Oregon State
Charleston
Beavers Headed to Aloha State Sunday
December 18, 2024 | Men's Basketball
THE GAME: Oregon State will open the Diamond Head Classic Sunday against Charleston.
TELEVISION: The game will be televised on ESPN2
RADIO: The game will air live on Beaver Sports Radio Network with Mike Parker calling the action.
LIVE STATS: Live stats will be available at this link
QUICKLY: Sunday will mark the first ever meeting between Oregon State and Charleston ... This is the fourth time during Wayne Tinkle's tenure that the Beavers have opened a season 8-2 or better ... With a win on Sunday, the Beavers will match their best start to a season through 11 games since the 1984-85 campaign (also started 9-2 in 1989-90, 1997-98, 2011-12, 2015-16, and 2019-20) ... Oregon State has recorded 20 or more assists in a game three times this season, the most games at that mark since the 2020-21 campaign ... The Beavers are among the nation's leaders in a number of defensive categories: 5th in scoring defense (56.9); 7th in Field Goal Percentage Defense (.368); 52nd in blocks per game (4.7); 52nd in steals per game (8.9) ... OSU has held eight of its 10 opponents below 38 percent shooting from the floor, and has allowed over 62 points just one time ... Parsa Fallah is first in the WCC and 17th in the nation in field goal percentage at 64.6 pct. ... Three Beavers are in the top-10 of the WCC in steals per game (Minor - t1st; Rataj - t1st; Lake - 10th) ... The Beavers lead the WCC in field goal percentage, and have shot 45 percent or better in eight of 10 games this season, including four games over 50 percent ... As a team, the Beavers are shooting 52.4 percent in the second half of games and 44.8 percent from 3-point range in the second half ... Oregon State's two losses this season have come by a total margin of six points. By contrast, Oregon State's avarage margin of victory in its eight wins is 25.5 ... Michael Rataj is top-10 in the WCC in points per game, rebounds per game, field goal percentage, blocks per game and steals per game ... Rataj is one of 25 players in the nation with five or more double-doubles this season ... Head coach Wayne Tinkle is looking for his 307th career win.
THE TEAM: Here are some quick-hitters about the 2024-25 Oregon State men's basketball team:
- The Beavers' team features nine international players, representing eight different countries (Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Iran, Lithuania, Turkey, United Kingdom). Counting the USA, Oregon State's nine nations represented is the second most of any Division I men's basketball team trailing only UT Martin with 12.
- The Oregon State men's basketball squad is one of 10 OSU programs slated to compete in the West Coast Conference beginning in the fall of 2024 as part of the two-year conference affiliation agreement announced on Dec. 22.
- The 2024-25 WCC schedule will see the Beavers face some foes they have not often seen during their history. The following is Oregon State's total games played against each WCC opponent (excluding Washington State) along with the last season the two teams met. Portland - 71 meetings, last in 2020-21; Gonzaga - 27 meetings, last in 1991-92; Santa Clara - 10 meetings, last in 1997-98; San Francisco - 10 meetings, last in 1968-69; Pepperdine - 5 meetings, last in 2018-19; LMU - 5 meetings, last in 2017-18; Saint Mary's 4 meetings, last in 1968-69; San Diego - 3 meetings, last in 2012-13; Pacific - 3 meetings, last in 1994-95.
- The Oregon State men's basketball program received a $1.5 million endowment from Joth Ricci and his family, part of a $3 million gift to the Beavers' men's and women's basketball programs. Ricci, known for leadership roles with Dutch Bros, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Adelsheim Vineyards, Jones Soda and, most recently, Burgerville, is a 1990 Oregon State graduate now serving as executive in residence for the College of Business.
LAST TIME AT THE DIAMOND HEAD CLASSIC:
- Oregon State played in the 2013 Diamond Head Classic, seeing games against Akron, George Mason and Hawai'i at that event.
- Current Oregon State Assistant Coach/Player Development Roberto Nelson was part of that 2013-14 Oregon State team, scoring in double-figures in all three games, including a 24-point showing against Hawai'i
