Scott Rueck’s mission in the new college sports world: ‘Go to work and keep doing what we do’

As he enters his 15th season at the Oregon State helm in 2024-25, Coach Scott Rueck is going to hire a lead assistant coach and replace his top six scorers from a year ago (courtesy Dominic Cusimano)

Updated 5/17/2024 1:30 AM

Scott Rueck hasn’t been in hibernation since the end of Oregon State’s heralded 2023-24 season, though it may seem that way.

The news hasn’t been pleasant, with eight players — including the top six scorers — transferring and lead assistant Jonas Chatterton moving on to Oklahoma. Next year’s move from the dismantled Pac-12 to the West Coast Conference has proved to be devastating.

Rueck hasn’t been an ostrich with his head in sand — last week he spent three days with son Cole, a sophomore golfer at Boise State, at the NCAA Stanford Regional Championships — but other than appearing at his team’s postseason banquet, he has been out of commission.

On Thursday, he met with media for the first time since the Beavers fell to eventual national champion South Carolina in the Elite Eight at Albany, N.Y., on March 31. For 45 minutes, Rueck answered questions from The Oregonian’s Nick Daschel and me, ostensibly with the intention of helping satisfy Beaver Nation’s thirst for information about the program.

I asked first about his emotions regarding the loss of Chatterton and so many players. Rueck seemed to choose his words carefully.

“It’s a fascinating time,” he began. “I can’t tell you I’m surprised (at the defections), just because I get the landscape from everyone’s perspective. It’s easy to see (why it happened) based upon the season that we had and the changes within our world, being Oregon State.

“Just like anything that ends before you want it to, there is a mourning process for the vision that you had for everything and how you wanted it to go. Even with being somewhat braced for it, there’s a sadness to it. What now? Go to work and keep doing what we do.”

In April, Rueck decided to go ahead with a postseason banquet. A large crowd of fans attended. So did 11 of the 13 players — everyone but point guards Donovyn Hunter and Kennedie Shuler, both with prior obligations.

“I wanted to celebrate one of the best seasons in program history,” Rueck said. “In my opinion, we had the best season of any team in women’s basketball. We were picked to finish 10th in the Pac. It didn’t seem right not to celebrate (the team’s path) from Italy (for a summer team trip) to Albany. It was a special night.”

Rueck considered it in part payback to the team’s die-hard followers, “the people who care the very most about our program.”

“I am an Oregon State fan,” said Rueck, who is also an OSU alum. “I am very sensitive to and care a lot about our fans. I love them and feel the same sadness that they feel. The best word (to describe what has happened) is, it’s tragic, because it involves so many things beyond us. It has caused a lot of, in some ways, chaos.

“But it also makes sense if you look at it from everybody’s perspective. It makes sense that someone who is so invested and cares so much about our program would feel really hurt. That’s logical to me.”

Did Rueck let the fans talk to the players after the banquet?

“No,” he said. “I didn’t think that would be something we would want to do.”

Because of concern that people would have negative comments to make?

“You just don’t know,” Rueck said. “It could go great; it could go not great. I wasn’t able to talk to everybody to know where they all stood and where the emotions were.

“(The banquet was held) within a week of people making decisions (to transfer), so we safeguarded that. I opened (the banquet) and shared my perspective and what I hoped everyone’s perspective would be. I termed it a night of gratitude. That’s what it was for me. It was a night to celebrate everybody in the room.    “It was such a fun, amazing year to be a part of. It was incredible. As we went down the list of all the accomplishments and some of the significant moments, it re-emphasized the right thing to do was getting together and talking about it and reminiscing before the team is no longer.”

Now the team is no longer, with its stars prepared to finish their college careers elsewhere. That is tough on their fans.

“There is sadness there, and hurt,” Rueck said. “I love that they care so much. I understand that emotion they would feel. The reality is, though, that our circumstance changed. This isn’t what these athletes and their parents signed up for. It’s fair for them to reassess their situation and make a choice.”

Daschel asked Rueck if, on the flight home from Albany, he knew what was ahead.

“There is no way for me to know exactly where everybody was,” Rueck said. “I knew (the players) would reassess things, and that would be coming, no doubt. I didn’t know what their decisions would be at that time. But I can’t say I was surprised by anything. I know who these (players) are. We beat everybody for them in recruiting.”

Raegan Beers and Timea Gardiner were McDonald’s All-Americans, and Talia von Oelhoffen certainly would have been had she not enrolled at Oregon State midway through her senior high school season.

“They were recruited by Power Five schools,” Rueck said. “Now they are being asked to play in a conference in which they didn’t sign up for, which is a mid-major compared to a major. They have every right to reassess that.

“I knew we would be walking through that process over the next couple of weeks. I met with everybody the next few days. It was (about) listening and asking questions and finding out where people were (in terms of staying and leaving) and what questions I could answer as best I can so we could have a healthy discussion moving forward.”

