Welcome to The Sports Bank’s fourth annual college basketball season preview series where we break 111 teams in the 111 days leading up to the opening tip-off of the 2013-2014 season. We will rank the 84 power conference teams (including the new Big East and American Athletic Conferences) and top 27 mid-majors in reverse power ranking order. We’ll break down rosters, transfers, incoming freshmen, non-conference schedules, and pick a player to watch for each team.
The Oregon State Beavers have made underachieving a recent tradition. Every year it seems like they should be better than they are but end up finishing near the bottom of the Pac-12. The indefinite suspensions of starting forwards Eric Moreland and Devon Collier have this season already off to a rocky beginning.
OREGON STATE BEAVERS
Last Season: T-11th, 4-14 in Pac-12, 14-18 overall
Predicted Pac-12 Finish: 10th
Projected Depth Chart
F/C: Angus Brandt (Sr)/Cheikh N’dyaie (Fr)
PF: Eric Moreland (Jr)/Jarmal Reid (So)/Daniel Gomis (So)
SF: Devin Collier (Sr)/Olef Schaftenaar (So)/Victor Robbins (So)
SG: Roberto Nelson (Sr)/Langston Morris-Walker (So)/Hallice Cooke (Fr)
PG: Challe Barton (Jr)/Michael Moyer (Sr)/Michael Duvivier (Fr)
Gone: C-Joe Burton, PG-Ahmad Starks (transfer-Illinois)
2013-2014 Outlook:
This off-season, Moreland and Collier were suspended indefinitely for violating team rules. I would imagine that the duo will become eligible before the season actually tips-off but there has been no official word on their potential return. If for some reason the suspension continues into the season, this is a huge blow for the Oregon State Beavers since Moreland and Collier are two of the best and most versatile players on this team. Without their returning starter forwards, OSU will be a bottom feeder in the Pac-12. Even with them back on the floor, it figures to be another season of struggle in Corvallis.
If Moreland and Collier’s suspension is extended into the season, the Beavers will turn four sophomores to try and fill their void. As reserves last year, Olaf Schaftenaar and Jarmal Reid didn’t do anything spectacular. Schaftenaar does bring some versatility on the offensive end due to his ability to stretch defenses with his three-point shooting. Victor Robbins played sparingly a year ago while Daniel Gomis is hoping to be healthy after missing the past two seasons stemming from a broken leg he suffered back in 2011.
Head Coach Craig Robinson did get some good news this summer when big man Angus Brandt was granted a medical hardship waiver and sixth year of eligibility. He missed most of last season with a torn ACL and adds some needed size inside to help replace the loss of the wide-bodied Joe Burton. Freshman Cheikh N’Diaye adds size adds and defense in the middle but is still a work in progress offensively.
In the backcourt, Oregon State brings back their leading scorer, Roberto Nelson. He finally had the breakout season many were hoping for since his arrival in Corvallis. The transfer of Ahmad Starks opens the door for Charlie Barton to take over at the point. With a lack of experience in the backcourt, Barton must take full control as floor general if Oregon State is going to improve this year.
Depending on what happens with Moreland and Collier, this season will either be average at best or a real train wreck. The middle of the Pac-12 has plenty of quality teams and if the Beavers don’t at least move into that group, there is a real good chance Robinson does not return next season.
Player to Watch: Roberto Nelson
With questions at point guard and the uncertainty of who will be at forward, Nelson is the one constant for Oregon State this year. He is a capable scorer from anywhere on the floor and with Starks gone, don’t be surprised if he sees the ball in his hands a little bit more this season in more of a creating role.
Key Non-Conference Games:
TBD vs. Towson
11/17 at Maryland
12/1 at DePaul
12/22 vs. Akron (Diamond Head Classic)
12/23 vs. Iowa State/George Mason (Diamond Head Classic)
12/25 vs.St. Mary’s/South Carolina/Boise State/Hawaii (Diamond Head Classic)
OTHER 111 IN 111’S:
#87 Louisiana Tech
#88 Towson
#89 Wake Forest
#90 Central Florida
#91 Rutgers
#92 Drexel
#93 USC
#94 Charleston
#95 Seton Hall
#96 Vanderbilt
#97 George Mason
#98 Clemson
#99 Penn State
#100 Nebraska
#101 West Virginia
#102 South Florida
#103 Mississippi State
#104 DePaul
#105 South Carolina
#106 Texas Tech
#107 TCU
#108 Virginia Tech
#109 Georgia
#110 Utah
#111 Auburn
David Kay is a senior feature NBA Draft, NBA, and college basketball writer for the Sports Bank. He also heads up the NBA and college basketball material at Walter Football.com and is a former contributor at The Washington Times Communities. David has appeared on numerous national radio programs spanning from Cleveland to New Orleans to Honolulu to Milwaukee. He also had the most accurate 2011 NBA Mock Draft and the most accurate 2012 NBA Mock Draft on the internet , AND the second most accurate 2013 NBA Mock Draft. (Yup, nearly 3peat champ… #humblebrag.)
You can follow him on Twitter at David_Kmiecik.