Today marks exactly one month until the Oregon State men’s and women’s basketball teams tip off their respective seasons. It’s also Talia von Oelhoffen’s birthday. Happy Birthday, Baby T!!! A perfect day to take a breath and start thinking about some hoops. 

Both teams are coming off disappointing campaigns from a season ago. Scott Rueck and the women’s team didn’t qualify for the NCAA Tournament field for the first time since 2013. The detour to the Women’s NIT snapped a streak of seven consecutive tournaments where the Beavers made it to at least the Round of 32. 

Wayne Tinkle and men’s basketball made it all the way to the Elite Eight in the magical spring of 2021, then last season, well, I mean, we’reeeeeeeeeeee just not going to talk about last season. 

Despite the varying degrees of disappointment for both teams last season, there’s plenty to look forward to and lots of intriguing questions that will be answered this November and beyond. 

Can Talia von Oelhoffen continue her ascension and become one of the best players in the country? How do you measure success following a 3-28 season (okay, I had to mention the men’s record at some point)? Just how good is this reportedly very, very good recruiting class Rueck brought in? Is Glenn Taylor Jr the prince who was promised? 

Honestly, I can’t wait to see these two teams in action. And thanks to years and years of incurable optimism and our Beaver Basketball Brethren, The Payton Years Podcast, I’m feeling damn good about the ‘22-’23 season.

Here are some early season dates to circle and add to the old Google Calendar: 

November 7 - Season Opener

WBB vs. Hawai’i at 5:30 pm

MBB vs. Tulsa at 9:00 pm

Both teams kick off their regular season in a double-header at Legendary Gill Coliseum. The women’s full conference schedule is yet to be finalized, but as of now, this marks one of three occasions when both teams will have games at Gill on the same day. Whether these are promoted as true double-headers, or tickets being good for admission to both games remains to be seen, but this is something I’m hoping we see more of. 

Hosting two games in one day can be a real logistical nightmare, so shouts to the Oregon State Athletic Department and especially the facilities folks at Gill. Double-headers are great, especially for out of town fans like your boy, who want to find workable dates to get out and see both teams live. Basketball games are also the perfect length of time to fit two into one day. I won’t be able to make it out to the Paris of the Pacific Northwest this early in the season, but hoping the rest of the Beaver Fam takes advantage of the chance to see both teams in one night and fills Gill.

November 19 - Double Header at Gill No. 2

WBB vs. Prairie View A&M at 1:00 pm

MBB vs. Portland State at 7:00 pm

Six hours between tipoff time doesn’t really indicate a two-for-one ticket situation and I would imagine fans attending both will need to leave Gill in between, but that’s what Monroe is for! 

Here’s your itinerary:

• Brunch at Interzone

• Watch women’s basketball win

• Get Local Boyz (don’t steal da sauce, though!)

• Watch men’s basketball win

• Find a way to watch football’s victory at Arizona State at some point (kickoff in Tempe TBD)

• Punctuate all the sweet victorious vibes with a pint at McMenamin’s 

Is there a better way to spend a November Saturday?! 

No. No there is not. 

November 24 - Happy Thanksgiving! 

MBB vs. Duke at 12:00 pm (Memorial Coliseum)

The PK3,085, so it begins. And so begins the Post Coach K era at Duke! 

The Bebes will be in attendance for this one celebrating our Turkey Day in style. We’re expecting Duke to be heavy favorites. The Blue Devils may have a new coach for the first time in 43 years, but they do have the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 7 ranked players from this season’s ESPN 100: Dereck Lively, Dariq Whitehead, and Kyle Filipowski. 

Depending on what happens in their matchup with Kansas in the Champions Classic, Duke could very well be the top ranked team in the country when they meet the Beavs. Sounds like the perfect time for a Glenn Taylor Jr coming out party with the whole world watching on ESPN (pretty sure Thanksgiving belongs to college basketball and no other sports, right?).    

November 25 - Hello, Caitlin Clark!

WBB vs. Iowa at 3:00 pm (Chiles Center)

MBB vs. Florida/Xavier TBD (Moda Center)

A day after the men face the team with the best recruiting class in the country, the women get to face arguably the best player in the country in Iowa’s Caitlin Clark. Clark led the nation in points (27.0), assists (8.0), triple doubles (5), and 30-point games (11), among other categories a season ago. The Des Moines, Iowa product has already been named Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year and will pick up just about every preseason honor there is over the next month. 

Clark is a talent on par with any star player we’ve seen in college basketball over the last decade and it will be awesome to see her play in person and see how Rueck decides to gameplan for her.  

November 27 - Sunday Funday

WBB vs. Duke/UCONN

MBB vs. Gonzaga/Purdue/West Virginia/Portland State

The PK3,085 concludes the day after Oregon State hopefully beats Oregon at Reser. The men could be playing Gonzaga in the tournament championship, and could also be playing Portland State for the second time with 7th place in the field of eight on the line. Both of those scenarios are for sure equally possible. 

No matter what happens against Clark and the Hawkeyes, the women will have a juicy matchup. They’ll either be playing UCONN, which is always a juicy matchup, or Duke, which will pit them against former Beavs Kennedy Brown, Taya Corosdale, AND Aleah Goodman, who is director of recruiting for the Blue Devils. #STORYLINES

December 1 - Double Header at Gill No. 3

WBB vs. Southern University at 11:00 am

MBB vs. Washington at 7:00 pm 

The men tipoff their conference slate against the Huskies in a game that will be broadcasted on ESPNU. The women tipoff against Southern eight hours before the men’s game starts, so this one is probably not going to be marketed as a double-header. 

Whatever, go to the women’s game, then use the down time in between games to sneak around Gill, find wherever they’re hiding Bernice AND FREE HER! YOU CAN BE THE HERO! 

Can women’s basketball bounce back and reclaim their rightful place among college basketball’s elite?

Can men’s basketball bounce back and shock the fucking world?

I don’t know and you don’t know either. Time will tell. The only thing we know for sure is you can’t spell ‘Chop Em,’ without ‘hope,’ Chop Em!