Early Look at 2024-25 Oregon State men's basketball team (2024)

F Michael Rataj

- 8.3 PPG/5.8 RPG/1.6 APG

G Josiah Lake

- 3.5 PPG/2 RPG/1.3 APG/1 SPG

G DaJohn Craig

- 2.7 PPG/0.5 RPG/0.3 APG

F Thomas Ndong

- 1.8 PPG/2 RPG/0.4 APG

C Gavin Marrs

- 0.8 PPG/1 RPG/0.1 APG

G Nate Meithof

- DNP (Torn ACL)

F Grey Garrison

- DNP

G Jordan Pope (Texas)

- 17.6 PPG/2.6 RPG/3.3 APG

F Tyler Bilodeau (UCLA)

- 14.3 PPG/5.7 RPG/1.2 APG

G Dexter Akanno (Utah State)

- 10.9 PPG/2.9 RPG/1.3 APG

C KC Ibekwe (Washington)

- 5.1 PPG/4 RPG/0.5 APG/1.2 BPG

G Christian Wright (Louisiana)

- 3.3 PPG/1.1 RPG/1 APG

C Chol Marial (San Jose State)

- 2.3 PPG/2.4 RPG/0.2 APG/1 BPG

G Justin Rochelin (TBD)

- 2.1 PPG/1.7 RPG/0.4 APG

F Jayden Stevens (Idaho)

- 1.2 PPG/0.8 RPG/0.2 APG

G Felipe Palazzo (Graduation)

- 1 game played

G DaMarco Minor (SIU-Edwardsville)

- 15.5 PPG/8.5 RPG/3.1 APG

G Tyler Cochran (Toledo)

- 14.4 PPG/6.4 RPG/2.1 APG

C Matthew Marsh (Wake Forest)

- 1.7 PPG/2.4 RPG/0.1 APG

F Parsa Fallah (Southern Utah)

- 13.2 PPG/6 RPG/1.6 APG

F Isaiah Sy (Cloud County Community College)

- 11.2 PPG/4.3 RPG/0.8 APG

G Ja'Quavis Williford (Red Rock Academy (HS))

F Johan Munch (Denmark (HS)

The loss of one of the top shooting point guards in the country stings, as Jordan Pope has taken his talents to the SEC to play for the Texas Longhorns. Following in Pope's footsteps to the transfer portal was starting shooting guard Dexter Akanno as well as reserves Justin Rochelin and Christian Wright. While Oregon State returns sophom*ores Josiah Lake and DaJohn Craig, OSU severely lacked experience in the backcourt so Wayne Tinkle reeled in a pair of senior guards, Tyler Cochran and DaMarco Minor, who both figure to compete for starting roles right out of the gate. Minor is a six-foot tall guard who despite his size plays with a since of physicality from the point guard spot OSU hasn't seen since Malcolm Duviver. He pulled down 8.5 rebounds per game a season ago at SIU-Edwardsville and also sees the court well as a passer. Minor has a strong mid-range game and is also strong attacking to the hoop. Cochran will pair well next to Minor, as the 6-foot-2 guard is built like a middle linebacker at 225 pounds. Like Minor, Cochran is strong at scoring in the paint using his size and physicality to get looks at the rim. Cochran is a great rebounder, particularly on the offensive glass, and will pair with Minor to form a fantastic rebounding duo at the guard spot. A fantastic freshman season for Josiah Lake landed the Tualatin high product a scholarship, as Lake was one of OSU's most reliable options off the bench last year. Lake is a very smart and fundamentally sound player who won't make mistakes and has a steady presence on the court. His scrappiness on defense makes him a fan favorite and he is in for a bigger role as a sophom*ore. Classmate DaJohn Craig might be the bounciest player on the OSU roster and the high-flying guard is a highlight waiting to happen. Craig needs to put on weight and improve his efficiency on the floor this offseason. Oregon State does get a boost with the return of Nate Meithof, a local product from McNary high who was expected to compete for a starting job before tearing his ACL. Meithof averaged 16.5 points during the 2022-23 season for the College of Southern Idaho while shooting over 38 percent from downtown. If healthy he will certainly be expected to compete for a starting job. Rounding out the backcourt is true freshman Ja'Quavis Wiiliford. A 6-foot-6 guard who was set to attend Saint Louis, Tinkle and Co. were able to land his services after a coaching change from the Billikens. While this group might not shoot the ball as well as last season with Pope's departure, expect this group to be a lot stronger defensively.

Leading the way for Oregon State in the frontcourt will be Michael Rataj, who could be in for a big jump forward as a junior. Rataj dealt with an offseason surgery last year that held him out for the first handful of game for the Beavers. He returned from injury to start 23 of 32 games for OSU a season ago while averaging over 8 points a contest. Rataj struggled at times shooting from beyond the arc, only converting 28.8% of his longballs, and if that outside shot can develop consistently he will become a much bigger offensive threat. The loss of Tyler Bilodeau looms heavy at the four spot, as the now UCLA Bruin took a huge leap in his game last year and developed as OSU's most consistent scoring threat in the frontcourt since Tres Tinkle. To combat his departure the Beavers picked up Iranian Parsa Fallah out of the transfer portal. Fallah, who played last season at Southern Utah, doesn't possess the three point shot that Bilodeau had but is much bigger and like Bilodeau is a strong scorer within 15 feet. The center spot was very underwhelming for Oregon State last year as KC Ibekwe and Chol Marial both struggled offensively and defensively. The Beavers have lacked a scoring threat at the center spot for some time now, and hope that Wake Forest transfer Matthew Marsh can address those issues. Marsh is a load in the paint at 7-foot-1 250 pounds and is a big threat in the lob game. Over three years at Wake Forest he shot an astounding 81.4% from the field. OSU also has a pair of sophom*ores who will compete for time, as Thomas Ndong and Gavin Marrs are both gearing up for their second season as Beavers. Ndong has one of the highest ceilings of an Oregon State player and it would not be shocking to see his 9 minutes a game from last year double. Ndong shoots the three ball well for a big man and is due for a bigger role this season. Gavin Marrs is a springy 7-footer who reminds many of former Beaver Kylor Kelley. Marrs wasn't physically ready for a ton of minutes last season as he needed to bulk up and get stronger. A full offseason in the weight room will hopefully get Marrs right and ready to go for his sophom*ore season. Shooting was a question mark for OSU this offseason after the transfer of Pope, but the Beavers addressed it with Isaiah Sy, one of the top JUCO shooters in the nation last year. The Frenchman shot 47.1 percent from three year ago and 187 of his 217 shots came from behind the arc. Look for him to provide shooting off of the bench. The other freshman Oregon State signed this offseason was Johan Munch. Munch is a very gifted offensive big man and the Danish post possesses a European big man game that players such as Domantas Sabonis have made a living off of in the NBA. Munch may need time to get his body right for the D1 level like Marrs a season ago, but he has a very bright future.

G-DaMarco Minor

G-Tyler Cochran

F-Michael Rataj

F-Parsa Fallah

C-Matthew Marsh