Oregon State Basketball: Beavers in trouble without Gary Payton II?
What does Oregon State basketball have to do to make it back to the Big Dance?
Last season, the Oregon State Beavers made their first NCAA Tournament since 1990. Wayne Tinkle’s squad did not win their first round match-up against VCU – Oregon State hasn’t won a game in the Big Dance since 1982. Nonetheless, their 19-13 record and sixth place finish in the Pac-12 standings was an accomplishment.
Now comes the hard part: following up that successful campaign without the services of their best player, point guard and lock down defender, Gary Payton II, in 2016-17.
Payton was one of six seniors on last year’s roster, however, his 16.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.5 steals per game stood out above the rest.
He was extremely valuable on both ends of the floor and came up clutch more times than not for the Beavers.
On the bright side, Oregon State returns three of their top five scorers. Sophomore Tres Tinkle is back after averaging 13.1 points per game, while Stephen Thompson Jr. (10.6 points) and Drew Eubanks (7.6 points) are also back in the fold.
Malcolm Duvivier remains in Corvallis as one of the team’s two seniors (the other is Cheikh N’diaye).
The Beavers also add their second straight impressive recruiting class. Two three-star recruits, point guard JaQuori McLaughlin and center Ben Kone’, are the top freshman joining the program, while JUCO 6’8″ small forward Keondre Dew may be one of the most important players on the entire roster.
Oregon State has some talent on their team, but not having the leadership of Payton could be the difference between the program dancing or not when March rolls around.
Nov 17, 2015; Corvallis, OR, USA; Oregon State Beavers guard Gary Payton II (1) rebounds the ball during the second half of the game against the Iona Gaels at Gill Coliseum. The Beavers won 93-73. Mandatory Credit: Godofredo Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
3. Will the Beavers be any better on the glass?
At 6’3″, Gary Payton II led the Beavers in rebounding last season.
That’s speaks to how good Payton is on the glass, but also to how poor the Beavers were in the rebounding category in 2015-16.
Oregon State finished 259th in the country last season as they only grabbed 34.6 boards a game.
So can they turn the tables in 2016-17 and become more impactful in this area?
It’s unlikely given the fact that the Beavers are losing four of their top seven rebounders and Tres Tinkle is the only current Beaver that averaged over five boards a game last season.
With more minutes and a greater role, there is no doubt that Tinkle and Drew Eubanks will increase their rebounding averages. However, the team doesn’t have much else to offer in the paint.
Keondre Drew should be a factor, along with Ben Kone’, but both of these guys are playing their first dose of high major Division I basketball. They will need to get even stronger than they already are if they want to deal with the physical players of the Pac-12.
The Beavers may not have the rebounding specialists that other teams in the Pac-12 have, but they do have size. Cheikh N’diaye (who averaged 0.9 rebounds in 5.2 minutes per game) stands at 7’0″, Kobe Eubanks is 6’10” and Gligorije Rakocevic is 6’11”.
It would also help if the Beavers’ guards gang rebounded. The athleticism that they possess in the backcourt could be used successfully by chasing down long missed shots or occasionally battling in the paint like Payton did.
Mar 26, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; The Oregon State Beavers mascot fires up the crowd during the second half of the game against the DePaul Blue Demons in the semifinals of the Dallas regional of the women’s NCAA Tournament at American Airlines Center. The Beavers defeat the Blue Demons 83-71. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
2. Which recruits can make an immediate impact?
Oregon State adds a four-man recruiting class this season, but the two players that seem most likely to make an impact from day one is guard JaQuori McLaughlin and forward Keondre Dew.
McLaughlin is a three-star combo guard who loves to handle the ball and is at his best when he is able to create off the bounce. The Gig Harbor, WA native can knock down shots from the mid-range and from three, and is developing as a facilitator.
He’s at his best when he is in “scoring mode” but because of his size (6’3″), vision and handle, McLaughlin is also a factor as a distributor.
Dew is an elite JUCO prospect, as he averaged 5.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game last season at City College of San Francisco. He originally committed to Tulsa back in 2014 and averaged 0.5 points in 5.5 minutes per game in his freshman season.
The 6’8″ forward may need a bit of time to adjust to Pac-12 play, but many have been raving about Dew and what he can offer Oregon State.
“Keondre is a great kid and a hard worker,” Cody Toppert, head coach at Elev8 Sports Institute, told the Tulsa World when he signed. “He plays with a tremendous energy and tenacity, and he goes hard every single play. You can always count on him to be locked in for the duration of a game.”
6’8″ center Ben Kone’ and 6’4″ point guard Ronnie Stacy both have potential down the road, but they are not expected to play major roles in year one.
Kone’ will receive more minutes than Stacy though, as the point guard will likely play behind Stephen Thompson Jr., McLaughlin and Malcolm Duvivier.
Mar 18, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oregon State Beavers guard Gary Payton II (1) yells in the first half against the Virginia Commonwealth Rams during the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
1. Can anyone possibly replace Gary Payton II?
The simple answer is no.
Payton was too critical to Oregon State’s overall success and there is no one player that can possibly do what he did on a nightly basis.
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Tres Tinkle, Stephen Thompson Jr. and Drew Eubanks will be the team’s top players in 2016-17, so they will all likely take occasional turns carrying the offensive attack.
The sophomore, Tinkle, is a nice player to build around because of his ability to play inside out. He shot 44 percent from the field overall (that inefficiency needs to improve) and 36 percent from beyond the arc. He’s a solid rebounder and can block the occasional shot due to his size.
Thompson averaged 10.6 points, but averaged less than one assist per game. He will be counted on to play more than 21.7 minutes per game in 2016-17, however, he’s going to have to up his assist total if he’s going to have any where near the impact that Gary Payton II had.
Eubanks is highly efficient as he scores around the basket and doesn’t offer much else in terms of range. Like Thompson, his minutes will increase substantially, which will give him a greater opportunity to make plays on both ends of the floor.
Ultimately, the only way for Oregon State to reach the Big Dance for the second straight year is to get a massive increase in production from Tinkle, Thompson and Eubanks. The players next to these three will have to find their roles and the newcomers have to have an impact from the get-go.
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