Team to Watch: Oregon State

The Oregon State Beavers have started hot on the campaign trail to a successful 2011-12 season. Four games in, and head coach Craig Robinson has season his team already molding into a true contender for the conference primaries. It started with a 100-95 upset in overtime over Texas last night in the semifinals of the TicketCity Legends Classic.  From there, it’s on to #20 Vanderbilt on Monday for the tournament championships. Of course, it all didn’t just start four games ago.

Like any good campaign manager, Robinson has been jockeying for position since joining the Oregon State team in 2008. After spending time as a bond trader, the 49 year old put all his stock in coaching basketball. A former star forward at Princeton, Robinson realized that the million dollar lifestyle was missing something. After spending a year on the High School circuit as a coach and recruiting adviser for Princeton, it was back to the college basketball bench. This time as an assistant head coach under Northwestern’s Bill Carmody. After making his way up the ranks with solid recruiting and overall solid play it was off to Brown University, turning one of the IVY Leagues bottom dwellers into contenders after just one season.

And then of course there is his experience in putting brother in law Barack Obama in office in 2008. Or the coveted pickup game between him and the president that gave sister Michelle the confidence to start building a relationship with a future leader of our country.  After evaluating Obama’s game and how it translates into being a good man, and doing his part to help his sister get into the White House, it was on to Corvallis to lie some groundwork.

From the team that didn’t have a win in conference play to now has been a very successful journey. 43 wins later, Robinson has put together the winningest three year span in nearly twenty years (hat tip to gerg1234 on the mistake in the commnents).Consistency is starting to mold a group that has bought into a system. 11 players return from last year to this squad, including 4 starters from a year ago. With a solid foundation laid down, it was imperative to come out of the gates and prove that the Beaver campaign to be a PAC 12 contender had to take the next step — or the program could fade quickly and all of Robinson’s work could be thrown out the window.

So when Jared Cunningham emerged late last season as the voice of the program and leader on the court, Robinson knew he had his head man. Poised, stingy, athletic, and a scoring machine — all the characteristics needed to take over a basketball team. The junior has come out strong to start the 2011 season. With 35+ points in back to back efforts against Hofstra and Texas, he has arrived on the national scene. It might be too early to call him one of the better players in the country, but there isn’t one doubt that he is the cog that keeps the Beavers going. Whether it be as one of the better zone defense defenders that makes things happen by taking chances, or dominating play, he has done what it takes to be a leader earlier in the season.

Take his play against Texas on Sunday as a prime example. In order to control ballgames as a leader on the court, you have to get to the foul line. Cunningham did so 23 times and scored 20 of his 39 from the charity stripe. You also have to make plays when they aren’t given to you for free. Cunningham led the Beavers in rebounds, and on the offensive glass. That’s the heart the 6’4″ guard plays with. He was also clutch late in the ballgame. In overtime, Cunningham went 8-8 from the line and get to the basket with authority. Behind the effort that shows up in the boxscore was a style of play with the character you ask for from a leader that won’t stop until the buzzer sounds. After being hit in the face by J’Covan Brown late in regulation, Cunningham stayed out on the court and helped the Beavers put together a 9-0 to ice the ballgame.  It was Cunningham’s play that helped put Oregon State over the top against Texas.

But for every leader, there has to be a left hand man that has bought in with the top dog’s ideals.

Devon Collier, who scored 17 points and added a block and three steals on Sunday, just might be that guy. He’s on a pace to double his scoring output from a year ago. On a team that lacks frontcourt depth, It’s imperative that his game continues to evolve throughout the season. And though it’s extremely early in the season, the proof is there that he has the talent to do so. If Collier can add a post presence throughout the year, It could create a very solid one two punch on the court.

With 5’9″ point guard Ahmed Starks being the X factor on both sides of the ball. The Sophomore has a solid three point shot, is extremely hard to guard because of his ability to push tempo, fly by you, or slow down the game just to speed it up on bigger point guards. His game peaked in the PAC 12 tournament last year, and if Craig Robinson can get the best out of him in key moments, while he establishes an ability to lead this offense on the floor, he could have the third piece of the campaign trail to March.

It might be too early to punch a ticket to PAC 12 supremacy for the Beavers, but things are starting to come together at the right time. As impressive as it is to start hot in November, it’s only the start of when the work has to be put in. One thing is clear though. This team has the opportunity and the tools to put together something special this season.

Up next for the Beavers, another true test on the road to winning college basketball fans’ hearts. A date with the Commodores of Vanderbilt on Monday night at 9 pm. Another chance to show in prime time that this isn’t a team to sleep on this season.