It can’t be overstated the level of talent Rueck has lost. In its rankings of top players in the transfer portal,

ESPN had Beers No 2, Gardiner No. 6 and von Oelhoffen No. 10. The Athletic ranked Beers No. 1, von Oelhoffen No. 3 and Gardiner No. 4. The website 247Sports had it Beers No. 1, Gardiner No. 5, von Oelhoffen No. 22. Beers is now at Oklahoma and Gardiner at UCLA. Hunter has transferred to Texas Christian, Lily Hansford to Iowa State, Adlee Blacklock to Texas Tech.

With no seniors on the 2022-23 roster, every player could have returned to Oregon State for another run next season. My guess is, Rueck would have recruited another big to help spell Beers and Gardiner inside. Had they stayed together, they would have been a national championship contender. Did winning matter to them?

“It appears with this group that winning mattered a lot,” Rueck offered. “They were highly competitive and they had a blast all year long. You can’t fake the emotion this team played with. They loved each other and they loved the game. We were a very high-functioning group this year. There is no way to do what we did without being that.”

Von Oelhoffen said on social media that NIL funding had “absolutely zero” to do with her decision to transfer to Southern Cal. Oregon State’s collective “Dam Nation” was prepared to make “more than competitive” offers to the top players, according to executive director Kyle Bjornstad. It appears with most or all of the players, the move to the WCC was the overriding reason.

“It would seem that way,” Rueck said. “That was the elephant in the room all year long. We got back from Maui (in December) and we find out our fate going forward — that we were aligning with the West Coast Conference. Everyone had a little more clarity moving forward. I’m not going to tell you that everybody’s decision was totally that. I don’t know. But it would make sense that conference was the biggest (reason).”

If some of the players had issues with the coach — that seems inevitable in a long season — it didn’t get in the way of the team’s success. You can’t argue with a 27-8 record and an Elite Eight finish.

After the 2020-21 season, Rueck lost three starters who transferred to different schools.

“Covid happened and we got transfers,” he said. “Now the conference changes and we got transfers. Those two things make sense to me. It was easy to see that for what they were.

“There is also time every year to reflect. What could I have done better? I’m always doing that. I work hard. I believe I treat people right. All I can do is do my best, and I feel like I have done that.

Rueck chose not to address the impending conference change with his players during the season. In hindsight, Daschel asked, was that a mistake?

“I’m not sure what there was to talk about,” Rueck said. “I don’t know what else I could have shared. I had one conversation with the (players) acknowledging the situation. … we were in the middle of the season. Everything was moving at normal progression. I felt like I did the right thing for this group this year. It sure seemed that way. To be honest, there isn’t anything I could have done that impacted anything that has happened.”

I’m sure Rueck had a plan for scheduling for the 2024-25 season following the model of Gonzaga men’s coach Mark Few, who loads up on top-quality non-conference competition prior to, and occasionally during, conference play. That would help get the NET ranking high enough to earn a good seed in the NCAA Tournament.

“We were — are — prepared for that,” Rueck said. “That’s the hardest part for me. I wasn’t sure who was staying, who was not staying. How do you build a non-conference schedule that meets the team’s need when you don’t know who’s on the team. We were prepared to elevate our non-conference schedule, and we still are. It depends on how this roster shakes out. It’s not as easy as people want it to be.

But I can tell you, I could have promised we were going to play UConn 10 times in the preseason and it wouldn’t have changed one person’s mind (about transferring).”

I asked Rueck what he thought about the move to the WCC.

“I don’t know what to think about it,” he said. “I signed up to coach in the Pac-10, and now Pac-12. (The conference change) was a decision outside of my control. I trust that the administration is doing the best (it) can. That is where it landed.

“I was not a part of the final decision. (AD Scott Barnes) asked last fall what our preference would be going forward, what conference we would choose to be in. Of course, you are looking to remain at the same level.”

And his preference?

“One of the conferences that would keep us at the same level,” Rueck said.

There were no such options.

“Apparently not,” he said.

For perspective, the Pac-12 had nine of the top 50 teams among 360 schools in the NET rankings last season. The WCC had one — Gonzaga at No. 14. The Pac-12 had Stanford at No. 4, UCLA at No. 5, USC at No. 10, Utah at No. 12, Colorado at No. 15, Oregon State No. 16, Washington State at 33, Arizona at No. 37 and Washington at No. 50. Following that were California (No. 61), Oregon (No. 104) and Arizona State (No. 117). After Gonzaga in the WCC were Santa Clara at No. 74 and Portland at No. 103. Four WCC programs were ranked lower than 200th.

I asked Rueck if he has considered leaving for a job elsewhere.

“No,” he said. “I don’t want to leave here. It would be foolish to say never, because I’d have said that at George Fox (where he coached for 14 years)… I love it here. (Scott’s wife and children) love it here. I love my job.”

