Spring Break
YouTube OSU's future
Issue date: 5/21/09 Section: Sports
With the NBA draft lottery now completed and the conference finals in full swing, basketball is on the brain. There's a lot to be excited about as far as pro basketball goes, but right now I'm having a better time thinking about the future of Oregon State basketball.
Next year's team has been a hot topic since the CBI championship, and I've definitely contributed more than my share to the speculation. However, the success of next year's team could come down to one man: Jared Cunningham. Beaver fans, if you haven't already, you should start to get to know Cunningham, the incoming freshman point guard.
After de-committing from Arizona State, the four-star point guard opted to pay for the orange and black, and with Rickey Claitt graduating, Cunningham could be one of the more important Beavers in just his first year in Corvallis.
Rickey Claitt was Mr. Reliable for Oregon State this year. He didn't often have offensive games like he did in the CBI Championship, but he got it done game in and game out. He was a leader on and off the court and was the team's only true point guard who got significant playing time. With the departure of Claitt, Cunningham is the only true point guard on this team before even dressing for his first game.
Replacing Rickey Claitt is an impossible goal - his play in 2009 will never be forgotten, but after watching Jared Cunningham's YouTube videos, something tells me he'll help Beaver Nation through the grieving process.
At 6 feet 3 inches and 165 pounds, Cunningham lacks ideal size but has a way of dealing with bigger defenders: jumping over them. This is something you'll learn on YouTube, especially if you tune into the "Jared Cunningham has bounce" series. He could easily be the best dunker in the Pac-10 already.
In high school, Cunningham unofficially averaged one posterizing dunk per game and occasionally made fast breaks look like the NBA's slam-dunk contest. In short, Cunningham is a high-flying, big-scoring, quick-as-lightning freak of an athlete at point guard. Oregon State hasn't ever seen this type of player at the point guard position.
Next year's team has been a hot topic since the CBI championship, and I've definitely contributed more than my share to the speculation. However, the success of next year's team could come down to one man: Jared Cunningham. Beaver fans, if you haven't already, you should start to get to know Cunningham, the incoming freshman point guard.
After de-committing from Arizona State, the four-star point guard opted to pay for the orange and black, and with Rickey Claitt graduating, Cunningham could be one of the more important Beavers in just his first year in Corvallis.
Rickey Claitt was Mr. Reliable for Oregon State this year. He didn't often have offensive games like he did in the CBI Championship, but he got it done game in and game out. He was a leader on and off the court and was the team's only true point guard who got significant playing time. With the departure of Claitt, Cunningham is the only true point guard on this team before even dressing for his first game.
Replacing Rickey Claitt is an impossible goal - his play in 2009 will never be forgotten, but after watching Jared Cunningham's YouTube videos, something tells me he'll help Beaver Nation through the grieving process.
At 6 feet 3 inches and 165 pounds, Cunningham lacks ideal size but has a way of dealing with bigger defenders: jumping over them. This is something you'll learn on YouTube, especially if you tune into the "Jared Cunningham has bounce" series. He could easily be the best dunker in the Pac-10 already.
In high school, Cunningham unofficially averaged one posterizing dunk per game and occasionally made fast breaks look like the NBA's slam-dunk contest. In short, Cunningham is a high-flying, big-scoring, quick-as-lightning freak of an athlete at point guard. Oregon State hasn't ever seen this type of player at the point guard position.
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