsh provides more size off the bench at 7-foot-1, 250 pounds. The Wake Forest transfer has served a limited role off the bench. Also down low, the Beavers have 6-foot-11 freshman Johan Munch from Denmark, 6-foot-10 sophomore Thomas Ndong from Quebec and 6-foot-9 freshman Maxim Logue from France.

WRAP IT UP:

Oregon State remained optimistic amid a bleak outlook following the destruction of the legacy Pac-12. Calmer waters appear on the horizon, though the Beavers still have to navigate the WCC landscape for the next two years. Perhaps a change of scenery is just what Tinkle and company have needed as they search for their first winning season since 2021.

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Cole Forsman
COLE FORSMAN

Cole Forsman is a reporter for Gonzaga Bulldogs On SI. Cole holds a degree in Journalism and Sports Management from Gonzaga University.