on Monday to find that
ESPN's latest NCAA tournament projections list Oregon
State's women on
the bubble in the 64-team field.
The fact that they're in the discussion just 18 months after holding open tryouts to fill a roster is worth a celebration in itself.
"It's a little crazy," Rueck said. "When I took the job I thought we'd be successful eventually but you can't predict when.
"You go through the season with your head down, you're grinding, we're just coming off a tough road trip and then you look up and look at the standings and think, 'Wow, how did that happen?' It's like my wildest dream. I wouldn't put anything past this group."
And with that attitude in mind, the Beavers (17-7, 8-5 Pac-12) will put their six-game winning streak on the line Thursday as No. 3 Stanford comes to town.
The most dominant team in the west over the past couple decades, Stanford (22-1, 13-0) is riding a 19-game winning streak. But included in that string of victories are a couple close calls, i ncluding a 67-60 win over Oregon State on Jan. 7. The Beavers led 35-31 at half at Stanford in a game that included nine lead changes and 10 ties. OSU has gone 7-2 since, and is alone in third place in Pac-12 standings.
"That game gives us confidence," Rueck said. "That's the reason this team is where it's at. It started that day. What it didn't help is that it probably made (the Cardinal) mad."
Stanford features one of the best front courts in the country in sisters Chiney and Nnemkadi Ogwumike, who combined for 53 points and 26 rebounds in the teams' first meeting.
"There are times when you think you have the rebound and then they snatch it away," said sophomore Alyssa Martin, who is averaging eight points. "Finding a way to box them out is going to be huge."
"What I remember about them is, we're in it with about nine minutes to go, and they just crushed us on the boards down the stretch," Rueck said. "I remember thinking, 'Who put the springboard out there? They're jumping off something.' They're so athletic, and they're a joy to watch. But they're not a joy to compete against."
Rueck couldn't be happier with his team's progress in just his second season. When he took over the program in July 2010 the Beavers were considered one of the worst jobs in women's college basketball. But in less than two seasons expectations have dramatically changed in Corvallis.
"The character of this team is really high," Rueck said. "And we're all used to winning. Even though this program was not a winner when we took it over, we don't care, that doesn't matter to us -- we're here now, and we expect to be successful.
"I can't wait to watch Thursday. I don't know what this team is going to do, but it's fun to coach them because they compete every day."
Long before the first game tipped off, the Beavers sat in a beach house during their team retreat and senior forward Earlysia Marchbanks declared that this team could go to the postseason. About half her teammates rolled their eyes, Rueck said. A few months later, the postseason looks realistic, even if it's caught some by surprise.
"I didn't know we were going to be this good," Martin said. "But I'm loving it."
-- Lindsay Schnell (I came, I saw, I tweeted)
Source: http://www.oregonlive.com/beavers/index.ssf/2012/02/oregon_state_women_on_ncaa_tou.html
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