Spring Break
From zero wins to champions
First-year coach Craig Robinson takes OSU from Pac-10 cellar to CBI champions
Terry Horstman
Issue date: 4/7/09 Section: Sports
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Fifty years from now, there will more than likely be many more banners hanging high in the ancient rafters of legendary Gill Coliseum, but what will always be the most unforgettable will be the one baring the 2009 College Basketball Invitational championship.
Year one of the Craig Robinson era wasn't supposed to be memorable; it was supposed to be a slightly improved version of the exact same roster that went winless in the Pac-10 last season. They weren't supposed to beat the Ducks and they weren't supposed to play in the postseason. But it appears that Robinson and the 2008 Oregon State Beavers missed that memo.
Missing that memo was good enough for the fifth-best one-season turnaround in Pac-10 history. The season included a complete sweep of the Bay Area schools, the first Civil War victory in over two years and a CBI run that, no matter how good Robinson's future teams are, will never be forgotten by Beaver Nation.
"Last year we had a horrible season," said sophomore shooting guard Lathen Wallace. "This year we're playing in the championship for the CBI - it's just great."
The CBI championship summed up the 2009 season perfectly for the Beavers, especially the memorable performance by senior point guard Rickey Claitt in his last game as a Beaver.
"I was shooting and everything was going in," Claitt told reporters following the CBI championship. "I kept shooting until I missed. This is phenomenal for us. This rockets us into next year."
While year two will no doubt be exciting with the momentum built from this year and with the top-25 recruiting class on its way to Corvallis, there's no way to measure just how meaningful the year one group of guys was in rebuilding the history of one of the best programs in the country.
Note: writers will not reply to comments.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Marcia Wynn '70
posted 4/15/09 @ 10:03 AM PST
We in The Dalles are proud of you guys. We are very pleased with the standard that Mr Robinson has set for his young men...on and off the court. Keep it up. (Continued…)
Irene Dean Chrest
posted 4/15/09 @ 2:27 PM PST
Finally a winning Basketball team! In the 1958-60 we certainly had the basketball talent but just couldn't get where we wanted. It's so nice to be an alumni. (Continued…)
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