Preview: Calvin Haynes and the Oregon State Beavers
Oregon State's frontcourt is solid, but the backcourt loses three big players. That will force some newcomers into action early and often. Coming off of a disappointing season, things aren’t looking too great for this season either. The good news is that those young newcomers are decent and the future doesn’t look as grim as the present…or the past.
Who’s Out: Chris Stephens, Jason Fontenet and Lamar Hurd are big loses. Stephens started 29 games, averaging 11.5 points per game. Fontenet added on 5.7 points and 2.7 assists, while Hurd had similar numbers with 5.7 points and 2.6 assists per contest. While the backcourt takes the majority of the losses, the frontcourt might take the biggest of them all. Nick Dewitz averaged 11.6 points and 4.8 rebounds during his senior campaign and the 6-8 forward’s versatility will be missed.
Who’s In: Obviously the depleted backcourt needs some help, and the hope is the Tarver brothers will provide it. Josh Tarver, a redshirt freshman coming off of a broken foot, is the answer at point guard. Josh Tarver might be a little over his head running a Pac-10 team as a freshman, but his passing and ball handling skills are sufficient to run the Beavers offense. Josh Tarver is a decent shooter, but like his brother, the outside shot could use some work. Seth Tarver is a wing and will find himself battling for minutes at the two. That lack of outside shooting might relegate him to the bench, but the 6-5 Portland product is coming off a great spring and garnering high expectations. The backcourt gets some shooting help with the addition of Calvin Haynes and Lathen Wallace. Both players possess a nice stroke and will provide a much needed shooting spark off of the bench. Roeland Schaftenaar brings another protypical European flair to the Beavers. The 6-11 Dutchman could stand to put on some weight, but he has a nice outside shot for a man of his stature. Calvin Hampton redshirted after appearing in five games last year as a freshman and suffering a shoulder injury. Hampton can steal a few minutes when the other bigs run into foul trouble or fatigue problems.
Who to Watch: If you want to watch the proven talent on the Beavers, watch Sasa Cuic, Marcel Jones and Kyle Jeffers in the frontcourt. Cuic led the squad in scoring with 13.5 points per game and tacked on 4.5 rebounds per game. Jones made huge strides heading into his sophomore campaign, and the junior season should be more of the same. Jones is a monster on the glass, leading the team with 6.7 boards per game and can score a little bit too, averaging 9.2 points. Jeffers managed to salvage a decent season despite battling a plethora of small injuries. The 6-9 center averaged 6.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.0 blocks. If he can stay healthy, those numbers will improve.
Final Projection: There is too much youth in the backcourt to compete with the favorites in the Pac-10. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything but freshmen on the perimeter. Wesley Washington, Angelo Tsagarakis, Jack McGillis and Brett Casey all started at least one game last year. Those four will battle with the Tarver brothers for the starting spots. If nobody steps up at the shooting guard spot, look for Coach Jay John to have a steady rotation of shooting guards coming in and out.
Projected Post-season Tournament: none
Projected Starting Five:
Josh Tarver, Freshman, Guard, DNP last season
Seth Tarver, Freshman, Guard, DNP last season
Sasa Cuic, Junior, Forward, 13.5 points per game
Marcel Jones, Junior, Forward, 9.2 points per game
Kyle Jeffers, Senior, Center, 6.3 points per game
More Top Stories for Calvin Haynes
08/27/07 - Calvin Haynes and the Beavers Getting an Early Start
03/09/07 - Calvin Haynes and OSU Look Promising for the Future
12/22/06 - Calvin Haynes & SKS Prep Team Sweeps Weekend Games
12/06/06 - Calvin Haynes and Stoneridge Prep Ends Tourney with Win
11/09/06 - OSU Signs Calvin Haynes
09/08/06 - Oregon State Makes Changes, Calvin Haynes Going to Prep School?
07/28/06 - Basketball Challenge Would Benefit Calvin Haynes and the Pac-10
07/03/06 - Preview: Calvin Haynes and the Oregon State Beavers
03/09/06 - It's Not a Good Ending for Calvin Haynes and Taft HS
03/08/06 - Calvin Haynes and Taft Bounces Back With Regional Win
03/01/06 - Calvin Haynes Final Home Game
02/24/06 - Calvin Haynes and Taft Has Winning Tempo
02/13/06 - Calvin Haynes Scores Big
02/07/06 - Calvin Haynes: Update
02/06/06 - Toreadors' Calvin Haynes Scores 29 Points In Victory
01/27/06 - Calvin Haynes and Taft Keeps Its Distance
01/25/06 - Calvin Haynes and Taft Has No Answers In Big Loss To Artesia
01/19/06 - Calvin Haynes Score a Game High
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12/29/05 - Calvin Haynes Takes Taft HS Higher
12/26/05 - Calvin Haynes - Following In His Own Footsteps
11/10/05 - Jay John Adds Four - Calvin Haynes being 1 of 4
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