Waris Alatishe played a starring role in Oregon State Basketball’s recent March success. Now Bieber has to rebuild without him.
It feels like a long time ago since Oregon State Basketball was seen in a positive light.But it was just 2021 beaver Not only did he win the Pac-12 Tournament and earn an automatic bid, but reaching the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament as a 12 seed started with his postseason hopes.
Ethan Thompson was the clear best player for the team that season, but the conference tournament MVP and overall run went to Waris Alatishe. state. He was solid overall as a starter, averaging just under double digits while leading the team in rebounding.
But he posted his best numbers in March, including a career-high 22 points and 10 rebounds in overtime against UCLA, followed by a double-double against Oregon. Although he didn’t score much in the NCAA Tournament, Alatishe played a key role in the Elite 8, averaging double figures on the board.
Last season was historically terrible for Oregon State, going 3-28 overall and just 1-19 in Pac-12 play. Alatishe personally got off to a good start, with two games where he had 20+ points in his first four games, and five more games where he had 15+ points in the first half of the season. However, things took a turn for the worse in the second half, eventually coming off the bench in his last seven games. He averaged 9.0 ppg overall and his 5.1 rpg, making him the best returning player on the roster this season as both Jarod Lucas and Dashawn Davis were sidelined.
But plans have apparently changed.
After four seasons in NCAA basketball, Alatishe had the option to get a fifth year given by the NCAA due to the pandemic. But his official announcement that he won’t be returning later in the offseason is devastating for a program that has no way of replacing him. was a proven producer with an unremarkable roster.
Frontcourt options to replace him include returning centers Chol Marial and Rodrigue Andela, and a pair of rookie forwards Tyler Bilodeau and Michael Latage.the key is Dmitry Luni, a 6’9 senior transfer from San Francisco. He played less than 10 mpg last season as he was buried on the bench, but as a starter the year before, at 27 mpg he produced 9.4 ppg and he produced 5.6 rpg.
Oregon State not only needs that version of Looney to lead the frontcourt this season, it needs another big or two to play well. It’s already been a daunting task for the Beavers to improve this season, and it’s even harder now that Alatishe is gone.
