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2008 Oregon State Basketball Preview & Predictions

Written October 29, 2008 by Luke Knight

New head coach Craig Robinson has his work cut out for him to rebuild this program. The Oregon State Beavers went 6-25 overall last season and 0-18 in the Pac-10, including ending the season on a 21-game losing streak. But Robinson wanted a rebuilding project and he is excited about the challenge. Oregon State has finished above .500 only once since winning the Pac-10 in 1990. Robinson doesn’t promise the Beavers will be over .500, but he does promise that they will be more competitive and a hard-nosed, well-coached, and disciplined team. Keep reading to find out whether we think the Oregon State Beavers will be above .500 this season. Check out BetUS where the Beavers are at +5000 odds to win the Pac-10 Conference this season.

Daniel Deane may be the best big man the Beavers have this season. Deane transferred from Utah after averaging 3.9 points and 2.7 rebounds in 29 games as a true freshman and was the Utah Gatorade Player of the Year in 2006. Deane will play significant minutes this season, but he was dismissed from Utah for academic shortcomings and had to sit out the final month of the 2008 season at OSU while redshirting for undisclosed personal reasons. Omari Johnson, Roeland Schaftenaar, and Calvin Hampton have potential, but they are unproven. Schaftenaar and Johnson are both capable 3-point shooters. Johnson averaged 7.3 points and a respectable 4.3 rebounds as a part-time starter last year. Oregon State doesn’t have a strong rebounder inside and they were last in the Pac-10 in rebounding margin in 2007-2008, so that will have to improve.

Oregon State lacks consistency in the backcourt with their guards. Lathen Wallace is gifted offensively but is lacking on defense. Calvin Haynes has the opposite problem. He is a solid defender but struggles shooting the ball. Brothers Josh Tarver, a point guard, and Seth Tarver, a swingman, have shown flashes of talent, but faded in Pac-10 play in 2008. Seth Tarver, the more highly touted out of high school, was second on the team in scoring with 9.6 points per game, but failed to score in double figures in the last 8 games. Senior point guard Rickey Claitt is a solid role player who makes his free throws and had a respectable assist to turnover ration last season.

Final Analysis

Well the good news in Corvallis is that things can’t get much worse. Craig Robinson should improve things, but the turnaround will not happen overnight. Oregon State should avoid a second straight winless season in the Pac-10. The Beavers’ talent level overall is low and Robinson’s offense is not the easiest to learn so Oregon State will still struggle to win seven or eight games this season. We have Oregon State finishing toward the bottom of the Pac 10. The Beavers are +50000 odds to win the NCAA Tournament this season.

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