OSU women's basketball: Rueck says college sports are 'upside down' (2024)

Oregon State women’s basketball coach Scott Rueck described collegiate athletics as being “upside down” Tuesday during a speech in Albany.

Rueck was the guest speaker at the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Linn County Fair & Expo Center. He spent much of his speech describing his journey from a high school boys basketball assistant coach to taking over the women’s basketball program at OSU.

But he also talked about the current collegiate landscape, the success the Beavers had this season in reaching the Elite Eight and the disappointment that immediately followed as eight players, including four starters, chose to transfer.

Rueck said he understands the decision those players faced as Oregon State works its way through this transition period following the collapse of the Pac-12 Conference. The Beavers will play in the West Coast Conference next year in 10 sports, including women’s basketball, and that’s a change Rueck acknowledged he also has had to consider.

“I signed up to coach at the highest level. The West Coast Conference is not the highest level. It doesn’t have the most resources. And that’s where we’re headed next year as an affiliate member, whatever that means. And so that’s something for even me to think through,” Rueck said.

So with the program in a different place, players had to make decisions about their futures in an environment in which there are no barriers to transferring. In some ways, Rueck said the current system encourages transferring as players have the opportunity to re-engage in the recruiting process every year, if they wish.

All of this is complicated by the financial opportunities available through compensation for Name, Image and Likeness (NIL).

“NIL in its purest form is a great thing. … If it’s to entice athletes and it turns into a bidding war, a free agency war, with no restraints, how’s that gonna work out? That won’t work," Rueck said."There’s already donor fatigue across the country. We know that. So that money’s not going to be there. Sometimes people sign up for things and it’s not there and that’s why there’s still a lot of transfers. Because people are being promised things that are not delivered upon.”

Rueck said Oregon State remains the place he wants to be.

“For me, I’ve got every reason to stay here. But that is what drives me. I just know me. I know I’m in a great fit,” Rueck said.

During his speech and in an interview after the luncheon, Rueck addressed multiple questions about the program.

Rebuilding the roster

Rueck said the goal was to build around the team’s five returning players: point guard Kennedie Shuler, wings AJ Marotte and Susana Yepes, and front-court players Kelsey Rees and Sela Heide.

“Five returners that all have experience. That’s great. One of everything. Just complementary pieces around them. We’ve been able to fill every need through this spring,” Rueck said. “Looking back on all of it, I’m excited about it. I feel prepared for it. We’ve been in this position before. A year ago we had six new people, so we were blending new (players) in last year and here we are again. It feels in some ways similar.

“More transition than we’re used to historically, but a pretty common transition for this current state of collegiate sports.”

International players

Oregon State’s incoming class has a strong international presence. Catarina Ferriera (Brazil) transferred from Baylor and Lucia Navarro (Spain) is coming from Florida State. Both are listed as 6-foot wings.

Guard Cloe Vecina is coming to Oregon State directly from Spain, where she played in the Spanish senior league. And the Beavers also signed 6-foot-5 Danish center Elisa Mehyar. They join a roster that already had two international players in Rees (Australia) and Yepes (Colombia).

“The international student experience has been so positive that that is something I’m very confident in and aggressive in." Rueck said.'It works. I do very well with international student-athletes. Their maturity is something that resonates well with me. It’s not easy to be around the world from home. You have to be a pretty mature person for that.”

Filling out the staff

In addition to the departure of eight players, Oregon State also lost assistant coaches Jonas Chatterton, who joined the staff at Oklahoma, and Aleah Goodman, who accepted an offer from Washington.

That leaves Deven Hunter as the sole remaining assistant coach, along with director of player personnel/assistant head coach Eric Ely.

“Working on it. In process,” Rueck said of the hiring situation, adding that “players were a priority, for sure.”

When asked if he was looking for a lead assistant to replace Chatterton, Rueck said that’s not how he views his staff. He said Chatterton had the most experience, but there isn’t a lead assistant, just different roles that are filled by the staff.

Building a schedule

Rueck said the work of building next year’s schedule is on schedule. It is usually completed by mid-July and he expects that to be the case this year.

“I don’t think we’re too far behind normal. It’s a work in progress at the moment,” Rueck said.

He confirmed the Beavers will host a Maui tournament in December as has become their custom.

He also said the West Coast Conference will play a 20-game conference schedule this year and two of those games will be played before Christmas.