Oregon State Beavers
From Hoopedia
The Oregon State Beavers is a name shared by all sports teams at Oregon State University (OSU), a university located in Corvallis. The Beavers are part of the Pacific Ten Conference (Pac-10). Both the men's and women's teams share the name, competing in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I.
Gill Coliseum is a 10,400-seat multi-purpose arena located on the campus of OSU. The arena opened in 1949. It is home to the Oregon State Beavers' basketball teams. It is named after famed basketball coach Amory T. "Slats" Gill who compiled a 599-392 record in 36 seasons. Within Gill Coliseum is the Ralph Miller Court, named after another famed OSU coach, Ralph Miller, who led the men's basketball program from 1971 to 1989.
Oregon State's mascot is Benny Beaver.
The primary rival of the Beavers is the Oregon Ducks of the University of Oregon, located 45 miles (75 km) south of the Oregon State campus.
Men's Basketball
The men's basketball team has had several famous players come out of the program, including 9-time NBA All-Star Gary Payton and "Iron Man" A.C. Green. The Beavers have the 13th most amount of wins of any program in the nation as of the end of the 2005 season. They have participated in the NCAA Tournament 16 times, making it to the Final Four twice. OSU alumni have also received a total of 10 NBA championship rings and 4 Olympic gold medals.
Women's Basketball
The Women's Basketball program at Oregon State has long been a power. From the 1980s and Carol Menken, to the mid-1990s with the teams that made it to the NCAA tournament. More recently Oregon State women's basketball has seen many strong players. Felicia Ragland was at OSU in the early 2000s and ended up playing briefly in the WNBA and has a banner up in the rafters at Gill Coliseum. Since Ragland's appearance, recruiting has become better, with many strong players coming through Oregon State. The current coach is LaVonda Wagner.
The women's basketball team finished the 2006 season with a 16-15 record, making a postseason appearance in the WNIT tournament.
