Oregon State Suspends Two Players

March 9, 2013; Boulder, CO, USA; Oregon State Beavers forward Eric Moreland (15) during the first half of the game against the Colorado Buffaloes at the Coors Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

In July, it was announced that Oregon State would be suspending both Eric Moreland and Devon Collier for a violation of an unspecified team rule. At the time no mention was made of how long either suspension would be. The two players were a large part of the team’s offensive production in 2012-13 so the speculation was that they wouldn’t be off the team for very long.

On October 1st, the team released how many games each player would be suspended for and it came as a bit of a surprise. Collier will only miss the season opener against Coppin State but Moreland will miss half the season, which adds up to 14 games. Since there has still be no mention of what led to either suspension, one has to believe Oregon State really wants to make an example of Moreland to the rest of his teammates. The message is loud and clear, follow the team rules or you’re sitting.

While Moreland is surely upset that he will miss such a large portion of the season, the suspension will also hurt the rest of his team. The big man was Oregon State’s best rebounder last season, averaging 10.6 per game. On offense he was a big target for easy dunks and putbacks, he also kept many possessions alive with tips.

The hope is that Angus Brandt will be able to step in and carry the brunt of Moreland’s production. Last season, Brandt had 8.5 boards per game and without Moreland around to share the rebounds with, that number should go up. For the Beavers, the problem won’t be Brandt but rather the sizable hole behind him on the depth chart.

Oregon State had all of its core returning this season and were poised to make a tournament run. While this may still happen, Moreland’s suspension makes things much harder in the long run.