Q&A: Oregonian beat writer breaks down Oregon State’s new additions, provides keys to matchup with No. 16 Gonzaga

Gonzaga and Oregon State haven’t seen much of each other the past 30 years, but that figures to change with the Bulldogs and Beavers playing twice in the West Coast Conference each of the next two seasons before joining the Pac-12 in 2025-26.

Thursday’s meeting between 16th-ranked Gonzaga (14-4, 5-0) and Oregon State (13-5, 3-2), an 8 p.m. contest at Gill Coliseum , will be the first between the schools since 1991.

Nick Daschel, an Oregon State beat writer for the Oregonian, reported the Beavers are targeting their first sellout in five years and had only 1,000 student tickets remaining as of Tuesday morning.

Daschel also helped us preview Thursday’s game, answering five questions about OSU’s new-look roster and how the Beavers match up with the Zags entering the first of two meetings between the teams during the regular season.

Q: Michael Rataj was expected to shoulder more of a load after Oregon State lost its top three scorers to the transfer portal. The junior has improved in just about every statistical category. Where has Rataj’s growth been most apparent this season?

Daschel: “Rataj’s improvement isn’t unexpected. This is his third year in coach Wayne Tinkle’s system, and he’s showed steady progress over his first two seasons. Rataj has taken ownership as a team leader. Rataj seems more confident in everything he does. His game is varied, as he can post up and get tough inside baskets, yet he’s shot 56 3-pointers this season.”

Q: For those who haven’t watched the Beavers, give us a quick scouting report on transfers Parsa Fallah and Damarco Minor.

Daschel: “Parsa Fallah is a joy to watch inside when he’s in a 1-on-1 matchup. You won’t see a post player this season with more moves than Fallah. He may not score, but he’ll exhaust himself trying. Minor is a guard with an attitude. He has a defensive mindset that OSU hasn’t had from its point guard since (Gary Payton II). Even though Minor is 6-foot-1, he has a knack for rebounding. He averaged 8.5 boards a game last year at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, and is OSU’s second-leading rebounder this season at 4.7 per game. He’s a good midrange shooter and isn’t afraid to drive the ball.”

Q: Oregon State’s made drastic improvements on the defensive end, ranking 19th nationally in scoring defense after finishing the 2023-24 season at No. 202. Why are the Beavers excelling on defense and what do you credit the improvement to?

Daschel: “They have length on the perimeter. Nate Kingz, Liutauras Lelevicius and Isaiah Sy are guard-wing types in the 6-foot-5 to 6-7 range with long arms. They’re also capable of defending inside, with Rataj, Fallah and Matthew Marsh. Five of those six players weren’t on the Beavers’ roster a year ago.”

Q: Coach Wayne Tinkle, a Ferris High graduate now in his 11th year at OSU, has won 27 games in three seasons since reaching the Elite Eight. How much pressure is Tinkle facing from fans/administration and what would qualify as a good season for the Beavers?

Daschel: “Tinkle is in the fourth year of a six-year contract, with about $6 million left after this season. That bought him some time through the lean years, as the school simply couldn’t afford to eat a contract of that size. A good season would involve OSU staying on its current path: win the games it should win, and pick off a few as an underdog. That gets the Beavers to about 20 wins, and a quiet offseason.”

Q: Oregon State and Gonzaga haven’t met since 1991-92. What are the keys for the Beavers in Thursday’s matchup and how do you see things playing out?

Daschel: “Oregon State people love to talk about the magic of Gill Coliseum when it’s close to capacity. We’ll find out Thursday, as this should be one of the season’s largest home crowds. The Beavers need to be dominant at the defensive end, getting Fallah going early, and hit 3s. Whether they’re up to the moment, we’ll see. The Zags have been in a million games like this, while this is a fairly new experience for OSU.”