Surprisingly, Rueck said he hasn’t begun to look for a replacement for Chatterton, who had been with him for a decade.

“Haven’t started the process,” Rueck said. “I’ve been doing other things. We have (player) uniforms to fill, and that’s my priority right now. As that process goes, we will find another great person. (Chatterton) worked hard for us. Ten years is a long time. We went through a lot of things, a lot of great experiences together. I’m grateful for his efforts for our program.”

Rueck said he has no deadline for a replacement, and isn’t necessarily seeking a veteran coach.

“Just the best person,” he said. “That’s it. That is everything. Whoever that is, I wouldn’t say I need somebody who … I’m just looking for another great assistant.”

For now, Rueck has only six players on his roster — five returnees and transfer Lucia Navarro from Florida State. Among the top six scorers from last season who entered the portal and has yet to pick a school is guard Dominika Paurova from the Czech Republic. Is there a chance she may decide to stay at OSU?

“I don’t know,” Rueck said. Later, in talking about recruiting, he made a comment that led me to believe he is hopeful: “There is still one of our players who hasn’t chosen a place yet. This has gone on, and because of that, I haven’t known exactly what I need.”

If Paurova transfers, it will mean Oregon State has lost 81.8 percent of its scoring and 77.7 percent of its rebounds from last season.

The five who are staying are guards Shuler and AJ Marotte, forwards Kelsey Rees and Susana Yepes and center Sela Heide.

Guard AJ Marotte will be expected to be a leader on the ’24-25 Beavers (courtesy Dominic Cusimano)

Marotte started all 35 games last season, averaging 5.0 points in 20.4 minutes. Rees started 26 games, averaging 4.9 points and 4.3 rebounds in 20 minutes. Shuler averaged 1.6 points and was third on the team behind Hunter and von Oelhoffen with 53 assists while averaging only 9.8 minutes in 33 games. The 6-7 Heide saw spot duty and Yepes, a 6-foot junior from Colombia, redshirted.

Rueck kidded about talking about “Let’s just roll with five” with the returning quintet.

“We have one of everything,” he said. “We have a dynamic ‘one’ (Shuler) and a player who has something to prove on the wing (Yepes). AJ is AJ. Kelsey started almost the entire season, and Sela has a wealth of experience and is looking for an opportunity to prove it. It’s a great group to build around.”

A 6-foot forward from Spain, Navarro scored six points in five games for the Seminoles last season and will be a redshirt freshman at OSU.

“I like her game,” Rueck said. “She is the perfect person for what we need. We need versatility. She can shoot it, she is physical, is aggressive attacking the basket and she loves the game. That works well with me.”

Rueck said he expects to add five or six more players through the recruiting process.

“We are working on it,” he said. “We are getting close.”

Assistant coach Deven Hunter made a recent recruiting trip to Australia. Oregon State has a history of fine international players, including Marie Gulich, Jelena Mitrovic and Ruth Hamblin in recent years. With most of the top players from the transfer portal off the board, might the Beavers go more international in recruiting?

“That’s certainly one of the avenues available to us,” Rueck said. “International players have done very well here. Corvallis is an amazing home away from home. International students are very comfortable here. I get to recruit internationally with that confidence and proof of it. There are great players all around the world. Now it is about finding them.”

Rueck’s OSU contract extends through 2030-31. At some point, the hope is the Beavers will return to Power Five Conference status. Will they continue to be funded that way?

“It has been said publicly, and also in coaches meetings, that we will operate as a Power Five (program), so that is what I’m counting on and expecting,” Rueck said.

At what level does he expect his team to play next season?

“It’s too early to tell exactly (how competitive),” Rueck said. “It will be interesting to see how the rest of the roster fills out. From (his first season in 2010-11), we have been competitive. I am planning on being very competitive next year.”

It is all but certain that Oregon won’t be on the schedule in 2024-25. “I don’t see that happening,” Rueck said.

The transfer portal has changed everything in college sports. Perhaps nowhere in women’s college basketball was it felt this season more than at Oregon State. Rueck has had to redirect his thought patterns.

Part-time starting forward Kelsey Rees will play a larger role in ’24-25 (courtesy Dominic Cusimano)

“Adapting is necessary,” Rueck said. “It’s a new relationship (with the athlete) and a new opportunity. The most rewarding experiences I have had are the traditional ones — a three-or four year recruitment (of high school athletes), and the four-year experience where there are tears and hugs at the end of senior day, and it lasts beyond that. That has been (true) the majority of my career. My career has been built off the four-year experience. I know what that does for the student-athlete.

“This new way sacrifices that, but there are apparently things that don’t matter anymore. You just adapt to it and are grateful for what you get. If you have a player for one year, it’s not as deep as the four-year experience, but it’s something. That’s the way it is going.”

The new age is here. If Rueck can’t embrace it, he said he can live with it.

“I love coaching and I love teaching,” he said. “As long as I get to do that, that’s what fuels me.”

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